How to get comfortable travelling solo

Travel is all about creating memories and gathering new experiences. The more you travel, the more you learn about yourself and never is this truer than when you travel by yourself. Solo travel, as it’s known in the industry, is a great way to get out and see the world entirely on your own terms and more and more it’s being talked about as an essential part of growing up and getting comfortable with yourself.

How many times have you gone on a group holiday only to have disagreements or end up spending more than you intended because of other people’s budgets? Travelling by yourself frees you of everyone else’s schedule and just lets you go for it on your own terms.

If you feel a bit daunted by the idea of making a trip entirely by yourself, don’t worry, lots of people do. Your first solo trip doesn’t have to be a three-month backpacking expedition. Start small with a city break or weekend getaway and you’ll gradually come to embrace the freedom that comes from travelling by yourself.

Here are a couple more tips for when you book that solo getaway to help you get comfortable enjoying the experience.

Plan your trip

map and laptop on desk to make travel plans

Your first time travelling solo is going to require a bit of adjustment so give yourself a helping hand and set out what you’re going to do: whether that means printing all your travel documentation, creating an itinerary, a to-do list in your destination, whatever it is that gives you a sense of security when you travel. With time you will learn what you do and don’t need but for a first trip, it will definitely help to put your mind at ease.

Decide what you want to do

If you’re only travelling for a short time, having a checklist of things you want to do can help you to plan your time. It doesn’t have to be set in stone and it’s not the end of the world if you can’t do it all, but it will help you get a sense of how long it takes you to complete something and manage your time without getting into a rush.

If you really want to visit a particular art gallery, make it your priority. But if everyone else tells you to go and you’re still not that pushed, then you don’t have to. Travelling solo frees you of the expectation of others and allows you to plan to suit your interests.

Learn how to people watch

man in pink shirt enjoying a coffee alone on a sunny terrace

For a lot of people the problem with solo travel isn’t the site-seeing and hopping from place to place, but they downtime they would usually experience with friends. Eating out is a prime example of this, but to be honest, no one but you is bothered by your solo dining experience.

It may feel weird sitting in a restaurant by yourself but tuck in, enjoy your food and watch the world go by. I’m a big people-watcher, so if you can, nab a window seat and amuse yourself with what passers-by get up to. It’s oddly calming and fascinating.

Meet other people

You may travel by yourself but that doesn’t mean you always have to be by yourself. Sign up to a pub crawl, walking tour or a workshop on your travels to learn something new and to meet other people. You most likely won’t become best friends with everyone you meet, but it’s still nice to have others to chat to from time to time.

Staying in a homestay too gives you the chance to interact in a way that signing into a hotel lobby just won’t. To get a real feel for you destination, ask to tag along with your host on what they want to do, rather than them accompanying you to the tourist haunts.

Push yourself (within reason)

female hiker at a rocky peak looking out at a view

One thing you’ll get from travelling solo is that you’ll learn more about yourself. To do this however you need to find your comfort zone, and then push it – within reason. Don’t do the usual backpacker stops offs if you don’t want to, not everyone is cut out for jungle hikes or bungee jumps and that’s okay.

You'll know if something is really not for you but try little things to push your boundaries. Whether it’s picking a more far flung travel destination, walking into a bar by yourself, or chatting up a stranger you don’t know, each little piece will stretch both your expectations of yourself and your travel experience.

Embrace the awkward

This is something of a follow on from our last tip, but sometimes breaking the ice with a new place or person can be difficult: the best thing you can do is to just go with the flow and not get too caught up in it.

Not every conversation will go astoundingly and most likely at some point you will put your foot in it, but that’s okay. The general rule of thumb is if you have offended someone, apologise, and if your conversation attempts are met with indifference, don’t sweat it.

Set aside some time for nothing

man with straw hat covering his face naps on a jetty by the sea

Being on the road, particularly for longer periods of time will take it out of you so don’t let yourself burn out by going hell for leather all the time. Set aside some downtime, whether that’s a lie-in or an early night or basing yourself in one place for a longer time, we all need some time where we just do nothing.

Think about why you are travelling

The more you travel, the more you learn. Look back at what went well and what didn’t from your past trips and see what it is you enjoy and use that to plan what you want from you travels. It can vary from trip to trip but usually there is some sort of curiosity or desire to escape that drives us to new places. Feed off it and let it inspire you for where you next want to explore.

Repeat as necessary

man with headphones walking up a quiet, sunny street on holiday

Be careful though, it becomes addictive, you may never want to travel with anyone ever again!

Want to know more about travelling alone?

Read more of our posts on solo travel so you can start planning your next trip.

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