Travelling alone for the first time - is it scary, exciting, or both?
If you're planning your first solo adventure, you're no doubt a little bit scared, but also really excited. Sure, solo travel comes with its challenges. But it's a rewarding challenge that brings with it loads of opportunities and the chance to form life-long friendships.
With the right preparation and mindset, a solo adventure doesn't need to be so intimidating. And we're here to help you out with our guide on travelling solo for first-timers.
Preparation is everything
A lot of your enjoyment will depend on your preparation, so let's kick off with that. Ask yourself, where do I want to go? And for how long? You also need to think about how to get there and your budget, as is the case with ''regular'' travel.
Try before you fly
We mentioned you need to try solo travelling before knowing whether it's the right type of trip for you. Just thinking about it might give you anxiety, and you wouldn't want to ruin what should be a perfect journey. But there are plenty of ways you can try it out before flying halfway across the world on your own.
We suggest starting small, by taking yourself on a day trip to a museum and restaurant to see how that feels. If that goes well, you're ready for the next step of preparing for your solo trip.
The 'where' and the 'why' are key
It's good to give the destination some extra thought. You need to feel comfortable and safe where you're going, so do the research on that once you've got a country or city on your mind. Some great countries for a first-time solo traveller are Vietnam, Costa Rica or Japan. These are known as relatively safe, with good public transport networks and great hostels to meet lots of amazing people.
You should also ask yourself, what is the reason I'm travelling, and what do I want to experience while I'm away on my own? It's good to have a clear goal for yourself, this will make it easier for you to enjoy yourself as there will be moments when you'll feel a bit lost. Having a set of trip goals help you focus on your next move.
Start off slowly
Once you arrive, it's best to start your solo adventure at a slow pace, to adjust yourself to the country you're in. You will probably be out of your comfort zone for the first day, adjusting to travelling alone. What we like to do when arriving at a new destination on our own is book a day tour.
A group tour might be fun, but another option could be to use a ''greeter''. Greeters are volunteers who give tours of their city for free, to show you around and help you on your way while travelling. It's a great way to get some local info on a place, and you might even make a new friend. Greeters are social and really want to make sure you will have a great time visiting their country and city. They are available in many places and are run by the International Greeter Association. From their website, you can see if there are greeters available at your destination.
We're always a little more vulnerable after dark, particularly on our own. During the day it's easier to find your way around, and there might be more people around to ask for directions.
If you do arrive in the evening, make sure to be well prepared to find your hostel, or have a taxi booked to take you there. It feels a lot better knowing someone is waiting for you at your destination to take you where you want to be, instead of having to look for transport options by yourself, in the dark.
Travel solo, not alone: how to meet people when travelling solo
This topic always comes up whenever we talk to travellers wanting to go on an adventure by themselves. We are absolutely certain that you won't be lonely, as long as you're getting yourself out there, instead of hiding with your book or iPad in a private hotel room.
Choose the right accommodation
There are plenty of options to be more social, but we think it all kicks off with finding the right accommodation. There are lots of hostels that put work into organising activities like social events, pub crawls and city tours. If you book your trip with an agency (which we always recommend, but we'll come back to that later on), they will help you with finding the right hostels to stay at in each city.
Don't skip the social events and you will meet loads of people. Not only to party with but also to make more plans for the coming days. You'll be surprised how many other solo travellers you'll meet and can tag along with during the days. Just don't forget it's also really nice to take some moments for yourself from time to time, as you really don't need other people around you 24/7.
Use social media and apps
If you end up at a hostel that doesn't provide social events or parties, there are still other options. We recommend looking for Facebook groups, as well as checking out the Couchsurfing app. Not to find a place to crash (it's much better to arrange your accommodation well in advance), but the app is widely used to find local people to hang out with and for group meetups. It's a great way to meet both locals and travellers and, from our experience, it's just a lot of fun, spending the evening with some friendly strangers in a pub, park or at an arcade hall.
