Solo travel is an exciting experience — even if you are well-travelled. The fact that you’ve never taken an extended trip by yourself before can be intimidating, but trust me when I say the benefits far outweigh any nervous feelings you might be experiencing. Follow our easy-to-follow tips to plan your first solo trip in 2022 and get off to a great start!
Pick a destination
"make sure you’re going to a place where you feel comfortable, or at least have a high comfort level with the place and its people. You don’t want to be having fun while also feeling like an outsider."
Start by asking yourself what kind of trip you're looking for: Are you looking for some time to sit back and relax? If so, then look into hotels in tropical locations where you can unwind and soak up the sun all day. Or perhaps you would prefer to explore a new city? Asking yourself questions like this can help narrow down your choices and make it easier to select your destination.
Also, make sure you’re going to a place where you feel comfortable, or at least have a high comfort level with the place and its people. Pick a destination that is relatively safe, especially for women traveling solo. I recommend avoiding high-crime areas, especially if you don’t know the city well. Choose a destination where you know some English will be spoken so you can ask for help if needed. Look for places that are known for being traveler-friendly and easy to navigate.
Get to know the area you're visiting.
Research the places you'd like to visit so make sure they are safe. Research the language, culture, and history of the place you are going to. Also, find out when's the best time to go, where to go first, which places are worth skipping, which places are too touristy, etc. Research common causes for travel emergencies, crime rates, and other potentially disastrous events.
Pick a date
Picking a date for planning your first solo trip is important. It will give you an idea of how much time you have left before leaving home and how long it will take to reach your destination. Planning a trip can sometimes be overwhelming, especially if it's your first time. To make the process less stressful, choose a travel date and destination that's at least six months in advance. This will give you plenty of time to research and book flights, accommodations, activities, and more. Once you've picked a date for planning your first solo trip, divide the process into manageable tasks. For example, booking your flights and accommodations.
Decide on an accommodation type
Look for accommodations that are easy to get to from airports and train stations, such as hostels, guest houses, B&Bs, Airbnb rentals or hotels. You'll want something that is clean and safe with friendly staff who can give you recommendations on what to see and do in the area. Also, look at transportation options, make a list of must-do activities and sights and look into local tours, classes, or experiences you don't want to miss.
Work out your budget
Setting a budget is another key step in planning your first solo trip. When planning your trip, factor in all the costs of your journey, including accommodation, flights or trains, meals and activities. There are plenty of ways to keep costs down while still having fun, such as picking up food from the local grocery store and making it in your AirBnB kitchen or going for a free walking tour. Also remember to leave some extra spending money for souvenirs or any spontaneous activities that catch your eye along the way!
Create your itinerary
I'm not suggesting you book every hour of your trip and plan on being at a certain place at a certain time, but it's good to have a rough idea of what you want to do and see while you're travelling. You don't want to waste time trying to figure out where to go and what to see once you get there. Plan ahead so you can enjoy yourself once you're there. Websites that you can use to help you plan your itinerary are:
Organize travel documents
Set up email reminders throughout the year so you remember important dates and don't forget anything major like your passport renewal date, visas, etc. Before leaving home, make copies of your passport, driver's license and credit cards. Leave one set with family or friends at home and pack the other separately from your originals, in case they get lost or stolen while you're travelling. You may also want to carry a passport photo with you (to make replacing it easier if needed) and take pictures of important documents on your cell phone that you can email to yourself in case you lose them.
Things To Organize:
-Passport or birth certificate and driver's license (or other photo ID)
- International driver's license, if applicable
- Airplane tickets (in e-ticket format, or printout of itinerary)
- Reservation confirmations or travel vouchers (hotel, car rental, tours)
- Travel insurance information
- Credit card(s), debit card(s) and cash in local currency (keep separate from wallet)
- Paper map of destination(s), marked with your destinations and route(s)
- Basic Phrase Book or electronic translator device (if necessary)
- Business Cards for Your Destination
- Small Notebook and Pen for Keeping Travel Notes; Logbook (if necessary)
Make arrangements for your home while you are away
If you're planning on being away from your house for more than a few days, hire someone to check in on it every now and then. Make sure they know how to turn off water valves should something go wrong at home while you're gone.
