Solo Travel in a Relationship: Everything You Need to Know

Solo traveling in a long-term relationship gives you the opportunity to focus on things outside your relationship and be responsible for your happiness. 

Hey there!

Do you ever feel the itch to explore the world on your own, even while in a relationship? Are you craving adventure and contemplating a solo journey, but wondering if you should go through with it?

If so, you’re not alone. Many people in relationships find themselves torn between the comfort of a partnership and the thrill of solo travel. But rest assured, there are ways to make it work.

Solo travel is such an empowering experience as it allows you gain new insights into the world and create memories that would last a lifetime. Traveling alone is great, but it can be a risky move, especially if you are in a serious relationship. 

Due to the high rate at which people solo travel, many relationships suffer. Men and women who are in committed relationships find it a bit difficult to make things work. In this post, we will be sharing with you the best way to go about solo travel in a relationship.

But first, let’s answer the question, “can you solo travel while in a relationship?”

Can you solo travel while in a relationship?

A lone female solo traveler starring at the sea
Source: Wordpackers

Traveling without your partner is not as easy as it seems. If you are someone who has strong emotional connections, the departure can cause a lot of dynamic down breaks between you and your partner. 

To some people, traveling solo while in a relationship can be a sign of infidelity or you drifting away from your partner 

Tell us, is this something you agree with?

In as much as there is truth in this because we see in movies where a partner in a relationship leaves for a self-discovery journey but ends up with another person, you will agree with us that there are many relationships out there that have benefited immensely from a partner solo traveling. So, to the question, can you solo travel while in a relationship? The answer is YES!

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If you still need some conviction on why you should try solo travel while in a relationship, let us take a look at some of the benefits of traveling without your partner. 

Benefits of solo travel in a relationship

A young man traveling alone
Source: Going Places

Traveling solo while in a relationship is not for everyone, and it would be good if you approach it with an open mind and are willing to leave your comfort zone. 

Let us take a look at the benefits of traveling without your partner. 

1. You are free to pursue your passion and dreams

We think you already know this, but let us throw more light on it. 

Solo traveling in a relationship gives you the opportunity to focus on things outside your relationship and be responsible for your happiness. 

As a person, this is vital for maintaining an overall sense of well-being. When you do this, you will no longer rely on your partner for your happiness, and your relationship will benefit from this. 

This is just one of the many benefits of solo travel. Let us look at it more. 

2. It makes your partner grow fonder of you

Beauty in traveling alone

According to a study done in Ontario at Queen’s University, “absence or distance in a relationship makes room for more communication, intimacy, and relationship satisfaction.” 

When a relationship falls into a specific routine, it becomes stagnant and boring, and you can testify to this. 

This is why it is good to do something spontaneous like solo traveling to give your partner time to appreciate and miss you on a deeper level. 

3. Makes you self-dependent

If you remember what was said in the first benefit about not depending on your partner for your happiness, you will agree with this. 

Solo travelling while in a relationship allows you to see how well you can do when you are independent. 

This is a necessary life skill and leads to a more open relationship with your partner. 

4. Self-discovery

A young woman taking pictures of the mountains
Source: Ars Currendi

Let us ask you something. How do you feel when you are able to go out of your comfort zone and do something you would normally not do?

You feel good and discover something new about yourself, isn’t it? 

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This is what solo travel in a relationship does to you. It helps you discover things about yourself that you never knew of. 

5. You can rest without guilt

If you are someone who is always working or consistently showing up for others, solo travel without your partner is a great time and a good opportunity for you to relax and rewind from all the stress without any sense of guilt. 

6. Learning a new language and new culture

A woman traveling alone at the airport

Paris, Ireland, Japan, Thailand, and so many other places people go for solo travel trips are homes to beautiful, diverse cultures and new languages. 

You might learn a new language before returning to your place, and you might pick up one or two things from the people there. 

It is practical, and you do not need much to get started, but while there are benefits of solo traveling, there are also challenges that come with solo travel in a relationship. 

Let us take a look at some of them. 

Challenges of solo travel in a relationship

Source: Kristen & Siya

As you know, everything with an advantage has a disadvantage, so let’s get into it. 

1. You might miss your partner

A woman who looks unhappy
Source: Your Tango

You knew I would say something about this sooner or later, didn’t you? 

Well, it is inevitable. You are going away from someone you share and have a romantic and emotional connection with, so it is normal for you to miss your partner. 

2. Security

You must have heard stories of travelers being attacked on solo trips, especially women. I’m not saying this will happen to you, but you should think about it. 

You are a more vulnerable crime target when perpetrators of these crimes see you traveling alone. 

3. Not being trusted by your partner

If you remember earlier, I made reference to movies where we see a partner in a relationship claim to go on a self-discovery journey but end up with someone else. 

If you are a male solo traveler, this is more applicable to you as men are known for infidelity in relationships

4. It’s expensive

Except you are planning to go and come back in a day, what did you expect?

Food, transportation, accommodation, and other miscellaneous costs a lot, so you must be prepared for it. 

5. You have no one to share your experience with

Sometimes traveling alone can be boring

If you’re someone that likes to involve people in what you do simply for the joy of doing it, this might be a difficult time for you because you have no one to share the fantastic moments with, and you might not remember exactly how they happened by the time you get home. 

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6. It can be stressful

If you are the type that is never alone, traveling without your partner can be stressful because you are in an unfamiliar place with people you do not know around you. 

Now that you know the benefits and challenges of solo travel in a relationship, let us share some essential tips that can make traveling without your partner worthwhile. 

Tips for successful solo travel in a relationship

A happy woman on a road trip

These tips might be helpful regardless of your purpose for traveling solo while in a relationship. 

1. Communicate

A young man communicating with his partner while solo traveling
Source: Getty Images

You are in a relationship, so you already know that communication is necessary for a relationship to thrive. 

Before you travel without your partner, make sure you inform them about your trip. 

You do not have to ask for permission. Simply telling your partner about your solo, self-discovery journey will make them feel special if you are important to them. 

2. Always let people know where you are headed

For security reasons, it is advised that you always let your partner, family, or friends know where you are headed. 

3. Plan and prepare

A young woman planning before solo traveling
Source: iStock

Planning and preparing yourself is crucial, like every other trip you have embarked on. 

Have enough money, pack enough clothes, and settle your accommodation before you arrive at your destination. 

Do all these things to avoid you getting stressed, overwhelmed, and stranded. 

4. Start small

If this would be your first time traveling solo while in a relationship, it is vital to start small to avoid getting overwhelmed. 

You can start by going to a place you know and choosing a destination in the same region as your home. 

Also, instead of going away for a long time, you can start by going away for the weekend and then take it up from there. 

5. Pause your everyday life

This means you should let people in other areas of your life know about your decision to go away for a while. 

You can’t just wake up one morning and decide not to come to work or ghost on everyone. 

6. Take a break from social media

Take a break from social media to get the best out of solo travel
Source: Juicer

To truly enjoy your self-discovery process, you need to stay away from your social media accounts so that you can be fully committed and invested in your reason for solo traveling. 

Conclusion

Leaving your partner to experience a new perspective on life can be difficult for most people, but know that some moments away from your partner is crucial for you to be a better person. 

You must, first of all, decide if solo traveling without your partner is something you want to do. Ensure you take all the benefits, challenges, and tips we have discussed here. 

If you are still skeptical about traveling alone while in a relationship, don’t rush the process. Give yourself time to think about it and be sure it’s something you want to do. But always remember that there are many benefits to traveling without your partner.

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