I’ve been travelling alone and with friends for quite some time already but my last trip was my first solo travel to Europe. Been to different parts of EU in 3 separate occassions. Because of hours and hours I’ve spent on public transport and with that I had to keep myself awake for me not to miss my stops, I was able to come up with my own PERSONAL list of Pros in travelling solo vs with friends;

Solo:

1. Self-awareness. You will know more about your own strength and weaknesses.
2. It will teach you to have more awareness to your surroundings. Believe it or not, the world isn’t a safe place. I got pick-pocketed in Oslo, where I thought, was a safe place and that, I charged to experience. Never again will it happen. I also picked-up some basic self-defense to somehow prepare myself if I’d be in a scenario where I might need to use them.
3. You will be forced to merge yourself out there. Like for me, when with other people, I don’t want to be the one asking for directions. Alone, I had no choice.
4. You can follow your own style and plan your own time without considering other people’s thoughts. I can eat anything I wanted to, be it the cheapest, with free cholera or the most lavish ones.
5. You will learn the art of taking selfies. Lots and lots of it. Now, I have already perfected this craft, be it with 10people or with a view as huge as the mountains, churches or monuments.
6. You will learn to be independent.
7. You will have to learn to plan SMART.
8. You will have to embrace and appreciate the places you are visiting more in silence. Complete silence can only be attained when one is alone.

With friends:

1. There’s a nice view and you exerted all efforts to conquer your shyness to ask another person to take a photo for you. Finally, you gathered the courage needed to ask, he said yes. He took the camera, did the shot…full body shot and half of the nice view was gone and it’ll be so embarassing to demand another shot and instruct him coz, you were just asking for a favor. With friends, you can take and retake as much as you want.
2. With friends, someone can help you carry your bags or watch over it if you want to go to the toilet or buy something.
3. In some places, the views can make you feel that you want to hold someone’s hand. Hay
4. Accomodation, fares are sometimes cheaper with more people in the group.
5. You can drink alcohol without fearing that you might get drunk or allergic to something. If you are allergic to something, someone can help you buy medication or bring you to the hospital if there’s a need.
6. Someone can attest to whatever it is that you have done. Yeah, if you’re able to eat balut, someone will have to applaud you after and help you brag to your other friends how brave you were in the process. Haha
7. I have memory gap sometimes, and with friends, someone can help you remember names of places you have previously visited. They’re more interactive than a notebook.
8. If you loose all you credit card and money in a pick-pocketing incident, someone can help you get focused for you to be able to do the necessities, like calling the credit card company, going to the police station and stuff.. and most importantly, someone can help you financially in situations like this.

Well, travelling is always a good experience be it alone or with friends…. 😉