Even though I’m the reason we have to travel due to my work, we generally have traveled as a family. Since things have gotten a little out of hand with the pandemic, I’ve found myself traveling alone a lot more. Now I know what you are thinking, this is a dream come true, right? Well, after spending so much time traveling with my family, traveling alone isn’t exactly all rainbows and sunshine. Here are some of the pros and cons I observed while traveling alone.
Pros of Traveling Alone:
I can watch whatever I want.
This is one of the things that parents with small ones will understand. When you are with the kids, their shows dominate the TV. It doesn’t matter if it’s Disney, Nick, or who knows what, the kids have the TV. And even after they go to bed, you must be choosey about what you put on because they could wake up and see or hear something not meant for little ears. When you are traveling alone, this is not the case. Turn on the worst show you can find because this is your night to shine.
Uninterrupted sleep.
Traveling is always tough for my sleep cycle. Whether I’m overnight for work, or working days and sleeping at night, the kids can in many cases make sleep a little more challenging. When I’m overnight this is definitely the case. While Elias will usually leave me to sleep, there are still all the extra sounds and noises that I wouldn’t have if I were traveling alone. And even when I’m sleeping at night, small children means waking up early.
Make my own bedtime.
This one may seem silly on the surface. But if you have kids, once they are in bed, you don’t want to wake them up. That can lead to all sorts of chaos. This becomes even more challenging at a hotel though. Whatever time the kids go to bed, you might as well go to bed too. You never know if you’re turning on the tv too loud or attempting to talk to your spouse will be enough to wake them. When you are traveling alone you can stay up as late as you want. I will say though that generally there isn’t a lot to do when you are alone, so I still find myself falling asleep early.
Cons of Traveling Alone:
It’s lonely.
There, I said it. Sitting in a hotel room by yourself. Eating dinner by yourself. Watching TV by yourself. At times that feels like something that would be blissful. But once you have the chance to do it, I end up wishing I wasn’t alone. I think about what my family is up to or wondering how their day is going. I end up getting bored, being tempted to snack and laying in bed. This usually ends up with me dozing off way earlier than normal, thus canceling out the idea of making my own bedtime.
Exploring isn’t fun when there is no one to share it with.
When I travel, I always enjoy exploring the area that I’m in. However, exploring alone isn’t nearly as fun. One of the best parts of discovery is having someone to share it with. If I’m alone, who can I point out that cool thing to? With little kids especially, it doesn’t take much to impress them. That means the level of excitement they get from seeing something new usually makes the experience that much better. Traveling alone takes that part of the fun away.
Remote quality time is not the same.
As part of my travel, my wife and I try hard to schedule times for me to talk to the kids on the phone or via video chat. It just isn’t the same as spending quality time with the family. Usually, there is only a finite amount of time to talk and since both my boys are younger, only a finite amount of attention span for the call. Plus, when I can tell during the calls that both my kids (and my wife) are feeling the effects of me not being there.
Final Thoughts
Overall, at least for me personally, I think that the cons of traveling alone definitely outweigh the pros. There are glimmers throughout the trip where I enjoy a few moments of quiet or put on that show I never get to watch, but those moments are fleeting. At the end of the day, traveling alone can be fun, but it’s not comparable to the time spent making memories with my family.
Jason K
Do you like traveling alone or do you prefer to have your family with you? Tell us!
I personally love travelling with my family because I can share moments with them. I love looking back and laughing over the things we did and saw during our travels. Despite this, I still feel like travelling alone should be something that everyone does even once in their lives. It can really help you immerse yourself in the environment you’re going to and you’ll be able to notice things that you wouldn’t be able to notice if you had other company. I haven’t tried it yet but I’m looking forward to it! 🙂
Hi
i actually happen to agree with you: there were times when i have travelled for months at a time on my own and after a while i really wanted to share it with someone close not just people you meet along the trip…
You win some-you lose some, i guess ;-P
As a solo traveller I’ve got to say the pros way outweigh the cons. Once you get used to solo travel, you find ways to connect so you aren’t lonely and you learn to appreciate exploring on your own. I’m sure it’s harder when you have kids, but it does get better!
I love that this reflection has brought you to the conclusion that family is the most important thing at the end of the day. Take those solitary moment, enjoy them, but remember who it is all for in the end. ❤
That’s a nice perspective. I have not traveled alone in longtime especially after having kids. And I totally understand when you talk about being happy for having no disturbance and at the same time miss the time spent with them.
Very real thoughts, thank you for inspiring us to keep at it!
I love to travel but I admit that the idea of doing it alone is something that does not touch me, it would seem to me that I cannot fully experience the emotions I feel.
I have to agree that it can be lonely and remote quality time is just not the same! For me I love to travel with 1-2 other people, 4 is the limit lol
I love love love travelling alone for the reasons you mentioned, but I would sometimes like to share those memories with other people. Hey, that’s why hostels have group outings!
Traveling alone while liberating can be very tricky especially as a woman.
I have only traveled alone for work! I like it in some cases but I am always worried about safety and I feel awkward eating by myself. But as an introvert I love spending quiet time alone and setting my own schedule.
I concur. Traveling alone is lonely and I often miss my family when I have to. This was a great breakdown of the pros and cons.
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