10 Tips for First-Time Solo Travelers

So maybe you’ve heard that solo travel is something that everyone should do — that it’s great for self-development, you’ll learn lots about yourself and how to operate in the world, and you’ll build confidence.

All true, in my opinion.

But what if you’ve never traveled solo before, and you’re feeling nervous to try? Totally understandable. Still, don’t let that hold you back! Here are my best tips for how to approach your first solo trip head on.

1. Choose Wisely

If you’re feeling ready to stretch yourself and see a place that’s way outside your personal experience and comfort zone, cool! Go for it.

But it’s perfectly understandable to choose a destination that doesn’t feel hugely intimidating for your first solo trip.

For many Americans, that might mean somewhere in western Europe, where (at least in many cities) it’s common for people to speak English, and western travelers might experience less culture shock than in some other places. If this sounds good to you, you might also consider choosing a city (or two) that you already have some familiarity with (even just through pop culture) — for example, Paris or Rome.

Or, if you have family somewhere else in the world, or parents/loved ones who came from somewhere else, you might have grown up hearing lots about a particular place. Consider visiting that place on a solo trip: you may already feel like you have some familiarity with it, and it can be a tool for connection with your loved ones.

2. Ease into It

For many people, the scariest thing about traveling solo is the idea of doing everything alone: eating alone, navigating transportation alone, making decisions alone.

If that’s you…practice! Book a reservation for one at a restaurant in your hometown, or walk into a place and ask for a seat at the bar. Plan a whole day of activities for yourself in a nearby city — or, better yet, spend a long weekend alone in a new-to-you destination in your home country. Get used to the feeling of doing things on your own in a context that’s otherwise familiar to you.

Another great option is taking a trip with your friends, but then choosing a day or two for each of you to venture out independently. For me, this is what actually sparked my interest in solo travel: in 2016, I visited London with friends, and though we did most things together, we decided to spend one day doing our own thing so we could explore places the others were less interested in.

And no offense to my friends — I loved the days we hung out too! — but it was one of my favorite days of the whole trip. I ventured out with a loose plan, then followed my whims. I lingered over brunch in Notting Hill, meandered around the Tate Modern museum at exactly my own pace, wandered into random churches that caught my eye, settled in to watch a movie at the Electric Cinema, and more. Perfection.

After that day, I knew I needed to spend much more time traveling solo. Less than a year later, I did just that: when I changed jobs, I delayed my start date so I could explore France, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland for five weeks. And while friends and family joined me for portions at the beginning and end, I spent the middle three weeks traveling alone. I’ve continued to make solo travel a priority since then — and it all began with one day alone in London.

Another great option for easing into solo travel is booking a group tour on your own. This way, you’re still practicing independence — getting there on your own, not knowing anyone to start with — but have guaranteed company and fewer logistics to manage yourself.

I booked a group tour when I visited Iceland in the winter, since I wasn’t that enthused about driving alone in potentially snowy conditions — and I loved it. I met some very fun people, enjoyed having company at meals, and appreciated that I could kick back and read a book while my tour guide worried about getting me from place to place.

You can book just about any group tour as a solo traveler (and you almost definitely won’t be the only one — there were quite a few other solo travelers in my Iceland group), though there are also tour companies that specifically cater to solo travelers.

3. Be Over-Prepared

Nervous about what you’ll do if things go wrong while you’re traveling alone? Well, first, if they do — you will figure it out, and that’s a big part of how solo travel builds confidence. But a good way to handle anxiety about solo travel, and to prevent major disasters, is to be over-prepared. Here are a few examples of what I mean:

• Print out confirmations and tickets for anything you’ve booked in advance: lodging, trains, museums, etc. While you no doubt have all that stuff on your phone these days, having it in physical form is a handy form of security, especially if you won’t have access to international phone data or aren’t sure it will always be working. And, while you’re at it, take screenshots of those same tickets too, especially of anything involving a barcode. That way, when you reach the relevant event or destination, you can quickly pull up your screenshot in your phone’s photos instead of trying to download an email or webpage (this is my practice for tickets with barcodes at home, too!).
• Before you leave, prepare a Google Map with activities and sights that interest you, plus restaurants and cafes you might like to try. Be overinclusive! Then, if you’re in your destination and you find yourself looking for something to do or somewhere to eat, you can pull up your map and see what’s nearby.

