Category: Travel Tips & Advice

It’s very easy. Should we end the article there?

We know some people will be on the fence about solo travel. The idea seems good, but some people are either too introverted to go for it or think it’s too much of a big thing to do. And then there are the crazy people who have no desire to travel at all…not normal!

Then there are the sane people who can’t wait to solo travel—and that number of people is increasing. A study by Squaremouth in 2024 revealed that 42% of travelers plan to take a solo trip. Fueled by TikTok trends and people simply wanting to get away in their own company, it’s a vibe we think everyone should jump on.

But if you’re on the fence about solo travel and wonder how easy it is in 2025, read on to find out more.

It’s Easier Than Ever to Meet People

Solo travel no longer means total solitude (unless that’s what you want). In 2025, it’s so easy to meet people anywhere in the world. Apps dedicated to solo travelers have exploded, with platforms like Backpackr, Travello, and Couchsurfing Hangouts letting people connect instantly. Meetup is another good one. You can find someone to grab coffee with, explore a city, or get a taxi to somewhere with—you can meet someone to do anything. Everyone is in the same boat.

You’ve also got co-living spaces and social hostels. They’re designed with communal kitchens, lounges, and organized activities that make interactions inevitable. We know sharing isn’t always caring, and some people don’t like hostels, but they are a great way to feel not so alone (again, unless that’s your idea).

And let’s not forget organized group tours and experiences. Use apps like Tripadvisor for that.

Don’t think you need to meet anyone. Your cup of tea might be totally solo travel, alone with a book, minding your own business—bliss.

It’s Easier Than Ever to Stay Connected

Gone are the days when solo travelers had to hunt for internet cafés to log on to MSN and update their status to ‘On holiday, slow replies xoxox.’ Staying online is so easy, and we’d always recommend getting an eSIM to use abroad. All you have to do is pay a small fee, and you’re connected. You don’t have to worry about roaming charges or how much of your phone contract data you can use; you can just be online and use the data you buy! No more swapping SIM cards or dealing with dodgy public Wi-Fi.

Still, if you do need public Wi-Fi, it’s practically everywhere. Buy a coffee or even just a bottle of water, and most cafés/bars have some sort of free Wi-Fi (even if its security is suspicious and the connection barely loads).

Being so connected keeps you safe and lets you keep some sort of connection with the people you know. And, of course, you can have your nightly TikTok scroll!

It’s Easier Than Ever to Solo Travel on a Budget

Traveling solo doesn’t have to break the bank. Budget airlines are thriving. You can book super cheap flights and bus connections—sometimes the flight is cheaper than anything else!

Accommodation has also changed. You can go into shared houses and apartments on Airbnb and rent a room if you want something a little more upmarket than hostels but still cheap. You’ve also got platforms like Workaway and TrustedHousesitters for solo travelers to find a place to stay without spending a fortune.

We’d always recommend figuring out the public transport system to save money. You don’t need to get taxis everywhere! Electric scooter rentals and carpool rides are also great ways to save money.

It’s Easier Than Ever to Solo Travel Without Worry

One of the biggest concerns for solo travelers is safety.

Personal safety apps allow travelers to share their location with trusted contacts in real-time. Features like AI-driven alerts notify users if they enter high-risk areas, and smart wearables have emergency buttons that send alerts to emergency services with a single tap. We can’t say solo travel is totally safe—even walking to the supermarkets in your hometown isn’t necessarily safe—but at least there are ways to feel more protected.

You can also find women-only hostels and transport options for peace of mind.

Even health concerns are more manageable. Telemedicine services let travelers consult doctors remotely, and international health insurance has become more affordable and accessible. Always get insurance!

Solo travel in 2025 is ridiculously easy. Having the state of mind to do it isn’t! But if you can step out of your comfort zone and go for it, solo travel will be the best thing you ever do.

Quite often I receive emails that ask – Earl, how can I live the digital nomad lifestyle? How can I become a digital nomad?

