10 Advantages of going abroad on a Working Holiday Visa solo

Do you want to go abroad on a Working Holiday Visa but don’t have anyone to go with you? Going solo might just be the best decision ever!

Travelling with someone else might be reassuring, but there are tons of reasons to travel by yourself. Here are just ten of them.

1. Solo travel = total freedom

When you travel with a friend or loved one, it’s impossible to be 100% on the same wavelength, even if you get on super well.

You might want to stay a while longer in a particular city, while your travel companion is ready to move on to the next stop. One of you might be full of energy, while the other needs a break. Compromise is inevitable.

But on your own, you’re free to make all your decisions.

2. You’ll be proud of yourself

Going abroad on your own may be frightening. Why am I doing this? Will I manage? You will certainly ask yourself all these questions, but in the end, what will come out of it is that you will be proud to have made the courageous decision.

You’ll have to adapt, rebuild, deal with the unexpected. And it builds confidence to know that you’re managing to do everything independently.

3. You’ll be more likely to meet new people

When you’re constantly with a travel companion, you feel less of a need or motivation to meet new people. Other people might also be less likely to approach you if they see that you’re already with a friend or partner.

When you are on your own, you have no choice: you have to make the effort to approach others, and you may be surprised to see how many others also chose to travel solo.

You might end up going on a spontaneous weekend trip with a newfound friend, or simply to share a coffee with your neighbour.

4. You’ll learn to be decisive

This is the time to listen to yourself and make choices for yourself, because no one else will be telling you where to go or what to do.

If you prefer camping to hotels, picnics to restaurants, driving to public transport, staying in one place rather than being constantly on the move, and so on—it is you who decides.

5. You’ll learn what your capacity and limits are

We often think we know ourselves well, but we quickly learn that we keep discovering ourselves at any age.

You might be surprised by your capacity for independence and autonomy. You may turn out to be more sociable than you expected, or finally learn to enjoy moments of solitude.

It’s only in pushing yourself can you discover what your limits are.

6. It’s easier to manage your budget

Admittedly, travelling as a pair can come with savings: sharing the rent, the purchase of a car, fuel, and so on.

But as a solo traveller, you’ll only pay for what you actually want and need. You won’t be pressured by a companion to go for a drink or eat out at a restaurant when you prefer a simple shared meal at the hostel with the other guests.

7. There’s more room for spontaneity

Feel like changing cities? Changing jobs? Going somewhere else tomorrow? No one will be there to hold you back.

Sometimes it is easier to use someone else as a scapegoat for not making a change that scares us; travelling solo helps you tackle spontaneity head on.

8. You can learn the local language more quickly

If you have a travel companion, you’ll both be speaking your native language all the time. If your companion is more fluent in the local language than you are, you might also rely on them and therefore get less practice yourself.

On your own, you’ll have to talk with your flatmates, your colleagues, and speak for yourself in shops.

9. You will grow as a person

Your solo working holiday may or may not go as planned. You might love it, you might hate it, but one thing’s for certain: you will grow as a person.

Life will test your character and give you many opportunities to surprise yourself. You have time and space to reflect on your past, present, and future.

Even if you even up deciding that solo travel isn’t for you, the experience will have nonetheless led to considerable personal growth, .

10. Being solo doesn’t mean being lonely

Finally, remember that being solo doesn’t mean being lonely.

New connections can be made just about anywhere: in hostels, at work, at meetups, and more. The only thing standing between you and the stranger next to you is the fear of striking up a conversation.

Even in moments when you are truly by yourself, it’s a valuable lesson to learn that solitude is not inherently a negative thing–it’s whatever we make of it. In the age of FOMO and social media, this is a lesson that many of us can stand to learn.

So go on and embark on that solo adventure. It might just be the best decision of your life.