10 Tips I Wish I Knew Before I Traveled Solo

Lessons and tips for anyone planning a solo trip

So you’ve made the decision to go traveling, and you’ve decided to go alone. Well first of all, congratulations! I can’t rant enough about how amazing solo travel is.

Second of all, you’re not alone. Over the past few years, solo travel has become increasingly popular, the majority of the people I’ve met traveling have been going solo, and most of the groups I’d met had been solo travelers banded together.

There used to be almost a taboo about traveling alone like it meant you didn’t have friends or you were lonely. If anything, it just goes to show how ballsy and independent you are! If I had waited for my friends to get their shit together and actually come with me, I never would have ended up going. So good for you, you’ve made the right choice. Now, all that’s left to do (other than packing) is to prepare yourself for this journey. Mentally and physically. Here are my top 10 tips for first-time solo travelers.

“Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.” — Jennifer Lee

1. Don’t have expectations

This was a big one for me. I had ideals, I guess you could say limiting beliefs about traveling.

I had this idea in my head that everyone traveling had the same mentality, that they were on the same page about almost everything and were in the mindset of wanting to meet people and create lifelong friendships.

I hate to burst your bubble, but this is not always the case. That’s not to say that there aren’t people out there with that mentality but you do meet some odd characters.

2. Everything happens for a reason

It goes without saying that sometimes things don’t go according to plan, you miss a bus you were supposed to take to another part of the country, a person you thought you’d be traveling with decides to change their plan and go their separate way; whatever it is, it's not the end of the world.

If anything this could be the catalyst for more incredible plans in store. Some of the best moments I have had traveling have been when things didn’t go as planned. And these turned out to be the best stories.

3. Be prepared for a culture shock

There is nothing worse than an ignorant traveler. Unfortunately, I’ve had friends which turned out to be that way, and it was almost embarrassing to be seen with them.

You need to understand you’re on foreign land now, this is not your country. You have to respect their customs and adapt. Especially when English isn’t a commonly used language out there. That doesn’t make you any more superior than them.

For most people, this goes without saying, but you would be so surprised at how many people need to hear this. Respect and a smile will get you a long way, you might even end up befriending locals and having an off-the-beaten-track experience! Just please, don’t be that douchebag.

4. Not everyone is trying to be your friend

So I joined a group of guys and one girl in Vietnam and we were all planning to travel the rest of the country together. I had already met two of the guys in Thailand and we’d pre-planned to do this anyway.

Only thing is, the girl did not warm up to me at all. I don’t want to delve into all the details but long story short, she kept talking sh*t about me to the boys to turn them against me so they wouldn’t want me there.

She had a serious case of the ‘Only girl in the world’ syndrome. Thankfully, they saw through her plan and it backfired and we ended up separating from her because her drama grew tiresome. What can I say, karma’s a bitch.

The lesson from that was, hard and true. Not everyone is going to like you or have your best interests at heart, but you will filter out those people and find the ones that do have your back. It's incredible when you do find those real ones.

5. Lock your belongings away

This may seem like an obvious one, I might even sound like your mother right now. But please if there is one thing you do every time you leave your hotel/hostel lock as much of your possessions away.

I had an experience where I had pretty much all the money from my purse snatched away and I watched the guy drive away on his motorbike while I stood there stunned thinking ‘Did that just happen?’. That was a very unfortunate situation to find myself in and I would hate for that to happen to you too.

6. Invest in a SIM card

Nowadays it’s true, most places do have Wifi, but chances are, it's slow and temperamental.

Having a SIM card makes life so much easier. You can navigate your way around without needing a map and if you’re as directionally challenged as I am it’s a lifesaver!

It’s also handy for being able to keep in touch with people back home and find spontaneous things to do last minute.

7. Adopt minimalism

The first time I went traveling I’m pretty sure my backpack weighed more than me. I was packing things that I never wore, half of which I couldn’t even fit into anymore, and it was just such a hassle.

So much so, I ended up buying a cheap suitcase to drag around, there was only so much my little back could take. Then the cheap suitcase broke and I ended up reverting back to the hefty backpack anyway.

Lugging all this unnecessary baggage around was such a pain- literally. Plus you want all that extra space for shopping! If there is one thing I’ve learned about myself is that I can’t help but just buy things when I’m abroad. I’m a hoarder of foreign trinkets and clothing.

But it pained me to part with my old belongings, if I wanted to make space for the new. And I can guarantee, wherever you’re headed will have some unique shops that you’ll want to splurge on.

8. Do not over plan

The first time I traveled I had a schedule I had to stick to. My buses, tours, and hostels were all pre-booked, so naturally, I felt obliged to stick to my itinerary, and for me, that is so not how I like to travel.

So when I left again I decided to book a one-way ticket and to go wherever the wind would take me. I had no route or anything planned for that matter, and to no surprise, I ended up having a much better time.

As clichéd as it sounds going with the flow almost always concluded with me having the better experiences (which I have said before and will keep saying!)

9. Trust your instincts

I read something once that said, ‘If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t’ and that became something of a regular mantra along my travels. Not in a crazy paranoid way, but enough to have my wits about me.

I’ve been lucky enough to not find myself in any seriously dangerous, or uncomfortable situations but as I mentioned previously, not everyone is trying to be your friend, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.

10. FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)

Let FOMO get the better of you. My FOMO has pushed me to become more confident and to take more chances, which I wouldn’t have done if my FOMO wasn’t so strong.

I would never have dreamed that I could be the type of person that could walk up to a group of people and ask to join them (which can be so intimidating) or even be the type of person to skydive.

I mean, you’ve already done the scary thing by traveling all that way- alone. You may as well push yourself further! Let FOMO get to you because you will drive yourself to do some crazy things and in turn create the wildest and fondest memories.

So those are my top 10 pearls of wisdom to guide you with your solo trip. Now, go off into the world, venture into the unknown. Let the seeds of your travel dream blossom into life-long memories, friendships and lessons; because believe me there will be so many lessons.

These lessons and experiences shape you into a whole new person or will at least shift your perspective of the world; of the way you interact with people, and the way you interact with yourself. It’s all a part of the journey and my oh my what a beautiful journey it will be.

“The real voyage of discovery consists, not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” — Marcel Proust