Posted on Wednesday, 15 June 2022

Does the thought of travelling on your own bring you out in a cold sweat?

If so, the following solo travel tips should ease your worries.

Indeed, you may find that going on holiday alone is one of the most liberating experiences you can have - but being prepared is key.

 

Understand your limits - and how to exceed them

How do you feel in unfamiliar places where you know little of the language or culture? Do you rise to such challenges, or find them socially difficult?

Whichever sounds more like you, it's good to think about the kind of place you'll feel most comfortable in before going on holiday alone.

On the other hand, solo travelling in a strange, faraway land could help you overcome certain fears and anxieties.

It may push you to be more outgoing and bold - whether that's becoming better at introducing yourself to strangers, or speaking up more readily if something isn’t right (e.g. a hotel room isn’t as described, or someone is invading your personal space).

 

Avoid arriving at night

As a solo traveller, it can be daunting to arrive in a strange city - or remote town - when it's dark. Doing so means fewer people will be around and you may be at the mercy of the local taxi or tuk tuk drivers (who may inflate prices for travellers eager to get to their hotel or guest house).

And of course, more crimes are committed at night.

Aim to arrive at least a couple of hours before sunset. This gives you time to negotiate a decent price for your taxi - or perhaps even walk to your accommodation.

And remember, many hotels offer free airport pickups.

If you have no choice but to arrive at night, ensure you know where you’ll be dropped off and how to get to your accommodation.

 

Download maps before arrival

Have an idea of where your accommodation is in relation to metro stations, landmarks and attractions.

You may not be able to access wifi when you arrive in a new place, so download relevant maps before you depart.

Load up routes in Google Maps, or download maps for free from https://maps.me/

Knowing your geographical surroundings will make it easier to use public transport - or explore on foot (and avoid having to rely on costly taxis!).

 

Develop a healthy suspicion of (certain) strangers

One of the joys of travelling solo is meeting new people - and knowing you did it outside your comfort zone.

But it also pays to be wary of strangers - especially when they sidle up to you in a busy street, or appear to adjust their course in order to intercept you in a crowd.

In general, those who look like fellow travellers will be more trustworthy than pushy locals.

Sadly, in some parts of the world (e.g. Delhi, Marrkesh, Hanoi), those who approach you out on the street may be after your money, or may have even more nefarious ambitions.

You may be asked:

• To visit the person's souvenir shop
• To buy drugs
• To engage in prostitution
• To come back to their home
• To let them guide you to your hotel or other destination (for a handsome tip!)

These sort of characters can spot a new arrival a mile off.

If you have such an encounter, it's best to avoid eye contact and say 'no thank you' firmly, ideally in the local language.

When it comes to talking to strangers, those you meet out on the street or who seem very pushy are best avoided.

If you feel uncomfortable in any way, just keep walking and don't engage in conversation.

 

 

Try different accommodation types

As a solo traveller, you arguably have more accommodation types to choose from (compared to couples, families and groups). So why not try a few different types?

Examples include:

• Homestays with local families
• Hostels
• Couch surfing (staying on locals' sofas)
• Airbnbs

Be aware that staying in hostels (or hotels) could mean you meet more fellow travellers than locals.

 

Learn to embrace your own company

Embracing your own company may not come naturally to you - but travelling solo could be the perfect time to learn!

Focus on the things to do alone that you enjoy - whether that's reading, photography, sketching, or simply wandering around in cities or nature.

Many solo travellers go through periods of solitude before meeting fellow travellers or locals to hang out with - then go back to exploring alone again.

 

Meeting people on holiday is easy

Even if you find it challenging to make new friends in the UK, you may find the exact opposite when travelling on your own overseas.

While abroad you'll be in contact with fellow solo travellers (who frequently want to strike up a conversation), groups of travellers, and locals keen to practise their English.

You may be surprised at how often you get invited for dinner by complete strangers.

The hackneyed but effective "Where are you from?" is a good starting point.

There are also many apps and websites that can help you explore while meeting new people.

• Couchsurfing - https://www.couchsurfing.com/ - free accommodation with locals.
• Meetup (app/website) - https://www.meetup.com/ - meetings and events of all kinds

Taking a guided tour is another great way to meet new people - especially if the tour is focussed on something you're passionate about.

 

Don't be an easy target

Solo travellers may be easier targets for thieves and other criminals.

You'll need to be a little more aware of your surroundings than if you were part of a group. But with a little preparation and care, you're unlikely to have any problems.

