Thinking about solo travelling? Here are 10 tips and tricks that make it easier and less stressful for first-time solo travellers.
1. Stay in Hostels
If you’re looking to solo travel but don’t want to be alone for the entirety of your trip, my biggest piece of advice would be to stay in hostels or other shared/communal accommodation. Most hostels are designed to be social, with communal living areas and rooms making it a lot easier to run into like-minded people who are exploring the same area as you. Your dormmates and hostel friends will be the easiest and closest friends you make, so make sure to utilise the social setups! Just make sure you read hostel reviews to see if they’re good, clean, and social, as some prioritise it less than others.
2. Workaway
A good option, if you’re looking to explore one place for an extended period, is researching a workaway option. Workaway helps keep costs down as, in exchange for work, you get free accommodation & food, etc. The opportunity also guarantees human connection, as others on the workaway have the same hours off as you and the invitation to explore together is already written for you. A top app for workaways is Worldpackers, which is highly rated, but there are dozens of apps and websites cultivated off this premise. Just remember to check the reviews of previous travellers! Similarly, most hostels hire from within, so if you know you’re sticking around in one spot for a while, see if you can work in the reception or within the hostel in exchange for a cheaper or free stay.
3. Trial solo-travelling in your first language
This is entirely down to personal preference, however, nerves always run slightly higher when you’re alone for the first time and it takes some pressure off if you know that a language barrier isn’t going to be an issue. My advice would be, until you become comfortable with the ins and outs of solo travel, try visiting a place where tourism is prevalent and the majority of signs, menus and communication will be translated into a language you’re fluent in. You don’t need the added stress of your phone dying and having no access to Google Translate as a taxi driver yells at you in another dialect. Been there, it’s not fun.
4. Be willing to give it some time
Often, people panic when they first arrive. You build up and romanticise the idea of a trip in your mind, and if it doesn’t live up to your expectations instantly, the instinct to cut your losses and run back home is very compelling. However, be prepared to stick it out and give it a chance. Often, it takes a couple of days to meet your people, to work out the public transport, to fall in love with the area. Try to get out of your own head and explore until you feel more comfortable with the place. Try booking a free walking tour or a group activity with your hostel to meet some people and explore the city.
5. Trust your gut
That being said, the most important part of being alone is learning to trust your own instincts. If you just have a gut feeling that the place or hostel isn’t for you, just move! Move to the next city over, move to the hostel down the road. The beauty of solo travelling is you don’t have to run your ideas by or explain yourself to anyone. You can switch up your plans on a whim, and I guarantee you’ll have a more enjoyable time doing so.
6. Don’t book too far ahead
On a similar wavelength, try not to book too far in advance. Having a rough schedule and a good idea of where you want to go and visit is essential, but you’ll want the freedom to change your plans, so make sure not to book everything in advance unless it has ‘free cancellation’ attached! Undoubtedly, you’ll meet someone and want to travel with them, or you’ll want to stay an extra night in a hostel to attend a pub night you hadn’t planned, so leave yourself the flexibility to do so.
7. Get recommendations from other travellers
No doubt before you go you will have researched your route within an inch of its life; however, Google can only get you so far. The most valuable source of information will be other travellers. Firstly, their information will be recent and up to date—you couldn’t have a more relevant and recent recommendation—but also, they can help debunk the overhyped TikTok and Tripadvisor recommendations and really tell you what’s worth the view and the money. Also, they can share the hidden gems they found and picturesque spots that aren’t as mainstream.
8. Pack light
If possible, pack light. The stress of navigating foreign transport and checking your passport is there for the thousandth time is weight enough without a 10kg bag hanging off each limb. More bags are just more items to forget, so try and keep it as minimal as possible.
9. Arrive in new places during the day
Even if you’re an experienced solo-traveller, I would always recommend this. Moving around countries always comes with a little bit of stress; however, it is infinitesimally less scary arriving in a new place and looking around for your new hostel while it’s still light out. As soon as the sun sets, it’s harder to find your way and everything feels more eerie and threatening. As an added bonus, your hostel mates will appreciate you opting out of the midnight move in.
10. Take some time
If you’re feeling burnt out and tired of the constant moving, take a break! Burnout does happen and sometimes you do just need a couple of days of lounging around or downtime to get back into the right headspace to continue enjoying the trip. Reflect on what you’ve enjoyed and prioritise that moving forward. There is no right way to travel, some can spend months in a single place, some get bored after a day. You just need to learn what works for you and adapt. Ultimately, it’s meant to be an enjoyable experience, so if you find yourself burnt out and you are in desperate need of some alone time or a pick me up, splash out on what will make you most happy and help reset your attitude.