I always reply and usually, my response starts off with something like:

That question equates to asking – how can I become an office worker?

They are both very broad categories (and goals) that don’t really offer a direct path or set of defined steps to reach them. They both exist but they are both merely outer shells. What matters most is what you fill them with inside.

What is inside?

A job. A way to earn money.

The Digital Nomad Truth

Here’s the truth – the term “digital nomad” is not a job.

It’s a lifestyle. A digital nomad is a person who has the freedom to move around due to the fact that they can work from their laptop and/or other portable devices.

In order to be a digital nomad, you need to figure out a way to earn money. The nomadic part and the money/work part are generally two very separate things.

And finding work that can provide a nomadic lifestyle generally requires the same process as finding a job that requires a daily 9-5 trip to the office:

• examine your skills, abilities, interests and education
• figure out which jobs are suitable for what you can offer
• narrow it down to jobs/work that interest you and provide benefits that match your needs
• try to get hired by a company offering that job
• for some, you might create your own business or freelance opportunity instead

Again, whether you strive to be a digital nomad or office worker, you need to find a suitable job/source of income that will lead to that lifestyle/work environment.

The Digital Nomad Opportunities

Luckily, these days, the number of jobs that can match up with a nomadic lifestyle is only increasing. For example, between the years of 2009 – 2018, whenever I met someone on the road who worked online, the chances were quite high that they were a travel blogger or were trying to do one of the less official jobs that I even mentioned in this post. But over the past few years, that has changed significantly. Now I rarely meet another travel blogger.

Instead, I meet data scientists, tech support agents, language tutors, professional development consultants, video editors, advertising reps, psychologists, app developers, magazine editors, accountants, artists, trainers, human resources managers, musicians and on and on.

This is great news. This means that real jobs that earn good money, and offer a remote lifestyle, are more accessible than ever.

Ignoring All the Fluff

Sure, there’s also a lot of fluff out there too. And the point of this post is to try and explain how to create a real digital nomad lifestyle that provides the real freedom you seek. To do so, I would ignore the fluff:

• courses that promise an incredible life with almost no work
• get rich quick schemes
• the lure of ‘easy’ drop shipping success
• courses on how to quickly become a successful life coach
• anyone that teaches you something new and promises you quick results

It all sounds good and glamorous, but it’s not reality, trust me.

If you want to create a longer term, sustainable nomadic lifestyle that provides the genuine freedom to move around as you wish, I’d personally focus on work that has an actual existing market, plenty of job opportunities and that pays a good, consistent salary. I would also highly consider applying for actual remote jobs as opposed to trying to create your own stream of income. It’s a far easier and more stable path to a successful digital nomad lifestyle.

Also, it’s important to keep in mind that work is work. It doesn’t have to be the ‘job of your dreams’. That’s rare and, in my opinion, is not something to strive for. Or else you’ll be running around in circles for years trying to find that ‘perfect job’.

Instead, strive to find work that interests you to a decent degree and allows you to use your non-work time to do the things that you really want to do in life. It’s about finding an ideal balance. The job pays the bills, and hopefully provides some satisfaction along with the freedom that an office job would not provide. There’s always going to be a trade off, but that’s absolutely okay.

My approach to the digital nomad lifestyle is to take a step back from all the noise, grand promises and too-good-to-be-true social media accounts that are thrown in our faces nonstop. If you really want to succeed, take a BIG step back, shake it all off and then proceed with a more grounded and focused approach, one based in reality and proven results.

Use your actual skills, knowledge and abilities. Find actual jobs that pay well and allow you to work remotely. Avoid getting lost in the endless, nonsensical rabbit hole of trying to figure out how to work 30 minutes per day so that you can spend the rest of your time lounging at 5* resorts in the Maldives. Again, that’s just not reality.

On the other hand, a nap on a hammock in Aruba every now and then, in between work sessions, can certainly happen…

The Digital Nomad Rewards

What is reality, is the opportunity to live a very fulfilling life. The opportunity to spend your time living in places around the world, or in your own country, that you really want to experience. The opportunity to spend your free time doing new activities, meeting new people and soaking up a new culture in ways that would not be possible if you never left home.

That’s the goal – to be able to make decisions that are more in line with what you actually want to do and achieve in life instead of what you have to do because of circumstances.

If I think of all my friends who live this nomadic lifestyle as well, it is those who took a step back and ignored the noise and absurd promises that are the most successful. They are the ones who have genuine freedom to travel the world, or stay put in one place, as they wish. They are not on social media bragging about their travels and they are not making grand claims about what they earn while selling a course on how to earn the same.

Instead, they are the ones who are quietly traveling the world, doing their work each day and earning good, consistent money that will keep them going for as long as they want, while also being able to save for their future at the same time. Some of them have remote jobs with companies and others started their own businesses but either way, they all ignored the noise and built something real.

We all have the ability to make this digital nomad lifestyle happen if we want. Just look at the complete history of digital nomads and you’ll get inspired to do just that.

We just have to remember that the foundation of this lifestyle needs to be built out of strong, reliable substance (a job), hard work (there will be challenges) and time (it doesn’t happen quickly). Once that’s understood, the opportunities are indeed endless and the chance of success increases drastically.

As always, if you have any questions at all, just let me know and I’d be happy to assist!

If you want to travel the world for a year with your partner and children, here are some things to know about getting it right:

Make Sure It’s the Right Decision

The reality of long term travel is that it isn’t always fun or easy. While there are plenty of adventures to look forward to, you should also prepare yourself for boredom, disrupted travel plans, poor weather, uncomfortable situations, and more.

This is not meant to put you off your gap year. Rather, it is meant to offer a more balanced perspective of what your year of travel may look like. This way, you can ensure that you and your family are better prepared for the experience.

Create a Plan for Homeschooling

If you are traveling with younger children, education may not be a pressing issue. However, with older children, the situation can be more complicated, especially since each state and country has its own laws on homeschooling. Check what the requirements are and make sure to abide by them to prevent your kids from falling behind. To make the job easier, try to register your children in homeschooling courses or systems. They will be able to follow professionally constructed lessons, assignments, and more.

Match the Destinations to Your Children’s Age

When traveling with children, you may not always get to be as adventurous as you like. This is especially true when moving around with infants and toddlers.

When it comes to babies, look for places with creature comforts and good healthcare in case of emergencies. You should also have constant access to safe water and food. Primary school-aged kids are a bit tougher, but you should still look for areas with proper accommodation and basic comfort.

When your kids enter their teenage years, you can head out to more remote areas or even into the wilderness. You can choose to live in RVs, and tents or travel to countries where you will find yourself off-the-beaten-path on a regular basis.

Travel With the Necessities

It’s only once you begin traveling that you realize how vastly different countries are, especially when it comes to supplies for your children. You might not be able to get the kind of baby formula or top quality car seats that you’re used to at home. Stock up on items that you can’t do without. If your children are quite young, take a car seat and stroller wherever you go as well.

Plan Activities Around Your Kids

When planning activities, it is important to balance out museum visits with fun activities for your kids. Otherwise, they will get bored and that’s not going to make a family gap year any easier. This doesn’t mean that you only have to hit up theme parks or play centers though.

Instead, focus trips around nature, animals, and activities that actively engage your kids. These trips keep them occupied but also broaden their minds and horizons. You may also want to do plenty of research before visiting larger cities. It won’t take long to see how kid-friendly a certain city might be and whether or not they have sufficient activities that would appeal to kids and a family.

A family gap year can be a great experience for everyone as long as you are prepared for what to expect. With the tips above, you can proceed knowing that you have properly thought out your decision and now understand how to move forward in the best interests of your entire family.