I’ve traveled solo in Europe and Australia, but not much in my country. It’s easy to road trip with family and friends, but not as easy for the solo traveler. I spoke with Christine Amorose towards the end of her USA road trip about what it’s like to travel in the United States, the frustrations and difficulties. So I started to wonder: can you travel solo in the USA?
Accommodation
Hostels are few and far between in the United States, especially when compared with places like Australia, Southeast Asia and Europe. They’re mostly in big tourist stops like Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Las Vegas. The few hostels I’ve stayed at in the United States range from high-end to dumps, so you never know which you’re going to get. There are a few, however, I can recommend, like the USA Hostel Hollywood, Charleston’s Not So Hostel and Sweet Peas Hostel in Asheville. Check out Hostelworld for more hostel options in the USA.
Instead, there are more budget hotels, like the Motel 6, Holiday Inn and Courtyard Marriott. While the accommodations might be nicer in the budget hotels, they are not nearly as cheap and it’s more difficult to meet other people.
Camping is an option for solo travelers, especially with the dozens of campgrounds scattered throughout the country. It can be relatively cheap and you can meet other travelers at the shared kitchen and bathrooms.
Couchsurfing is one of the best tools for solo travelers in any country, especially the United States, because it offers free accommodation and introduces you to locals in every city. I couchsurfed in Los Angeles before I left for Australia and it was a positive experience for me. You can also go to the many CS meetups in cities throughout the country.
Apartment rentals also offer the “local” experience to solo travelers, but you also don’t have as much of a chance to meet fellow travelers.
Transportation
In Australia, I found it very easy to travel alone on the Greyhound Australia bus network, which stopped in every city and small town all up the East Coast. And in Europe, I’ve used countless Eurail passes to get around alone. But America is the land of cars and that doesn’t come cheaply.
Buses like Greyhound and Megabus run through most of the United States on popular routes like the East and West coasts. Greyhound is somewhat sketchy in places, but Megabus is often broke college students, especially on the routes around New York.
Amtrak offers train fares at a higher price, around $70 one way for coach fares, but it is often a more scenic way to travel, even if it takes longer. Trains run from coast to coast and in a loop around the country.
Flights within the United States are costly, unless you fly with the few budget airlines, like AirTran, Southwest, JetBlue and Spirit. If money is no object, however, it can be the easiest way to get to your destination.
Car rental is popular for travelers in the United States because of the many movies and television shows featuring the Great American Road Trip. But car rentals are not cost- efficient for one person and laws in the country allow only those aged 26 and older to rent.
Rideshares are posted on bulletin boards at hostels and online on CouchSurfing forums. Many people need someone to split gas costs with and are looking for extra travel companions.
Tours
If planning your transportation through America seems daunting, a few tour operators have adventures throughout the country. Trek America is devoted to the USA, with tours through the national parks, up through New York and even a few down south. Contiki, the king of 18-35 travel, also has tours in the United States.
Safety
The United States is no more dangerous than any other country, but solo travelers, both male and female, should use common sense in bigger cities. Look out for pickpockets and if something feels off, it probably is.
The Verdict
Couchsurf where possible and stay in hostels where they are available. Take and rideshares between cities in order to meet as many people as possible. Stay alert in big cities and enjoy your visit to the United States of America!
If you’re planning your solo adventure through the United States, I highly recommend adding some of my favorite cities to your itinerary: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Atlanta, Charleston, Asheville, Washington DC, Boston, New York and Bar Harbor.
You’re right that lodging and transportation can be the biggest costs for a U.S. road trip. But if you’re a super-budget-minded, you can do this trip cheaper than ever before, thanks to couchsurfing and Megabus. Any trip can be affordable if you really want it to be!
I have no problem traveling solo in Europe or in other countries where there are lots of other people traveling solo. I really do not like doing it in the U.S.
