Tips and Tricks for Traveling Solo

Written by: Maggie Neuman

Major: Business

Location: Burgos, Spain

 Last week I went on my first solo trip and as promised I am here to regal my experience as well as what I learned along the way! On my trip I went to Brussels, Berlin, and Prague; three new cities in three new countries with three new languages. I decided to go on this trip alone because I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity a week vacation in Europe gives and do it my way which meant not taking anyone else into consideration. I recognize that this is selfish but sometimes it is necessary to be selfish in order to have the experience that’s right for you. In case you’re wondering, yes, I did eventually get lonely because it’s hard to be away from your friends for ten days, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. However, normally that wasn’t the case as being alone doesn’t necessarily equal being lonely.

Before discussing what tips I learned on how to have a successful solo trip, I’d like to tell you the advantages of travelling alone and why I believe that this is so important to try. First of all, travelling alone is an amazing confidence booster. To completely manage yourself and your life in new, unfamiliar places is a great accomplishment and after/while doing so you will feel very empowered. Travelling alone also allows you to move at your own pace, which is great because when travelling with others, there will be times where you need a break and others want to keep going and vice versa which can become frustrating. Whenever I needed a break on my trip I would stop and get a coffee wherever I wanted and sit for as long as I wanted before proceeding which is very rewarding for overall mental sanity. Travelling alone is a nice way to learn more about yourself as well because you get to spend so much time with your thoughts. The people around us influence us and it was nice to experience who I am without that external influence. For example: I am typically an overly optimistic person which people often communicate to me that they don’t agree with so it was fun to be as optimistic as I wanted without anyone trying to convince me that I shouldn’t be. I also found that it was easier to meet people while alone than while in a group because I wasn’t tempted to just stick with the people I know. Being a little lonely pushed me as well to meet others because at some points I was just in need of someone to talk to. One night I was at an Octoberfest-y event in Berlin alone and I started talking to this 43-year-old woman who was also travelling alone and we ended up exploring together for all of the next day which never would have happened had I been with my friends. The last thing I would like to point out isn’t so much an advantage of travelling alone but something I was reminded of during this trip. I (and I’m assuming most of the people reading this) are extremely lucky to speak English as a first language. Everywhere I went, though I didn’t speak the first languages of those locations, I was easily able to communicate what I needed to because I speak English. It is a blessing to be able to travel to so many places while only being able to speak English which is not the case for everyone else in the world. Be thankful and take advantage of it because traveling is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have.

Alright, now onto my tips! Here are seven recommendations for when you take your solo trips.

1. Give yourself enough time to get lost It is harder and potentially more stressful to navigate new places when alone so giving yourself enough time to get to things is crucial to minimize stress. There were many times that I did in fact get lost, but it was okay because I had the time to do so. It can even be beneficial to get lost because you will likely see some beautiful things that you otherwise may not have.

2. Download public transportation apps for the cities you go Navigating public transportation can be a little challenging at first especially for those of us who haven’t had to use it before, but many big cities have metro apps that help you plan a route for where you need to go. In Brussels there is even an app that tells you the best way to get where you need to go using all four of their forms of public transportation (bus, metro, tram, and train) which takes the pressure off of reading those tricky maps.

3. Bring a good book If you do ever feel awkward about being alone in public spaces, a book is a good way to distract yourself from that. You will also likely eventually get tired of being alone with your thoughts 24/7 and a good book is like a vacation for your brain.

4. Smile Though you may not be able to understand what those are saying around you or be able to speak the native language of where you go, smiling is the same in every language and communicates a lot to those around you without saying a word. I met a lady on the subway in Berlin who didn’t speak English, but I smiled at her and another lady who spoke both English and German told me how happy the first lady was just that I was smiling at her. It’s moments like that that you will remember and will keep you feeling good during your trip.

5. Pack light Unfortunately, tourists are targets for pickpocketing and carrying a lot of stuff makes it blaringly obvious to those around you that you are a tourist. I personally just brought a large backpack and a smaller backpack/purse on my trip. I found that the backpack made me feel like I stuck out a little less than a suitcase would so that’s what I would recommend. However, obviously the backpack will put some strain on your back so do be mindful of that. Although even on days where you don’t have a place to stay/put your things, many museums and public transportation places have lockers where you can put your things. It is important to keep track of your valuables when travelling and to do so every day I wore a jacket that had pockets that would zip shut and a small backpack that had a pocket facing my back, both of which were nearly impossible to steal from. I highly recommend investing in these types of items to minimize the risk of having your valuables stolen during your trip.

6. Find a free walking tour in the city you go Walking around alone aimlessly can get old after a while so a walking tour is a great break from that! Walking tours give you an opportunity to see many sights where you are and give you an idea of what you would like to explore more after. They also give you information about the history and culture of where you are which is always fun. In Prague I learned about the defenestration (throwing people out of windows) that had happened during their history which was both informative and entertaining. Again, if you do get lonely during your trip, walking tours are also a nice way to socialize.

7. To travel inexpensively, stay in either hostels or Airbnb’s I used both of these during my trip but they both offer a widely different experience. Staying in an Airbnb gave me my own room and more privacy. Hostels are much more social and better for meeting people. Neither one is better or worse than the other, it just depends on how social you want to be during your trip. However, both are great ways to save money!

Categories: Tips, Adventure, Business Broncos, Spain