Hello! For those who don’t know me, my name is Hannah! I have been traveling out of the country since I was a baby (thank you parents!) but since 2019 I have been traveling more and more on my own. Through the years, minus Covid of course, I have gathered some tips for my fellow solo travelers. I would like to preface this with the fact that I have only really traveled to countries where English is the primarily spoken language, so if you are looking for tips on traveling through language barriers then unfortunately I cannot help. On that note, please enjoy my accumulated tips for travel!
Create your own budget and divide it into categories!
Budgeting is sometimes not the easiest task to do but I promise it will help you in the long run. I recommend splitting your budget into four categories; food, experience, pre-paid, and personal.
Food: a rough estimate of how much money you want to spend on food per day. I recommend planning for 1-2 meals out per day if you are on a tight budget and 2-3 if you have a bigger budget. I will touch on this more in the accommodation section but, you don’t have to eat out everyday if you don’t want to. Personally I love trying local cuisine so I usually plan one meal a day (breakfast, lunch or dinner) to be focused on trying new foods. You can usually google ahead of time the approximate cost of food in the country you are visiting.
Experience: set yourself a limit for how much you want to spend on activities in each place. Some experiences are expensive but some are free! Look these up ahead of time and create a list of things you can do if your budget becomes tight at any point. Museums are usually a safe bet! Keep an eye on things that require pre-booking, a lot more tourist spots are moving towards this due to the influx of tourists. I would hate for you to have your hopes crushed!
Pre-paid: This is where girl math can come into play! If you already paid for something to do with your trip like your trains, flights, or hotel, then you could consider them free during your trip! But, I would recommend budgeting them into your trip, this way if anything bad were to happen then you are prepared for how much replacement trains, flights, or hotels could cost. Depending on how far you are traveling, your pre-paid things may cost more than the rest of the trip. Look into pre-paying for experiences too then when you are on your trip it seems like you aren’t spending that much money, trick your mind a bit.
Personal: This category is where I group in gifts, shopping, keepsakes, etc. If you know you want to buy presents for family or friends then budget how much (approx) you want to spend on each person. This way you can look for the perfect gift that fits your budget. I always recommend thoughtful gifts or food gifts, they say more than a sticker that says the place you went to. Budget for gifts for YOURSELF! You are allowed to buy yourself a present or keepsake! I will talk about this later but, just because you spent the money on the trip itself doesn’t mean you shouldn’t bring something home. I always include in the personal category a bit of money for emergency situations, just in case. Depending on your phone plan this category can include sim card expenses too.
Just because you are by yourself, it doesn’t mean you are alone!
If you are not used to solo travel, no matter how introverted you are, it can get lonely. One way I combat this is by striking up conversations with locals or fellow tourists. The easiest way to do this is by asking your waiter, bartender, or reception desk where the best place to eat is, or if there are any places they think you have to visit. This not only gets you talking to someone but, it allows them to show you things you may not have done, or planned on doing. Another easy way to avoid loneliness is by booking group tours or bus tours with a guide. If there is a local tour guide then you can talk to them or just listen to what they have to say. On bus tours there is a good chance that there are fellow solo travelers, chat with them! If this scares you, don’t worry it takes a bit of practice but it’s not too bad. The easiest way to start a conversation with another tourist is by complimenting them. If you are able to notice their accent then ask them where they are from. I have started conversations before by noticing Kiwi, Aussie, and American accents. From personal experience, try to find the New Zealanders or Australians on a trip, they are very nice and welcoming. I promise you if you are anywhere in the UK you will most likely find some. You can also meet people if you stay in a hostel!
Accommodation!
My biggest tip for solo travel is to stay in a hostel! First, it is usually the cheapest option (yay budgeting!). Secondly, I have found them to be really safe for female travelers because they usually offer female only dorms. Third, you can either meet amazing people or not have to communicate with anyone, it is your choice! I have met some awesome people in hostels that are still my friends to this day and I have also gone on trips where I barely even saw my fellow bunk mates. The key to finding a good hostel is to read the reviews, look at the pictures, and view it on a map. Below I have included my requirements for a good hostel.
Location compared to city center (easy to get to)
Whether or not the bathroom is an ensuite or communal style. I have stayed in places with both. I prefer an ensuite if it is 4-5 people per room. Any more than that I prefer communal because one bathroom for 6 people means having to wait to pee or shower.
