Travelling alone can be thrilling and liberating. You can go where you want without stopping to have a board meeting with a partner or your friends and family. You’re free to go where your desire takes you. It’s easier to immerse yourself in local cultures and practices when you’re travelling alone. Often, when travelling as part of a group, or with some partner, it’s hard to “become” a part of the place you’re visiting because that person or group of persons keeps you tied to where you’re travelling from. Many female travellers have embraced the joys of solo travel in increasing numbers. So here are some tips just for them!
Plan Ahead
As paradoxical as it may seem, you need to plan in order to be free. Before setting off on your journey, plan ahead. There are things that are very difficult to do on the fly. Accommodation, for instance, is hard to improvise, especially during tourist season. Flights, and even buses and trains can fill up or sometimes, just not be available when you want to travel. In a time of a global health crisis, you will have to adapt to local Covid-19 regulations. For instance, in the European Union, many countries have adopted vaccine passports to regulate what people can enter the union. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains a travel advisory that you can consult before you travel.
Get Solo-Friendly Deals
Travelling solo can be expensive. For instance, the majority of cruise liners charge solo travellers a single supplement when they use a double room, and this supplement can be over 120% of the normal fee. Other cruise liners, such as the Holland America Line and the Norwegian Cruise Line, have single cabins priced for solo travellers.If you have pets that you're worried about, Flight Nannies has a service to deliver your pet to your destination safely and in a happy condition.
Be Aware of Your Surroundings
You don’t know the place, so you often will be more likely to fall victim to a pickpocket than a local. This is because pickpockets are very good at picking out people who are unsure about their surroundings and seem lost and lacking in confidence. Be aware of your surroundings. This is even easier if you plan your trip, perhaps even checking out the place on Google Maps, so you feel more confident in your surroundings.
Pack Lightly
Well, you’re travelling solo so packing lightly should be your default position. You don’t need to be lugging piles of luggage with you wherever you go. Just carry the one bag, preferably with wheels, and an accompanying backpack, cross-body bag, fanny pack or purse with a nice pair of sneakers from your local sneaker store. Wear your backpack in front of you, not behind you -where you can be robbed without knowing it. When you walk around, keep your passport in the hotel. Ask if you can keep it in the safe.
Embrace Eating Alone
If you really want to experience local life, you have just got to go to the local restaurants and eat the local cuisines, experience the dining life, see how people interact with each other, and just enjoy the smells and noises of the local people. So, choose mirrored lenses, grab your wallet, and head to a local restaurant and become one of the locals.