4. Share Your Plans

If you’re concerned about the safety of traveling alone, share your itinerary and lodging information with someone at home and check in with them regularly. You’ll feel better if someone knows where you are or should be.

However, if you have public social media accounts, you might consider not posting details about your location in real time — particularly the location of your lodging. It’s extremely unlikely that anyone would do anything harmful with that information, but it costs you nothing not to share.

5. Meet Other Travelers

If you’d like to meet some other travelers so you don’t remain solo your whole trip, here are some ideas:

• When you first arrive in a city, take a walking tour. These are often free — though you should tip the tour guide generously ($10-20 USD is common) — and are a great way to get your bearings in a new location. Bonus: if you make an effort to strike up conversation with other people on your tour, you might just acquire a new buddy or two to explore with.
• Stay in a hostel, where you’re nearly guaranteed to meet other travelers if that’s what you want (and usually, many of the other people at hostels are also happy to meet fellow travelers!). Even staying in a private room (rather than a dorm room) in a hostel can facilitate new connections: some hostels offer social events, and there are often common areas where travelers can hang out.
• Take a day trip or a tour in the city you’re visiting, and talk to other people on your tour. Food tours and local cooking classes can be great for this, though any event where you’re grouped with other travelers has potential.

6. Don’t Be Self-Conscious

Easier said than done, I know, but try to release your self-consciousness.

Are you worried that people are looking at you, wondering who that weirdo is who’s eating alone or taking selfies? Well, they’re not!

People are just not that worried about you, and even if they were, you’ll never see them again! Your enjoyment of your dinner, or that selfie, will last a lot longer than any stranger’s thoughts about you or your feelings of embarrassment.

7. Follow Your Whims

While you should let go of your self-consciousness, do try to be more conscious of yourself in at least one way: pay attention to what it is that you want to do, and do it!

One of the great joys of solo travel is doing exactly what you want to do for as long as you want to do it. Take advantage of this.

If you walk into a museum and come across an incredible, hour-long video exhibit you want to watch the whole way through, you can do that without worrying about whether anybody else is bored. (This was me when I stumbled across Ragnar Kjartansson’s The Visitors while exploring alone in Los Angeles — an experience I still think about regularly.)

If you have the perfect photo in mind but want to stand there for 10 minutes while you wait for other tourists to be out of the way, you can do that without making anyone else wait on you. (This has been me…a lot of times.)

If you stumble across a charming coffee shop and just want to hunker down with a book, you can linger there as long as you want without feeling pressured to move onto the next thing someone else wants to see.

While you’re traveling solo, you don’t need to worry about anyone’s interests other than your own. Pay attention to what calls to you and follow your whims. It’s a great way to get to know yourself and learn about what you like.

8. Be Safe

Practicing good safety habits is always the right idea, but especially when you’re traveling alone and are out of your comfort zone. Be smart! Hang onto your stuff, especially your valuables. Minimize your alcohol consumption, and definitely don’t get drunk. Be careful about where you walk alone, particularly at night. Consider not wearing headphones or earbuds whenever you’re outside of crowded places so you can be more alert to what’s around you.

And, importantly, be cautious about telling people you’re traveling solo. Most people don’t have bad intentions, but listen to your instincts: if you’re getting a weird vibe from someone who seems especially interested in things like where you’re staying and what your plans are, you might consider not telling them that you’re alone.

I’m sure there are differing views on this, but I personally think it’s totally fine to lie to strangers about your plans when your instincts are telling you to be careful. For example, if someone asks whether you’re traveling alone, you could say that you actually tagged along with your partner, who’s there on business, and you’ll be meeting them for dinner.

That said…

9. Resist Paranoia

A surefire way to ruin your trip is to assume that everyone you encounter is out to get you. If you approach the world believing that people want to hurt you, that’s probably what you’ll see.

In reality, most people are good, and most people you meet will be eager to help you, not to harm you. Do pay attention to your instincts, but also understand that your instincts are not infallible, all-knowing gods. They are affected by your unconscious biases and fears that may or may not be justified.

Try to go into the world with openness about what you’ll find there, rather than a self-protective stance, and I think you’ll be amazed by what you discover.

10. Just Go!

Still feeling anxious or afraid? That’s okay — go anyway! You don’t need to resolve every nerve before you take the leap.

Remember that a life where you’re never uncomfortable is probably a life where you’re never changing or growing. Stretch yourself and do hard things. It’s worth it!

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