Up until the start of 2019, I had only done a few small weekend trips by myself around where I lived in Australia – a road trip from Brisbane to Sydney, a weekend away in Byron Bay…you get the idea! No big, crazy, scary, all-consuming adventures. So when I made the move to the UK in February 2019, I was so excited (slash also low-key shitting myself) about travelling the world solo. I did a 2.5 week solo trip through Spain as soon as I arrived and discovered that I absolutely loved it – the freedom, simplicity, and having to rely 100% on myself was exhilarating. Since that first trip, I’ve taken myself on more solo trips and I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I think I’ve gotten pretty good at it.
So on that note, here are my top tips on how to be great at solo travel…
- Get used to your own company – this is by far the most important part of enjoying solo trips in my opinion. If you can’t spend time with yourself, then chances are you’re not going to love this style of travel. It can be a bit weird and uncomfortable at first, but once you get into the groove of totally doing your own thing, you’ll be addicted, trust me!
- Don’t be shy, make some new friends – as much as it’s important to enjoy spending time by yourself, making friends while travelling is arguably the second best thing about solo travel. You can become travel-besties by lunchtime with someone you meet at breakfast and then spend the next week travelling together! It’s one of the most special kinds of friendship and you’ll create memories that will truly last forever.
- Embrace the unknown – this is kind of a tip for travel in general, but I feel like it’s even more relevant when you’re roaming solo. When you don’t have the comfortable safety net of another person, trying new things can be daunting and a bit scary and that’s totally ok. It’s alright to feel unsure when you’re by yourself in a foreign country (or even at home tbh), but if you let fear of the unknown hold you back, who knows what amazing experiences you’ll be missing out on!
- Have a bit of a plan (but not too much) – hear me out here. I love planning and I LOVE researching all the best things to do, see and (most importantly) eat in a new destination. However, I’ve personally found I enjoy myself so much more on a trip if I know what all my options are but I’m not stuck in a set plan each day. Leaving space for spontaneity is a must for me!
- Take a good book and a diary – a more practical tip but having a book to read while travelling to the next destination or having lunch alone really helped me ease into travelling solo. I also really loved keeping a diary – not necessarily as a travel diary, more as a way to remember how I was I felt and grew by spending time with myself.
- Learn to be ok with eating dinner alone – to be completely honest, eating dinner alone was (and kinda still is) what I struggled with the most when travelling by myself. Sitting down to breakfast and lunch by myself, no worries. But come dinner time I would start to feel the anxiety creeping in! I’m still working on being a confident solo-diner but until then, I’m embracing the old saying ‘fake it till you make it’.
If you’ve been toying with the idea of embarking on a solo adventure, I hope these tips help you feel confident that you can do it! You truly will not regret it.
