Solo travel — curating a vacation perfectly suited to you and no one else — is the ultimate idiosyncratic experience.
For some, the goal is to fully test their limits and develop confidence. Others say the allure of traveling alone lies in wholly embracing their desires and their own pace. It can also be about rediscovering joy after a particularly challenging period in one’s life.
We spoke to eight readers about their recent solo sojourns. Here’s what they told us. (These interviews have been lightly edited and condensed.)
Reader: Heather Hodges, 52, New Orleans
Where she went: Seville, Spain
Tell us about your trip: I booked the trip two days before flying out to Spain. I spent every day sightseeing and every night at a flamenco performance. Everything about Seville reminded me of New Orleans, and it is one of three places I have visited in the world as an African-American Southerner where I felt completely at ease — and at home.
How much did it cost? About $3,000 for a week last December. The largest expense was airfare. There are not many direct international flights out of New Orleans, so I had to take several connecting flights.
Most surprising cost: No real surprises.
Why did you choose this trip? I wanted to see flamenco and learn more about the long African presence in Iberia and Andalusia. It’s important to understanding the history and culture of where I live and the broader African Diaspora from which I am descended.
Was this your first solo vacation? No. When I first started doing it almost 20 years ago, people still found solo Black women travelers unusual, especially at the holidays. First I ventured to Caribbean destinations. Then, as I became more comfortable traveling alone, I went to bigger European capitals. And I haven’t stopped.
I always think about whether I will be safe — who else will be there? — and about the intersection of both ethnicity and gender. That’s a reality for solo travelers.
About $8,000
A widow’s Caribbean cruise
Reader: Barbara Boykin, 76, Alexandria, Va.
Where she went: Eight Caribbean islands on a Viking cruise: Puerto Rico, Tortola, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Barbados, Antigua, St. Martin and St. Thomas
Tell us about your trip: My husband died a year ago, and I decided to take a solo cruise rather than spend Christmas alone at home. We used to enjoy going on cruises together. It was great. It was just what I wanted. The ship was luxurious, and the people were very friendly.
How much did it cost? About…
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