Are you ready to road trip or get onboard your flight, but don’t know how to navigate the world of solo travel? Are you uncertain about what to expect when you are on a trip alone? Then read the article below and get to know how to prepare yourself on, how to travel on your own.
The Ins And Out Of Traveling On Your Own
Traveling is one of the most fun experiences of your life – whether you are crossing oceans or just doing it in your city. Visiting new places, meeting new people, and getting to know different cultures. There are only a few things that top a good trip to a beautiful place. In fact, traveling is said to be the best way to get closer to a loved one! Remember: couples who tour together, stay together!
But what do you do when you don’t have a travel buddy to see the world with? How do you satisfy your wanderlust? Should you just shut yourself inside your home, and wait until your partner gets their vacation approval from work? Well, absolutely not!
When you cannot find someone to travel with, you can do one of two things. Either find a travel group online or set out on your own!
Why Should You Be Traveling On Your Own?
While traveling with a group gives you a chance to make new friends, nothing is ever as fun as taking a solo trip. Sure, you may be unsure about it at first, but taking the right precautions can make everything much more enjoyable than traveling with a partner.
When you travel alone, you can design the entire trip around your own whims. There is nobody you have to consider when making plans for what to do. The whole cost for the vacation is cut significantly, and you can splurge more on the things you genuinely enjoy. Traveling solo is enabling, empowering, and enlightening. However, it is also a little bit uncertain.
How Can You Travel Solo Without Any Fears?
You might think that you are overthinking possible problems and just hesitant to start your journey out of fear, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, a little anxiety before a solo trip can be a good thing. It reminds you to be cautious and smart. To make yourself feel good about your impending excursion, all you have to do is address the concerns you have instead of bruising them under the carpet.
So, how should you work your way around an exciting yet perilous adventure safely? Here are a few tips that I like to follow whenever I explore the world on my own.
Do Your Research Before The Trip
Before you board that flight or train, make sure you know everything there is to know about everything. Make a detailed plan about the places you want to visit, how much everything costs, where you will be staying, and what time you would arrive or leave the airport. Especially remember to run a background check on your hotel or place to stay, and see what the area around is like. Get online reviews about everything, and note it all down. The more homework you do before your travels, the fewer hiccups you are likely to face during your trip.
Keep Your Essential Documents On You At All Times
The second basic rule of traveling solo is to keep your essential documents on you at all times. Do not leave your passport back at your hotel room when you go exploring, or pack it deep inside your suitcase. Remember, if something happens, you will not have anyone with you to vouch for your identity. Hence, to tackle these situations, and simply keep the documents safe, take them along wherever you go. Instead of carrying them in a backpack or a purse, store them in a fanny pack around your waist.
Avoid Dark, Shady Places
Although this point is a little too obvious, it is still worth stating. We often forget to be cautious when we are too caught up in the excitement of our trip. Resist the temptation to visit any dark, quiet, or shady places – especially during the night. Since you do not know the area, you cannot possibly be aware of all the dangers that a place may possess. In this case, it is better to be safe and wary than reckless and sorry.
If you really want to explore that scary, medieval castle, book a proper tour with a group the next time you come by.
Believe In Yourself – And Let The World See It
When you travel solo, it is normal to feel a little overwhelmed occasionally – and especially so if it’s your first time! You might even feel downright scared at some points! However, all of these travel-related anxiety is okay. What’s not okay is showing it.
Traveling on your own, you must exude confidence at all times. At no point can you give away the fact that you are feeling lost or confused – even if you really are lost. You must not show vulnerability to anyone. If you feel overwhelmed in a particular situation, pretend that you are talking to a friend on the phone so that any potential attackers or robbers might be thrown off. Believe in your ability to get through this, and let the world see it too!
Blend In With The Locals
Another great tip to mastering traveling solo is to remember not to draw attention to yourself. If you are wearing or doing anything that makes you stand out, you are likely to be noticed by a potential attacker or robber. Instead, do everything that makes you blend into the local crowd. Dress like them, behave like them and do not cause any unnecessary situation that singles you out. Like they say, do in Rome what the Romans do!
Double-Check Your Itinerary
Now, the next step I am about to discuss here may sound redundant and unnecessary, but trust me – it is anything but that. Yes, I am talking about double-checking your itinerary every time – and I mean EVERY time – you are about to do something.
When you are exploring places you have never been to before and meeting new, exciting people, it is easy to lose track of time. But time is what is of importance. When you are out and about yourself, you must give up the freedom to be spontaneous.
It is essential that you follow your itinerary to the T. Missing a single bus in an unknown place can lead to some grave consequences. Maybe the next one does not arrive for hours later, and now you have to stay waiting in an unsafe place for all this time. This is why you need to make sure you are always on track.
Stay In Touch With A Friend At Home
While you are keeping up with your itinerary, make sure that you leave a copy of it at home with a friend as well. While traveling on your own is pretty free, you must still be connected to a loved one at all times. This is to ensure your personal safety and ensure that you can be reached easily in case of any emergencies back home.
In addition to leaving behind your schedule, also make sure that you are updating someone back home on what’s happening every few hours too. Allow a friend to keep a check on you wherever you are. And whatever you do, never correct your itinerary without telling your loved ones back home about it!
Want to travel on your own, but need to build some confidence, read this blog.
Trust Your Gut
Last but definitely not least, it is always essential to trust your gut when you are wandering the world on your own. A woman’s instincts are her most significant security alarms. Now, I am not telling you to be so paranoid all the time that you forget to enjoy the trip.
But if you start to feel funny about a particular situation suddenly, trust what your gut is telling you. It is vital to meet new people and make new friends, but remember that there’s only one person you can trust, and that is yourself. Oftentimes, the people who con you during your travels are the ones that seemed the most friendly at first. To prevent this from happening, you must keep your guard up at all times.
You Got This
I am not denying that safety concerns do not exist with traveling alone – especially for a woman. I am merely saying that with due preparation and a few smart moves up your sleeve, any independent, courageous woman can tackle these issues with ease.
So, if you are really itching for a solo trip to Morocco, get that plane ticket, girl! But before you board the flight, always make sure that you have taken the necessary precautions. Happy traveling! 3 tips to build confidence Here.
