Travel
Solo Travel Tips : Everything You Should Know
To put the fear of travelling alone at bay, read on these 8 solo travel tips. These tips hopefully lead you to learn lots of new things about the world and yourself while travelling alone.
“As you move outside of your comfort zone, what was once the unknown and frightening becomes your new normal.” – Robin S. Sharma, Author of ‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari‘.
Well, I do understand that traveling solo can seem a bit scary (considering the fact that we come across such diverse news from the media these days) but let me tell you something before I dig deeper into the matter.
To be honest, a solo trip will push you out of your comfort zone in the most amazing manner and unfold new chapters of life, letting you discover yourself in better lights.
About 4 years back, when I decided to just pack my bags and set out for an adventure – I didn’t know what was waiting for me ahead!
I used to listen to this friend’s stories and the places she had traveled to. She had come down from Poland to study in India, and her adventures used to thrill me.
Needless to say, she was the one who inspired me to travel alone, and helped me gather the courage to be as adventurous as she was!
After all these years, I’ve understood that to go alone is the best way to keep going – and the best part is that you’ll make friends out of strangers on your journey, who will help you to knit wonderful memories.
Probably it’s every traveler’s dream to take a solo trip at least once in their lifetime, however, many pull themselves back due to some reason or the other.
It could be the fear of getting lost or being alone in a foreign land or just the cluelessness about ‘What am I gonna do there by myself?’ kinda’ thoughts.
But trust me when I say this, it might get really frustrating to go by someone else’s plans, canceling your plans if others back out, or mold the dates if it doesn’t suit anyone else’s in the group.
And, it is for this very reason that one must break all the shackles and set out alone. After all, it’s your life and you should definitely give yourself a chance to see the world that’s waiting for you to be explored 🙂
8 Solo Travel Tips are:
1. Embark on your journey with smaller steps
This is one of the best ways to commence your journey as a solo traveler. Start with short day trips to nearby towns or cities, where you can leave in the morning and can easily return by late evening.
Not only will this open you up to take public transport for longer journeys, but it also will let you explore your known places a little differently. Gradually, you can start taking trips to faraway cities and maybe to other states altogether, or just catch a flight for another part of the world.
Give yourself enough time to get accustomed to traveling alone through intercity public transports, and eventually, you’ll be able to go for long journeys without any hesitation.
[stextbox id=’alert’ bgcolor=’ffeba3′ bgcolorto=’f2f1c4′ image=’null’]“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” – Freya Stark.[/stextbox]
2. Pack light, and carry only the essentials
Absorb the fact that you’ll be alone, and that you won’t have anyone to carry your baggage! Therefore, pack your bag with only those things that you’ll essentially require.
Drop those fancy clothes and sandals – they would be of no use! And make sure that you don’t miss out on anything that is necessary for you – make a list of things before you start packing.
Once you are done, just check whether you’re comfortable carrying your backpack or not. Don’t forget to leave a little space for the souvenirs that you’ll get back with you!
[stextbox id=’alert’ bgcolor=’ffeba3′ bgcolorto=’f2f1c4′ image=’null’]“I travel because it makes me realize how much I haven’t seen, how much I’m not going to see, and how much I still need to see.” – Carew Papritz.[/stextbox]
3. Plan your trip effectively
With friends, it is fun to be random and go with the flow – but if this is your first solo trip, I would suggest you make a proper plan before you set out.
By planning, I don’t essentially mean booking your stay or transport, but deciding about which route to take, and how to go, and how to be safe.
Once you set out, you shouldn’t be confused about the next step.
[stextbox id=’alert’ bgcolor=’ffeba3′ bgcolorto=’f2f1c4′ image=’null’]“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls.” – Anais Nin.[/stextbox]
4. Take up a job abroad
This is one way that’ll help you to be independent, and plan things all by yourself. Taking up a job overseas would not only take you to a foreign land but will also lay the foundation for your journey as a solo traveler.
All your fears of traveling alone will vanish as soon as you take your first flight to work. This opportunity leaves your mind with no more excuses, and you’ll feel confident to go alone.
And, since, all it takes is that first step, there is no looking back once you begin your journey.
[stextbox id=’alert’ bgcolor=’ffeba3′ bgcolorto=’f2f1c4′ image=’null’]“The man who goes alone can start today, but he who travels with another must wait till that other is ready.” – Henry David Thoreau.[/stextbox]
5. Choose to volunteer abroad for a meaningful program
This is one of the best ways to start alone, as you’ll come across many others like you, who have also broken all barriers and stepped out of their comfort zone.
A volunteer trip will not only boost your confidence but will also make you a responsible traveler.
It will also help you to know about distant lands, their customs and cultures, and a lot more than books can’t teach you ever!
And, when you have so many other like-minded people around you, there is no scope of worrying about getting lost or being alone.
While I was in Kenya for a month on a volunteering trip, I met this girl from Columbia who was just 17-years-old and had traveled solo to another continent altogether! She was in Kenya for 3 months, and her confidence left me in awe. She did make me believe that people with courage and a good heart can really do anything.
[stextbox id=’alert’ bgcolor=’ffeba3′ bgcolorto=’f2f1c4′ image=’null’]“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” – Neale Donald Walsch.[/stextbox]
6. Visit a friend or relative in a different land
In today’s time of globalization and international work opportunities, there are high possibilities that each of one us has at least one friend or relative who’s living abroad.
Even if you haven’t been in touch with them for a while, it’s time that you do! Take a week or two off, and go ahead with your trip abroad.
This will open you up for new places, new opportunities, new time zones, and everything new (almost) you’ve ever wanted. And the best part is that you’ll still have a known face around you!
Trust me, you’ll thank this friend/relative for the rest of your life.
[stextbox id=’alert’ bgcolor=’ffeba3′ bgcolorto=’f2f1c4′ image=’null’]“In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take.” – Lewis Carroll.[/stextbox]
7. Reconnect with your inner self
While traveling with friends or family, most of the time we are engrossed in chit chatting and conversations as we travel.
A solo journey surely is the best way to get to know yourself better and discover skills you never knew you had.
To put it in other words, while you set out for a trip all by yourself, you have more opportunities to indulge in things that you love as well as to try out newer avenues.
Eventually, you’ll reconnect with your inner self in ways you’ve never done before.
Traveling alone will endow you with the flexibility to go slow at times, soak in the local vibes, join a festival, doodle or write as you sit by the beach watching the sunset, share a cup of coffee with a stranger, so on and so forth. Solo traveling can essentially turn out to be a deeply spiritual journey.
[stextbox id=’alert’ bgcolor=’ffeba3′ bgcolorto=’f2f1c4′ image=’null’]“Travel far enough, you meet yourself.” – David Mitchell.[/stextbox]
8. Learn from others’ experiences
Learning surely is one thing in life that never ends, and it should not. Meet others like you, who have always wanted to take solo trips and have achieved the feat.
Learn about their stories and how they took their first solo trip, what all problems they faced and how did they overcome them all.
Not only will this give you the solution to your problems, but also a lot of motivation and courage to pack your bags and leave; a much-needed thing.
During my life as a traveler, the one thing that I have learned is – all it takes is the first step you take to move towards your destination. The courage to go on will keep unfolding, gradually.
And as they say, it’s never too late to begin! So, have you taken your first step yet!?
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