Have you considered that solo travel doesn’t have to mean travelling alone?

If you don’t have a regular travel buddy, and you don’t want to go alone, it can be easy to assume your options are limited. You either travel with a friend or family, or you don’t travel at all. And for many people, that means quietly ruling out the idea of leaving home alone.

So your travel dreams get pushed aside.

But here’s the important part. Travelling solo doesn’t have to be an absolute equal of travelling alone.

You can still leave home independently, without a partner or travel buddy, but not travel alone.

That’s where ‘Solo-ish’ travel fits.

And for many people, once that idea clicks into place, it opens up a very different way of thinking about travel.

The Quiet Build-Up

You may have travelled before with a partner, friends, family, or colleagues. You already know how much you enjoy travel and what it gives you. But something has shifted.

Maybe the person you used to travel with can’t travel anymore, or simply doesn’t want to. Maybe your children are older and family travel is in the past.  Now, your time feels more like your own. Or perhaps you’ve spent years putting everyone else first and you’re finally asking yourself, what about me?

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

Many people tell me they’ve been thinking about it for ages. The idea pops up when they see a photo, read an article, or hear about someone else’s trip. It just sits there, quietly, waiting.

What Nudges Us

There isn’t one single reason people decide to take that first step.

For some, it’s a milestone birthday. Not because of the number, but because it prompts reflection. What have I done? What do I still want to do? What do I keep putting off?

For others, it’s a bigger life change. Retirement. Divorce. The end of a relationship. Children growing up. Sometimes it’s simpler. Friends are travelling. You see photos. You hear stories. And you realise you don’t want to keep sitting on the sidelines.

And sometimes, it’s just a growing sense that time is passing and you don’t want to miss out.

Why That First Step Can Feel So Big

Even when the desire is strong, that first solo trip can feel like the hardest one to take.

You might find yourself wondering:

• Will I feel awkward?
• Will I be lonely?
• What if everyone else already knows each other?
• What if I don’t fit in?
• What if I like my independence but still want company?

If you’re nodding along, you’re in good company. Plenty of people feel this way. They want to travel independently, without every part of the journey being on their own.

This is where Solo-ish makes sense.

From Solo to Shared

Travelling with other solo travellers changes the dynamic completely. Everyone starts from the same place. No one is the odd one out. There’s an easy understanding that everyone has arrived independently and for their own reasons.

You have your own room. Your own space. Your own independence. But you also share experiences, meals, conversations, and plenty of laughs along the way.

There’s comfort in knowing you’re not doing it all on your own, without giving up who you are.

For many people, this is the bridge between wanting to travel and actually booking that first trip.

When Travel Becomes Something More

What often surprises people is that their first Solo-ish experience becomes about far more than the holiday itself.

It’s not a dramatic moment. It’s quieter than that. A shift in how you see yourself and what you’re capable of.

I don’t need to wait anymore.
I can do this my way.
There’s still plenty ahead of me.

I often hear people say they wish they’d done it sooner. Not just because they enjoyed the trip, but because of how it changed the way they felt afterwards.

• More confident
• More capable
• More open
• More like themselves again

That first trip doesn’t change everything. But it does change something important. It reminds you that travel can still fit the life you’re living now.

You Don’t Need a Big Reason

You don’t need a dramatic life event to justify travelling solo.

You don’t need a big story or a turning point. Wanting to travel is reason enough.

You might simply be at a stage where you know what you like. You value comfort, quality, and meaningful experiences.

A Moment I’ve Never Forgotten

I’ll never forget one of the early trips, on a ferry transfer after a resort trip in the Whitsundays. One of the women in the group came up to me and said, “Justine, you’ll have no idea how you’ve changed my life.”

That trip wasn’t about where she went. It was about realising she could step forward on her own terms, without having to do it alone.

Over the years, I’ve seen that same realisation play out many times. Different people, different stories, but the same moment of clarity.

Why This Moment Matters

If you’re reading this and something feels familiar, it may be because you’re already there.

You don’t need to know exactly where you want to go. You don’t need to have every detail worked out.  It’s simply about recognising that you want to travel.

And the beauty of Solo-ish; travel no longer alone is knowing that you don’t have to take that step by yourself.

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Check Out Our Solos Only Tour Groups
For a full list of small group tours.

Getting Started For The First Time?
Check out my book, How To Travel Solo But Not Alone