The Complex Reality of Solo Travel and Remote Work
Over the past decade, solo travel and remote work have become deeply intertwined lifestyles, often idealized on social media as a seamless blend of freedom and adventure. However, research focusing on the lived experiences of remote workers who travel reveals a more nuanced reality. A recurring and significant challenge they face is loneliness—a feeling that does not simply dissipate by changing locations. This emotional isolation persists despite the exciting settings and diverse environments that digital nomads encounter.
What “Digital Nomad” Research Actually Finds
In a 2023 study presented at the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, researchers Cristina Miguel, Christoph Lutz, Filip Majetić, Rodrigo Perez-Vega, and Maria Sanchez Razo conducted 15 in-depth interviews with remote workers traveling the world. Their findings highlighted loneliness and a particular pattern called the fear of missing out (FOMO) as common, persistent themes rather than isolated issues. Participants described social media as playing a paradoxical role: it served both as a coping mechanism to alleviate loneliness and as a source of increased FOMO by showcasing curated, seemingly perfect nomadic lifestyles.
A follow-up study published in 2025 in Media, Culture & Society, based on 30 interviews with overlapping participants, painted a more complex picture. Loneliness among digital nomads was not uniform; it varied depending on factors such as the length of travel, intentional efforts to build local social connections, and whether individuals travelled alone or with an existing community. This research emphasizes that loneliness is not a universal experience but rather influenced by how individuals engage with their environment and social networks.
Notably, both studies are qualitative with small sample sizes and do not quantify loneliness across the entire digital nomad population. Yet, they consistently identify social isolation as a recurring theme, alongside the dual-edged role of social media in both mitigating and exacerbating this isolation. This challenges the notion that constantly changing locations naturally resolves feelings of loneliness.
A Separate, More Concrete Risk: Safety, and the Gap Between Worry and Reality
Another important dimension in solo travel research concerns risk perception and safety, particularly among female travelers. A 2021 study published in Current Issues in Tourism by Deniz Karagöz, Cem Işık, Tarik Dogru, and Lu Zhang examined solo female travelers’ concerns. They found that women rated psychological and physical risks as significantly more threatening than financial risks, contrasting with male travelers who prioritized financial concerns.
It is crucial to understand that these findings reflect perceptions of risk rather than direct measurements of harm frequency. Nonetheless, the research consistently identifies sexual harassment, unwanted attention, and safety on public transport as primary concerns for solo female travelers. This awareness leads many to take proactive safety measures, such as choosing accommodations based on location, scrutinizing other travelers’ reviews, and relying on online safety communities for up-to-date advice.
Interestingly, the digital nomad studies also reveal that combating loneliness and improving safety often involves structured social environments. Participants cited coworking spaces and organized nomad communities as more effective than spontaneous social encounters. These spaces replicate the social structure of traditional workplaces or neighborhoods, offering repeated interactions with familiar people, which helps build meaningful relationships and reduce feelings of isolation over time.
Why the Loneliness and Safety Findings Point to the Same Underlying Issue
When considered together, these lines of research reveal a shared underlying mechanism: solo travel eliminates an inherent social infrastructure that traditional lifestyles provide effortlessly. In a settled home or regular workplace, people naturally share routines, notice when something is amiss, and provide mutual support. Solo travelers lose this automatic safety net, which contributes to both emotional loneliness and heightened awareness of physical risks.
Without a companion or familiar community, individuals must consciously rebuild this layer of social protection. This includes maintaining external relationships, forging local connections promptly, and actively managing personal safety. Neither the emotional nor physical challenges resolve themselves simply through changing locations or sporadic social interactions; they require deliberate and ongoing effort.
Importantly, these insights do not argue against solo travel as a lifestyle choice. Rather, they clarify that solo travel removes default social and safety protections that must be purposefully reconstructed. This understanding helps prospective digital nomads and solo travelers form realistic expectations and prepare more effectively for the challenges they may face.
What This Does Not Settle
It is important to acknowledge the limitations of the existing research. The digital nomad studies are qualitative and based on relatively small samples, offering valuable insights into patterns but not broad prevalence statistics. Similarly, travel risk research relies heavily on self-reported perceptions rather than comprehensive incident data, which means it cannot definitively quantify the likelihood of harm for any particular traveler in a given location.
Neither body of work prescribes a universal verdict on whether solo travel is worth its documented challenges; this depends on individual circumstances, preferences, and risk tolerance. What these studies do provide is a grounded, realistic perspective that counters both the idealized portrayals on social media and simplistic warnings against solo travel. They highlight genuine social and safety costs that do not automatically resolve once someone hits the road and emphasize the importance of intentional strategies to manage these risks.
For those considering or currently living a solo travel and remote work lifestyle, understanding these complexities can foster better preparation, healthier expectations, and more effective support structures.
