Are you willing to sacrifice backpacking across the globe just because your friends won’t commit? While often considered daunting, solo travel offers up a one-of-a-kind experience, with every decision up to you, the chance to make friends along the way and perhaps even “find yourself.” In the midst of planning my own first proper solo trip for this summer, this guide acts as an insight into my personal considerations, as well as a collation of knowledge from previous travels and the results of hard-core research, to help you maximise your solo travel potential.
Take yourself on a date
My biggest takeaway from a month of travelling last year was to understand myself: from the minimum hours of sleep needed for survival to what my biggest source of comfort is, to how to remain sane on a five-hour train. These considerations can help you retain a sense of normality and support your wellbeing while in a completely alien scenario. Additionally, learning how to spend time with yourself is invaluable, as, inevitably, there will be dinners you eat alone, museums you tour by yourself, and bus journeys you take individually. This doesn’t have to be considered a low point of your trip but instead a time to enjoy the moment and recharge. So, why not practice now? You can take yourself on a date and practice enjoying spending time with yourself, learning to enjoy it, perhaps even taking a book or listening to music.
Travelling alone vs being lonely
Embarking on a solo trip doesn’t mean you have to spend every waking hour alone but instead provides opportunity to casually meet and engage with other travellers. In my view, hostels are the focal point for travel friendships, with sociable events allowing you to forge connections across the globe, without having to awkwardly make the first move. Alongside these events, free walking tours make for great opportunities to meet fellow backpackers, as well as locals with insider knowledge, all while emerging yourself in the destination. A more active method of meeting people is joining a solo travel networking service, such as Meetup or TripBFF, which allow you to connect with other travellers in a destination at the same time as you, whether you’re looking for a group to go to the pub with or aiming to tag along with some site-seeing.
Safety first
One of the overwhelming hurdles we all have to overcome when it comes to solo travel is safety and protecting yourself, reinforced by the categorisation of certain destinations as “unsafe.” Precautions to increase safety should include: packing a power bank, ensuring your phone has enough data, forward planning your trip, and maybe even sharing your live location with friends or family at home. Additionally, when travelling, keep your wits about you, remain in public areas and avoid sharing too much information, such as where you’re staying. Ultimately, put your best interests at heart, focusing on your safety over the fear of coming across as rude or unsociable to others.
If you follow this advice, you’re sure to have a great trip, see some amazing places and maybe even make a friend or two along the way. Happy solo travelling!
Photo by Suhyeon Choi on Unsplash