Style of bunk beds. The best kind have privacy curtains
If you can rent towels. Unless I pack a bigger bag I usually don’t bring my own towel so if I can rent one that is great.
Lockers/luggage storage. More and more hostels have lockers that come with locks but try to find out that information prior so you know if you need to bring your own lock.
Hostels are also great because they have kitchens where you can cook your own food or store food. This is really helpful if you are on a budget and only want to eat out 1-2 meals per day. Since a lot of backpackers used hostels too there will be other people using the kitchen so you won't feel weird about it. Also if you are not at the point where you feel comfortable getting a table for one for dinner then you can eat your takeout in the kitchen/lounge and save the leftovers for another meal! Most hostels host events during the week to meet people, go to them if you can because why not, if you hate it just go back to your room! When staying at a hostel I recommend remembering to pack soap, shampoo, and toiletries. You can usually buy toothpaste from reception but they don’t tend to have shampoo or body wash. Overall, the best way to solo travel is by staying at hostels.
Safety!
The biggest concern I have when solo traveling is my safety. I recommend looking at what people have to say about safety for the place you are going to. This varies city to city so make sure to check. If you aren’t too sure about walking around a new city for safety reasons then I recommend a hop on/hop off tour bus. They are available in most cities, allowing you to get around easily, and they tell you fun facts about the place you are visiting. These are perfect for solo travelers in my opinion. There are three major tips I recommend: watch where you are going, check your belongings, and lie.
Watch where you are going: In today’s digital age people use their phones for everything, so we tend to be looking down a lot. Put your phone down! Don’t walk on the sidewalks with your head in your phone, even if you need directions. Pull over out of people's way, try to go one block at a time and repeat the process until you get to your destination. Don’t get in peoples way and protect your phone. If you plan on taking the metro or going someplace with the possibility of low cell service, then screenshot your directions ahead of time. I do this all the time with the London Underground since there is no service down there, it is a big help.
Check your belongings: Things can be replaced but your phone, ID, and wallet getting stolen or lost will ruin your trip. Always keep these items close to you and check them a lot.
Lie: If you ever feel unsafe with the questions people ask you or don’t want to admit you are alone then lie! I have lied about meeting my brother, sister, aunt, best friend, or parents at places just so it doesn’t come across as me going somewhere alone. This included people asking where you are staying, just lie. Also lying while traveling by yourself can be kind of fun. You can manifest the life you want by saying you have that job. Because why not! It’s your life!
If you ever feel unsafe, then approach people working in restaurants, hotels, or stores and address your concern, they will help you!
Don’t be ashamed to say “Table for One”
Solo travel gets easier the more you do it, I promise. Learn to enjoy your own company. People watching is really fun, you can create lives or stories just based on what you see. If dining alone is still intimidating then avoid dining at peak times. Grab an early breakfast or a late lunch. When I first started eating at restaurants alone I would bring a book or my headphones and listen to music, now I can just sit there. One fun thing I started doing when eating alone is pretending I’m reviewing the restaurant. This gives you a fun activity to do while you are eating. It has also helped me eat slower because I am focusing on if I were to write about the food what would I say. Along with eating alone, sometimes doing tourist things alone can be weird because you feel like you cannot get the photos you want. My biggest tip for this is to offer to take photos for duos or groups, chances are they will reciprocate and take your photo without you having to go out of your way to ask. Confidence is sexy and can easily be faked so give it a try! Sidenote: the amount of people who will say “good for you”, “that’s wonderful”, or “good on ya” when you tell them you are solo traveling is large, and always makes me feel good.
Don’t Over Plan: to those who know me really well you might find this funny coming from me, the chronic overthinker but I promise it will help you! I recommend planning 1-2 bigger things per day and allowing yourself time in between them to explore. This allows for a stress free day as you get from one location to another and you don’t feel rushed during meals. You can also find new things by not overplanning. You can just wander until you find a restaurant that looks good and it's all up to you. You are the only one making the decisions, it's kinda wonderful.
Do what makes you happy: in the end of it all this trip is for you! Buy yourself a nice keepsake if you feel like it will make you happy. You will always look back on it and think about the time you conquered your fear and traveled on your own. Find the unique, fun things from your experiences that you will remember rather than a generic tourist trinket.
Overall, solo travel is what you make of it! You can pick what you want to do and when. It is up to you! I promise you will learn a lot about yourself when you travel alone and these skills will follow you in life. If you do end up traveling on your own after this just know, I’m proud of you! Thanks for reading!
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