There are a lot of RTW travel myths and misconceptions floating around the world these days. Of course, most of them originate from people who have never taken an extended trip before. They think you have to be rich to do it, and that taking off from your job to travel the world is folly and will mess up your career path for the rest of your life. They say you can’t do it with children or that it’s impossible if you own your home.
But they are all wrong. The real travel truths are that you can do it, in almost any situation or stage of life. It just might not be as easy for some as for others, particularly for solo travelers.
So what if you are by yourself? What if you don’t have a friend or spouse who wants to accompany you on your big trip? Some people say you should just stay home. It’s too dangerous to travel alone (particularly if you are a woman). You’ll get lonely on the road. With no one there to share the adventure, it just won’t be as fun as you think. Again these solo female travel myths are most often
perpetuated by people who haven’t done what they’re warning you against. And those these people often mean the best and think they’re just looking out for you, they are completely misguided and their assumptions are false.
While traveling alone, particularly as a woman in some countries, does put you are slightly more risk, if you use common sense you can reduce your chances of being a target. Knowing the local cultures and customs and taking a few precautions can help. And while traveling alone may seems lonely at first, you’ll quickly discover how eager people are to make friends. If you stay in a hostel, take a class or join a group tour, it’s easy to meet up with like-minded people and travel together for a while. You may make life-long friends on your trip, and you’ll be anything but lonely.
Don’t let the naysayers talk you out of taking your round the world trip, even if you find yourself setting out alone. Traveling solo can be just as rewarding as going with a companion, and once you’re out exploring the world you may find your best travel partner is yourself.
Photo by wanderinghome
Don’t let the naysayers talk you out of taking your round the world trip.
I went on a RTW trip by myself in 2010. I always travel alone, just because I don’t know anyone who wants to spend the money to travel at all, let alone in the bohemian manner such as youth hostels. In 2004, a Canadian customs agent found it hard to believe a female could travel alone to Canada from the US. This pretty much sums up the attitudes of people in general.