How To Travel Solo: I Did It, You Can Too!
Traveling has always been my dream, but I always figured when it was time for me to travel, I’d be joined by friends. I’m sure you’ve all heard this: “Yes, I’m down. I want to go! Take me with you!” Then, when the time came around, there was always excuse after excuse. I figured it was time to make my traveling dreams come true, by myself. So in 2016, I picked the destination, booked the tour, and three months later I was on a plane half way around the world, alone– one of the best decisions ever! Ever since then, I always get questions on how I did it. Was I scared? How do you find places to stay? Here I am to answer all your questions on how to travel solo, so that you can also start living out your travel dreams too!
Why travel alone?
I will go more into detail in another post, but to sum it up: Traveling solo is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Do it at least once in your lifetime. You feel free and independent. You can do what you want, when you want. More importantly, it’s a learning experience. Any mistakes you make are your own and you learn how to build from them — alone. Traveling solo is an experience that will be unique to YOU, and I think that’s what makes it so special.
I want to travel, but I’m scared.
Hey, that’s perfectly okay, and normal. You’re heading out to a different part of the world where the language may not be the same, the customs are different, and it’s simply far away from home. I’d be lying if I said I was completely fearless when I jumped on a plane all the way to Israel at 22. I remember once I got transferred to my hotel, I locked my doors and shut all the curtains. I was a bit paranoid, not because I was in the Middle East, but because of what people told me to expect there. People who had never ever been remotely close to the Middle East had lots to say. “It’s a war zone. They could kidnap you because you’re American.” Well, DON’T LISTEN TO THEM!
No matter where in the world you are traveling to, your friends/family and the media always have something negative to say about what they think goes on there. There’s war in the Middle East. There are pickpockets in Europe. The list goes on. If you think about it though, the same stuff, and worse, can happen here in the U.S. Don’t let the what ifs keep you from a trip of a lifetime. There are several things you can do to travel solo, and be safe during your trip.
How do you do it?
Get your feet wet. Take a weekend trip to somewhere nearby or go on a small road trip by yourself. Build up your confidence for that bigger trip.
Once you’re ready to take a bigger step …
Traveling solo doesn’t have to mean you have do everything on your own. Whenever people ask me how they should start traveling abroad on their own, I always suggest booking tours and experiences. Most of my trips have been me traveling to the destination by myself, staying in my own room, but joining a tour at some point during the trip. Guided tours are great because you can explore a lot without having to worry about figuring out the logistics of the trip (sometimes figuring out the logistics contributes to the fear of traveling all on your own).
Bonus: Tours are great for meeting new people (possibly other solo travelers like you) and this helps to build connections! During my trip to Israel, I met an older couple who was so kind to me, that I met up with them a year later in Mexico. They picked me up from the airport and even took me sightseeing for the day.
You never know who you will meet and what friendships can be formed!
And where can you find good tours for solo travelers?
Nobody had recommended to me any of the sites I use now. I did all the research on my own, which is crucial to ensuring your trip is hassle free and most importantly, SAFE. I literally look through all the reviews, photos and any information on the tour companies and hotels I stay in. It’s important for you to do the research to ensure your safety.
After a few years of traveling solo, I’ve compiled a small list of some of my favorite sites for travel tours:
I’ve only traveled with them once, since other travel opportunities have come up instead, but I will definitely travel with them again. If you’re looking weeklong or multi-week tours, you have endless options. They run tours in every continent except Australia & Antarctica. One thing I love about this company is that most their tours, while mainly guided, do included a couple of free days for you to explore on your own as well!
These sites are great for single or two day tours. I used them during my Mexico City trip. I found some great daily trips to cities just outside of Mexico City, that I probably wouldn’t have known about otherwise.
Airbnb
Airbnb is not just about accomodations. You can find tons of experiences here as well. I booked an evening flamenco show in Madrid and it was amazing! I’ve also seen quite a few photo tours offered on Airbnb as well, where the hosts take you around all the best photo spots in the city.
Now that you’re ready to do everything on your own … how can you truly travel solo?
If you’ve decided you want to take the trip abroad by yourself, great! It’s one of the best decisions I ever made and the feeling of just being free and not having to wait on anyone is amazing!
To date, I’ve been to just two countries completely solo — as in I didn’t meet up with any family or friends or any tour group. My most recent solo trip was to Portugal, in 2019. I had just ended a tour around Spain, and being that it’s so close to Portugal, I decided to take advantage. I actually decided to go to Portugal after Spain well before my trip. A few months prior, I had started to plan all the details. Like I mentioned before, DO YOUR HOMEWORK. The last thing you want is to be stuck somewhere without a ride or place to stay and you’re all by yourself. This leads to my essential tips for solo travel:
- Arrive during the day. When I planned my bus ride from Spain to Portugal, I thought about every detail. I decided on an overnight bus so that by the time I got into Portugal, it would be daytime. Had I taken a day bus, I would have reached Portugal very late in the night — a time where finding help incase something went wrong would be much more difficult. Plus, even in major cities, the transportation hubs can become deserted and a bit scary-looking. (I love the Rome2Rio app! It gives you literally all the different transportation options from point A to B, including the travel times and costs, anywhere in the world. This way, you have backup plans incase your first method of transportation is a fail.)
- Pick convenient accommodations. Is your accommodation far from the subway/bus? Is it in a busy area? Will there be staff available 24/7 or do you need to plan a late night check in ahead of time? Like I said, you don’t want to be stuck outside in the middle of night. Some accommodations do allow for late night check in, but you have to coordinate with them beforehand so they can leave a key in a dropbox, or maybe they can stay at the desk late just that one night. I love Booking.com, as you can see photos and detailed reviews, as well as specifics for each accommodation (special check in/ distance from landmarks).
- Google the area. Even if there is a 24/7 check in desk, maybe the area is very secluded and not in the best neighborhood. I love that Google has the Google Maps feature, where you can get a street view of places all over the world. You can use this to look around the area and get a sense of what businesses are near you. Using the street view also helps you become familiar with the streets so you’re don’t look lost walking around.
- Don’t look lost and don’t let your guard down. Okay, even I admit I have gotten lost a few times, but don’t ever look like it. Look confident. Sometimes, looking lost can make you look vulnerable, and you don’t want any unwanted attention. Go through your maps while in your hotel instead of in the middle of the street. If you ever do need help while you’re outside, walk into a crowded space, like a mall or a cafe. You can always ask for directions there, preferably from an employee or security guard.
- Don’t ever tell people you’re alone. This sounds obvious, but sometimes people seem friendly yet have hidden motives. If some random person offers to give you directions, let them know you are meeting someone at the destination.
- Make sure to sign up with STEP, the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. It’s free and you basically just register with the State Department so they can assist you in case of an emergency abroad. Double check though, assistance may not be available in every country.
- Lastly, TRUST YOURSELF. Treat every situation as you would if you were back home. If something doesn’t feel right, trust your gut. If all your planning doesn’t go according to plan, it’s okay. Got lost? It’s okay. It’s all part of the learning experience. I wouldn’t be here writing this post on “how to travel solo” if I didn’t trust myself in challenging moments. Those moments when I missed my stop on the train and had no one to call or when I had trouble finding my hotel at 2am in a dark, quiet area all taught me how I could avoid these problems in the future. Despite these moments, I still travel solo.
Hope these tips help you on your solo adventures! While it may seem scary, taking these steps will definitely help take the stress out of it and you can truly enjoy this amazing experience. Traveling solo really is the best! If you have any more questions, comment below and I will make sure to answer!
