Tips for Solo Travel
Happy first blog post and New Years Eve!! For my first blog post I want to talk about solo travel. One of the most rewarding things you will do in your life is traveling alone at least once. I say at least once because the first time you travel alone, you will not want to stop. I think it is important, especially for women because so often we are discouraged from doing things in life because of the potential danger that it presents. The world is beautiful and there is so much of it to see to be stopped by people telling us it is unsafe to go alone.
I say do it. Go where you want to go and don’t wait for anyone to come with you. If you want to explore a place you have never been to before, do it. If you want to move across the country, or to a different country, do it. It is so worth it. It teaches you a lot about yourself and your ability to adapt to unfamiliar situations. In the past month, I traveled to three new countries by myself, I moved to the east coast to live alone, and I couldn’t be happier. Plus, the more you challenge yourself to do things that are a little bit uncomfortable, the more confident you are to do them again and again.
Here are some tips to help you get started:
1. RESEARCH & PLANNING!! I am a big advocate for researching and planning well in advance of anything. I am the type of person who will wait MONTHS to make a decision on something just to make sure I have all the information I need to make a decision about something. If you are going to a country where you don’t know the language this is especially important. The more you know about an area before you get there, the more comfortable you will feel when you get there. Even when you travel with other people, this is good too. Having a well thought out plan of where to go nest, how to get there, where to stay, what to see, etc. is just nice to have. This allows you to focus on the good parts of your trip instead of worrying what to do next. If you need help planning or researching for a trip I am always happy to help so please reach out if you have questions on this process :)
2. Be extra prepared. Make sure you have first aid kits, snacks, extra clothes, copies of your important documents, etc. Things happen. Especially when you are somewhere new. It is important to plan for random things to happen. The airline could lose your bag, you might misplace your passport, you could get stuck on the train and need a snack. Think of what you need for your trip and then add a day or two extra. The more prepped you are for a trip the less unsettling things will be when something goes wrong. This allows you to not panic (as much) if you miss a train or misplace something important. Move at a pace that is comfortable to you and don’t rush yourself.
3. Keep an itinerary and a log of where you will be staying and share it with someone, so they know where you are. Regardless of what happens or doesn’t happen, it is always good to have at least one person know where you are supposed to be. This also helps to keep your loved ones somewhat at ease while you are away ;)
4. International phone service. Have an idea of where to get this ahead of your arrival just so you don’t have to seek out a place with wifi just to find an international sim plan. I highly recommend the app Airalo. It provides international eSims which can be downloaded straight to your phone if you have an eSim compatible phone. (Most smartphones should be compatible). It is such an easy way to track your data usage and purchase more data without having to physically change your sim card in your phone.
The link to the app is here.
5. Always have cash on you. Cash is a big thing in European countries, and you never want to get stuck without it. Many places will take a card but just to be safe it is always good to have some cash on you. Before you leave for your trip, order foreign currency from your bank. They have lower transaction fees and you will be set for when you get to your destination. If you have to get more cash while you are there, there are currency exchanges and ATMs all over so don’t worry if you run out.
