Should I travel to Australia solo? Should I travel to Australia alone on my working holiday visa?
Should I travel to Australia solo? Is it safe?
If you come to Australia alone, you won’t be alone for long.
We would 100% recommend coming to Australia alone.
Most people who join our Welcome weeks are solo travelers and the majority on our tours too.
Traveling Solo Downunder
You will be totally independent if you come to Australia. No one to answer too. No friend who wants to go travels the East Coast while you want to travel the West. Coming solo gives you the chance to shape your trip however you like.
Traveling with a friend or boyfriend can be tricky if one of you gets a job and the other doesn’t. You could be in Perth 3 weeks once looking for a job while your best friend gets a job on the second day. You will be restricted by having a travel buddy who wants to stay when you want to go.
Planning to come to Australia with a friend and then they let you down at the last minute. This happens a lot!
Why I came to Australia alone
Most of our arrival week enquiries start as two mates coming together and one of them canceling closer to the time of booking. Don’t give up if this happens to you- you should still come to Australia!
This story is totally familiar to me. I had my whole trip planned with a friend from Uni and about 4 months before she called to say she had met this guy….blah blah…you know the rest. She pulled out and I was left thinking maybe it wasn’t meant to be after all. I had already got my WHV- we had both applied. We had checked out the flights and set dates and everything. I had worked 2 jobs to save the cash, not been on holiday or to a music festival for over a year. I was all prepared and ready to go, couldn’t wait to quit my lame sales job. I had even told all my friends I was going for a year in Australia. I would now have to tell them she had pulled out and I was too scared to go alone. That didn’t feel good. I was asking everyone at work should I travel to Australia alone on my working holiday visa? I was so unsure.
I then thought NOPE, you know what I can do this! I had done my research, I had the money saved…I just didn’t know what to do when I landed. I would be doing my working Holiday visa in Australia alone! AHHHH! Now…where to start?!?
Sydney Welcome week
Then I found out about this welcome week arrival package thing they have in Sydney. It would give me 8 nights in a hostel room, activities each day all planned with a guide who I could hammer with questions, nights out so I could work out where to go after dark but not alone and help with sorting out all my bank, tax, job stuff. Sounded perfect. I booked it 48 hours after that friend canceled on me. I was going to Australia!!
So I packed everything up and hopped on that plane.
And you know what that first week was a bit intense, I had no clue. It was like the first week at Uni x100. But doing the Bondi to Coogee walk 4 days after my touchdown in the land down under I thought….her loss!
You will meet so many solo travelers, especially during your welcome week. Everyone is in the same situation.
Traveling solo is such a good way to get to know yourself. You can start again when meeting new people who haven’t known you for years at school or uni. You can figure out what’s important to you, how you react to situations and the person you want to be.
Solo Working Holiday Visa in Australia
Australia is a pretty safe country to come on your working holiday visa alone and travel solo. Just act with the same caution you would at home and you will be ok.
Even if you are an introvert being in hostel dorm rooms kinda forces you to interact with others. Meeting people from all over the world and learning about so many different cultures. You will find those who travel with a buddy are less likely to talk to you- as they have their friend. It’s the solo travelers who are keener to meet people and form bonds.
Taking a tour is the perfect thing in Australia if you are traveling solo. Driving for miles in the outback alone is not only a little risky but also super lonely. So if you find you haven’t made any friends during your first week in Australia (unlikely) then book onto an adventure tour as quickly as possible. There’s nothing like 10 days of camping and hiking through the outback to bond you as a team!
Wherever you start in Australia we have a welcome week for you.
I couldn’t recommend the arrival package enough. It was so comforting to be met off the plane by someone who was going to introduce me to a group of people just like me, show me around a huge city for 9 days, and offer lots of hints and tips for traveling. Best thing I have ever done!
We have arrival weeks in both Sydney and Melbourne.
Work and Travel Australia Sydney Welcome Week – 9 Day Oz Intro Sydney Working Holiday Package
Work and Travel Australia Melbourne Welcome Week- 9 Day Welcome To Melbourne Arrival Package
More advice if you are coming to Australia on your Working Holiday Visa alone.
We have plenty more content about traveling to Australia on your Working Holiday Visa. This is super helpful if you are travelling to Australia solo.
Updated in 2021 we have all the news on the recent changes to Working Holiday Visas here in Australia: Changes to Australian Working Holiday Visas
It’s so hard to decide where to arrive when you come to Oz on your WHV so here we break down the MANY pros and cons of where you should start your time in Australia:
Should I start my Australian Working Holiday in Melbourne or Sydney?
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28 Day Sydney to Cairns Backpacker Tour
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1 Day Reverse Great Ocean Road Without the Crowds
1 Day Reverse Great Ocean Road Without the CrowdsThis day tour departs from Melbourne and takes you along the beautiful sights of the Great Ocean Road in reverse. Visit the stunning 12 Apostles, Lord Ard Gorge and Otway National Park, plus much much more. A beautiful day tour from Melbourne for every...Reise-Stile:Budget$150 -
10 Day Sydney to Brisbane Tour
10 Day Sydney to Brisbane TourOz Adventure is the amazing Sydney Oz Intro package.. It’s an awesome 9-day group tour showing you the best of Sydney and beyond that’s perfect for those on a tourist visa. We’ll pick you up from the airport and sort your first 8 nights accommodation.Reise-Stile:Budget$1,599 -
The Melbourne Experience Foodie Indulgence Walk
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Coffee Lovers Walking Tour
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1 Day Discover the Yarra Valley Wine Tour
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1 Day Grampians Great Escape Tour
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1 Day Phillip Island and Penguin Parade Tour
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1 Day Great Ocean Road Experience with 12 Apostles
1 Day Great Ocean Road Experience with 12 ApostlesJoin us on a relaxed and social small group tour as we leave the busy Melbourne streets and explore the Great Ocean Road‘s rainforests, beaches and breathtaking views.Reise-Stile:Budget$150