Why I Travelled to Europe Solo

Originally, I was planning to go on a yoga tour through France and Italy. It sounded perfect. After a few days in Paris, the 15-day tour would travel through the French Alps, stopping at several scenic villages for yoga sessions before crossing into the Italian Alps for more of the same. From there, we would travel through Tuscany and eventually finish in Rome.

My holiday leave from work was approved, but the tour was cancelled due to low numbers. I was disappointed, but it also made me realise that I could organise an overseas trip on my own. The more I thought about travelling to Europe, the more places I added to my wish list. I decided to take all the leave owing to me, including my paid long service leave — four months in total, or eight months if taken at half pay. In the end, I had nine months away from work.

A conversation with a friend led me to join a pet-sitting site. My plan was to finish work, spend some time at home, and then head to Europe in August, starting with a one-month pet sit in Tuscany. It felt like everything was falling into place.

Then another pet-sitting opportunity came up in Vienna in June. I hadn’t booked my flights yet and I was still working, but the timing worked. The sit started two weeks after my leave began, so I accepted it and booked my return flights from Australia to Vienna. I didn’t have a fixed plan, but I felt confident I could work things out as I went. This would be my first Christmas and New Year overseas, and I had my heart set on a white Christmas and visiting the Christmas markets.

Not long after, a third pet sit became available in Germany — and suddenly, things really were coming together.

Why I Chose To Go Alone

The reality was there was no one I could travel with for this length of time. I was in a position to travel while retaining my role at work, and I knew this was my time to go.

My earlier backpacking trip through Europe had already given me confidence travelling independently. I remembered how we would arrive at a train station without plans, look at the departure board, and decide where to go that day. There was something incredibly freeing about travelling with an open-ended plan.

I was looking forward to being back in Europe again — this time on my own — without a fixed itinerary. Choosing to travel alone wasn’t about being brave — it was simply about saying yes to the opportunity in front of me. I didn’t have everything planned, and I didn’t know exactly how the months would unfold, but I trusted that I would work it out along the way.

If you’ve ever dreamed of travelling to Europe but felt unsure about doing it on your own, I hope my journey shows that it’s possible — even without a perfect plan. You don’t need to have everything figured out before you go. Sometimes, the most meaningful experiences begin when you simply decide to start.