2024 Best Tips for a Solo Traveler
Intro
Have you ever wanted to take a trip but couldn’t find someone who could take time off or someone who was interested in your destination. While it is so much fun sharing the joys and experiences of travel with friends and family, it also can add complications. Can you both take off from work at the same time? Do you both have an interest in the same destination? Do you share the same budget for the trip? Do you want to go on the same excursions?
With all that said, traveling solo can be daunting if you have never done it before (it can be daunting even if you are a seasoned solo traveler). The cost of the trip is completely on you, planning the logistics is completely on you, being hyper aware of your surroundings is completely on you, and the list goes on.
I have traveled solo to 18 countries over the years and below I will share some of my experiences along with tips on making your solo travel a safe and memorable trip.
Singapore
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The first time I traveled solo, I was 23-years-old. It was never my intention to become a solo traveler. It was really not something I ever thought about before I was in the situation. I was supposed to take a course in Dublin for 3 months. I had booked my flights before finding out the class had been cancelled. As a recent college grad, I did not have any peers that had the money or could take the time off from their newly acquired jobs to travel around Europe for a couple of months. My parents, aunts and uncles were all in their 50’s and still working as well. Also to my family, dropping everything for two months would be considered insane. So, I embarked on what would become the first of many solo adventures.
In my first solo trip I went to a region of the world where I could physically blend in as long as I didn’t speak. This isn’t necessarily important as I have visited many counties I didn’t fit in and was traveling alone. But as a 22-year-old with a lack of life experience, it made me a little more comfortable visiting places that are culturally similar to the US as well as countries that use the same/similar alphabet system so I could have had somewhat of a chance figuring out signs and certain words in conversation.
Growing up in the New York City area, also gave me a bit of an advantage. Anyone who has been to NY, knows you need to walk with a purpose and confidence. Even if you are scared or have no idea where you are, you don’t show it. While visiting Dublin, I was lost in the Temple Bar area and couldn’t find my way back to the hotel so I walked into a bar (at 12pm local time) and ordered a drink. I struck up a conversation with the guy sitting next to me and the bartender for a bit. Finally a while later, in passing I asked if they knew where a certain location was. The bartender stopped in his tracks and said, wait are you lost and you stopped in for a drink, that’s amazing. I retorted with the fact that I was just trying to make the best out of the situation. When I walked through cities during this Europe trip, I can’t count how many times people stopped to ask me for directions or take their pictures and chat, like I was a local.
I tend to be oblivious when out in public with people I know, but when I am traveling alone I am always aware of my surroundings, the people in it, and where my bag and drinks are. I always have my documentation and methods of payment in safe spots as well as a copy of my passport, just in case. When I was in Warsaw, I was eating at a restaurant and I saw a man across the way staring at me. His body language and eye contact immediately set off red flags. True to my instincts, not even two minutes later the man walked over and was inappropriately leaning over me saying something in Polish. Fortunately and unfortunately I don’t speak Polish, so I told him to back off in English and he did. So many similar situations don’t pan out that well, so knowing how to literally and figuratively arm yourself is key. It was written in the positive context, but it also applies to less than favorable scenarios as well.
When I was traveling around Vietnam, my cousin and I took a taxi that was clearly trying to rip us off so we pushed back. I don’t think you should get taken advantage of in any form and I am a big advocate for standing up for yourself. But I am also a firm believer of knowing what to let go and when to let it go. While we were getting ripped off by that taxi, the conversion rate from US dollars to Vietnamese dong is so large that we were pretty much at a loss of mere cents. Not enough to start a fight or potentially getting hurt over.Now this post isn’t about instilling fear in people but rather common sense. The whole point in traveling is to see new places, experience different cultures, and meet new people; so you don’t want to keep yourself from doing that. Also, there can be issues in your own backyard as easily as there can be while visiting other countries. I can think of countless different stories from the countries I visited alone where I linked up with another solo traveler to explore the city together for a day, shared a meal with another solo diner and engaged in great conversation, killed time with other patrons on line at a museum, and so many more positive memories. That’s part of what I love about traveling alone, I am so much more inclined to meet new people that I probably wouldn’t have if I was traveling in a group.
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Italy
China
France
Poland
Austria
Ireland
England
Scotland
Germany
Portugal
Panama
Thailand
Malaysia
Indonesia
Colombia
Singapore
Switzerland
The Netherlands
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Make a copy of your passport.
Download Google Translate on your phone.
It’s never a bad idea to take a self-defense course.
Bad things can happen at any hour but try not to stay out too late.
Share your itinerary and pertinent updates with someone back home.
Know where your countries consulate is in the city/country you are visiting.
Monitor your food and drink, don’t just get up and leave your meal alone.
Limit your alcohol consumption. Know your limit and know where your drink is.
Always know where your bag is and don’t just leave it on the chair behind or next to you.
Call your credit card companies to alert them of travel to avoid your cards being frozen.
I usually opt for hotel or motels with private rooms that have individual locks and keys vs. shared dwellings.
I sometimes take a ride share to my hotel when first arriving or do a Hop On/Hop Off tour initially to get the lay of the land before taking mass transit.
Get a tiny fanny pack or holder to go around your arm that you can keep valuables in (i.e. credit cards, cash, identification, cellphone) and can be placed underneath your clothes.
Regardless of if you like every ‘i’ dotted and ‘t’ crossed or you prefer a little more spontaneity like myself, it is very important to plan. Whether that’s by booking your airfare, hotels, transports, and excursions prior or doing your research and asking local experts you trust (hotel concierge, friend or family who has been before, etc.).
I always opt for using ride shares vs. getting a taxis. This allows me to know who I am dealing with and communicate with them prior to entering the car (especially if there is a language barrier). There’s also a way to track me through my phone and credit card use in a worst case scenario. You can also sometimes arrange transport through your hotel.
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Krabi, Thailand
Conclusion
There are so many things to keep in mind when you are traveling alone and this list is just beginning to scrape away of best practices for safety and optimizing your time in your new adventure. No matter where you travel to, safety should always be your number one priority. The rest is just minutia and can me rectified. So when you plan your solo excursion, plan for what makes sense for you and has you feeling as comfortable and secure as possible.
Quote
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone: Solo travel can lead to self-discovery, new friends, and different cultures.” Unknown
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For more travel tips, check out my post on How to Pack Light.
San Blaes, Panama