IT HAD BEEN TWO DAYS since I had spoken to another person. It was just me and my rental car, cruising along the highways and back roads of the Baltics on my way from Lithuania to Estonia. I dreamed of exploring this lesser-known region for quite some time, but I was never able to convince any of my friends or family to join me on the adventure, so I went out alone.

No stranger to dining or traveling solo, I ventured out, excited to make my own itinerary and forge my own path. I had it all planned down to the playlists for the road trip, but what I failed to factor in were the little things. Who would joke alongside me when I did something laughable? Who would be there to help navigate when I got turned around? Or who would stand in awe alongside me when I discovered something unexpected — like the time I veered off the highway in Latvia and discovered a giant hill covered in more than 100,000 crosses of varying sizes.

Solo travel is one of the best ways to discover not only a destination but also yourself; however, there are times when being alone on the road gets, well, lonely. Many operators, like Travel All Russia, began offering tours geared specifically to independent travelers, those solo adventurers who want to have their own private experiences but also want the comfort and option of an organized itinerary.

It was a solo trip to Asia that inspired Bruce Poon Tip to start the travel company G Adventures. Tip began the company on his own, but it has since grown to include more than 28 offices around the world. The tours focus on small groups, offering an intimate experience through a range of tours, safaris and expeditions. Not only does the company offer private tours designed for parties of one, but it also encourages single travelers to join in any of the group tours, where they have the option to request either their own private room or a shared room with another G Adventurer traveler of the same gender.

Goway Travel plans tours for singles who want the ease and peace of mind from a group trip without the group. Solo travelers receive privatized itineraries, with a travel agent just an email or phone call away at all times, designed to empower them to venture off on their own. It also offers trips that are singles-friendly, to prevent solo travelers from being the only table-for-one on a safari full of honeymooners or other couples.

Adventure Women plans trips specifically for women looking to experience a destination alongside like-minded women. It gears its trips toward physically fit women between 20 and 80 years old and does not charge single supplements, as most of the women who travel with the company come alone.