Travelling solo can be scary, but once you’ve been on a few solo trips, you’ll find out how amazing it can be! If this is your first time thinking about going on a solo trip, you’re going to want to make sure that you travel solo in style. To do this, you don’t need fancy equipment, the best clothes, or flashy accessories. Read on for 10 things that will really help you...
Pay Attention To People Around You
When you travel solo, it’s normal to feel a bit nervous and want to stick rigidly to your guide book. However, this is your opportunity to learn from the culture and really immerse yourself. Instead of paying attention to your guidebook, pay attention to the people. This way, you might be able to make friends and forge deeper connections. Plus, they can give you better advice than any guidebook!
You might need to forget a few things you learned about stranger danger. Just be smart, leave a note in your room telling people where you’re going (or message people back home), and take as many precautions as you can so that you have the best time.
Say Yes To Adventure
Start saying yes to adventure. If something great comes up, don’t feel the need to stick rigidly to your plan just because you wrote it down in black and white. Again, this means keeping your wits about you and taking precautions, but providing you do that there’s nothing wrong with stepping outside of your comfort zone and doing something you wouldn’t normally do!
Plan Just The Right Amount
Of course before you travel solo, you should plan your trip. However, planning just the right amount is key. You want to know where you’re staying, how you’ll get there, and have a rough idea of where you want to visit and what you’re going to take. This is especially important if you are visiting somewhere that might be off the beaten path. For instance, if you are planning to visit a country like Turkey and don't already have a close friend to guide you. They will make sure that you have your visas in order as well as other travel items.
While planning ahead is essential travel can be enjoyable by simply letting the experience guide you. You want to allow some flexibility and freedom so you can change things around and make it up as you go along if you want to. You never know what you might discover if you just go with the flow!
Learn To Listen To Your Gut Instinct and Trust Your Intuition
Listening to your gut will be one of the best things you learn how to do when travelling. Not only should it be a good indicator of whether you should make friends with a person or not, it can help you to find great things to do and places to eat. Try to listen to your inner guide. Deviating from your plan might feel stressful, but you stand to have a much better time.
Download Travel Apps Before You Travel and Test Them Out
Travel apps can be a massive help if you’re travelling by yourself. They can do a variety of things for you, and many of them are free. If you don’t speak the language, translation apps are helpful and can help you to communicate with people if you need to. You can also use apps to help you figure out where to eat, order transport, and more. Make sure you download these apps before you travel so you don’t have anything to worry about while you’re away. Ensure you have a fully charged battery pack with you too so you can use them even if you’re out all day using your smartphone.
Learn A Few Key Phrases Before You Leave
It will be helpful to learn a few key phrases, even if you download a translation app, as just discussed. This will help you to introduce yourself to people, get better service in restaurants, haggle, and even ask where the toilet is. Think of a few phrases you’re likely going to use while you’re travelling and learn them in advance. Even if you don’t get them perfectly right, locals will appreciate that you tried.
Pack Light
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when travelling solo is packing everything but the kitchen sink. Get used to packing light and you’ll have a much more stress free time. Anything you forget to pack will usually be available when you arrive at your destination. You really only need your passport, documents, cards, money, and the clothes on your back. Be vigilant in your packing, and learn how to save space in your case or bag so you can make the most of the room you have.
Practice First Before Taking a Huge Solo Trip
You don’t have to go from never travelled solo to a month long trip straight away. Why not take baby steps and practice a little first? This will help to build up your confidence, and you might learn a thing or two that helps you to have a better time while you’re away. Travel to towns on your own, and cities. Then, go for a break for a few days. When you feel confident enough, you could plan to go for weeks or months at a time.
Always Be Safe and Take Precautions Where Possible
As we mentioned a little earlier on, it’s important to take safety precautions. Make sure you let people know where you’re going, and don’t drink too much when you’re alone, or even around people you’ve only just met. Keeping yourself safe should be your number one priority.
Let the Adventure Help You Learn About Yourself
Make sure you take this opportunity to not only learn about the world, but yourself too. Many people don't like the idea of traveling solo, because they are afraid of being alone. However, being alone is great. You can do whatever you want on your travels, you have nobody to answer to, you’ll have some awesome experiences that you may not have had with another person, and you’ll learn about yourself. Make sure you take some time to reflect back on your adventures and think about what you’ve learned and how you can take that forward with you.
Are you ready to travel solo in style? Leave your thoughts below!
