By Daniele Pais
Whether you are traveling alone on leisure, on business or just want some “Alone Time,” traveling alone can certainly be different than going with another friend. Rather than staying at home because you fear being away from loved ones, these top tips for alone travel will help give you the courage to start on your adventure. It’s not always easy being alone. However, if you follow these suggestions, you will find that traveling alone is not as bad as you think it can be.
One thing that many solo travelers worry about is meeting up with fellow travelers. This can definitely be an issue if you are traveling alone. However, instead of waiting for others to catch up, plan ahead. If you both plan ahead, this will prevent you from spending countless hours in a lonely situation. You can also find solace in knowing that you will never run into anyone while traveling solo. If you are afraid that other travelers might bump into you, avoid restaurants and touristy areas.
One of the most important tips for traveling alone is to have a good idea of where you are going. Not all hotels have maps of their locations. Therefore, take along a map when traveling whether this a digital map on your mobile or a good old fashioned printed one. Another great idea is to pack a “jotter” or notebook of important places so you can quickly refer to it while traveling. For instance, instead of walking for miles upon miles through the newly discovered city looking for a specific location, consider jotting down information on where to eat, where to sight-see, and how to get back to your hotel room.
Another excellent solo travel tip for the best traveler is to be especially friendly to the locals.
It’s always great to give back to the locals and make their experience better by helping them. For instance, if you know a few local merchants in your area, it may be worth it to stop by and buy a few items from them. This will give the merchant a chance to give back to you, in a way, for helping him build his business.
Some people think that they can handle being alone on a vacation but after a while they feel a sense of loneliness and distress at a point that this could lead them to the need of just joining anyone, just for an evening or a night. This in an attempt to fight that sudden sense of friendlessness. However, this is not a smart idea if you want to enjoy the time you spend there, especially now that we are in a global pandemic emergency. Not only it might be uncomfortable but you risk exposing yourself to people that you have no idea of their backgrounds and previous whereabouts, so your safety might get compromised, absolutely play your cards safely.
Another risk you will have to consider on this very particular time is contracting germs and diseases that are brought in by other travelers. Keep in mind that no one else is there to stay with you so if you fell seek or ill…well, you are on your own. If someone offers to take you in, or spend sometime with you, and you are not sure or don’t feel is worth the risk, keep them away from yourself and also keep yourself away from their belongings since they may bring the same germs and diseases that they might have brought with them.
These tips are just a few from the many travelers that have found solace when traveling alone. Solo travel is not always easy. However, many travelers, included myself when I did a round the world trip backpacking (many moons ago), have had great results when they did it. If you don’t love traveling alone and you have never experienced it, at least try it once as it will give you a useful experience that will definitely be helpful in the future if the need arises.
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