Is It Weird For A Guy To Travel Alone?
One of the most common questions amongst male travellers is: is it weird for a guy to travel alone? They worry that people might think of them as lonely, creepy or outright crazy.
There’s no need to worry. Hundreds of millions of men travel alone each year, all around the world. And if you read my guide to traveling alone as a man, you’ll see why – solo male travel allows you to make friends, meet single women and live an adventurous lifestyle!
And men aren’t the only people with questions about solo travel. Women also ask, is it weird to travel alone? It’s just a natural concern that is quickly overcome once you hit the road.
Learn about male solo travel from a man that’s done it for 5+ years – only on Nomadic Yak!
Is it Weird for a Guy to Travel Alone?
No, it is not weird for a guy to travel alone. Every year, millions of men travel alone both domestically and internationally. Statistics suggest that a whopping 78% of men internationally have taken a solo trip or are considering it.
Solo travel is the #1 travel trend in the world, with 16% of people having taken a solo vacation and 25% of people wanting to travel alone in the future.
Whilst women still make up the majority of solo travellers, men make up about 25-45% of the solo travel market (depending on which statistics you rely on). Thousands of men search for phrases such as “solo male travel” on the internet every month.
If you use the United States as an example, over 53 million Americans have taken a solo vacation already and a further 83 million are planning to do so. If 45% of the solo travellers were male, that would mean that 23.85 million American men have taken a solo vacation.
With so many men already taking solo trips, it’s safe to say that there’s nothing weird about travelling alone as a guy!
Why Do Guys Feel Weird About Travelling Alone?
If so many men travel solo each year, why are some guys still worried that it’s weird to travel alone?
The men that worry about travelling alone are those that have never done it before.
Here are the main concerns amongst males thinking about solo travel and why you shouldn’t worry:
- Feeling lonely: Before travelling alone, nearly 50% of men ask, is solo travel lonely? There’s no need to worry. Everywhere you go, you’ll find other men and women travelling alone that you can buddy up with. For 30 solo travel socialising tips, see how to travel alone and not be lonely.
- Safety concerns: About 48% of lone travellers ask, is solo travel safe? Travelling alone is safe if you follow these solo travel safety tips. In fact, it’s so safe that 50% of solo travellers travel 3 or more times per year.
- Planning: About 30% of blokes are too lazy or disorganised to plan a trip by themselves. Get motivated by browsing destination guides and watching travel vlogs.
- Expenses: Around 27% of men worry that they can’t afford to travel alone. There are destinations to suit all sorts of solo travel budget, from affordable third-world countries to more luxurious locations.
- Fun: Some men question, is travelling alone fun? Others ask, is solo travel boring? Most people find solo travel to be more fun than group travel. This is because you have total control over your itinerary and make friends along the way.
- Other people’s opinions: Some guys worry that their friends and acquaintances will think that they’re weird for travelling alone. If people think like this, you probably don’t want them as friends anyway. Real friends admire your ambitions.
After taking your first solo trip, you will realise that these concerns were never worth worrying about. As mentioned above, millions of men travel alone each year and overcome these weird feelings within the first few days of their trip.
How to Feel Less Weird About Traveling Alone as a Guy
Still worried that it is weird for a guy to travel alone? Here are some things that you can do to overcome the awkwardness of male solo travel.
1. Become friends with other solo travellers
One of the best things about solo travel is the opportunity to make new friends from all around the world.
When staying in shared accommodation and visiting attractions, you’ll find it easy to strike up conversations with other travellers as you already have a shared interest.
Read my Ultimate 9-Step Guide to Making 100 Travel Buddies When Travelling Alone!
2. Prove the naysayers wrong on social media
Take a heap of photos and videos as you travel around the world. Post content to your social media and show people what an awesome time you’re having. People will see what a great experience it is and will probably even be a bit jealous.
Social media is also an awesome way to archive memories that you’ll look back on for the rest of your life!
Some may even say that a popping Instagram feed is one reason why you should travel alone in your 20s!
3. Stay connected with family and friends
Whilst you’ll make a heap of friends when travelling alone as a guy, you’ll also want to stay connected with family and friends at home.
Use messaging apps such as Whatsapp to call your loved ones every few days. Share your experiences and hear about what they’re up to. This will help you prevent homesickness.
Have a partner back home? See what it means when your partner goes away without you.
4. Be inspired by other solo travellers
Motivate yourself to take a solo trip by taking inspiration from other guys who travel alone. Once you see what an awesome time they’re having, you’ll be chomping at the bit to get on the road.
The best YouTube channels about solo male travel include:
And some of the best books about guys travelling alone include:
- Into the Wild by John Krakauer
- Any of Bill Bryson’s travel books, including:
- A Walk in the Woods (about the Appalachian Trail in the United States)
- Down Under: Travels in a Sunburned Country (Australia)
- Notes from a Small Island (UK)
- Neither Here, Nor There (Europe)
5. Just do it!
The best way to stop feeling weird about travelling alone as a guy – throw yourself into the deep end and head off on your first solo trip.
You will quickly find yourself surrounded by other men and women travelling alone and wonder what you were ever worried about!
Five Benefits of Travelling Alone as a Guy
If you want to know whether solo travel is right for you, you should consider the advantages and disadvantages of travelling alone.
Here are just five of the benefits of solo male travel:
- Meet more women: For every solo male traveller, there are about 3.3 solo female travellers (source). And 75% of backpackers have sex while travelling!
- More freedom and independence: When you travel alone, you do your own thing, on your own schedule. You learn who you are and develop independence.
- Don’t wait for others: Are you sick of waiting for your mates all the time? Leave them at home and do everything you want to do in your own time.
- Become more confident: When travelling alone, you meet new people every day and quickly get over your fear of socialising. You also learn that you are capable of more than you ever expected.
- Become more interesting: Fill your social feeds with awesome photos and create memories that will last a lifetime. They make for some impressive (and funny) stories when you return home.
Related Posts
More Solo Travel Tips for Guys on Nomadic Yak
You no longer need to wonder, is it weird for a guy to travel alone? No!
Join the millions of men that travel alone every year and start living the dream.
Nomadic Yak helps solo travellers to plan journeys that are adventurous and authentic.
Every article is written by me, Harry Dale. I’ve travelled to 40+ countries over the last 5 years – alone.
I’ve shared everything you need to know about male solo travel.
You’ll also find 100s of solo travel tips on how to save money, make more friends, build a social media following and much more.
Plus, you can use my solo travel destination guides to discover international sights and attractions that few other travellers get to witness.
