20 Important Trip Advices for Successful Solo Travels

Solo traveling is one of the most courageous and rewarding steps you’ll ever take. With so many movies, novels, and stories on social media about quitting your job to travel the world on your own, one has to wonder if it is in-fact as it seems? It is for everyone? Should I quit my job to travel the world?

 

Being a travel advisor experienced in traveling solo and leading teams, I would like to tell you that the answer to your question is, Yes. But it may not be as straightforward as you may think. In this article, I will give some important trip advices for traveling solo, which will help you in making your decision of traveling alone, while keeping yourself safe.

 

It is very well possible to quit your job and take on a backpacking journey. However, since many of us have adapted to life in the city and latched on to the modern amenities, it may not be as easy to leave it all behind, and make the road your home.

 

Before you make the decision of quitting your job, you should wait and explore the life of a solo traveler gradually, by taking solo trips to different destinations. This will allow you to tackle the obstacles that will come your way, (and there will be a lot!) and overcome them effectively to continue on your journey. The following trip advices will help you get started on your first solo trip and will keep you safe help you avoid the most common rookie mistakes which I made, during some of my most nightmare solo trips.

 

 

1. Save Up

 

The first and the most important of trip advices is to save up. Try to save up as much as you can before leaving for your trip. Since while traveling alone, you won’t have any backup or friends to support you in case of an emergency it is important that you be responsible and be prepared.

 

2. Buy Travel Insurance

 

Buying good travel insurance is an essential requirement for any kind of solo traveler. Since you will be on your own and on the road for so long, I like to think that Murphy’s Law comes into effect. Whatever, you think, that may go wrong with your plan, definitely has a possibility to go wrong. Therefore is important that you invest in travel insurance to keep yourself and your money safe.

 

 

3. Keep your belongings secure

 

An important piece of trip advice is to keep your belongings secure at all times. Since you will be the sole person to carry your luggage, we advise you to only carry the essentials. While this will allow you to be light on your feet, however, this also creates a lot of trouble in case you lose any one of your items.

 

4. Plan ahead

 

For solo travelers, planning ahead is one of the most important trip advices that I can give. While it is totally fine to be in the moment, and enjoy your time, it is equally important to keep your future destinations and travel plans in mind. This allows you to be on schedule and save a lot of money as well.

 

5. Travel Light

 

Traveling light is one of the most basic and essential trip advices. It will save you so much trouble, especially since you will be alone with no one to take care of your extra bags. Carry one backpack and a small day pack, to keep your hands and feet free to move.

 

 

6. Avoid Hoarding Souvenirs

 

Do not buy and keep everything that you find impressive. Hoarding on souvenirs will increase the weight of your luggage, spend away from your money, and may even cause trouble at the airport. Try to keep your souvenir shopping at a bare minimum and only take photographs and memories with you.

 

7. Tell someone about your destination

 

Telling someone back home about your travel plans is a piece of essential trip advice. While traveling solo you may lose touch with folks back home, for extended periods of time, due to a lot of reasons. By telling a friend or family members about your travel itinerary will allow them to contact you in case of an emergency.

 

8. Keep your identification and other documents handy

 

When traveling to another country it is important that you make copies of your important documents such as the passport, visa, identification, and other important documents. Always keep your original documents safe, and carry the duplicate with you, alternatively, you can also save a digital copy of your documents, so you don’t have to carry around a huge file.

 

9. Don’t get wasted

 

Of all the ways you can have a good time during your solo trip, getting completely drunk should be at the bottom of that list. Since you will be traveling alone and will have to take care of yourself, you should ensure that you are in control of your senses and not overly intoxicated.

 

10. Get up early and make the most of your day

 

Try to make the most of your solo trip, by extending your day. By waking up early, you will feel that you have extra energy and a lot more time to explore and experience so many places. Try to visit the otherwise crowded places, such as beaches, and tourist attractions in the morning for a peaceful and calm visit.

 

 

11. Forget dieting

 

Dieting is not the right approach to health on a solo trip. While traveling you will burn a lot of energy throughout the day, and would risk over exhaustion if you are not getting your fill. Try to eat big meals during the day to provide fuel to your body for the day.

 

12. Try to keep your phone alive

 

Although your phone may seem like your best friend during your solo trip, it is important you do not spend too much time on it and use your battery smartly. Your phone will assist you in many essential tasks such as looking for directions, calling, internet, booking a cab, and many others, therefore you must ensure that you do not let its battery die.

 

13. Make Lasting Connections

 

The connections I made on my solo trips have helped me a lot in many aspects of my life. It is my number trip advice to you, to make lasting connections with people you meet on your travels and stay in touch. Be it that locals who give you directions, or the fellow travelers you share your experiences with, making connections will definitely come in handy when you’re on your solo trip.

 

14. Get to know the local culture

 

This is one of the best pieces of trip advice that I received during my travels from  fellow travelers. One of the best things about solo travel is that you can make your own decisions and give time to the things you like. Try to learn about the local traditions and culture of the place you’re at and respect them. 

 

 

15. Don’t be in a hurry

 

While we are constantly on the road, planning for our next destination, it is important to relax every once in a while and soak in the environment of the place you’re in. Take a day or two, just to spend your time lazing around, and exploring local markets and cuisines.

 

16. Try to help others

 

An important trip advice which I try to follow even to this day, is to help at least one person on my travels. When you travel alone, you get to experience the difficulties and problems of other people, which makes you question your own. Try to help at least one person during your trip, be it guiding a lost traveller to safety, or helping locals by teaching them a useful skill you know.

 

17. Explore on your own

 

While traveling alone you will have a lot of opportunities to go on your own adventures and find beautiful places. It is an important trip advice, to always ask the local people about the reputation of your expedition, in order to ascertain whether the journey is safe and worth the trouble or not.

 

18. Try to learn a new skill on each trip

 

Solo trips teach you a lot of stuff, be it spiritual, or just some random facts. One important piece of trip advice that I would like to offer is to try to learn a new skill from the place of your travel. Be it, a new sport, an art form, cooking technique, pottery, etc. by attempting to learn new skills and traditions of the community you will gain depths of knowledge about their culture and have a great many stories to share when you get back.

 

 

19. Take the road less traveled

 

An important trip advice to follow is to adapt to the true spirit of exploration. Try to explore the offbeat adventures and locations which are not swarming with tourists. However while doing this, it is also important to be safe and learn about the route and the destination form the locals.

 

20. Make the best use of organized trips

 

Since while traveling alone, you have to ensure your own safety and thus cannot participate in a lot of adventurous activities. Therefore, important trip advice that I learned was to make use of the organized trips which are happening in the area. Book a slot among the group and have a safe journey with a large group of travelers and guides.