The only big trips I've done so far have been in Europe and the USA. Both times I rode solo and had no problem with it at all... I'm not one of those people who needs to be in company constantly, so it was actually pretty great to get some time alone with my thoughts, the changing scenery, twisty roads etc.

Now that I'm contemplating my first more adventurous multi-month trip I'm torn on this topic though. On one hand, the thought of spending months in constant company with anyone other than a friend I know very well sounds potentially horrific! On the other, I could imagine that having a friend with you in far-flung places would increase your confidence to interact with the people you meet along the way.

When on my trips so far, I've had a few 5 or 10 minute chats with people I've met along the way... but I couldn't see me randomly deciding to spend all evening drinking with anyone I've met or anything like that.

Maybe this is just a case of me needing to push myself out of my comfort zone a bit more when interacting with strangers though... more than needing a traveling partner.

Anyway, this thread has been food for thought... so thanks all!

For me it is easier to connect with locals without any friends or travel companions around. This way I am forced to connect with locals and it is also easier for them to come and talk to me.

__________________
www.whereishemuli.eu
Riding round the World

Facebook:WhereIsHemuli

As one of the original respondents said, this is such a personal question.

I'm nearly three weeks into a 3 month tour around South America, solo. Previously I'd done a week in California, and 2 x two week trips in Europe, both solo.

A few thoughts that might help:
- How do you view your journey? Is is just travelling or is something more than that - more of a challenge that you set yourself? If it's the latter, then overcoming loneliness is a lot easier, because I've you're a driven/motivated person, you can just tell yourself to accept it as part of the challenge, deal with it however you can, and crack on.

- Ditto earlier comments re language. This is the biggest barrier, not people, to loneliness. But even picking up a borderline conversational level of a language can make a big difference. As a Brit travelling solo in South America for the first time, this has been the biggest shock to me.

- Think about your route - some countries people are naturally more friendly that others. I'm in Brazil now, and people are great and English is a little more widely spoken than Argentina, where I've just come from.

- Where you stay at night makes a big difference - hotels are generally pretty soul destroying places for more than a few nights in a row. I mix it up with youth hostels, but even then I'm in a different position to many on the backpacking trail who form friendships by going to the same places and sharing transport. That said, if you pick carefully you can find hostels where you can do guided tours, excursions etc which mean you don't find yourself eating alone night after night Camping isn't necessarily as sociable, but equally it falls into the 'challenge' box above.

Hope this helps

Ed