Top Tips For Travelling Solo
20 top tips for travelling solo
Travelling solo isn’t for everyone, but when you’ve got the urge to explore the world, sometimes doing it on your own can be a life-changing experience. Whether you’re going away for an extended holiday or planning a year on the road, your friends and family may have other commitments and priorities.
There are so many benefits of solo travelling, including meeting new people, boosting your confidence and being able to choose and change your itinerary at the drop of a hat. If you’re looking for a more structured escape, we have a huge selection of multi-centre holidays offering excellent value for money.
Many people decide to discover more of the world when they’re having a gap year before starting university, have been made redundant from their job or have recently retired and want to tick items off their bucket list.
If you’ve never ventured overseas on your own before, we’ve put together several handy tips below for you to consider, so you can be prepared and make the most of every moment.
Stay in hostels
Hostels are brilliant for when you’re travelling solo. Hotel rooms can often be expensive when there’s only one of you staying there, but hostels are notorious for their lower, more reasonable prices. Also, thanks to the nature of hostels, you’re guaranteed to meet people. Shared dorms mean you’ll stay in the same room as others, but you can pick your dorm size to suit you. The likes of a sixteen-bed dorm may seem daunting to some but ideal to others, or opt for a 4-bed dorm if you’d prefer.
Hostels often run organised socials and events to get people interacting and mingling and can help you book any tours you’d like to go on. They’re more than happy to give you the advice you’re looking for, help you meet people, or simply give you some hints and tips on what sights to visit and the best places to eat locally. Being around other people is also likely to make you feel a bit safer if you’re new to solo travelling life. It also means you can pick up valuable tips from those who’ve taken solo holidays a few times before.
You may love the idea of sailing close to the wind and booking your accommodation on the ground for whatever destination you’re in. However, if that’s part of your solo travelling plan, we’d recommend always looking at the reviews for a hostel online rather than just showing up and paying your money. The quality of the accommodation can vary widely, and you don’t want to end up staying somewhere that’s not what you expected or where you may feel unsafe.
Treat yourself to an incredible cruise
If hostels aren’t your scene, and you’re looking for a more luxurious solo break, taking a cruise is another excellent option. Much like a hostel, you’ve always got people around to meet and chat with.
Organised entertainment and tours will keep you busy and provide an easy route to get to know people, but your own cabin provides you with a bit of peace and quiet when you need it. Many cruises are all-inclusive when it comes to food, so there’s no need to worry about where to eat out and how much it might cost. Our sister company, Viva Cruise, has dozens of great deals on voyages perfect for solo holidaymakers.
Only pack what you need
When you’re planning to head away from home for an extended period of time, you may be tempted to pack accordingly. If you’re backpacking or interrailing, for example, you need to bear the practicalities of hauling your luggage around with you day after day, especially if you’re headed somewhere hot.
Flexibility and freedom are two of the greatest things about solo travelling, so you don’t want to be weighed down by having too many belongings to lug around from A to B.
Get a GPS tracker for your bags
If you don’t have a friend on your trip you can borrow items from if your bag gets lost or stolen, then buying a GPS tracker for your bags might come in handy. If your solo holiday itinerary involves lots of flights or train journeys, keeping tabs on where your bag is at all times could save you a huge amount of hassle and inconvenience.
Step out of your comfort zone
Travelling solo can seem lonely at times, but it doesn’t have to be. You’re always likely to find like-minded people who are in exactly the same position as you. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and start up a conversation with other fellow travellers or the locals.
Sharing your adventure with new people you meet along the way is all part and parcel of solo travelling, whether you’re backpacking across Europe or driving across the United States.
Something simple like offering to take a photograph for someone is a great place to start, as it automatically sparks up a chat. If you’re more of the introverted type, not to worry, busy cities are the perfect place to sit in a café and people-watch.
Learn a bit of the language before you go
Travelling on your own can be a little intense when you’re in the middle of a bustling city. For example, locals might try to sell you their wares left, right and centre in local markets.
Having the confidence and ability to firmly say “no thank you” when you’re not interested will make things easier. Being able to communicate verbally in the local language or use any common hand gestures are great tricks to have up your sleeve.
It’s always useful to pick up a few extra words of the local language, particularly when you’re on your own. Having access to Google Translate via your smartphone leaves no excuses. You certainly shouldn’t feel embarrassed about trying - in our experience, people appreciate it when you make the effort, even if your pronunciation or grammar may be slightly off.
