We have never met someone who wouldn’t get excited about the idea of solo traveling. The feeling of power and independence combined with the idea of unlimited exploration is surely something that everyone must experience at least once in their lifetime. As much as it sounds exciting, planning a solo trip for the first time can be a very anxious and fearsome experience. You are worried about being alone and having no one to look after you in case things go wrong.
Unfortunately, if you ask around, not a lot of people can help you with the psychological preparation for solo travel. Don’t worry, we’re all here for you. Now, first things first, no matter what kind of a traveler you are, make sure you plan to enroll in TSA PreCheck to ease your life at airports once and for all.
Once that’s done, try to ignore all the fearsome thoughts that are coming to your mind right now. You don’t need to worry because we are going to share with you some amazing tips that can make your solo traveling way easier and safer than you can even think. So, let us get into this right away:
Table of Contents
1. Get Over Your Fear
You might be wondering what kind of tip is this! Well, trust us when we say that ONLY YOU can beat your fears and troublesome thoughts. You can talk to all the wise people around to let your thoughts out and feel lighter, but your fear will always come back unless it is not completely gone.
Of course, being alone is scary. But, if you were brave enough and dared to plan a solo trip, there is no way a champ like you cannot ace that trip. Think of all the people who have gone on solo world tours and come back stronger and better. There is honestly nothing to be scared of if you embark upon your journey fully prepared and take only as much risk as is reasonable enough during the trip.
Remember that you won’t enjoy your trip at all unless you leave your fear at home and start your journey with a pleasant smile on your lips.
2. Slow Down
You are traveling to explore places and learn new cultures, not just to tick a few cities and countries off your bucket list. So, just slow down a bit and add only as many locations and cities to your plan as you think can be easily and deeply explored in the time you have available.
Not only rushing to as many places as possible can exhaust you, but it can also keep you from truly absorbing the experience that you can have while being at that place. No matter how simple or small you think a place is, it is always advisable to take a slow and peaceful walk around it and simply let its air get inside your lungs for some time. Other places and experiences can wait!
3. Pack Smart
We cannot even begin to explain how a person’s luggage is what can often make or break their entire experience of travel. The heavier and lavishly your luggage, the harder it gets for you to unpack it and then take it along to a new destination.
Get over the “just in case I need it” and “what if this is something I’d want during the trip” mentality when packing your luggage. We promise you that you’d never need all the things you pack while being unsure of their usability.
Just keep a few clothes, some shoes, and only the essentials and you’re good to go. No one is going to notice your dresses on the trip.
4. Never Travel Without Insurance
You never know what life throws your way. You might lose your luggage at an airport or have to travel back during your trip due to unforeseen circumstances. You might get mugged or robbed or anything else can happen. You never know what’s coming next and that is a scary part of traveling.
To give yourself peace of mind, just make sure to get yourself good travel insurance with considerable coverage. No matter what, never leave your home for a trip unless you have insurance. Maybe, nothing will happen, but what if something does? So, having a backup is better.
5. Always Have Your Phone With Local Data Sim
Of course, everyone nowadays travels with phones and iPads. But, many feel like there is no need to buy a local sim card for the city they are going to stay no more than a few days. People often like to rely on free public places and hotel Wi-Fi for everything and getting a local sim seems to them like a waste of money. But, there can be situations where your Wi-Fi won’t work. You might get lost and want to find a way back home or have to translate something for your cab driver. In such situations, a data sim works like a lifesaver, and this is why you must get it right after you land.
6. Just Go With The Flow
Yes, you have an excel sheet of what to do on which day and how many things to do in a single day with you. This means you have a tight schedule to follow throughout the trip. We won’t ask you to delete that plan sheet. But, just stop relying on it too much.
You are traveling and not working on a project. So, you don’t have to follow every deadline strictly. If you like a place and want to spend the whole day there simply enjoying your me-time by the waterfront, just do it. You don’t need to rush out and ruin your mood just because another place has to be visited in the next few hours too.
Take it easy on yourself and just enjoy whatever comes your way!
