Travelling for business, backpacking by yourself or taking some time off from life – there are many reasons for you to travel to distant lands by yourself. It’s always different when you are travelling by yourself, starting from how you spend your time on how you allocate your funds, from the hotels you choose to stay into the activities you take part in. That’s why you should read these tips for travelling alone guide to know all the tips and tricks.
Whether you are a college student or in your late 50s, a man or a woman, solo travels are always unique for everyone. It is absolutely different than traveling with your friends, with a partner or with your family: you can be both completely independent and responsible for everything at the same time!
If you are planning a solo journey soon or thinking about taking one in the near future, here are some tips that can help you, both before and during your adventure.
- Plan Everything Ahead
Unless you are in the mood to “rough it”, it is quite handy if you can plan everything ahead. This includes hotels, local tourist sites to visit, restaurants and cuisines to try, shopping lists, and everything in between. Even if you don’t abide by everything in your planning, you can still decide on everything ahead.
One positive side of planning ahead is that you’ll have a clear idea of your expenses in the upcoming trip. Assuming that your budget isn’t unlimited, it is always a good idea to have a clear idea of what your main expenditures are going to be for your trip, and exactly how much you can spend. It’s no use coming back completely broke or having spent lots more than you intended to, is it? When you are planning your solo trip, make sure you are calculating the major costs you might face, i.e. airfare, hotel, food, and shopping, etc.
- Keep a List Handy
Make a list of everything that you’ve planned to do in your journey. It can be a physical list on a piece of paper, a notebook solely for the purpose, or a list on your phone. Include everything you want to do on this list: places you want to visit, things you want to buy, foods you want to try, and everything else.
You don’t have to abide by everything that is on your list, but you can at least keep it with you. When you are traveling, there won’t be anyone else with you to discuss plans with or to remind you of something you have forgotten about. You’ll have to remind yourself of your plans, and a list can help a lot. You can divide this list into categories, cities, and countries you plan to visit, or by importance. Anytime you are at a loss of what to do or have some free time on your hand, you can consult the list to remember your plans.
- Pack Lightly
Your solo trips can leave you completely independent, but only if you also pack lightly. When you are traveling alone, you won’t need to take a lot of luggage with you. Small luggage and a backpack is all you need for a few days or a few weeks, especially if you are traveling someplace warm and regularly wash your clothes.
Besides, if shopping for new clothes is a part of your vacation plans, it is better to pack very lightly before leaving the house. You can find new and affordable clothes everywhere, even on the first day of your arrival in a new country. Instead of taking a lot of clothes, it is more practical if you take only the basic necessaries and other important personal belongings with you.
- Carry a Backpack
Instead of additional cabin luggage, opt for a backpack. You can carry this backpack around with you on your day tours, with everything inside from your gadgets to a set of additional clothes. You can keep your suitcase safe at the hotel and disappear for the whole day with just your backpack, and still have everything you need with you. If you are heavily into day trips and activities, a backpack will be much more useful to you instead of cabin luggage.
Even if you have checked out of your hotel and still have a few hours to kill, any reputed hotel can keep your large luggage safely stored for you (sometimes, for an additional fee) while you kill time around the town until your flight. You can easily spend hours in airports during your transitions or in case of delays with just your backpack on your back, without the trouble of cabin luggage with you.
- Keep Multiple Copies of Documents
When you are traveling alone, you are responsible for all your important documents and identifications. It is advisable that you keep multiple copies of all the important documents with you: copies of your passport and visa, hotel details, tickets, phone numbers of your family back home, etc. should be kept in your backpack, at the hotel, and inside your luggage at all times. Since you’ll be in charge of everything yourself, all your important documents should be together in a file or a pouch so that you have access to everything at a second’s notice.
- Pack Emergency Medications
It is important that you carry all your medications with you at all times, both medications that you take regularly and medicine that you might need in an emergency. Although you can buy your important medication everywhere in the world, it is better if you carry them with you in your backpack. This includes painkillers if you have migraines frequently, blood pressure medications, your preferred medication for an upset stomach, gas or constipation, medicine for fever and cold.
If you are suddenly sick in your hotel room while traveling alone, there won’t be anyone with you who can rush out to get medicines for you. Therefore, it is better if you are prepared will all kinds of medications that you might need at any moment.
- Book Solo-Friendly Hotels
If you are using a booking website, you can choose the option to look for hotels and accommodations that are perfect for the solo traveler. If you are traveling by yourself and plan to stay outside most days, you don’t need to spend a lot on hotels. In fact, some student-friendly and budget hotels will also let you share with other solo travelers.
However, if you are not comfortable with sharing your room with strangers, most budget hotels also have smaller rooms with minimal facilities for the busy solo traveler. You can save a lot by booking these solo-friendly hotel rooms instead of larger family rooms.
- Leave your Important Numbers with the Hotels
When you are checking into a hotel, always leave phone numbers, addresses and identifications of your family members with the Reception. This way, if there’s ever a problem or if you suddenly become ill, the hotel can instantly contact your family back home and take necessary steps.
If you have relatives or friends living in the city you are visiting, it is much preferable that you leave their numbers and names with the hotel. If you are sick or in trouble, people living in the same city might be able to help you faster.
- Let your Family Members Track your Movements
With the wonder that is the Internet, your family members and friends can track you when you are traveling via their phone. All you need is a strong Internet connection and to turn on your GPS, and allow a trusted friend/family member to track your whereabouts. If you do this, they can keep an eye on you and notify the authorities if something goes wrong, i.e. if you are seen in a location you are not supposed to be or if you disappear off the grid suddenly. At the same time, they’ll know exactly where you were last if something happens to you.
- Pack a Selfie Stick
You’ll only be able to stretch your hands to a certain length when taking a selfie, and there’s a chance you’ll miss a great background in your photos. So pack a selfie stick with you and you won’t have to ask a passerby to take photos of you to get the whole view. With a selfie stick in your hand, you can fit both yourself and the entire view in your photo.
These days, experienced travelers prefer drones to take their photos instead of a selfie stick. However, if you are packing light, it will be easier to pack a selfie stick than a drone to take your photos.
- Make Friends with the Local People
Traveling solo can become a little lonely at times, but you can try and make friends with the local residents everywhere. If you are a student, you can visit cafes and budget-friendly restaurants in the university areas to find student groups to talk to; you can also plan activities and day trips with the other residents if you are staying in B&Bs, hostels or sharing rooms with other solo travelers.
Even when you are not a student but older, you can make friends with the locals. Visit smaller, independent local cafes and restaurants and invite another solo traveler to share a meal (given that it is culturally appropriate to do so). If you see a group of friends enjoying themselves, ask permission to sit with them; buy them a dessert or a drink as a thank you gesture. You can also participate in organized day tours with other solo travelers and then ask them to share a meal, a coffee or a drink.
It’s not hard to make friends when you are traveling alone. Most locals usually love to chat with a visitor, but you should always buy them a meal or a drink as a “thank you” for the conversation.
The first time that you travel alone can seem a little different than traveling with friends or family, but this is an experience unlike anything else! Everyone should try solo traveling at least a few times in their lives, especially to someplace far, exotic and completely different from what they are used to.
