Spent just a few minutes on the travel side of social media, and you’ll find that solo travel is trending. Whereas many people used to be apprehensive about seeing the world alone, today, more and more folks (especially women) are feeling better about getting outside their comfort zones. While I certainly love mother daughter travel and exploring with friends and family, I love a solo trip just as much! Since I began traveling alone, I’ve become more independent in other ways. I negotiated and bought a new car myself and purchased a brand-new roof. I feel extremely capable, despite living by myself.
However, traveling solo for the first time can cause some anxiety. But if you keep your cool, you’re bound to have the time of your life. Here are my top solo travel tips for first-time and veteran travelers.
1. Start with Guided Travel
You may have caught the travel bug, but that doesn’t mean you’ll suddenly know how to plan a streamlined vacation. Guided travel is an excellent option if you don’t quite know where to start when it comes to planning. Research reliable travel companies (check out my blog for my favorite itineraries!) and explore their vacation packages. Most travel vendors provide detailed schedules before you even book your trip. Plus, I’ve found you get plenty of bang for your buck when you purchase a package rather than book each attraction individually for yourself. I love going guided as a seasoned traveler, but I definitely recommend it for anyone nervous about setting out on their own, too!
2. Do Plenty of Research
It seems obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many people travel while clueless about their destination! Before ever buying a plane ticket, research your travel spot extensively. That means more than Googling popular sights and high-end restaurants. Research the safest areas to book a hotel, check for travel warnings, and make sure you’re prepared for potential language barriers. Know the name of the currency and read up on public transportation systems. You don’t want to land in a new place with a big question mark hanging over your head!
3. Pack Light and Save Suitcase Space
Just like solo travel itself has become a trend, so has flying carry-on only. That means you fit everything you need into just a carry-on suitcase and personal item. While I still sometimes check a bag, this trend is a good reminder to pack light and save space in your suitcase. Not only will you save yourself from lugging a heavy suitcase around, but you’ll also save time and money by not checking a bag. If you’re going with a guided tour, they’ll generally handle one suitcase for you, but that doesn’t mean you should bring several bags you don’t need (trust me, rolling multiple suitcases across cobblestone streets is no joke!).
I suggest planning your wardrobe in advance and choosing pieces you can mix and match. Keep toiletries to a minimum and only bring what is absolutely necessary. You may also want to bring a smaller tote to carry during the day. Nothing heavy should go in here, that is, unless you’re working on building your biceps! You’ll still have plenty of cute clothes for photo ops, even without the checked bag.
4. Manage Your Money
So many people struggle to manage their money at home—much less on vacation! But being smart with your money is essential when you’re traveling. I’ve got lots to say about traveling with cash, so I’ll break it down into these three points:
- Always Carry Paper Money—You’ve probably heard about pickpocketing, especially in European countries. Combined with the convenience of credit cards, you likely don’t carry cash with you very often. But if you’re planning a trip abroad, NEVER leave the airport without cash in hand. I’m not just being a dinosaur either—you might find yourself in a sticky situation where you need cash for a taxi, train ticket, or tasty snack.
- Stash Your Cash—I like to hide my emergency stash in a light nylon belt I wear under my clothes. Never store all your cash and cards in one place, and only carry bags that you can zip up or otherwise secure.
- Know Your Card Details—Here’s another one that sounds like common sense—make sure you know your debit card’s PIN number! It’s easy to forget nowadays if you almost always use your credit card or run debit as credit. ATMs are common in Europe, but you’ll need your bank card and a PIN to take money out.
One more parting note about money—you have a few options for getting paper money in hand. I recommend having some before leaving the airport. Official currency exchanges work in a pinch, but you’ll get a terrible exchange rate. So, if your bank allows, order the currency you’ll need before you leave home. If you don’t have a chance to get your hands on cash before leaving the airport, you can probably find an ATM, especially if you’re in Europe or a major city.
5. Follow Your Intuition
We’ve all heard it before—the decades-old advice that you should always follow your intuition and go with your gut. It’s repeated far and wide for a reason! Staying safe while traveling solo is all about listening to your intuition and avoiding situations that set off alarm bells in your head. In addition to that, always tell someone where you’re planning to go, even if it’s just the hotel concierge. This is one of the most important tips for solo female travelers you’ll get!
If you’re especially worried about safety, I recommend doing some research on places with low crime rates. While bad things can happen anywhere, certain areas are famously safe—Singapore, for example. When I visited this tiny Asian nation, I felt extremely safe walking around downtown at 2am. Never a moment of unease!
6. Planning on Your Own? Balance Schedule with Spontaneity
Some folks want their vacation time to be more spontaneous and less structured and pre-planned. However, if you choose not to go with a guided tour, I recommend finding a good balance of planned activities and free time. Create a rough itinerary with a few activities on each day, but sprinkle in a few hours here and there to explore at your leisure. You might not want to plan every single detail (if you do, have at it!), but it will pay off to have at least some structure to your solo trip.
7. Have Your Own Organization Systems
How many times have you forgotten your keys in the house, even when you reminded yourself over and over again? It happens to the best of us. We forget something at the hotel or realize we didn’t pack an important document. Once when I was in Guatemala, I left my passport and money in the hotel safe and didn’t realize it until we were 30 minutes out of town. I ended up having to pay my tour manager’s friend to pick up my things and deliver them to me. NEVER AGAIN, I promised myself.
Even though I’m far from traveling solo for the first time, I still take lots of measures to stay organized. I triple check my hotel room and empty the safe the night before departing. I say my reminders out loud: “Do I have everything? My passport, my purse, my jacket?” I repeat my reminders once I get to the airport, and once more if I stop at the bathroom. When you’re traveling solo, there’s no one to hold your bag, so it’s doubly important to be careful with your most valuable items.
Remember, “get organized” means something different for everyone. While some people need bulleted lists for everything, others can get by without ever writing anything down. What’s important is creating an organization system that works for you and ensures you don’t forget something essential.
8. Drink Responsibly (Especially at the Airport)
Don’t drink too much at the airport. Plain and simple. When you’re traveling outside the US alone, you need to keep a clear, sharp head in case something happens. You may need to rebook a flight, spend the night in a hotel, and locate your suitcase if a flight is canceled. The last thing you want is to be feeling tipsy as you navigate a frustrating situation. Don’t worry—you’ll have plenty of time to sip on a cocktail once you get to your destination!
9. Don’t Skimp on Travel Insurance
Don’t skip this solo travel tip: You need travel insurance. It’s easy to assume nothing bad will happen, but you can’t beat peace of mind. In my case, I always purchase insurance from a company specializing in medical assistance when traveling outside the US. They offer benefits such as medical evacuation, transport, and other protections that make me feel much relaxed while abroad.
You’ll Love Flying Solo!
Traveling solo can be daunting. As someone who always used to travel with family, going it alone felt scary at times. But if you keep your wits about you and follow sound advice, you should have no problem discovering your new favorite destinations! I know I often feel more adventurous and emboldened when I’m alone—there’s no friend or spouse to enable your fears or limit your choices! But hether you’re going alone because your schedule doesn’t line up with a friend’s or you simply want to enjoy your own company, you won’t regret solo travel. Check out some of my recent trips (solo and otherwise) on Instagram!