Travelling solo 🎒🌍
Explore solo travel and volunteering abroad through personal stories, practical guides and selected opportunities for people travelling independently.
Travelling alone can involve backpacking, walking, cycling, hospitality exchanges or volunteering along the way. Some travellers prefer independent journeys with occasional community stays, while others spend longer periods with hosts before continuing to their next destination.
What does travelling solo mean? 🎒🌍
Solo travel means organising and undertaking a journey independently, without relying on a permanent travel companion. It does not necessarily mean spending the entire trip alone. Solo travellers may meet people, join group activities, stay with local hosts or volunteer in communities while maintaining their own travel plans.
Solo travel and volunteer exchanges
Volunteer projects can provide opportunities to meet people and experience daily life in a different environment. Travellers may stay with families, help on farms, join community projects or spend time in hostels before continuing independently.
For a personal example, read Deborah’s slow journey towards Santiago, which includes walking, hitchhiking and spontaneous volunteer stays.
Some hosts specifically welcome individual applicants, but accepting one volunteer at a time does not automatically make a project a solo travel experience. The activities, accommodation and exchange conditions should always be clear.
How to use this page
Check publication dates and confirm current activities, working hours, days off, accommodation, meals, minimum stay and any fees directly with the host. When travelling alone, it is also useful to know who else will be present, whether accommodation is shared and how independently you can reach or leave the location.
Consider keeping emergency funds, access to important documents, alternative accommodation and a way to contact someone you trust. Check current visa requirements, insurance and destination-specific safety information. Read our guide to a safer volunteer experience for more practical advice.
Publication on Voluntouring.org does not constitute verification or endorsement of a host, its accommodation, working conditions or safety arrangements.
Related stories and guides: Women travelling solo · Travel stories · Travel advice · Slow travel
Last reviewed: October 2026.
Browse solo travel stories and volunteering opportunities 🎒🌍
Explore the stories, guides and selected opportunities below. Some older articles describe past journeys or volunteering arrangements, so verify practical information before making plans.
Have you travelled solo while volunteering, walking, cycling or exploring different ways of living? You can share your personal experience or propose an interview for editorial review on Voluntouring.org.