If you’re thinking of staying in one place for some time, you could even book into a language class to help you get to grips with the lingo and meet others in the same boat.
Make your life on the road easier
One of the things you can do to prepare for an extended period of time on your own is to practise before you leave home. This will help you get over any initial discomfort when going out for a coffee, to grab some lunch in a restaurant, or visiting the cinema. It’s far better to experience and work through any negative emotions that might arise while you’re in familiar surroundings as opposed to being thousands of miles away.
There are lots of little things you can take with you to ensure you keep stress and hassle to an absolute minimum. One of these is a travel first-aid kit. There will undoubtedly be times when you get an unwanted insect bite, ankle graze or other minor medical issue. Having easy access to essential supplies, including blister plasters, bandages, antibacterial wipes, and more, means you won’t have to deviate from your plans to find a shop to buy these from.
Taking some travel cutlery along for the ride is another good idea. You never know when you might need a fork or spoon to tuck into a tasty local takeaway dish.
Book onto tours
Organised tours provide an excellent opportunity to meet people with similar interests to your own. So whether you’d like a fully guided holiday to Asia or to go wherever you please and take advantage of local walking/bus tours, for example, sharing the discovery of new destinations with others can help turn a good trip into a great one.
There are plenty of reviews on sites like TripAdvisor for various tours worldwide. Doing a bit of research before you go can help ensure you get value for money and the best possible experience. There are guided tours available for just about anything you can think of, ranging from vineyards and craft breweries to nature trails, sunset sailings and street art.
Invest in a selfie stick
If you’ve never used a selfie stick before, you might feel a bit self-conscious at first. Most people are too wrapped up in what they’re doing to even care, and when you’re travelling alone overseas, you’ll most likely never see the various passersby ever again anyway.
A selfie stick will ensure you don’t return home with lots of similar head and shoulders shots of your trip. For example, you can adjust the angle much better to capture panoramic views behind you from mountaintops, get more of an iconic building in shot, or get a wonderful shot of you with the sun setting in the background.
Portable selfie sticks are affordable and won’t take up too much space in your luggage. So if you’re embarking on the trip of a lifetime on your own, it makes sense to maximise your chances.
Delay your social media posts
Getting to see some of the places you’ve always wanted to is incredibly exciting. However, if you’re making your way around the world solo, you might want to curb your enthusiasm slightly by delaying your posts until you’ve moved location.
This means if you’ve got a public Instagram profile, for example, people won’t be able to see exactly where you are on any given day, which can help you feel safer when you’re in a new country.
Keep your wits about you
There’s nothing wrong with letting your hair down and having a good time on holiday. After all, that’s exactly what they’re for. If you’re in a bar or nightclub on your own, you may want to exercise a little more caution than you would if you were at home on a night out with friends.
Common sense measures such as not leaving your drinks unattended are a simple way to stay in control. While it’s great to make new friends wherever you’re visiting, making sure you don’t drink too much alcohol so it affects your usual judgement is wise.
Take a hidden wallet
If you lose your purse or wallet for any reason, you’ll have no travelling companion to borrow money from while you get things sorted out. So it’s a smart move to carry a hidden wallet with enough cash to get you through a few days.
This could be a bum bag, a secure neck pouch that goes under your clothing, or even a smart pair of socks with concealed pockets. Don’t leave yourself vulnerable to running out of money. As well as a small amount of cash, you might want to have a prepaid cash card stored somewhere away from the rest of your cards and valuables.
In some countries where a UK EHIC isn’t valid, you may have to pay for any medical care up front and claim it back from your travel insurance company at a later date.
Plan your itinerary and leave a copy with someone
If you’re planning a solo holiday for an extended period of time, it’s a great idea to map out your rough schedule and leave a copy of it behind with a friend or family member so they always have a rough idea of where you are. Booking as much of your accommodation in advance can help with this and will also ensure you’ve got time to read through the reviews of places you intend to stay.
You might also want to book your overnight stays in line with your arrival and departure times in each place. For example, if your flight is due to arrive late at night in an airport many miles from the city centre, it might be best to book an airport hotel rather than prolonging your trip into the early hours of the morning when it’s dark, and you’re unfamiliar with your surroundings.
