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I'm a huge fan of road tripping, but it's often hard to find friends who have enough vacation time to come on crazy road trips with me.
I don't let this stop me from venturing out on the open road, and neither should you. I'm fortunate to be able to work remote from anywhere with a Wi-Fi signal, so I take full advantage of this as often as I can.
As fun as it is to share road trip memories with friends, there are some major pros of road tripping alone.
If you're considering road tripping this spring/summer, but can't find friends to hit the road with, consider the pros and cons of road tripping by yourself.
Pro: You can make your own schedule
When road tripping through Toronto a few years ago, one of our road trip friends wanted to stop over at the Hockey Hall of Fame. This wasn't something we were interested in doing, so we skipped it. When road tripping on your own, you can go where you like, when you like. There's such great freedom when road tripping on your own schedule.
Con: No one to share funny stories with
We've made some awesome travel memories, and it's great to have someone there to laugh with and share funny road trip moments.
Pro: Time constraints
I'm actually surprised at the amount of people we've met on the open road that travel alone. Time constraints play a huge factor for us when road tripping. We often have to get back home on a certain date so my road trip friends can head back to work. When traveling by yourself, you work around your own time constraints.
Con: No one to help drive
This one really depends on how you road trip. We always have limited time on the road, so we have to cover more ground at a quicker pace. It's great having another road trip buddy in the car with you to help share the driving task. We often alternate driving days, so we have a full day as a passenger to be able to sit and enjoy the views of the towns you pass through.
Pro: It makes you more willing to meet people
I personally find when I'm traveling by myself, I'm more open to chatting with other people. It's great to connect with other road trippers, and sometimes you pick up tips and information about the town you're in, or traveling to.
Con: Safety
There's always a safety concern when traveling alone. We've had car troubles in the middle of remote areas before. Sometimes you need that extra helping hand to push the car, change the tire or walk with you to look for help.
Pro: No fighting over music
This is a great pro. Music is a big thing for many road trippers. It's great to hit the open road, crank up some tunes, and enjoy the experience.
Con: No one to split road trip costs with
Last summer, we road tripped across the country and back home. Our gas bill was around $2,000. This makes a big different with having one or two people in the car with you, and sometimes can limit how far you can go on your road trip because of cost constraints.
Pro: You can leave the car a mess
Having a messy car is hard to deal with when you have other people in the car. When you travel by yourself, you can leave your clothes everywhere in the car, and it's not getting in anyone else's way. This is a big pro for me, and on the flip side of this, you don't have to deal with someone else leaving their clothes everywhere.
Whether you choose to hit the road as a lone wolf, or with your wackiest group of friends, you`ll make some great travel memories.
How do you prefer to travel?
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