• Don’t make it easy for bag snatchers, phone grabbers or pickpockets.
• Keep your money in a belt under your shirt or in a bumbag.
• Avoid carrying handbags/over-the-shoulder bags as these can be the target of bag snatchers (often borne on scooters).
• Don’t wave your smartphone around in the street, as you may become a target.
• Don't allow strangers to get too close to you in the street or you may find yourself missing valuables, wallet, phione etc.
• Avoid wearing expensive jewellery, watches etc (leave them at home in the UK).
• Be mindful of local customs: avoid wearing revealing clothing if it isn't appropriate (especially important for female travellers).

Document your trip with photos

Even if you don’t normally take a lot of photos, doing so while travelling will give structure to your day - and help you document your adventures.

Once back home, you'll be delighted you took the time to take some snaps.

Take pics of odd little details that interest you, as well as those big-ticket attractions.

If you want some great snaps for your Instagram account, there are Insta-focussed tours available worldwide.

 

Embrace solo dining

Eating alone can be a painful experience  - especially if you've never really done it before. But solo dining can actually be one of the most enjoyable things to do alone.

You get to choose where to eat, and you may find dining alone is a truly liberating experience - after all, why should you be limited as to where you can eat, just because you're by yourself?

You may also discover that in some cultures, eating alone is no big deal - think grabbing a noodle soup in Thailand, or a tapas in a Spanish cafe-bar - in such locations there are many people eating by themselves.

If you do end up craving a little company while dining, hostels are filled with hungry adventurers to team up with.

You could also learn to cook the local cuisines by attending a cooking class, or booking a wine tasting trip - both of which will put you in contact with other people.

 

Swap hangovers for early starts

While socialising with fellow travellers in bars can be great fun, late nights on the tiles can eat into your days.

If you limit the bar hopping, you'll wake up early and energised, ready to explore the parks, museums and landmarks of your destination. Indeed, if you ensure your days are packed, you won’t have the energy to go out in the evening anyway!

Another benefit of avoiding backpacker pub crawls and trendy nightclubs is that you'll spend less - leaving more funds for daytime adventures.

Tip: Take care when choosing your accommodation: Some hostels and even hotels have reputations as party zones. In the case of hostels, this could mean you're woken up by drunk roommates at 3am every night. In short, read those reviews and pick quieter accommodation (unless you’re intent on partying, of course).

Back up key documents

Save photos of your passport, visas, vaccination documents, flight schedules, travel insurance and any other important documents.

If you lose any of the physical documents, you'll be able to print out fresh copies - or in the case of a passport loss, you'll have details for the embassy so you can get a new passport (or emergency travel document).

 

Money: give yourself many options

Travelling overseas with a single bank card is not recommended.

Instead, take at least one back-up credit card or debit card, in case you lose your main one. Take care of your card reader if you have one.

Keep an emergency stash of money somewhere safe - in case you lose your bank card. Ideally, you should have enough to cover a few days of food and accommodation.

And remember, if you somehow find yourself with no bank card and no cash, you can always ask someone back home to Western-Union you some money, or book accommodation/transport in your name.

As a solo traveller, it's critical to keep your plastic and cash as safe as possible.

 

Take care of your UK SIM card

It's probable that you'll need your UK SIM in order to complete two-factor authentication for making card payments. As such, your SIM card may be more important than your smartphone.

You should therefore take great care of your phone, and consider taking the SIM card out and storing it somewhere safe.

You might even buy a cheap second phone (and a local SIM card) and use that for going out in the evening and booking taxis/tuk-tuks while exploring - and leave your main device (and SIM card) in your hotel safe.

Also consider taking a couple of back-up UK SIM cards in case you lose your main one (free SIMs are available from Tesco, GiffGaff and others).

 

Learn some basic phrases

Ingratiate yourself with the locals by learning some key phrases.

"Please", "thank you", 1 to 10, and "one beer please" are useful.

The more phrases you know, the better.

As well as improving your connections with the locals, speaking a bit of the local lingo will make you seem more savvy and dissuade tricksters from trying it on.

 

Don't' forget your device

It's true that the smartphone and tablet have transformed once-buzzing hostels into rooms of individuals staring into glowing screens.

But while modern tech has reduced human interaction in some ways, it's also fantastic when you want to stay in for the evening.

After all, it would be exhausting to go out every night.

The joys of Amazon Prime, Audible, Netflix, games, Facetime and Whatsapp mean you can watch a movie, read a book, crush some candy, or talk to the folks back home with ease.

When it comes to things to do by yourself, your device presents many options.

Indeed, you may wonder what travellers of days past did to fill those long evenings. (The answer is often: read a physical book, possibly while imbibing a bottle of wine!)

 

Revel in the freedom

You'll probably have the occasional day or evening when you feel a little lonely, but don’t lose sight of all the benefits of solo travel - chief among which is that you’re 100% free to roam around as you wish, without having to negotiate with anyone else.

You'll also find that, often, a lonely evening is followed by an early start (no friends usually means no hangover!) - giving you more energy and time to explore.

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