Another quick tip is to schedule a set time to check in with people at home. You could make this a weekly event, for example, where you find a quiet corner of a coffee shop to catch up via Facetime or WhatsApp, send some emails or reply to Facebook messages.
Don’t forget to be spontaneous
While we’d always recommend some amount of forward planning, it’s important not to make everything so detailed and regimented that it affects what you feel like doing while you’re away.
For example, some places might not live up to expectations, or you could stumble across a destination that makes you want to stay longer than you allowed for on your original schedule. Spontaneity is one of the things that makes life so exciting, so make sure it has a role to play in your solo adventure.
Keep a journal
If you’ve been on holiday with friends or family members in the past, the shared memories stay alive through people chatting about them for years to come. When you’re enjoying a solo trip, it’s not quite the same when you return home.
Keeping a daily journal of your travels ensures you’ll have a treasured set of memories you can cherish in the future and use to tell others some of the fantastic things you saw and took part in while you were away.
If you’re planning on having a family in the future, imagine what a precious gift it will be to read them bedtime stories all about your adventures in faraway lands as they’re growing up.
If writing’s not your thing, a video diary is another easy way to capture the highlights of your trip and create a snapshot of your travels you can use to make everyone back home feel jealous.
Buy a local SIM card for your phone
Your WiFi connection may not work well, depending on where you’re going. However, if you do your research before departing, you can be prepared and make sure you buy a local SIM card for your phone on arrival in specific places on your itinerary.
Because we depend so much on our phones, it’s also a good idea to have a cheap backup device you can use if your main smartphone is stolen or gets damaged, for example. Being stuck overseas without an easy means of communication can certainly put a dampener on your trip.
Choose a tune for each destination
Music has an amazing way of helping us conjure up distant memories. With this in mind, making a playlist with tracks from your solo holiday is something that will keep it close to your heart as the years roll by.
All you need to do is put on your headphones, and you’ll be transported back to a specific moment in time and evoke how you were feeling during that part of your time away.
Take time out to chill out
Although meal times can be a great opportunity to start up a conversation with the waiter or fellow diners, it’s also the perfect opportunity to sit and unwind. Make the most of that free WiFi, read a few chapters of your book or plan activities for your next stop in more detail.
Worried about dining alone? Opt for a casual café as there are bound to be other people on their own. A restaurant booth will give you a bit more privacy if that’s what you are looking for, but both options will help you blend in and give you the opportunity to relax.
There are so many famous sights, attractions and activities on offer in every corner of the world; it’s easy to get caught up in feeling like you need to be on the go all the time. Trying to cram as much as possible into your time away can easily backfire and leave you feeling exhausted and wanting to come home. It pays to pace yourself and factor in contingencies for things like delayed travel at airports, train stations or ferry ports.
Remember why you wanted to get away in the first place
Unless you’re extremely lucky, there will be setbacks to your travel plans along the way. You can choose to let these affect your mood or take the view that everything happens for a reason.
There will probably be times when you feel like getting on the first flight home and cutting your trip short, but minor setbacks are to be expected. If you start out on your journey into the unknown knowing that not everything will go swimmingly all the time, it will make it much easier to deal with any situation and get back to enjoying yourself as soon as you can.
Enjoy every moment
The most important thing is to enjoy yourself. You’re a free agent – you can do what you like when you like. Travelling alone allows you to try things you wouldn’t normally do. Maybe your kids have grown up and moved out of the family home, so you can now have a different type of holiday that matches your interests. There might also be a place or experience you’ve dreamt about for so long and now have the financial freedom to make it a reality.
If you’re feeling daunted by the thought of going away on your own, it’s important not to let those fears or anxieties impact your trip. The world is a beautiful and enchanting place, and we’re only here for a short time. So embrace every moment of your time away because it won’t last forever, and you’ll want to have a myriad of amazing memories to look back on.
Flying solo by going on holiday for the first time alone might feel a bit strange at first. As humans, we’re generally social creatures, so not having a friend to speak to on a flight or long train journey might feel a bit alien.
However, once you’ve gotten over your initial apprehension, it can be a liberating and life-changing experience you’ll never forget. There’s nothing quite like the freedom of waking up in a new town or city with a blank canvas for the day ahead.
We’d love to help you plan either part of your gateway or the entire thing. So browse our holiday types now, or get in touch to chat through your plans.
