Solo travel is all over Instagram these days, and something we unoften-travelers admire…
Before Covid, I’d taken the plunge and booked myself onto a solo trip. I was going to China, and even though I was meeting a group out there, it would still mean a 13-hour flight alone. And I was anxious. I was excited as well, but it was definitely taking a big step out of my comfort zone. We all know what happened, something got in the way of my solo trip. Then a year went past. And in that year I met my now-husband, and the solo travel went on the back burner.
But in 2023 the opportunity to taste solo travel came up again. Allbeit in a very small way, but it was still there. So I jumped on the chance, and started planning my trip. It also wasn’t totally a solo trip, I was meeting my husband in Ireland after a couple of days on my own. To be honest, this was probably a perfect taster of travelling alone. But, I learned a few things myself that definitely helped me calm my nerves before travelling. Here’s my solo travel tips for the anxious explorer.
Book Yourself into things like meals
One of the biggest things that worries me is food. Even without travelling away from home. The idea of walking into a restaurant on my own makes my stomach churn before I’m even hungry. So, something I did that really eased my mind was to pre-book into restaurants. This is probably the tip on my list that really made the biggest difference to my solo travel adventure.
I made a thing of it, doing my research on TripAdvisor before I booked. I also mixed it up with a treat dinner one of the nights. I wanted to make myself go to a solo meal where I had to dress up as well. But equally, I knew it would be table service, not having to order at a bar or anything. Another thing that worked for me. I also booked into breakfast for the morning. This is a tip that I really recommend. If you feel anxious and hungry, it’s going to be an awful trip!
Make the most of apps
This includes ordering through websites. Anyone who doesn’t suffer with holiday anxiety will think this is mad, but honestly I felt so much better using online ordering. Plus, I avoided a huge queue, so it had two bonues. I used this on the night that I didn’t have dinner booked (but I did already know I was going to do this in advance). I ordered takeaway from a fish and chip shop, and all I had to do was walk in and collect it. Already paid for and ordered.
As a bonus push, I didn’t run back to my room to eat in privacy. I sat by the harbour on a bench and ate with the seagulls. It was lovely – the sun was setting, it was a cool evening. Something I wouldn’t have enjoyed if I hadn’t forced myself to do it.
Take a laptop for down time
I was very aware that being alone would make me naturally struggle to sleep more, or that I’d want to spent a little bit of time in my hotel room. So I packed my laptop. This worked really for me, it meant I wasn’t worried about spending down time in the room. It also made times that I was exhausted from being out and about less depressing, because I still felt like I was doing something.
Plan your travel activities – distract yourself
I knew a big part of the worrying parts for me would come from the flying. I’d never flown alone, and even though it was only about an hour, I still wanted to have things to do. My distraction was to download a series on Disney+. I had a book for waiting in the airport. And I had my timings booked so that I knew I could pick up breakfast while I waited.
Another positive about the series I downloaded was that I knew it matched my flight time. It meant that I could work out that I only had to watch one episode before we landed.
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Make sure you’re fully packed and prepared
Do your research. This probably goes for any travel, but for solo travel make sure your fully prepared to go. Pinterest is a great place to go, you get insights from bloggers. A lot of whom have solo travelled to the destination themselves. You can write a list of places you want to go to, and any tips for that particular location.
Be brave – go outside your comfort zone
Do one thing that you wouldn’t usually do. Mine was booking into the posh restaurant. Remember, no one will know you in this place, so there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Not that there is anyway!
Solo travel is an amazing experience, if you make the most of it. The more you try, the more you’ll experience. As long as you do everything safely, you’ll have an amazing time.
