Top Tips for Travelling Solo

Travelling solo can be an exhilarating experience that gives you the freedom to structure your trip how you want. To get the most out of your experience and minimise the chance of any unwanted dramas, you’ll need to make sure you’re properly prepared! 

Here are a few of our tips to help you do this:

Pack light

With no fellow travellers to help share the load of bag-carrying, you may want to pay special consideration to what you pack. Whether you are taking a train from London to Brighton for a weekend away or flying halfway around the world, it’s easier if you’re armed with minimal luggage. 

If you’re going for a longer trip, consider booking accommodation that has washing machines or laundrette services so you can pack fewer clothes!

Tell friends & family your plans

Keep your nearest and dearest in the loop about where you’re going, and let them know your itinerary for each day. You can even share your Google Maps location with them. This means that even when you’re alone, you can relax safe in the knowledge that the relevant people will be better able to help you if anything goes wrong. 

Research beforehand

Before you jet off, take in as much information as possible about your location. Get familiar with the public transport options available to you at the destination and ensure you know how to buy tickets. 

Learn about the local culture too. What are the dos and don’ts? It’s much better to be prepared than risk offending someone through an innocent mistake. Find out if tipping is expected or frowned upon. If you’re going somewhere like China which is quite far away from the UK, you’ll certainly want to gen up on the cultural etiquette before you go.

Although it’s not fun to dwell on negative scenarios when planning a trip, do ensure you find out about any scams or pickpocketing tactics common in your destination. As a solo traveller, you’ve got to be particularly vigilant against these sorts of antics! 

And on a lighter note, make sure you know some of the core phrases if you’re going to a country where the main language is one you don’t speak. It also doesn’t hurt to download a language learning app and take a few lessons in the basics in those weeks leading up to your visit.

Start with small trips

Have a dream about seeing a certain country or city but can’t get anyone else on board with the idea? If you haven’t travelled alone and feel slightly daunted by the prospect, you may prefer to start small. Organising a long weekend in the UK where you’ll be on your own is a good way to develop the skills you’ll need to tackle a longer solo trip.

This can help you get the hang of relying on yourself to navigate, plan public transport routes and put together a structured plan of action to tackle the local attractions. 

Enjoy the freedom of solo travel — but be prepared!