How to Plan a Solo Trip: How to Travel Alone and Love It
“Traveling alone is one of the most rewarding, transformative, and satisfying experiences you can have, and you owe it to yourself to give it a try at least once.”
One of the most difficult things to do in life is to travel alone. It’s not hard to see why: you’re a human being, not a robot. The thought of going somewhere alone, going somewhere new, makes us anxious, or at least it does that to me!
It’s not that we don’t like new places, but we don’t like to travel alone. But do you know, there are other people out there like us who travel alone and enjoy it. And guess what? They’re not lonely or sad either!
In this article I will teach you how you can travel alone and love it. We will begin with discussing the importance of solo travel and move on to some interesting tips for the same.
I will also help you plan your very first solo trip to your favorite place. So make sure you stick around with me till the end of this article.
Now, with no further ado, let’s get started!
Why is Solo Travel Important?
There are a number of reasons why solo travel is important. Let’s look at the most significant ones.
- You can enjoy the things you want to and do them your way, which you can’t do when you travel with other people.
- You’ll be able to get a glimpse of different cultures, food and art, while getting to know people from different parts of the world.
- You won’t be subjected to boring conversations in a crowded bus because you’re by yourself!
- The ‘feel good factor’ will help you enjoy the places you visit in a more relaxed way than you would be able to when you’re with other people.
- And the best thing of all, solo travel will bring you closer to yourself!
Tips for Solo Travelers
If you are traveling solo for the first time, here are some tips that would help you get the best out of your travel experience.
1. Learning How to Relax
Relaxation is key when traveling. In the case of solo travelers, it’s a skill to master because we are put under a lot of stress by ourselves (for example, picking a destination and figuring out what to do with the place while you’re there).
After getting over that hurdle, you can enjoy the trip to the max and get a lot of things done.
Whether you are going on a long trip or are staying in one place for a few days, we recommend practicing self-care in the morning before you get on a bus to the airport.
Sometimes I just think of a nice place to take a bath while I’m listening to my favourite music as a way to relax myself!
2. Setting Expectations and Managing your Time
One of the biggest downfalls of traveling alone is you have no one to keep you company while you travel. You are fully in charge of your trip and your experience. I guess the first thing you need to know is that traveling solo is not the same as traveling alone.
You’re travelling alone in the sense that you will have to go and do what you want, but you’ll still have to be mindful about what you’re doing, where you’re going, and how long you’re going to be there.
A good idea would be to make a list of all the places you’re going to visit on a particular day, and assign time slots for each. This way, you will be able to make the most of your time!
You might also choose to travel with another person or two, or you might just choose to go where you feel like and when you feel like!
3. Setting up the Logistics
The first thing I used to do before going on any trip was to plan everything. I couldn’t travel unplanned because I was a bit impatient. I had to go to the supermarket early and get everything I needed.
Well, that is not always an option for other people and that is OK. Not every trip is for me. I can see how people can be spontaneous and still enjoy themselves during their solo travel!
4. Dealing with Loneliness
When we travel alone, we tend to spend a lot of time inside our heads, re-examining our traveling experiences. Maybe it was too quiet, maybe there were too many people, maybe we didn’t make any new friends, or maybe we took something away from the trip!
All of this is OK. There’s no reason to get anxious about it, you’ll get over it. And the best way to get over this loneliness you may feel is to find other solo travelers and travel buddies online! Connecting with them and listening to their experiences will help reduce your anxiety to a large extent.
What to do When You’re Feeling Down?
When I first started traveling alone, I had trouble figuring out what to do when I felt down. In the past I always liked to hang out with friends, but now I knew I needed to make some extra solo time for myself.
I wanted to learn how to deal with stress, boredom, or even loneliness in a responsible way.
So I sat down and figured out my ideal day. When I planned my vacation to Goa, I knew there were some beaches I had to check out. I knew I’d end up spending at least one or two days there just to relax, so I wanted to make sure I did something that would take a while and not get boring.
I figured it would be nice to explore a new area, so I chose the Terekhol Fort and the Ancestral Goa Museum! So, the point is, wherever you end up, it’s important to know how to handle the inevitable moment of sadness. Now, let us talk about planning a solo trip.
How to Plan a Solo Trip?
Don’t worry, I will not lecture you about this. I promise I will not make you spend another hour in your room reading blogs and newsletters that tell you how to plan a trip alone. Most people need that time to prepare and set up their trip, for research or ideas.
Here are some brief trips on how you can effectively plan your first solo travel experience.
- Finalize your destination and research about the places that you want to visit.
- Think about your budget and divide it into several parts covering transportation, accomodation, food, emergencies, etc.
- Always make sure to book your flight/train tickets in advance to prevent any last minute problems!
- Find a lightweight bag and pack all your essentials into it.
Here’s the thing: everyone’s journey is different. I’ve been traveling alone for five years and I’ve never had any problems. In the past, I spent more time planning the trip than actually traveling. Now I travel spontaneously, taking one day at a time and having fun. And I enjoy every second of it.
Now I don’t feel the need to plan everything right before I go, so I don’t. I book the ticket, pick the hotel, plan my transportation and book the activities, and I don’t stress. Because after all, I am on a vacation!
Conclusion
If you are interested in living your dream, you’ll need to move out of your comfort zone. You don’t have to be afraid of being lonely when you travel alone. There’s no need to bring somebody you know with you.
You can still have fun, you can still have adventures. You just need to get some basics right, such as a couple of strategies and some great destinations.
I hope the tips mentioned in this article will help you have the most exciting and fulfilling solo travel experience. We will be back with more such articles soon, so make sure you are following our blog. Happy Traveling! 🙂
