There are many reasons you might want to travel alone. Perhaps you've been traveling in a group and need a break from other people, or maybe you really want to go some place that your friends don't. Whatever the reason, traveling alone can be an amazing experience and doesn't have to be scary at all. Here are some tips to keep your next solo trip fun and safe.
1. Hostel choice is key.
If you’re traveling on a budget like I did, those 5 euro a night options are pretty tempting, but research is a MUST before booking when you are traveling alone (especially if you are a girl, unfortunately). General rule: If it looks creepy online it probably is in real life. And girls, I highly recommend springing for a female only room – otherwise you might find yourself shaken awake at 3 am by a stranger wearing only boxers who just wants to let you know that he is drunk.
2. Pack light.
Not all hostels offer luggage storage. Don’t bring anything you aren’t willing to carry.
3. Join tour groups.
A lot of them are free! Half the fun of seeing a new city is learning the history behind it, and if you’re the kind of person who starts talking to themselves after two days alone, a tour might help keep you sane. Big cities have tours for everything, and a major perk of traveling alone is that you get to pick the one that suits you best. Plus, the people in your tour group can take pictures of you. This picture of me with a wand by the bridge that the Death Eaters destroyed in Half Blood Prince just wouldn’t have worked as a selfie.
4. Bring (and keep charged!) external batteries.
You don’t realize just how much you rely on your phone until you’re lost in Dublin at 11 pm and the only number you have memorized to call from a payphone is your mom’s (trust me, your mom does not want that call). Batteries run down quickly when your phone is functioning as your map and camera. Even if you don’t have service, public wifi is everywhere.
5. Speaking of moms…
Give her a copy of your passport and your itinerary. Your friends are great, but in case of trouble, no one will try harder than your mom to get you home.
6. Go to restaurants for food.
In all of the exhilaration of travel, you could be walking upwards of 14 miles a day. I tried to save money by carrying my own food with me, but this was a mistake. Restaurants are a safe haven of water, guaranteed wifi, free bathrooms (not all that common in Europe), and a place to sit and rest your feet for a while. Plus, the food is amazing. During my seven months in Europe, there is not a single meal that I bought that I regret.
7. Walk everywhere, but don’t be too stubborn about it.
You will see a lot more on foot than from a train or a cab, but sometimes taxis are the safest option. I tried to walk from the Warsaw airport to my hostel using Google Maps and ended up spending an hour trekking through an abandoned construction site. Then, 0.2 miles from my hostel I encountered this sign next to the railroad tracks I needed to cross:
And even though I don't speak a word of Polish, I guessed the meaning based on the lightning bolt. I ended up walking back and taking a taxi, six miles and two hours later.
8. Don’t be scared of being alone.
Eating alone, walking alone, discovering things you love alone are experiences worth having at least once. If I had let the fear of being alone hold me back, I never would've seen this:
Happy travels!
