Many people go on holiday with their families growing up, either within the UK or internationally. At university, many of us have gone away with friends or partners too – but perhaps the most overlooked way to travel is to fly solo.
Setting your own budget
When you travel with a group, there’s necessarily compromises to be made. People have preferences about where and when they fly, stay and go out, which can make holiday planning a challenge at best. Alone, you can do whatever you want. If you want to treat yourself to a first-class flight or pricy hotel, you don’t have to put the expectation on someone else to do it with you. Or, if like me, you’re forever travelling on a budget, you can fly with Ryanair and pack a week’s worth of clothes into your hand luggage, getting a return flight for less than £10 if you pick the right time – or more realistically, under £50. Especially if you’re working a part-time job alongside your studies (read my debut article ‘The Student Bus Driver’ on the topic!), a holiday becomes far less of an investment than many of us grew up believing it must be. You can even go on a complete whim, impossible amidst the coordination needed for a group holiday. Simply open up a cheap flights website, pick a city and get away from the stress of university for a night.
The freedom to do what you want
Everyone has their preferences about how to treat a holiday; only yesterday I was chatting to a friend about this. She’s going away with friends over Easter, but there’s some division over what they’ll do. Some of them want to stay in the hotel, lounging by the pool with a towel and a book; a week of not having to go anywhere or do anything. Others (my friend included) are eager to explore the location they’re visiting. There’s a balance to be struck there of course, but that’s easier said than done in a group. Some days you might not feel like going out, but your brother is eager to go hiking, so you end up getting dragged along. Or, another time, you might want to explore a city’s nightlife, but your friends are set on a cozy night in. Travelling alone, you don’t have this problem. Want to climb a mountain and explore a quaint little village set between the peaks? The world’s your oyster. Feeling a bit rough and need a morning in bed? Nobody’s going to stop you – open the window and binge the next few episodes of that show you’ve been meaning to finish with the sound of the lake underneath.
Staying safe
Of course, there are some dangers to going it alone. As a general rule, always ensure someone knows where you are. Check in with a friend or family member regularly, and if you miss a check in, using an app like Find My or Life 360 on your phone can enable someone to send help if you need it. Always carry a power bank and phone cable too – the last thing you want is to end up missing the last bus back to your hotel the night before your flight, and for your phone to then die leaving you in a place with no transport connections and no clue how to get back…definitely not a situation I’ve been in. Should you find yourself in need of assistance though, hotel receptionists typically have at least moderate language skills, which can help you out of a bind.
Hitting the reset button
University can be a lot. Living so close to everything is incredibly convenient, whether you’re on campus or nearby, but it can also be a bit suffocating. With constant assignments, socials and a whole host of other commitments, we all need a break sometimes. Having a private getaway can do wonders for your mental health, especially when things are feeling a bit too much. Visiting somewhere new where nobody even knows you, let alone expects anything of you, can be one of the most liberating feelings. If everything’s starting to feel a bit crowded – and term 2 can certainly feel that way – remember that there’s a whole world out there, just waiting to be discovered.