Solo Travel Basics
Follow along as Bethany Explores some of her tips and tricks for solo travel.
Are you considering traveling solo for the first time? Unsure about what it’s like or how to do it? I am a proud and happy solo traveler. Visiting 35 countries (and counting!) has taught me a lot about being a solo traveler. I have definitely learned and evolved along the way. Read about some of my experiences and tips below and see if solo travel is right for you.
Try It Out First
For anyone considering solo travel, I recommend trying it out first on a smaller scale. Setting out on a long, international trip for your first solo adventure may not be the best option. Instead, try some things closer to home first to see how it goes. Try doing a few things around town by yourself. Go to a movie, eat dinner in a restaurant, or spend a day being a tourist in your own city.
See what it is like to do things solo. This will give you a hint about what it will be like to do a full trip by yourself. Once you start getting comfortable in your own back yard, try venturing out and do a long weekend trip. All of these things will help acclimate you to being a solo traveler.
Travel Solo – in a Group
Another option for solo travel is to do it in a group. Sounds a bit counterintuitive but hear me out! I enjoy the freedom of being a solo traveler. But sometimes I don’t necessarily want to be completely solo for the entire trip. This is where group travel can be a great option. Cruises or group trips are a fantastic way to travel solo but still be part of a larger group. Being in a group allows me to meet others and participate in activities with others if I want to. But also allows me to venture out and be on my own if that is what I prefer. A group gives you that flexibility.
My sweet spot is to do a cruise and book a few days pre- and post-cruise on my own. While on the cruise, I often switch between venturing out on my own and joining a group for excursions. It’s the best of both worlds for me!
Pricing Challenges
Perhaps the largest challenge solo travelers face is the dreaded solo supplement. On cruises, a solo traveler is often charged a supplemental fee (up to 100% or more!) to book a cabin. So, you may end up paying double for the privilege of staying in a cabin by yourself.
More and more cruise lines are recognizing the popularity of solo travel. Many offer some nice options, including reduced or waived solo supplements and having dedicated solo cabins. These are the first things I look for when booking a new cruise. However, even if the cruise line doesn’t have these options, they often offer 2-for-1 pricing or other deals. These deals can help reduce the cost of the solo supplement. Solo travelers should be more diligent when researching and booking travel to fully understand what your total cost will be.
Hotel Tips
Location, Location, Location!
Ensure your hotel is within walking distance of the sights you are interested in visiting, or to public transportation options. When traveling in a group, the cost of private transportation (taxis or rideshares) can be divided amongst the group. But when you’re on your own, you are paying that total on your own! If it is just one or two rides, this may not be a huge issue. But if you need to use private transportation repeatedly over a few days, this can add up quickly.
But walking is a great free option! Public transportation such as subways or buses can be a great option as well, as these fares are typically much less than a taxi or rideshare. Other options like Hop On / Hop Off bus tours can also be an inexpensive way to get around the city by yourself.
Hotel Dining Options
Another hotel tip for solo travel is to ensure that your hotel has an onsite restaurant and/or room service for dinner. While traveling solo, it is not always completely safe to venture out on your own after dark. I find it easier and safer to eat dinner at the hotel. So, I always check to see if the hotel I’m booking has an onsite restaurant or room service that serves dinner…many have restaurants, but they only serve breakfast. If there are no onsite options, my second step is to check to see what may be available next to the hotel or at least on the same block. If there are not great dinner options in the immediate area, then I tend to avoid booking that hotel.
Trust Your Gut
When it comes to solo travel, whether in your own backyard or across the globe, my best piece of advice is to simply trust your gut. In other words, if something doesn’t seem quite right, then trust your instincts and choose something else. Walking through a new city and see a sketchy looking but convenient alleyway? Maybe it would be best to take a few extra steps and stick to the main roads – may take a bit longer, but it will likely be worth it. Sitting on a bench at a park and get approached by someone offering to take you on a personal tour? Probably not the best choice – stick with known tour sights/companies or the referrals of friends or concierges.
Do What You Like
The bottom line, and perhaps my favorite part of solo travel, is that it means that you get to do exactly what you want to do, whenever you want to do it! If you’re an avid planner, go ahead and plan out every minute of your trip and fill it with the places you want to see. If you’re more of a “take it as it comes” traveler, as a solo traveler you get to choose your own adventure at every step along the way. When you travel solo you have full control to change things up at any point, whether planned ahead of time or not.
Conclusion
Solo travel is a fantastic way to see the world and do what you love along the way. There is so much freedom to do as much or as little as you want. But being on your own may seem a bit daunting. If so, try a few small things first and see how it goes. You may quickly learn that solo travel is not for you. But, you may also discover that solo travel is perfect for you! Either way, I wish you happy and safe travels.
Links
Want to learn more about my explorations? Click the links below:
