Explore solo travel stories, volunteering experiences, practical guides and opportunities for people travelling independently around the world.

Travelling solo can offer flexibility and independence, but it also means taking greater responsibility for planning, transport, accommodation, communication and the ability to change plans when something does not work out.

On Voluntouring, this section is used when travelling alone is a meaningful part of the story, advice or opportunity. It should not be added automatically to every article aimed at backpackers or every volunteer project that accepts individual applications.

What does travelling solo mean?

Solo travel generally means beginning and organising a journey independently, without relying on a permanent travel companion.

A solo traveller may still spend considerable time with other people. Hostels, volunteer projects, work exchangesA work exchange is an arrangement in which a traveller contributes an agreed amount of help to a host in return for benefits such as accommodation, meals or learning opportunities. Conditions vary by host., walking routes, courses and community stays can all create opportunities to meet people while retaining the freedom to continue the journey independently.

For some people, travelling alone means a short weekend trip. For others, it may involve months of backpacking, volunteering, walking, cycling or moving between different hosts and destinations.

Why volunteer while travelling solo?

Volunteering or joining a work exchange can provide a temporary social environment during an otherwise independent journey.

A solo traveller may spend several weeks living with a host family, community, farm, hostel, NGO or other project before continuing alone.

This can create opportunities to meet people, learn local routines and stay longer in one destination. It can also make accommodation and daily life more structured than moving continuously between short tourist stays.

However, volunteering should not be treated simply as a solution to loneliness or free accommodation. The project should still have clear activities, fair conditions and a genuine reason for welcoming volunteers.

Independence matters

One advantage of solo travel is the ability to make decisions independently. Try to preserve that independence when entering a volunteer or hospitality arrangement.

A traveller should ideally retain control of their passport, money, phone and important personal belongings and have a realistic way to leave the project if necessary.

Avoid becoming completely dependent on a host for transport, communication or access to money, particularly in remote locations.

Choosing a volunteer host when travelling alone

Read the complete listing rather than choosing primarily from photographs or location.

Before travelling, clarify:

• who lives or works at the project;
• whether other volunteers are normally present;
• the exact activities expected;
• weekly hours and days off;
• the accommodation arrangement;
• whether the bedroom is private or shared;
• meals and kitchen access;
• minimum stay;
• transport to and from the project;
• internet and mobile phone coverage;
• fees or other financial arrangements;
• insurance requirements;
• visa or immigration considerations;
• how the exchange can be ended if either side changes their mind.

A video call before travelling can be particularly useful for understanding the host, accommodation and daily environment.

Accommodation and privacy

Accommodation deserves particular attention when travelling alone because there may be no travel companion present to help evaluate an unexpected situation after arrival.

Ask where you will sleep, who else has access to the accommodation, whether bedrooms can be locked where appropriate and whether bathrooms or other facilities are shared.

A shared volunteer house, family homestay, hostel dormitory and isolated cabin provide very different levels of privacy and social contact.

There is no universally best arrangement. The important thing is knowing what to expect before arriving.

Remote projects

Many interesting volunteer projects are located in rural, mountainous or otherwise remote areas.

Before accepting a remote placement, find out how far it is from the nearest town, public transport, shop and medical facility.

Ask what happens if you need to leave before the agreed date and whether transport is available independently of the host.

If the only realistic way to leave requires the host to drive you for several hours, it is worth understanding that dependency before making the commitment.

Keep a backup plan

A good host can still cancel unexpectedly, experience an emergency or simply turn out to be a poor match.

Solo travellers can reduce the consequences of a failed arrangement by keeping an emergency fund, access to alternative accommodation and enough information to reach public transport independently.

It can also be useful to save important addresses, transport information and emergency contacts offline in case internet access disappears.

Do not remain in an uncomfortable or unsafe arrangement solely because changing accommodation would be expensive or inconvenient.

Share useful information with someone you trust

When travelling independently, consider giving someone you trust basic information about where you are staying, particularly when visiting a private home or isolated project.

This can include the host’s name, address or approximate location, planned dates and a link to the listing.

You do not need to report every movement during a journey, but making sure someone can locate you if communication suddenly stops can be a useful precaution.

Solo travel does not mean avoiding strangers

Much of the value of travelling alone can come from meeting people along the way.

Hostels, walking routes, shared transport, volunteering and community projects can create situations where conversations happen more naturally because a solo traveller is not always focused on a permanent companion.

Fabio’s solo bicycle journey around Angkor, for example, became partly a story about meeting another independent traveller during the route rather than remaining alone throughout the experience.

Solo travel therefore describes independence of the journey rather than isolation.

Travelling solo and slow travel

Solo travel can work particularly well with a slower itinerary because there is no need to negotiate every route or change of plan with a travel companion.

A traveller can decide to remain longer in a place, volunteer unexpectedly, walk a long-distance route or change direction when circumstances change.

