More Americans Traveling Alone, Study Finds

When most of us think of travel, we think family vacation, a honeymoon, or a business trip.

However, a survey from AARP Travel shows vacation can also be a solo affair. In fact, AARP found that the vast majority of people who have vacationed alone say they would do it again.

The survey asked people ages 45 and older whether they had traveled solo, and whether they’d do it again. More than one-third (37%) of those who travel on a routine basis reported having traveled solo. Of those, 97% said they were satisfied with the experience and would do it again.

“Most solo travel takes place domestically, and we found it gives people 45+ the opportunity to get out of town and enjoy new experiences without the restrictions that come when traveling with others,” said Stephanie Miles, vice president of member value at AARP, in a press release.

However, traveling solo doesn’t have to be a solitary event. Twenty-two percent of respondents who said they had traveled solo said they did so to meet new people.

The most common reason to travel solo was simply to get out of town (46%).

The survey also found that 62% of solo travelers say the trip allowed them to treat themselves. Eleven percent said it let them achieve a personal goal or cross an activity off their bucket lists (7%).

The most common domestic destinations for solo travelers were California, Florida, and Las Vegas. The 18% of solo travelers who went overseas went most often to the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, and Mexico.

Solo travelers also reported a number of hurdles, such as budgeting for the trip (8%) and sticking to the budget (12%). However most travelers, 56% said “nothing seems to be a hardship” when traveling alone.