Here are the tips to keep in mind before embarking on a solo trip.
By Paulo Portugal
Solo travel comes with many benefits. It’s a great opportunity to explore the things on your own. There would be no one who can impose his prejudice upon your viewpoint. As a lone traveler, you enjoy utter freedom as you have no fellow traveler to take care of. According to one source, relaxation and time to unwind are the key drivers behind the solo traveling. Google trend data (between 2015 and 2017) shows that nearly 40% of people would like to go for solo traveling.
But traveling alone has its own challenges like loneliness, safety concerns, having no one to share expenses with and losing human connection.
Therefore, to make your solo traveling exciting with minimum hassles, here are the things to keep in mind.
1. Do a Little Research
If your destination is an unfamiliar place, researching everything, from the hotel to the attractions, is extremely important. Apart from GOOGLING, go to Instagram or other social media platforms where you can see all the photos being posted recently.
Given that a hotel is your home away from home, make sure to research the services and neighborhood before booking it. And user reviews can help you with that. Or you can book a hostel where you can meet like-minded travelers. Transportation is another thing to consider on your solo trip. It is better if you book transportation services like airport transfer and shuttle services for city excursion in advance.
2. Share Your Itinerary with Family and Friends
Create a plan that includes your flight times, hotel reservations and a rough plan of your sightseeing. Send the copy of this itinerary to your near and dear ones. Also, register your trip with the State Department or the local embassy for your foreign trip. This will be useful if you get into trouble or don’t arrive back on your scheduled time.
3. Pack “Smart”
Since you are traveling alone, be mindful with your packing. Pack the things according to the weather, the theme of your tour and destination. After all, you won’t have someone to share the load with. Here are some essential things to put in your backpack:
- Camera, battery and extra memory cards
- Phone, power bank and charger
- Shades and cap
- Torch and Swiss knife
- Raincoat or all weather jacket
- Medications, supplements and water bottle
- Comfy clothes
- Toiletries
4. Always Carry Your Money
Running out of cash can be a huge problem for any traveler, but even so more when you are traveling alone. Top of that, local vendors may not accept your cards or maybe there is no ATM in that region. Therefore, carrying cash on trips ensure peace of mind. While your wallet may be swollen up, keep some emergency cash in your hidden pockets or under the sole of your shoe.
5. Take Care of Your Safety
Safety should be one of your topmost priorities. You never know when you get into trouble. Female travelers are more vulnerable to the threats. According to one report, women feel uncomfortable or unsafe while traveling on their own—even worse, 40% of them reported having experience sexual harassment while on the road alone.
Here are some practical tips to stay safe while travel:
- Try to walk purposefully so that you look like a local instead of being a traveler. This way, you can deter the potential con artists.
- Don’t get too intoxicated.
- Keep your door locked.
- Don’t trust people too quickly.
6. Take Care of Your Health
You couldn’t afford to fall ill at some unfamiliar place when you are on your own. Therefore, it is important to take care of your food, rest and routine activities. Here’s how…
- Make sure to take your breakfast that is the most important meal of a day. Also, take vitamin C, vitamin B-6 and vitamin E to support your immune system.
- Minimize the intake of sweets, junk foods and alcohol.
- Take high energy, protein-rich diet, especially for your outdoor activities.
- Stay hydrated by taking 8-10 glasses of water a day. Consider bottled water due to the unsafe water conditions in many parts of the world.
With the help of these tips, you can make your solo trip amazing as it should be. What do you think? Please drop your opinions to the comment box given below.
Paulo Portugal is a marketing manager at Rapid Shuttle 247, in California – an industry leading in professional, courteous, affordable and private transportation services.
Woman business owner stock photo by Pressmaster/Shutterstock