Deborah’s journey toward Santiago is one example featured on Voluntouring: she began her journey independently, combined walking and hitchhiking with spontaneous volunteer stays and continued without a rigid timetable.

Explore similar experiences in the slow travel section.

Travelling solo and long-term travel

Long solo journeys create additional practical questions about budget, healthcare, accommodation, visas, work and maintaining social connections.

Moving independently for several months also makes flexibility valuable. A volunteer stay may work perfectly when planned but another opportunity may need to be cancelled or shortened.

For journeys where duration is an important part of the experience, explore the long-term travel section.

Solo travel and alternative travel

Travelling independently often overlaps with hitchhiking, walking, cycling, hospitality exchange, housesitting, volunteering and other alternative forms of travel.

None of these activities automatically become solo travel. A cycling guide, for example, belongs here only when travelling independently is actually part of the story or advice.

Explore different travel styles in the alternative travel section.

Travelling solo on a low budget

Solo travellers cannot divide accommodation, taxis or other costs between companions, which can make some parts of a trip more expensive.

Hostels, public transport, hospitality exchange, housesitting and suitable work exchanges can reduce some costs, but they also come with different responsibilities and conditions.

Keep enough money to remain independent if a free or low-cost arrangement stops working.

Voluntouring’s guide to travelling with very little money discusses work exchange, hospitality and emergency budgeting in more detail.

Hitchhiking alone

Some solo travellers include hitchhiking in their journeys. Conditions and social attitudes toward hitchhiking vary considerably between destinations.

Research local rules and current conditions, choose waiting locations carefully and avoid entering a vehicle when something about the situation makes you uncomfortable.

Whenever possible, retain another way of reaching your destination instead of depending entirely on obtaining a ride.

Read Voluntouring’s hitchhiking safety guide for additional practical considerations.

Solo travel and personal safety

There is no single safety rule that applies to every solo traveller or destination.

Risk can depend on the country, neighbourhood, time of day, transport, accommodation, activities and individual circumstances. Use current destination-specific information rather than assuming that travelling alone is automatically safe or unsafe.

Before travelling, check official travel advisories and local transport or emergency information where relevant.

If a volunteer project is located in an area affected by armed conflict, severe instability or another rapidly changing risk, the suitability of the destination should be considered before the attractiveness of the placement.

Women travelling solo

Some articles may address experiences or practical questions that are particularly relevant to women travelling independently.

Those articles can also appear in the Women travelling solo section when the gender-specific perspective is genuinely part of the content.

A general solo travel article should not receive that tag simply because women may also read it. Likewise, travelling alone should not automatically be presented as unusually dangerous for women without considering the actual destination and circumstances.

Travelling alone is not the same as loneliness

Some people enjoy spending long periods alone, while others prefer a journey with regular opportunities to meet people.

Volunteer projects, hostels, walking routes and community stays can provide social contact while allowing someone to retain an independent itinerary.

It is also normal for a long solo journey to include periods of loneliness, fatigue or wanting familiar company. Changing the itinerary, staying somewhere longer or travelling temporarily with people you meet does not make the journey less independent.

When a host specifically requests solo travellers

Some hosts accept only individual applicants rather than couples, friends or groups.

This may happen because accommodation is designed for one person, because the host needs one volunteer at a time or because the project prefers participants to integrate independently into the household or team.

In these cases, the Travelling solo tag can be useful even when the listing itself is not a travel story.

The host should nevertheless explain what “solo applicants only” means and should not use the requirement to discourage volunteers from maintaining outside contacts, independent transport or reasonable personal boundaries.

How to use this section

Browse the stories, guides and selected volunteer opportunities below. Check the publication date because travel conditions, hosts, platforms and practical information can change.

For volunteer listings, read the complete announcement and confirm the current tasks, hours, accommodation, meals, fees, location and contact arrangements directly with the host.

For travel guides and personal stories, remember that another traveller’s experience does not guarantee that the same route, host or destination will work in the same way for you.

Voluntouring does not organise trips, select travel companions, supervise hosts or guarantee the safety of an individual journey. Publication on Voluntouring.org does not in itself constitute verification, endorsement or a recommendation of a host or travel arrangement.

For additional guidance, read Voluntouring’s information about safety and legality in volunteering and work exchanges.

Related sections

• Women travelling solo
• Travel stories
• Travel advice
• Slow travel
• Long-term travel
• Alternative travel

Important: host availability, travel conditions, transport, accommodation, entry requirements and safety information can change. Verify current information before relying on an older article or making travel and financial commitments.

Last reviewed: September 2026.

Explore solo travel stories, guides and opportunities 🎒🌍

Browse the articles and selected opportunities below and use the “Older Posts” navigation to continue exploring previous content about travelling independently.

Have you travelled solo while volunteering, walking, cycling, hitchhiking or exploring another way of travelling? You can propose your story to Voluntouring.org for editorial review.

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