9 Essential Tips for Your First Solo Trip

Q: Do you have any suggestions for my first time traveling alone?

A: Absolutely! Make sure to follow these essential tips before taking your first solo trip!

Have you thought about solo travel, but not sure where to even START?! That’s how I felt before my first trip! It felt like I was jumping off a cliff and praying a safety net would magically appear beneath me. Lucky for you, I’m here to help make your experience easier! Check out these essential tips for optimizing your first big trip traveling alone. You may want to read it in tandem with my advice on what NOT to do when traveling alone too!

Here are my 9 essential tips for your first solo trip!

Google it!

Before booking ANY trip, I always recommend doing some quick research on the location, particularly if you’re traveling internationally. Googling your destination beforehand is an easy way to get up-to-speed on the current political and social landscape. As a solo female traveler, you want to have *some* understanding of what your home country’s relationship is like with your foreign destination (on the VERY RARE chance you end up in a bad situation).

Additional travel resources I’d recommend researching before your first international solo trip include:

• Project Visa: Easily determine what visas may be required for your destination country

• U.S. Department of State (for Americans): Lays out current state of travel alerts and possible dangers, as determined by the U.S., for travel to international countries

• Smart Traveler Enrollment Program ("STEP") (for Americans): Enrollment (which is free!) provides the U.S. State Department with your contact information should they need to reach you regarding travel alerts/threats, as well as support from the local U.S. embassy in a crisis situation. Just in case, it’s also worth keeping a copy of the address/contact information for the local U.S. embassy.

• CDC travel section (for Americans): Search recommended vaccines by country

• Wikitravel: Skim fulsome (free!) travel guides with all of the must-see spots

• Tripadvisor: Read past reviews on activities and accommodations from actual tourists

Obviously, not all information is created equal. Take information that you find from google, various media sources, Tripadvisor, etc. with a grain of salt! But still, doing some quick google searches before your solo trip makes you a more mindful traveler and will enrich your overall experience!!

Pack light.

Whatever you think you’ll need on your solo trip, bring LESS! Ultimately, you’ll be carrying everything yourself, and you never know what your travels may entail! Maybe your hotel’s elevator will be broken? Maybe the streets will be cobblestone? Maybe you’ll need to drag your suitcase through the sand! It may sound a bit dramatic, but I’ve been in plenty of random situations where I had to schlep my bag. When you’re all alone, the lighter your bag, the better!

Want some extra packing hacks? Here’s how I strategize outfits when I’m only packing a carry-on!

And hey, worst case? More room in your luggage to bring home extra trinkets. :)

Prep for your arrival.

While I’d recommend having at least a loose itinerary for your first solo trip (to help ease any anxiety!), you should prep a *detailed* plan for your first couple of days. It can be pretty daunting to arrive in a foreign place all alone. I felt so vulnerable and afraid when I landed alone in Chile on my first solo trip, anxiously searching for an ATM to pay the local taxi driver in cash. I spoke next to no Spanish and had no idea how to communicate directions to my small hotel!

Something as simple as commuting from the airport into the city can be confusing or downright scary; especially, if you don’t speak a foreign language. Instead, prep yourself for success before leaving home — make sure you know exactly where you’ll be resting your head for the first couple of nights, how you will get there, and bring some foreign cash just in case! Frequently, hotels will offer airport transfers. While it’s never the least expensive option, it feels incredibly comfortable (and safe!) to arrive at an airport with a waiting driver with your name on a sign in a foreign airport. This will be money well-spent!

Stay active.

Sometimes traveling alone can get a bit lonely! If it’s your first solo trip, be proactive! Plan ahead by ensuring that you have at least a couple of group or social activities planned during your trip. If you’re not into scheduled tours, I’ve got some other natural ways to meet people when traveling solo too, including staying at a social accommodation like a hostel and striking up a conversation with local restaurant staff!

While you don’t want to burn yourself with back-to-back activities, the best way to avoid sitting in your hotel room alone is to force yourself OUT. Check out my suggestions for avoiding loneliness when traveling alone for even more concrete ideas!

Safety first.

One of the main reasons women hesitate from traveling alone is, understandably, safety. You’re more at risk when you’re traveling alone as opposed to with other people. However, I guarantee there are local women at your destination who live alone too. Be cautious on your first solo trip by sharing your itinerary (with accommodation contact details) with a family member or friend, turn on the “find my friends” app on your phone, and keep those close to you back at home updated on your whereabouts.

Come prepared.

I wish I had a solo travel pre-departure checklist for my first time traveling alone! When you feel like you’ve come prepared to handle various scenarios on your solo trip, you’ll feel WAY more comfortable! Here are things I like to have addressed before departing for any solo trip:

• Money: Have some petty cash in both local and your home currency, and stash some extra money in at least one spot that’s NOT your wallet, just in case!

• Directions: Pre-download the regional map through the Google Maps app. Also, consider investing in a portable WiFi device! That way, you’re able to connect to maps or loved ones while abroad!

• Foreign language: Pre-download the local language through the Google Translate app, and check out my language tips for traveling alone to a foreign-country!

• Electronics: Invest in an all-in-one international adapter! This particular brand and version of adapter has never failed me! That being said, don’t forget that just because it *fits* into the foreign socket, doesn’t mean the voltage on your home blowdryer will be supported… check the product voltage before plugging it in! Additionally, bring EXTRA portable chargers to ensure your phone is always juiced while traveling. This Mophie charger is my absolute favorite! Check out my carry-on essentials for long-haul flights for more of my favorite travel gear!

• First aid: Pack a mini travel first aid kit, plus extra doses of your required medications!

• Important documents: Whether or not I’m traveling internationally, when I’m traveling alone, I always bring my passport and a scanned paper copy of it too.

Keep your cool.

Solo female travelers can be a target for local thieves and scammers. Our western dress code can be an obvious alarm bell, so make sure to look up any unique customs around clothing or culture beforehand. Overall, my best advice for your first solo trip is to act confidently and try to blend in! Even if you’re feeling nervous as hell inside, never let ‘em see you sweat. Fake it ‘til you make it!

Tap into your intuition.

If you’re traveling alone and a situation just FEELS sketchy, it probably is. As a general rule of thumb, don’t do anything that you wouldn’t do at home! Avoid walking around at night alone, and do NOT provide strangers any details about your trip. Solo travel is a time when a little white lie is PERFECTLY acceptable! For example, I’ve often said things like, “Nope, I’m not alone; my boyfriend is just checking in for us and will be right back.” When in doubt, abide by those spidey senses!! Usually, you just KNOW when something feels off, so extricate yourself from those situations immediately!

Have fun!

Your first solo trip will be something you never forget. While you should prep as much as possible beforehand and keep yourself safe, make sure you’re not missing out on the FUN!! There’s a fine line between caution and paranoia.

And hey, if you’re interested in giving solo travel a try but would love the support of a seasoned pro, that’s what The Soloist is here for! Let us help with planning, prepping, and providing ongoing support throughout your first solo trip! We would love to be the reason you take that first leap of faith!

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