I was always adamant that I would never travel alone. After all, I’m a social person who needs to be around friends and family in order to feel comfortable. But then one day, I tried it…and I’m so glad I did! Here are six things that made me glad I went on my first solo trip to Paris:
My reason for going solo
To me, it was a no-brainer. I had never been to Paris before, and I saw this as an opportunity to get to know myself better. People often say that you can only truly get to know yourself on a solo trip. You’re forced into situations where you have no one else but yourself, and that can be scary at first because there are so many unknowns in front of you. But once you start making connections with other people who have chosen similar paths as yours (which happens when traveling alone), it becomes much easier to realize how much fun it is getting out there and trying new things.
A friend told me earlier in the year that she would never consider going on a solo trip because she wouldn’t want to be alone for so long without someone else by her side; but after doing just that for three weeks straight—and having an amazing time—I think she might rethink her stance on the subject!
Parisians are not rude.
You may have heard that Parisians are rude, but I can tell you from personal experience on my solo trip to Paris that this is not true. When I was there, everyone was friendly and helpful.
Parisians have a reputation for being rude because they don’t like to smile in public and they look at you with a blank face if there’s no reason for them to give you a smile or make eye contact with you. However, once they find out who you are or what kind of person you are (depending on the situation), they become very polite and kind towards strangers.
I stayed at a hotel in the exact location I wanted.
The location of your hotel is one of the most important factors when choosing a place to stay. It’s one reason why you go on vacation, after all! If you choose a hotel that’s not near anything you want to see, it won’t be worth staying there at all. You might as well just stay in your home country and save yourself some money.
When selecting an Airbnb or other type of accommodation for my Paris trip, I looked for places with easy access to public transit and sites like museums or monuments that I wanted to visit during my stay in Paris. Those things are important because they help make your visit more enjoyable and memorable.
I had time to indulge my every whim.
One of the best things about traveling alone is that you don’t have to worry about anyone else’s schedule. You can do whatever you want whenever you want. If you want to go eat at 4 am after a night out drinking with friends, go for it. If you want to sleep in until noon every day, then do it! There is no one else relying on your daily routine and no one who will be upset if it changes or doesn’t happen at all (although try not to miss too many meals).
I was able to do all sorts of things on my own time, including going out late at night and sleeping in late in the morning. Eating whatever I wanted was also nice: I could grab a croissant on my way home from work instead of making something myself; I could pick up takeout from our favorite Thai place instead of cooking dinner when we got back home late from our evening out; and best yet—I could stop by the bakery every morning for fresh bread before heading into work!
I was able to feel Paris on my own terms.
One of the best things about traveling alone is this: You can do whatever you want, whenever you want. If you want to go to a museum at 11 AM and then take a nap on the grass in front of Notre Dame Cathedral at 1 PM, that’s fine! If you want to sit at a café with your book and drink coffee for hours without ordering food, go right ahead. No one will look at you like they think it’s strange or rude because they’re not there with you (and also no one has any expectations of how much time they’re going to spend with their companions).
You don’t have to compromise your plans or wait around for someone else if something better comes along before or after whatever it is that was on your agenda for the day—you can just do it yourself! And when those moments happen—when someone else would be sitting in them instead—it feels amazing.
I finally was able to do all those things in Paris that were on my bucket list.
I finally was able to do all those things in Paris that were on my bucket list. For example, I saw the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral. I ate crepes and croissants and pommes frites. I saw shows at Les Folies Bergeres and Moulin Rouge! It was truly an unforgettable experience!
I would go on a solo trip to Paris again in a heartbeat.
It was amazing, therefore, I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Moreover, I would recommend it to anyone, and I think everyone should try it at least once. It was the best trip I have ever taken and if given the opportunity to do it again, I will definitely do so.
Going solo gave me the freedom to get the most out of my trip.
Going on a solo trip to Paris gave me the necessary freedom to get the most out of my trip. With no one else to consider, I could do what I wanted, when I wanted.
- Freedom to experience things in a new way: I was able to see things from different perspectives than just those of other people around me. This allowed me to have unique interactions with the locals and take in information that would have been unavailable otherwise. For example, while wandering around Paris one day, an older man asked where my girlfriend was (in French) and then told me not to tell her about it because she’d be jealous! This is only possible because we were alone together—if she had been there too it would’ve been awkward for both of us!
- Freedom from social anxiety: When traveling solo you will meet a lot more people than normal if you’re going with friends; however these encounters can sometimes leave travelers feeling anxious since they don’t know who these strangers are or why they approached them in the first place! However when traveling solo this isn’t an issue since there’s no one else involved except yourself which allows you full control over your own personal space & interactions with others without worrying about how someone else feels about what may happen next (assuming there’s nothing inappropriate happening at all).
Conclusion
I’m glad I went on a solo trip to Paris. It was an unforgettable experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat.