How to get over your fear of traveling solo
I am a huge fan of solo travel. Even if I travel with a friend or my boyfriend, I try to do something solo just to reconnect with myself. However, I completely understand why solo travel is scary to some. If you haven’t read my Solo Travel Safety Tips, read that to know what safety precautions you should take.
Traveling solo can be scary for a few reasons: no one to split the cost with you, safety, feeling lonely. However, with proper planning and a positive outlook, solo traveling can be one of the best things you do for yourself. Here are my tips on how to get over your fear of traveling solo:
Have a plan in place. If you’re nervous to travel solo, what exactly are you nervous about? Money? Safety? Feeling lonely? Have a plan for each of these (or reach out to me and I’ll chat with you through it!) and identify a clear answer for each of your fears. All of these are valid, but they shouldn’t prevent you from doing something as amazing as solo traveling.
Find a place that fits your budget. One drawback of solo traveling is that no one is there to help split the cost of things. Find a place where your currency is stronger than where you’re traveling to make your money last longer. Eastern/Central Europe, Central and South America, and Asia are all great opportunities. I would not recommend London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, etc. if you’re going abroad. Domestically, I’d avoid LA, NYC, Miami, etc. New Orleans is always great.
Be positive! Traveling is hard… no trip is absolutely perfect. When shit hits the fan (which it will), if it isn’t endangering your life or puts you in a dangerous situation, just laugh- because it will be a funny story when it’s done. When my flight was canceled to Dublin and my luggage was lost, I promise I was not positive at first. Then I realized how funny and ridiculous my situation was. Take everything as a joyous lesson and try to be as positive as possible when you get lonely or nervous. You’re on an amazing adventure!
Do your research. If you don’t normally research before a trip, this will need to change for a solo trip. Even if you are going to a beach and staying on the beach the entire time, knowing where some important places (closest police station, for example) or how far the airport is from you, is important. Having your itinerary mapped out before your trip though would be ideal so you know exactly what you’re doing. Be sure to research common scams, safer parts of town, and social mores to be aware of. Once you have all of your information (hotel, transportation, any adventures), share that information with designated people. For me, I send it to my parents, sister, and boyfriend.
Start small. I personally would rather go on a solo trip abroad, but if you feel the need to start small, go on a solo trip in your home country first. In America, I highly recommend New Orleans.
Be safe. Obviously. I linked my solo travel safety tips above, and that is a good resource for being safe. Highlights from that post are: share your location and itinerary with your friends and family, check in with your friends and family often, stay in a safe place (hotels over airbnbs/hostels), and be confident.
Practice. The best practice to feeling more comfortable solo traveling is to eat dinner out alone. If you can do that, I promise you can solo travel. That’s the hardest part of solo traveling!
Take a tour first to ease in. This is a great way to get a lay of the land and meet people visiting as well! If you do a walking tour, these are great to get your orientation of the city. A ton of places offer cooking classes, restaurant/bar crawls, etc. and these are all great ways to experience a city, meet new people, and not eat alone.
Make connections. Reach out on Facebook or any social media platform and ask if your friends have any friends where you’re going. Don’t put the dates you’ll be going, but mention “I’m going to Paris soon! Does anyone have any friends I can meet and connect with within the city of lights?!” Or join a travel page (I love Girls LOVE Travel), and reach out on there. This community has hundreds of thousands of women in it, so there is surely someone who would be willing to meet up.
Just do it. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to do it ever again :)
Do you have any tips for nervous solo travelers? Leave them in the comments below!