A similar platform is Meetup.com. Here you can find all sorts of meetups and events, like badminton sessions, hiking, boardgame nights and meditation. Honestly, there's a lot of fun to be found if you look in the right places. We also recommend booking some tours, especially at the beginning of your trip. It's a guaranteed way to meet other travellers and share ideas. Maybe you'll even run into other solo travellers here!
Pay attention to your body language
When you meet strangers, pay attention to your body language and be open. Open for conversation, open for smiles: it's as easy as that. You'll have to be approachable if you want people to interact with you. Smile at people and if they want to connect, put in the effort. And no, you won't click with everyone, but you're bound to meet a lot of people you get along with.
We understand better than anyone that your solo adventure is a getaway, and you might want to disconnect for a while. While those feelings are totally valid, always remember to update someone on where you are, and where you are going to be, especially if you decide to shut off the Wi-Fi for a little bit.
It can't hurt to update them on how long you will be offline, so there won't be any panic if you stop replying to calls or texts.
How to enjoy eating out by yourself
Let's face it, this can be a stressful experience. You might imagine everyone looking at you, feeling out of place and having no idea what to do while you wait. After all, talking to yourself would be weird, right?
Well, turns out there is plenty you can do while eating out alone! We like to keep a journal or blog while travelling, and a quiet moment waiting for your meal is a great time to get some writing done. Alternatively, it's also the time to update your loved ones, post some fantastic travel pics on social media and check your texts.
If you are not as invested in writing or the 'gram, dinnertime is the perfect moment to plan out the next day and the activities you want to do. If you head back to your hostel after getting food, you have a plan for the next day and you can go to a social event or occupy the communal living room at the hostel to find explorers who might want to join you.
In case you still think sitting alone for dinner is awkward or embarrassing, try to get dinner for lunch. What we mean by this is to have a bigger meal at lunchtime, so you can take out some street food or something smaller from a 7/11 or supermarket in the evening. Going to a restaurant at lunchtime is generally more accepted and normal, as plenty of people (especially business folk) eat out alone.
There are plenty of helpful people around and travellers are happy to share their tips and knowledge. One place to find recommendations is on Facebook. While it might be the social network of your mom and aunt nowadays, for communities it's the perfect place to thrive.
For every country and big city, there are backpacker groups, some even specifically meant for solo travellers. You can arrange meetups in these groups, as well as get info on great hostels, events and more. Don't be afraid to ask for help!
How to enjoy your nights when travelling alone
If you think solo travellers spend their nights in bed with a book, think again! In many destinations, the nightlife is something you don't want to miss out on. The best hostels usually organise pub crawls, parties at their in-house bar or something similar. We suggest attending a few of these to mingle and meet people.
Check out local events
In case you want to do something more than just drinking, there's plenty to do in every bigger city. What about attending a concert or a local festival? At the accommodation you're staying, they will know what's on in the area and can give you the best tips.
Join a group tour
With a group tour you have a ready-made bunch of travel buddies. And it's highly unlikely you'll be the only solo traveller in the group. On a tour, your guide will often arrange group dinners, so you won't have to worry about eating out by yourself. And on nights where nothing is officially planned, you can make your own arrangement with other people on the tour.
We really don't want to be a buzzkill here, but we all know how easy it is to get carried away. There's no denying that when under the influence of alcohol and on our own, we are vulnerable to others, especially in a foreign environment. We're not saying you shouldn't party (definitely go for it!), just keep your head in the game at all times and trust your gut.
There are plenty of well-meaning and friendly locals and fellow travellers, but you don't want to experience something that might ruin your trip. Leave if you're uncomfortable, be rude if you have to and lie if necessary. The location of your hotel is one example. You don't owe anyone an explanation about why you don't want to do or share something.
How to sleep with strangers
No, we're not telling you to hook up and sleep around: we're talking about shared accommodation here! By far the best way to travel on your own is by staying in hostels. It's a great way to get social, meet people, and it's usually the cheapest accommodation you can find.
