8 Solo Travel Tips for Every Solo Travel Enthusiast

Travelling solo is one of the most overwhelming, adventurous, liberating, yet scary experiences that one can have in their lifetime. However, several questions cross the mind of a solo traveller while they start planning for one. Questions like ‘what if I get lost?’, ‘which hotel would be safe for me?’ are definitely a few. Put these worries away and start planning on deciding your first destination with this guide.

Read on to know 8 solo travel tips if you are looking forward to starting your journey without wasting any more time.

1. Decide Where You Want to Go

The first solo trip tip for you is to decide on the destination. Since solo travel is already an adventure, choose the destination wisely. If you are just a beginner, make sure you choose a place where you can be at ease.

Keep in mind the climate, language barrier, culture and local people of the place. Think about the places you have always kept on your bucket list. Additionally, a good tip would be to choose a place near your hometown.

2. Conduct a Research

The second tip for solo trips is to conduct research on that place. Although solo travel means a lot of flexibility and not many plans are required, you cannot just start your trip like that. Take the help of the internet and research the place you are travelling to. Check the climate conditions, the local culture, and food. After that, check the accommodation rates and the travel expenses.

If you are planning to undertake sightseeing, then check which places you can go to and if any extra entry price is required or not. Also, if you know someone who has been to the place, do make sure you consult them once before travelling.

3. Plan a Budget

The third travel tip for solo travellers is to plan out a budget for yourself. Make a note of the costs for accommodation, travel and food. Next, decide which mode of communication you want to take to travel to the place. You can take trains, flights or buses depending on the availability and budget.

A big expense while travelling solo is incurred in hotels. There are both luxury and budget hotels available everywhere. If your only purpose is to explore the place from day to night, a budget hotel is recommended for a good night’s sleep. Check its ratings and reviews on the internet and book it only after that.

Apart from that, keep a separate budget for drinks, entertainment, tickets, entry fees, and other recreation modes.

4. Book Tickets and Hotels

Now that you have planned a budget, the fourth travel tip for solo travellers would be to book the tickets and, if possible, your hotels. If you are visiting a place that attracts many tourists, it would be safe if you book tickets beforehand. Though train tickets are available at the same prices throughout the year, pre-booking can save you some money if you plan to travel by flight.

In the case of hotels, try to book them in advance to secure your place of stay. Do not forget to check the online offers and discounts that many hotels provide throughout the year.

5. Be Aware of Safety

An essential tip for solo travellers is that you should be aware of your safety. Take care of your belongings, and stay aware of local scams. Also, while you are travelling alone, take extra care of yourself at night.

Do not restrain yourself from making friends while you travel but make sure you do not blindly trust someone. Be extra careful while sharing information with strangers. Nevertheless, you can have fun at local pubs or bars with alcohol. However, make sure you do not get too drunk while travelling alone.

Learn to say no whenever you feel it is necessary. Avoid getting into situations where you do not trust your gut feeling. If you feel like a person or place is not trustworthy, do not get into that place.

6. Use Public Transport

Another tip for solo traveller is to take public transport as much as possible. It is an added point to maintaining your safety, and it can also save you a substantial amount of money.

Apart from that, you get to meet new people, communicate with new people and learn new things. Moreover, communicating and meeting with local people would help you get adjusted to the local culture.

7. Give Your Day an Early Start

While travelling solo, make sure you start early. This way, you get time for sightseeing and can avoid the unnecessary crowd at public places and tourist attractions. After you complete your sightseeing and local activities in the morning, you can go back to your hotel, have a nice dinner and save up your energy for the next day.

Also, travelling alone in the daytime is a safer option, and you can avail modes of communication easily. If you are travelling to a place that is not very crowded, you might face problems while returning late at night.

8. Keep Contact With Your Near Ones

While setting out to explore a new place all by yourself, you need to remember that your family and loved ones constantly worry about you. Thus, always be in touch with them and let them know where you are and what you are doing.

While you leave your hotel, make sure to charge your phone, camera, and laptop. If necessary, you can carry backups as well so that you are never left out of charge. Avoid going to places that have network connectivity issues.

Apart from that, keep duplicates of your documents with you. Keep your hotel’s business card with you and avoid leaving important stuff alone in your hotel room. Make sure you lock your necessary stuff before leaving the room.

The things to carry while solo travelling are as follows:

• Padded bag/backpack
• Medical kit
• Extra money in the form of cash
• Toiletries
• Ready-to-eat food
• Insect repellents
• Umbrella/ raincoat
• Torch
• Rope
• Water bottle
• Padlocks
• Power bank
• Universal adapter
• Extension cord
• Travel Insurance

It is understandable that it is your first time travelling alone and falling into unwanted trouble would be the last thing you want. However, having travel insurance can relieve many of your travel anxieties.

There can be several situations, where you might meet with an accident or need immediate medical help, but there are not enough medical facilities available. Under other circumstances, you might even lose your valuables like your camera, laptop, and phone, run out of cash due to some theft, or happen to lose your bags while travelling. Such situations are unforeseen but might happen with any solo traveller.

That is when travel insurance is needed. It will cover any hospitalisation costs or expenses arising due to emergencies. It will also cover any loss you incur due to flight cancellation or delay. You can get travel insurance according to your needs, budgets and wants. But one important solo travel tip is to get travel insurance to explore the areas freely.

In conclusion, you must set out to explore the world, if not with anyone else, then alone. A solo trip is going to be filled with new experiences and adventures. Do not forget to keep in mind the above-mentioned solo travel tips while you explore cities alone.