As a lifelong solo traveler and a writer who has made it my mission to inspire as many people as possible to聽, I鈥檓 constantly bombarded with questions, anxieties, and doubts from would-be adventurers worried about going it alone. What if they get lost, sick, stranded, or worse?聽It certainly doesn鈥檛 help when major news outlets like The New York Times focus on the bad side of travel with articles titled 鈥溾 That only gives fodder to our mothers to justify their 鈥渨hy can鈥檛 you just stay at home and be safe鈥 sermons. As if staying home is any safer than travel, right?聽While it鈥檚 natural to be nervous before your first solo trip鈥攁nd things can indeed聽go wrong鈥攖hat shouldn鈥檛 stop anyone from booking their dream vacation. In my experience, traveling by yourself is not only a lot safer than you might think, but it鈥檚 also incredibly rewarding. I鈥檝e also found that the best way to combat the fear is with knowledge. With that in mind, I racked my brain and came up with a list of six things everyone should know before they head abroad alone.
Ignore Everyone Who Doesn鈥檛 Give Real Advice
People love to plant seeds of doubt in your mind when you say you鈥檙e going on a solo adventure. Though that鈥檚 frustrating, I find it almost always comes from people who don鈥檛 travel at all. For example, before I visited Turkey a couple of years ago, everyone told me it was dangerous and that I was an idiot for going there alone, especially as a woman. But when I pressed and asked what their experience in the country was like, lo and behold, none of them had actually been there. So take any advice you receive with a grain of salt, and instead聽do your own research and talk to travelers who鈥檝e actually been to the places you want to go. Instagram and the internet are brimming with people like me who love oversharing our adventures.
Be As Prepared As Possible (But Be Flexible, Too)
Speaking of advice, one of the most common tips you鈥檒l come across is to be open-minded and flexible when you travel. While you can prepare to the moon and back, you鈥檙e still going to get smacked in the face with surprises and mistakes. That鈥檚 part of what makes international travel so fun and life changing. That said, there鈥檚 a big difference between going with the flow and rolling into a city like Paris when you鈥檙e on a tight budget without a place to stay, only to find that every hostel is full (like I did on my first solo trip).
Doing a bit of research and prep work goes a long way. Make a list of the places you鈥檙e planning on visiting,聽look into the risks those places might present and ways to mitigate them, and check for tips specific to the areas you鈥檙e planning on visiting. Nowadays, at a minimum, I have my flights booked in advance聽and my first night鈥檚 accommodation booked, so that when I arrive, I am guaranteed to have somewhere to stay. Then I usually have an outline of what I want to do during聽my trip and play the rest by ear. After all, some of the best suggestions or ideas won鈥檛 come up until you鈥檙e on the ground. I would聽never have visited , in southern Italy, one of the coolest places I鈥檝e ever been, if I hadn鈥檛 met a couple of grandmas on an island in Greece who raved about it.
Share Your Plan with Others
Another blinding flash of the obvious, I know, but no matter where you鈥檙e traveling, it鈥檚 a good idea to share your plans, even if they鈥檙e tentative, with someone, and check in regularly. This is especially true if you will be out of communication for an extended period of time. I often go out hiking alone for days without service, and I always make sure to give an ETA to friends who can alert the authorities if I don鈥檛 show up when I鈥檓 supposed to. And even though I take an average of 100 flights per year, my mom still has all my flight numbers and tracks them, and I check in with her when I land. I also pass along my hotel details to my family so they know a basic outline of where I鈥檒l be and when I’ll be there.
Embrace Your Gut Feelings
I鈥檓 not talking about that聽rumble in your聽stomach after eating a questionable street kebab in Bangkok, though if you鈥檝e read my piece on the聽darker side of solo travel, you鈥檒l know to listen to those feelings, too. I鈥檓 talking about the聽feeling that says, Hmm, this situation seems a bit weird聽or This person is giving off odd vibes.聽That sensation聽should guide your solo travels. Do not ignore it. Embrace it, and get the hell away from whatever is causing it. The more travel you do, the better you鈥檒l get at reading new, unfamiliar situations, but until you鈥檝e fine-tuned your spider-sense, if something feels weird,聽it probably is. So fuck politeness, and don鈥檛 try and make it work. Just move along and get somewhere safe.
Take Risks
That said, don鈥檛 be afraid to take risks. Some of the best experiences I鈥檝e ever had as a solo traveler came about by聽saying yes to adventures and opportunities that I might not have done otherwise. So if the situation feels right, don鈥檛 be afraid to go out to dinner with people you鈥檝e just met聽or spontaneously join a hike somewhere cool with fellow backpackers. Just tell someone what you鈥檙e doing first, OK?
It鈥檒l Be One of the Best Life Lessons
Here鈥檚 what the in this age of intense media scrutiny, true-crime podcasts, and an unhealthy love for the macabre: solo travel is one of the most rewarding and special experiences you can have in your lifetime. I don鈥檛 know if I鈥檝e ever met anyone who regretted it. Traveling alone opens your mind, broadens your horizons, and teaches you things about yourself you never knew, like how to be strong, confident, and competent without someone else to lean on. Just do it. Book the ticket and take the ride. You won鈥檛 regret it, I promise.