Flyin Solo? 10 Tips for the Solo Traveller
Solo Travel Tips
1 Know your strengths
The type of solo trip you want to take will be largely about who you are as a person and what your travel goals might be. Are you looking to immerse yourself into different cultures or are you more at home travelling closer to home? Are you wanting to step outside of your comfort zone or does this idea of this fill you with anxiety instead of excitement? Do you thrive on adrenaline or is relaxation and destressing a priority? Knowing what you want from your trip and understanding how you’re likely to handle different circumstances will enable you to get the most out of your solo getaway.
2 Research is key
3 Make Bookings in advance and write it down
Make any reservations for accommodation in advance to minimise any uncertainties. This will give you peace of mind and eliminate last minute stress. Once you’ve organised your accommodation, write down your itinerary including their contact details and dates of stay and write it down. Give a copy to a family member or friend and keep one for yourself to take with you. Likewise make a digital copy of your travel documents to ensure you have a copy for yourself and your family or friend. Similarly, keep up to date with smarttraveller.gov.au and stay safe with the latest travel advice.
4 Keep In Touch
5 Pack Light
As it will be just you travelling, try to pack light so that your luggage is easy to transport. A main bag with a smaller backpack is ideal so you can keep your main bag at your accommodation and use your smaller backpack for day tripping. Create variety in your wardrobe by having basics that are interchangeable to create different looks and multifunctional pieces that will work hard for you without taking up space.
6 Group tours
Group tours are a great way to see a lot of the area in a safe way and meet cool people along the way. They can be great value for money and are a great option especially when there may be larger distances to cover, or language barriers and can take the stress out of trying to work out how to get to and from places of interest with many tours picking up and dropping off from your accommodation.
7 Sleeping Around
Trying different types of accommodation can open up new experiences and friendships. Think homestays, farmstays, hostels and the like. There are countless options, depending on where you’re travelling, and these can provide you with local insider knowledge and local experiences you may otherwise not find.
8 Ask a Local
9 Love Yourself
Solo travel with its periods of alone time can be daunting. Enjoy getting to spend time with you and running to beat of your own drum. There’s nothing quite like the freedom of solo travel with no one else’s plans to factor in you are free to do what you want, go where you want, when you want. Craving company? There are plenty of opportunities to make friends along the way, from staying in hostels, striking up conversations with a group at a café or bar, going on group tours or walking tours and many more opportunities if you open yourself up to them. Offer to take photos for other travellers, ask for recommendations on where to go and what to see, you never know where these conversations may take you.