Make the most of hostel facilities
Hostels used to be extremely barebones, but in many cases, they provide a lot of neat extra amenities nowadays. It's easy to find an option that caters to your wishes. Whether you want a pool, included breakfast, rooftop bar or social events, you will find a hostel to suit your tastes. We highly encourage you to use all the available facilities, whether it's gyms, tours, courses or a restaurant with backpacker meal deals. That last one is especially great if you find it awkward to eat out alone since there are always folks around to eat with at your hostel.
Hostel etiquette 101
If you're new to staying in hostels, let's go over some basic etiquette. It all comes down to treating people how you would want to be treated. If you share a room, be mindful of others. This means staying quiet in the sleeping rooms (party hostels might be an exception), avoiding using the main lights when others are still sleeping, and keeping the place tidy by using the common rooms to be social and eat.
Using the kitchen and common rooms can save you a lot of cash as well, and you can team up with your hostel roomies to make meals together. A fun bonding activity and even cheaper than cooking alone - that's what we call a win-win. Be sure to make friends, ask questions and start conversations with your fellow travellers. Who knows what mighty plans take form during dinner?
Talking about solo travel, this is often concern number one. Don't forget that being alone and lonely are not the same thing. If anything, travelling alone gives you more power and control over your trip, as YOU decide what's going to happen.
Solo travellers often find themselves needing to take a break from all the parties and plans with newly made friends! Once you're at your destination, things start rolling and you'll rarely be alone. Unless you want to of course, which leads to the next tip on our list...
How to stay safe while travelling solo
Whatever destination you go for, do some proper research on potential risks in the area. Which places to avoid, what scams to be aware of, and what tips travellers are sharing online. Reddit is a great place to ask questions if you have any, and so are destination-based Facebook groups. In case of doubt, we recommend checking these out, but if you book through an agency (which we ALWAYS recommend) that is an excellent source of information as well.
Make sure you're covered for the unexpected
We also like to stress that good travel insurance is invaluable when travelling, especially on your own. In case something unexpected happens, you'll be happy to be able to get compensation. There are some safety concerns you can't insure yourself for though, so wherever you are in the world (even your hometown), it's always best to stay on your guard when you're alone. This means not drinking too much, and not getting drunk with strangers, but also avoiding taking long walks alone at night, even in safe areas. Another tip is to keep your accommodation name and location to yourself - it's your safe space while travelling, after all.
Book with a trusted travel agent
When booking with a travel agency you get extra safety and support in the form of expert advice, help in case of scheduling changes and much more. Another added benefit is that by having a set programme, you're bound to meet people on the activities or tours you've booked, so you're guaranteed to not spend your entire trip by yourself.
Last but not least, a lot comes down to common sense. Always trust your gut, if something doesn't feel right, there's often a good reason.
What to do if anxiety gets the best of you
If against all odds and preparation you feel like you want to fly home again, we're here for you. As your safety net, but also as part of the travel community. We've been there, and have plenty of tips to share from our first solo adventures. You can overcome anxiety and make the most of your trip, even if it might not feel like it at the time. If anxiety hits you, it's usually during the first few days of arriving at a new destination. These tips are aimed at getting you through those, while also having a good time.
Baby steps
It's all about taking small steps, don't pressure yourself too much. The first day is ALWAYS the worst, so a great way to get started and find your comfort zone again is by taking a chill day. Just sit at a café, breath, take it all in and look at the people around you. Alternatively, you can book a walking tour on your first day, forcing yourself to out and explore in a low-key setting, with some other travellers.
You will get to know your new surroundings stress-free since you don't have to figure it all out yourself. Once you get back to your hostel, find some people to talk to and get ideas from. Get to know them and who knows, maybe the plans start making themselves! Our best advice on this is to have no expectations and to keep an open mind.
Look for the familiar
Continue on the right path by making daily goals for yourself. It helps you keep your focus on what you are there to see, do and experience. While you want to explore new territory and do new things, save those for later on in your trip. In the beginning, it helps to hang out at places where you would usually hang out, and do things you would usually do. And we just want to say it's okay to stay in and have some ''you-time''. But, also make time for some sightseeing. Visiting those big monuments and famous places you've seen so many times will feel at least a little familiar and cause a feel-good moment. Small wins are wins too!