I’m the exact same. In fact, while living in the US, traveling it seemed like a daunting task. But I’ve talked to loads of Aussies and Kiwis while traveling down under, who raved about traveling the US. It’s funny that it took them to make to want to travel my own country! But I would probably opt for a campervan, bus or car with camping equipment to keep my accommodation down. Then try Couchsurfing in cities as you advise. I’ve still not done that! Is America really that dangerous to travel compared to other countries? I kind of assumed it, just because petty theft and violence always seemed so common around me, but I was never sure how travelers thought of it. It’s hard to see your own country from a traveler’s perspective, even if it is massive and parts of it are as foreign as different countries.
Yeah you’re absolutely right, it’s hard to have a clear image of what it’s like to travel here in the USA. I’m always interested to hear what travelers from overseas experience.
I’ve traveled solo in the US before. In New York I actually stayed in a guesthouse that was about $50/night – a little more than a hostel dorm, but much less than a hotel. If you’re going to be in a city I recommend walking and talking public transit whenever possible. In New Orleans and Denver I did couchsurfing and had a great experience as well, would definitely recommend it.
Love this post! It’s something that I’ve been thinking about since I was supposed to drive from PA to CA this September. I think the fact our country is so huge makes it harder to travel here than in other places, especially where the cities are spread out so. Also, it’s definitely more difficult to do it solo AND young because of the lack of hostels and the fact hotels won’t let you check in if you’re under 21. But, as you said, it’s definitely possible!
I’ve traveled a bit on my own and it’s definitely tough. I actually wanted to see the West Coast this summer but realized it would just be too complicated and expensive.
Yeah it’s not easy!
Hi there!
I’m going to Australia for 7 weeks in october and did some research. I came across your blog and like it a lot! Then I saw this post and just had to reply :)
Coming from the Netherlands I’ve been to the US twice now. Both times on my own. I have to admit that the US was never high on my travel list (no particular reason). The first time I came here, was in 2010 becasue of work and I decided to add 2 1/2 weeks of holiday afterwards. I travelled around the west coast, going from San Francisco, some NPs, Las Vegas, LA and route 1 back up to San Francisco. I loved every minute! I was plesently surprised by the gorgeous National Parks, escpecially Yosemite. But the cities where fantastic as well. I would recommend doing this by car though. You can stop anywhere you want and there are some amazing stops on the way. And compared to west-Europe it’s a cheap way of transportation. Gas costs hardly anything (here it’s about $2,35 a liter at the moment). I did stay in quite a few hostels on this trip. The best was in LA (USA Hostels) which was very clean and had some nice free tours/shuttles and met some new friends over there. Close to Yosemite was another one I really liked, the Yosemite Bug.
The second time I came to the US was last december when it was cold/rainy at home. Liked it a lot and again rented a car just to be flexible and because it is relatively cheap. I loved the beaches and have to admit that Miami Beach is a really cool place to stay. The beaches are very very clean and the sunrise beautiful! I rented a bike there and went all the way from Miami Beach to Key Biscayne taking the Rickenbacker causeway. It’s cheap and a great way to see Miami Beach/Miami and the skyline of the city. I took the ferry back from Bayside market. They allow you to take your bike back to Miami Beach which is nice, because I was quite exhausted from the trip so far. In Miami Beach I had a decent and affordable hostel. It was one of the only two hostels I came across on my trip. The second hostel was in St. Augustine and was so so. Though Florida was very nice, I found it also quite expensive because of the lack of cheap accommodation. This also makes it difficult to find fellow travellers along the way. I guess most people visiting the US are coming in pairs or going by tours :-) I haven’t tried couchsurfing. Maybe that’s a good option for lowering the costs and meeting other people. I did meet some nice people along the way who just started talking to me because I was eating alone or asked them to take a picture or on a tour at the Everglades.
Well, it’s been a long reply :)
Good luck and have fun with your blog!
(I do have a travel blog, but it is in Dutch for family and friends)
Totally agree Illona! I loved the USA Hostel Hollywood. Thanks for the reply!
It’s tough since US’s tourist infrastructure isn’t even comparable to other parts of the world. But as far as transportation, right now is a great time since gas is so cheap!