People who have never experienced solo traveling define it as a lifetime experience. To take in new surroundings natural by the prejudices, and liking of a traveling mate can be thrilling stuff. Solo travel gives one the opportunity to indulge yourself. Of course, solo traveling has its disadvantages too-like sadness and safety concerns. However, prior preparation and common sense can help you to save your money and enjoy the trip. Here are a few solo travel tips that will help you to travel alone successfully.
Why Travel Alone?
Solo travel can be enjoyed best when in self-indulgence. You can rest whenever you feel like it and travel when you feel to see new places. Another advantage is that the mistakes you commit are your own, and your victories seem to be more exciting. Also, you can do whatever you feel to do- all the time.
How to do Solo Traveling Safely?
It is probably the most significant question of a solo traveler: “Is solo travel safe?” Without a travel mate to protect you, you are vulnerable to scam artists and criminals, and many health worries. But the popular saying, “safety in numbers” cannot be true always- a solo traveler can mix in with another traveling group more easily, and not grabbing attention to yourself is the easiest way to stay protected.
List of Important Solo Travel Tips
The first in the list of solo travel tips is to research. Before you reach your destination, do your homework. Research about how much time will it take and how much do you have to pay to reach the hotel. Solo travelers are more possibly to be cheated, so before you board in, ask the taxi driver for an estimated price. If you find that the cab driver is charging more than usual, take another cab.
Always carry good proof of identification in more than one place. If you are wearing a belt, use it for storing instead of using it simply like a purse. It is one of the most significant solo travel tips. Always reaching under your shirt for the money draws attention to it and defeats the intent. Instead, keep passport, additional money and other important documents tucked correctly. If possible, use a theft-resistant purse or bag to carry your regular spending money.
Sleep around- Try to look for room rentals or a homestay- this offers you an automatic connection with residents while you are traveling alone. As a solo traveler, you will get lots of options to select from. Even if your landlord will not take you for a town tour, but you will at least get a few local tips. Hostels are ready-made for solo travelers, but you might have to spend more time with other travelers than with the locals.
Arrive during the day- It is one of the significant solo travel tips that should never be missed by any chance. Always try to reach your destination during the day. Areas around train and bus stations can be deserted or scary and small towns tend to close early. Beautiful towns can appear scary at night and those locals who are trying to help you can appear to be threatening. When you arrive at the destination during the day you will get more time to find a place to stay and get your directions before it is too dark.
Buy travel insurance- Ensuring you have travel insurance is one of the vital solo travel tips that must be kept in mind. Do you believe that it is a waste? Think once again. If you do not buy travel insurance, you are solely responsible for anything that goes wrong. If you do, you can claim several expenses back.
Learn the local language- Learning the language of the local people is one of the significant solo travel tips that should not be a miss. It may sound obvious but making the effort to learn a handful of phrases in the native language can make a big difference in how you experience a country, mainly when you do not have anyone with you to depend on for translations.
When you start traveling, try to at least say “Hello, thank you, excuse me, please, and sorry. It will open so many doors for you and it shows locals that you are genuinely interested in learning about their traditions and culture.
Always go your own way- Everyone is different with different choices. So, choosing a trip tailored to your interests and unique personality will be the key to having a good time while traveling solo. To jump-start your solo trip, choose one among the various cities that are meant for solo travel.
Be careful at night- Traveling at night can be risky. It is one of the significant solo travel tips that everybody should follow and should not miss by any chance. Dangerous activities are more likely to happen at night when there are few crowds. Try to avoid going out at the night. Choose public transportation or taxis. Leave all your valuables in your hotel and just take the money which you need while going out at night. If you want to go out at night, try to find a group to join. You can join a pub crawl, meet with new people during the day tours, stop in a hostel bar during day tours to avoid traveling alone at night.
Be confident- If you are going on a solo trip, you might be scared at first, but you must carry yourself with confidence. If you look confused, scared, or lost, you become a target for predators easily. Walk with intent and purpose, looking people directly in the eyes and being fully cautious of your nearby surroundings. Carry sunglasses if that helps! Walk keeping your head up, shoulders back, and walk like a king or queen.
Relax while eating- Traveling can be hectic so relaxing in between while traveling is another vital tip in the list of solo travel tips. Meals are a great time when we can unwind and relax. Yes, you can strike up a conversation with the bartender or waiter, but your meal can be a great time to sit and relax. Maybe during this time you can plan what you are going to do the rest of your day, check emails if you have a good wifi connection, or read your favorite book.
If you do not want to look out of place, you might consider visiting a café where the casual surrounding brings in many single people and groups that are seeking a respite also. If you are looking for more privacy, select a restaurant booth. Either setting can offer you the anonymity you might be looking for, and the atmosphere and food can be more enjoyable than fast food joints.
Join self-defense classes- Yes, it may sound funny to some of you but it is one of the important solo travel tips. Knowing what to do in case of an attack will help you to be more confident and prepared while traveling solo. You can even buy some self-defense gadgets like a defense pen or a rape whistle. You can even use pepper spray or a selfie stick/tripod/keys as a temporary weapon.
However, be cautious about fighting back. If someone is trying to steal from you with a weapon, surrender your belongings. Material things can be always replaced…. Well, if you have travel insurance at least.
Trust your gut feeling- This is not just a saying. Even if you are traveling alone, you will find yourself dependent on strangers more than you would expect for help or directions. Most people are helpful and good. However, all of us know that some people do not have good intentions. If you get the feeling that someone has hidden motives, then you should trust that feeling. It will be simpler to get yourself out of the situation sooner or later. Your instinct will reveal a lot about you on the road and it will improve with the experience.
Be careful about your body language- Be careful about your body language. Talk to the locals instead of staring at them. Look at people directly in their eyes while talking. Smile at them. Try to speak their language. Ask about their traditions, greet them when you walk into their house.
You might be confused about your solo trip. Do not. It could be one of the most enjoyable experiences you will ever have. Yes, it is always fun to make new memories with family and friends, but traveling solo has another level of fun. Just follow these solo travel tips and you are good to go!