Solo Traveller Tips | 40 Tips For When You Travel Alone

Looking for solo traveller tips? Look no further! Being a solo traveller wasn’t a big part of my life until a few years ago. Only in 2011, I decided to take the plunge and go on a round the world trip.

After going through a tragic event, I needed to take a break. I decided that I wanted to go on an extended trip. It would have been nice to travel with someone. Most of my friends are in relationships, married, married with children, or tied to their careers or a combination. At the time, my parents were still alive but too elderly to travel any kind of distance. Plus no offence to my late parents but I didn’t really want to travel with them.

My solo trip was life-changing and I recommend that everyone no matter how young or old, take a solo trip at least once in their lives. Travelling alone gives you more confidence. It gives you an opportunity to meet new people and make friends with people from all over the world who you may never know otherwise. Since coming back from my RTW trip, I have continued to travel by myself. I love it that much. Friends and readers have asked me about being a solo traveller. Surprisingly, I have not written any solo traveller tips before so I thought it was about time for this post.

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HELPFUL GENERAL TRAVEL TIPS

Flights: Find a cheap flight using Skyscanner or Momondo. I like these two booking sites because they both search all websites and airlines around the globe including budget airlines.
Accommodations: I use Booking.com or Tripadvisor to find the best rates on hotels. Hotels.com offers a free night after booking 10 nights.
Get up to $40 off your first Air Bnb stay by using this code!
Travel Insurance: Having gotten sick on my travels in the past, I never travel without being insured. You never know when something may happen. For my round the world trip and extended long-term travel, I use World Nomads. For other trips, I have used Roam Right and they cover activities like extreme sports.

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Some helpful solo traveller tips:

Make a scanned copy of your passport, bank/ATM cards, and email a copy to yourself. Email a copy to a trusted family member or good friend also. If for any reason you lose any of those things, replacing them will be so much easier. I know from the experience! I had my ATM card stolen in a foreign country.
Some people like to disconnect but I like to stay connected for emergency purposes. I also like being able to use maps when I wander around. If I can’t find my hotel or accommodations, I will call and ask for help. Those few cents or dollars to make a call is often worth it!
Don’t carry your money or wallet in pockets or bags that can easily be rifled into. I have been pickpocketed in my hometown in North America so this can happen anywhere.
If you are carrying a purse, have it in front of you rather than to your side or behind you. Keep a watchful eye on it.
Carry smaller bills as much as possible. It’s never a good idea to show that you have a lot of money on you, no matter where you are.
Have a basic plan. I am not a detailed planner like I used to be but it’s vital as a solo traveller. It’s important to know where you’re going, know about local holidays and festivals that could shut down a city or book up accommodations. I won’t book my accommodations for the entirety of my stay in a destination but at least have the first few nights sorted.
When arranging travel, try and plan your arrival during the day so you can get to your accommodation safely and easily.
If it’s not possible to book a daytime arrival, research getting from the airport/train station to your accommodations. Is there a free shuttle? Does your accommodation provide pick up? Does the city have ride-hailing apps like Uber/Lyft/Cabify? Is there a subway/train system? Find out how much it costs to get to your hotel by taxi. Ask the hotel so that you don’t get ripped off by unscrupulous drivers.
Have a copy of your itinerary printed or at least take a photo of it so that you can access it when you are not connected to the internet.
Before you start driving away in a taxi or local transport like a tuk-tuk or tricycle, make sure that you have agreed on the price or that the driver has turned on the meter. If they do not agree, get out and move on to the next driver.
Write down the name and address of your hotel/accommodations. In case you’re travelling somewhere you can’t speak the language, you can show the taxi driver the address. If you have trouble communicating and have access to data, show the driver where your hotel/accommodations are on Google Maps (or an offline map) or save it on an offline map.
If you’re arriving at odd hours or very late, make sure you can check into your accommodations at that time or book a place with a 24-hour front desk.
Ask your hotel staff/concierge about any tips or what they like to do on their day’s off. In SE Asia I ended up befriending the staff t my hostel staff and going on adventures with them on their days off. I even got invited to one if their weddings.
After checking into a place, I usually grab a business card and put it in my wallet. This is very handy when you’re in a foreign country. If I have issues communicating with a driver, you can show them the business card and address.
When you are going out, research where you are going and how to get back. Know landmarks, bus or train stops that are close by.
Be completely aware of where you are. Sometimes it’s too easy to get caught up on our smartphone or the beautiful scenery but always pay attention to your surroundings, people, etc.
Let your family or friends know where you are. I didn’t check in all of the time but they had an idea of where I was and where I was going next.
If you feel like someone is following you, make sure you stay in busy crowded areas. Don’t go down quiet alleys or side streets. I was followed once in Europe so I popped into a cafe and ordered some coffee and sat there for a long time. I stayed a long time and when I left I jumped into a taxi to take me to the train station instead of walking.
If I am spending time with new people who I didn’t know I would text a friend and tell them my plans, where I was going, what I was going to be doing, and when I was expected home. I would check in when I got back.
Watch your alcohol consumption when you travel alone. Do not ever let your drink leave your sight. Ever. If you accidentally leave your drink or you don’t think you kept a careful watch, ditch it. You never know when someone may have slipped something into your drink.
If anyone asks you where you’re staying, don’t tell them. If they are persistent, tell them a different hotel or neighbourhood.
I don’t normally wear tight or short things but when I travel alone I tend to be even more covered up because I don’t like unwanted attention.
We are always taught to be polite but if someone is bothering you or being aggressive be rude if you have to be.
For ladies: If you’re concerned about unwanted attention, wear a fake wedding band. I did. If a man was a bit too inquisitive, I would say that my husband is back at the hotel or meeting me shortly.
If you are going out at night, bring as little as possible. Grab a bit of cash, ID, an ATM/credit card, and your smartphone. I don’t like to carry my passport so I leave it in my accommodations locked up. For ID I would bring my driver’s license and a scanned copy of my passport.
Wear sunglasses. Sometimes random glances are taken as something else but if your eyes are covered then you are less likely to get unwanted attention.
If you plan on taking money out of an ATM, withdraw money in the daytime. I like to use bank affiliated machines on busy streets and go inside the bank where there are cameras or CCTV. If you need to put down your bag or backpack when taking out money, put it between or in front of your legs so that it can’t be snatched away.
Some people hate selfie sticks but if you’re alone and have expensive camera gear that you don’t want to be stolen, this will be your BFF.
If you get lost, don’t pull out your map or phone in the middle of the street. Try to duck into a cafe or a business where you can safely find your way.
Keep your purse/wallet/bag close and keep an eye on it when travelling alone on trains and buses.
Don’t ride in an empty train/subway car bar yourself. Make sure there are others and sit near other women. If you’re taking an overnight bus, make sure you have valuables on you and not under the carriage. Try to avoid overnight trains.

