Travel with another is fun, supportive, you get to share the moment and laugh and groan together, but it involves compromises.

Alone, you're the captain of your own destiny, but solo travel is not for everyone.

Apart from a shared dorm room in a hostel, solo travellers pay more for accommodation.

Travel buddies will sometimes drag you along to do things you aren't naturally inclined to and you might discover a new passion, or something you never want to do again.

Travelling solo is not necessarily a safety risk but if something does go wrong, there's no companion to get you out of a jam, and do the talking for you if you can't.

"Table for one?" can sound like a judgment from a waiter's lips, and there is nothing so solitary as dining alone among couples or families.

You don't get to share the experience, and you can't grab a stranger and rave when you've had a life-changing chocolate event.

On the plus side, the solo traveller need never defer to another's whims.

Alone, you're more engaged with the people and places around you.

There is a greater chance you'll learn some of the local lingo.

Alone, you're more likely to experience the kindness of strangers.

Empowerment is a major dividend from solo travel.

It's an exhilarating experience to go about on your lonesome and cope with whatever challenges the world throws at you, relying on your inner resources and developing skills you probably never knew you had.

SAVINGS PLAN

Booking a hotel in Australia? Call the hotel and book direct. Hotels are now allowed to offer lower prices than those advertised on online travel agents' websites, but only to guests who book direct.