Solo travel is something that everyone should do at least once in their lifetime. Though I’ll be honest, on my first solo trip, it wasn’t the most fun for me.
I was a senior in college at the time and only 22 years old. I didn’t really have the slightest idea on what solo travel entailed. This first solo trip was also my first big point redemption trip where I visited South Korea and a few cities in Japan. Don’t get me wrong, the actual destinations were amazing, but I didn’t get the excitement or feeling that I now get when I travel, which likely came down to a few reasons –
In hindsight, the largest reason It wasn’t the most fun was likely because I refused to stay in hostels. Because of this I kept to myself, planned every single thing I wanted to see, and left no room to change plans or meet any other travelers. Little did I know that if you’re solo traveling, this isn’t really the greatest idea (at least in my mind)
After traveling to nearly 40 countries, including 50 cities across Europe, here are some of my top tips for solo travel –
#1. Be Flexible
When you solo travel, you obviously will want to have the places to see and some sort of itinerary set. That is 100% okay and even recommended! Though depending on how you travel, I can almost guarantee that at some point you will meet a group where you want to maybe combine itineraries or even go to the next destination on a popular backpacking route with them.
Being flexible (at least as much as you can) while solo traveling is recommended. I typically pick out a few things that I want to see in a a city or town, and will maybe book one tour or two but I leave most of my itinerary open so I’m not stuck to any certain plans. Most of the time you’ll come across someone who is going to a cool place that you’ve never heard of, so I like to keep my options open.
During my Southeast Asia trip I barely had any itinerary set outside of wanting to visit a few cities, but had no specific timeline. This allowed me to travel with multiple groups of people and I went to places that I never would have without. I had never heard of the island of Koh Tao until I got to my hostel in Koh Phangan in Thailand, but that was where everyone was headed next so I decided to try it out and Koh Tao became one of my favorite places I visited in Thailand.
#2. Do Your Research
Peak seasons, rainy seasons, festivals, and more can really affect your trip. It’s important to make sure you have a good idea on how seasonality affects your solo travel plans.
For example, in Thailand the peak season runs from December through March. The Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan in Thailand is a huge spot for solo travel during this peak season, this means you need to book your accommodation at the minimum a month in advance. When I booked my hostel the rates there were nearly 4x the normal price and nearly $100 USD a night for a dorm room. This is just the reality of traveling during peak season.
It’s also extremely important to be vigilant and stay up to date on anything going on in the country you are traveling to. For example some countries may have travel advisories, and there have certainly been some crazy stories of people getting stuck due to protests, civil unrest, or a variety of other factors, just make sure you are paying attention to all of the news and developments going on where you travel.
#3. Stay at a Mix of Accommodations
The issue with my first solo trip wasn’t anywhere that I went. It was rather that I was staying only in hotel rooms. While I absolutely love a good Hotel & Airbnb, it wasn’t until I tried staying at hostels that I really started to enjoy solo travel. I consider myself somewhat in the middle between an introvert and an extrovert, so it’s important to strike a balance.
If you are on the edge about hostels, a good way to try them out is to book a private room. Co-working hostels are getting pretty popular and Selina is a popular chain for this with private rooms, co-working spaces, and a good common area to hangout in. However, Hostelworld still remains the best option for booking hostels nearly anywhere you are in the world.
There have definitely been some times I’ve felt burnout staying at hostels, even those with private rooms. When this happens, I opt for a hotel or AirBnB for a few days to recharge. If you do decide you want to socialize while you’re in more private accommodations, a good opportunity to do so is to join a walking tour. GuruWalk is a great site for finding these tours in many destinations across the world.
#4. Budget Wisely
A trip to Southeast Asia and a European summer trip are going to look very different on the budget perspective, even if you are staying in just hostel dorm rooms. It’s easy to forget that solo travel can still add up in cost. The recommendation for a travel budget in Southeast Asia can be as little as $40 – $50 per day. That same budget in Europe during peak season is just not happening, so it’s important to budget wisely on long backpacking trips.
Food and drinks quickly become one of the biggest factors of your budget. To help lower the cost here, I always suggest having a mix of eating out, making your own food, and stocking up on snacks. 7/11’s for example in Asia are incredible and have delicious (and inexpensive) whole meals you can get. If you haven’t tried Sushi from a convenience store before, the sushi at the 7/11 in Japan will be your best bet.
There are ways to make your budget work. If you can stick to a budget range it’s a lot easier to extend your trip and still have fun.
#5. Play it Safe
At the end of the day, trust your gut. Safety is the number one priority while traveling. I’ve unfortunately encountered a couple of scares while solo traveling. (more on that soon) Your gut feeling is there for a reason, trust it.
I’ve often told people that a good and popular hostel is referred to as the “travelers embassy.” It’s a place where you can not only expect help with people speaking English, but you can also confide in other travelers that are also far from home and may be in your exact situation. In another country, I sometimes even feel more at ease walking into a hostel alone than I will walking into my AirBnB apartment. Safety is in numbers, and that is absolutely true while solo traveling.
Share your location at home with a friend or family, and make sure you check in periodically with people back home. I’ve signed up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) before which at least helps with a little piece of mind.
Solo travel can be one of the most fun things to do, it really helps you see the world and be your own person in a different light. Whether you solo travel to a different country, or even just to a nearby city for the weekend, it’s something that everyone should do at least once in their lifetime.