Solo Traveller Tips For Meeting People/Going out

If you are staying in a hostel you can easily meet people in the common room or kitchen. I was never the kind of traveller to stay in a hostel but as a solo traveller, it was one of the best ways to meet other travellers to connect with.
When I am travelling solo and staying in a hotel/apartment/Air BnB, I sign up for day trips, tours, cooking classes, or excursions. It has been a great way to meet other people, especially other solo travellers. I fondly remember meeting a girl named Becky in the Philippines who was the only other solo traveller on my snorkel tour in El Nido. We ended up hitting it off and I even went travelling with her to another destination after our tour.
Break the ice by saying hello. More often than not, other travellers on a tour or in your accommodations will be happy to have made your acquaintance. If you’re getting along with the other solo travellers just ask them if they want to go for a drink or dinner after your tour/activity. The worst thing that can happen is that they say no. It’s not a big deal, they probably have made other plans already. And if there’s friend chemistry, you’ll know right away. I have travelled more with complete strangers I have met on tours than some of my own friends I have known my whole life.
Another way to meet people when you travel is through meetups. While I am not a couch surfer myself, I did go to a couple of Couchsurfing meetups while I was travelling. I was travelling alone in Barcelona and went to a meetup and met a nice group of people who I ended up exploring the city with. You can try Couchsurfer.com or even Meetup.com. If you’re a blogger, check to see if there’s a local Travel Massive (travel industry networking events) happening.
Ask your friends if they have any friends or contacts in the cities you are travelling to. I am lucky to have a wide network of friends and have been able to get local tour guides or hosts in other cities. If those friends of friends can’t meet up or host, at least ask for recommendations of things to do or places to eat. When I was in Wellington, New Zealand my friend Helen had one of her guy friends meet me for a beer. He recommended that I hike up Mount Victoria and visit Te Papa Museum which was excellent advice. My friend Samantha introduced me to her friend Joanne in Sydney who came through with a couch when all the hotels and hostels were booked during Mardi Gras (check for dates of local holidays, events, festivals, etc.). Later that year I stayed with Joanne when she moved to Paris. Since then I have met up with Joanne in New York, Los Angeles, and Portland.
Use social media to connect with others. While I was travelling my friends would notice if I was in a destination and happen to be there too or had a local friend I could meet. I ended up seeing friends from home in Paris and Hong Kong.
Dining solo can be a really nerve-wracking experience for some people. I felt awkward in the beginning but now I’m used to eating alone and don’t mind it at all. I enjoy eating alone at popular restaurants because you can often get seated quicker than if you’re dining with a group. The best thing to do is to find a restaurant or eateries that have bars or counter service. I used to bring a novel but now I just bring my smartphone to keep me busy while I’m waiting for food, etc. Or I chat with the bartender or person seated beside me.
If you don’t like the idea of eating alone in a restaurant, go grab food to go and find a park that has benches.
Always remember that these people don’t know you and won’t see you again. So there is no reason to feel weird, awkward, or nervous.

Some photos from my 19-month round the world trip:

On my RTW trip, I met so many new friends and lovely people from around the world. Of course, there were moments where I was a bit homesick but it was few and far between. All my fears disappeared once I opened up to new possibilities.