Make sure someone is aware of the dates that you'll be gone. That way, if something does happen at home, they will know how long you've been gone and will understand that it wasn't just a quick trip to the grocery store that went longer than expected.
If you live alone or with roommates who are planning on staying home while you travel, make sure that at least one person has a key to your house (and knows how to
1. Stop your mail or have it forwarded
2. Arrange for someone to take care of plants and pets
3. Cancel newspaper subscriptions
4. Hide your valuables in a safe place
5. Set timers on lights and TV/radio. If you want to make it look like someone is inside of your home while you are away.
Pack the essentials
Pack only what you need for your destination's climate and season. Keep your clothes and shoes simple; cotton fabrics and comfy footwear will do. Also, don't forget to pack toiletries, a flashlight, pocket knife, sunglasses and cash/credit cards in case of emergencies. Here are some other items that should be in every traveller's bag when they're going solo on their first trip:
Travel wallet
Portable Charger
Adapter
Water bottle
Sunscreen
Clothes
Hair & Skincare products
Painkillers and medicine
Eye mask
Earplugs
Spare phone & with sim
Whistle
Stay safe while travelling alone
Here are some tips for staying safe while travelling alone on your first solo trip:
- Be discreet about where you're staying. Don't advertise where you're going or where you're staying to strangers. If someone asks, tell them that you don't know yet.
- Don't wear flashy jewellery or show off expensive gadgets. You don't want to be a target when there are pickpockets around, so leave your fancy jewellery at home and don't talk loudly on the phone about how much cash you have with you.
-Wear a money belt or pouch
- keep a copy of important documents separate from your valuables.
- Be sure not to keep all of your cash and credit cards in one place, stash some away in a hidden pocket in case something happens to your main stash.
- Keep an eye on your drinks at all times while out at night.
- Keep track of local laws of the areas you’ll be visiting and follow them closely.
- Carry an emergency contact card with you at all times
- Meet up with other solo travellers
Notify friends and family of your travel plans
You should always let people close to you know when you'll be travelling and where you're headed. This is especially important if you're going to be travelling abroad, as it may take some time to reach someone in an emergency. It's also important to provide as many details as possible, including the dates of your trip, hotels or other accommodations you'll be using and any activities that you have planned. This information will help them locate you in case of an emergency.
Download map and translator apps that you can offline
Maps like Google Maps. Apple maps Citymapper, Waze
Translators like iTranslate, Google Translate
Stay connected
While traveling alone is one of the most liberating things you can do, it doesn't mean you have to go days or weeks without connecting with someone else. Here are some ways to stay connected with loved ones when on your first solo trip:
- Set up a schedule at home to check-in
- Use Skype, Zoom or WhatsApp to connect with friends or family back home and make
free calls with Google Voice and various apps for free international calling
- Use a travel app to communicate
- Check-in on social media
Schedule your flight to arrive in the daytime or morning
Schedule your flight to arrive in the daytime or morning when possible so that you can get settled into your accommodation before nightfall. This is particularly helpful if you're travelling to a new country for the first time and haven't had time to learn the language yet.
Arrive early to the airport
It's always best to arrive early at any airport, but if this is your first time travelling alone, give yourself even more time than usual. The last thing you want to do on your first solo trip is to miss your flight because of a delay arriving to the airport or an inability to find the departure gate.
More and more people are travelling the world without a tour, travel agency or resort. Solo travel is a trend on the rise! Before heading off for your first adventure, it’s important to plan ahead. After all, you don’t want to end up leaving some of your most memorable moments at home due to a lack of planning. When you know exactly where you’re going, how long you’ll be there and what you’re doing you can immerse yourself in new cultures, meet new people and make memories that will last a lifetime.
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