Tips for Solo Travelers

A vacation with someone who has a different idea of relaxation can quickly turn into arguments and compromise. One person wants “500k steps a day,” while the other needs to lie by the pool and drink juice. But why bother with all that when you can just go alone?

Traveling solo is a great experience and offers complete freedom. No need to adhere to someone else's schedule, or consider anyone's opinion but your own – super! But, of course, there are also “pros, cons, and pitfalls.” Much depends on the nature of your trip: are you flying on a package tour or organizing the trip yourself? Are you planning a beach holiday or a museum marathon? Will you spend the entire vacation in one city or move from place to place? Where to go on a solo vacation? Many aspects of a solo trip depend on the answers to these questions, so we've divided our recommendations into three conditional groups – general tips, “for package tourists,” and for independent travelers.

Don't Be Afraid to Travel Solo

Perhaps the most important advice. Don't be afraid! Your smartphone can solve a good half of all possible problems. Afraid of getting lost? Download maps. Don't know the local language? Download a translator. And the Kupi.com app. Moreover, traveling without company is a great way to think: “What do I really want?” Maybe endlessly circling attractions isn't interesting to you at all, and you just want to lazily lie by the pool all day, sipping cocktails. And that's perfectly fine too!

Safety is Your Priority

Generally, this applies to any trip, including with family or friends. But solo travelers have no one to rely on but themselves, so you always need to ask yourself: “How safe is this idea?”

Safety begins with information. “Forewarned is forearmed,” right? Knowledge will protect you from misinformation, unscrupulous people, and/or naively wandering into an unsafe area. Or health problems you might encounter if you don't know which vaccinations are necessary before your trip. Understanding the country's specifics is key to your safety.

Basic things: get insurance, keep documents in the hotel room safe, and carry a small amount of cash just in case. If your trip includes several cities, create a detailed itinerary with timeframes. Give a copy of important travel details (flight numbers, hostel names, etc.) to someone reliable at home. Agree to text or call upon arrival at each new location. Find out where your country's embassy is located and add its number to your contacts in advance. It's better to have it and not need it.

For women, wearing a fake wedding ring can sometimes help avoid unwanted attention. Don't leave drinks unattended. Use only official taxi services and adhere to the country's dress code.

Be aware of your surroundings, especially in the evenings. Don't wear headphones or look at your phone while walking. The more attentive you are, the better.

Choose Hotels Based on Your Trip Goals and Personality

If you are an introvert or want to minimize contact with people on vacation, stay outside the historic center and main tourist routes. Open maps and see what's near your chosen hotel. Clubs, restaurants, a string of shops? Most likely, the area will be quite noisy, and you should choose another.

If you've come to party, meet people, and go to concerts, then a hotel in the center is exactly your option. It will be easier to get around, and there will be plenty of evening entertainment within walking distance.

Ask Questions

Where to eat near the hotel, where the nearest pharmacy that's open right now is, which grocery store to go to – all this can be found out directly at your hotel's reception. Don't be afraid to ask the staff; they will help you figure everything out, draw a map, or even make a phone call for you.

Don't Pack Too Many Things

Or at least try. Remember, you'll have to carry everything yourself! Focus on yourself and your preferences. Are you going to the Red Sea, where everyone dives and looks at fish? Are you sure you're interested in that too? A mask and snorkel will take up a lot of space in your suitcase, and it would be a shame if you couldn't pack a little more clothes because of them, especially if you don't even feel like swimming near coral reefs.

Take Selfies Smartly

Use your smartwatch as a timer: place your phone on a bench, parapet, or something similar, facing you. Set a three-second timer on your watch and smile! This way, you won't have to ask strangers to take your picture in front of anything. Even better photos can be taken with a tripod, but it's better to use such items in deserted places. Otherwise, there's a risk that both your phone and tripod will be stolen.

Create Playlists

Preferably several, for different moods. And download songs directly to your phone so you don't have to rely on Wi-Fi and streaming services in a foreign country.

Don't Worry

Try not to worry about what other people think. Honestly, they probably aren't paying as much attention to you as you imagine. Scream on the water slides if you want, admire the local architecture, smile and laugh – no one will judge you.

For Those Who Chose a Package Tour

Choose Your Hotel Carefully

Read reviews and check key tags. What area is it in, how far is it to the sea, how many floors does the building have, what's nearby? For southern resorts, pools are important – heated and unheated, with seawater, slides. The “suitable for families with children” tag indicates that the hotel is indeed more geared towards families with children, meaning the likelihood of meeting other solo travelers there significantly decreases.

Meet Other Tourists

Meeting people isn't scary, but it's very useful. We've already talked about how to start traveling solo and talk to strangers. In a package tour, it's even easier: usually, in the first few days, there's a meeting with the hotel guide for tourists, where you'll meet everyone else who has also just arrived. There you can identify other solo travelers and exchange contacts: you'll have someone to meet for breakfast, discuss the hotel, and share experiences.

Team Up for Trips and Excursions

This is where hotel acquaintances will be most useful. Often, interesting excursions last two or even three days, and it's better to go on them with someone, otherwise you'll be placed in a room with a stranger or offered to pay for double occupancy.

For Those Who Planned Everything Themselves

Practice with Small Trips

Start small: before heading to the ends of the earth, try taking a solo trip to a neighboring city. Even for such a test trip, you'll need to do a little research. How to get there, where to stay overnight, what to see, where to eat. Later, for international travel, you'll have to do all the same things, but with foreign languages and local customs in mind, so a “trial run” won't hurt.

Don't Plan Too Much

Of course, during a vacation, you want to see and do as much as possible – visit all interesting museums, see all attractions, climb mountains, swim to your heart's content, explore the entire city. Is this possible? Highly unlikely. Solo travel requires more energy than a trip with a friend or partner. It's important to schedule time for leisurely relaxation, to calmly wander through a market, sit with a cup of coffee in a restaurant, or simply get a good night's sleep.

Make a Backup List of Things to Do

It's good to have a main “must-visit” list and a backup one for your trip. There's always a chance you'll suddenly find yourself near an interesting place, or a free day will unexpectedly appear that needs to be filled. Mark all curious galleries, small shops, cafes, vintage stores on your map, and as you plan your route to an important point, keep an eye on these extra flags.

Accurately Assess Your Abilities

Especially if you're into various sports, including extreme ones. Don't choose a professional snowboarder's track if there's no instructor or friends nearby to back you up. The same applies to all overly exotic entertainment and culinary experiments. It's still better to remember how you didn't risk trying a strange dish at a market in Thailand than to go for it and spend three days in your room with food poisoning.

Consider Geography

Before a long taxi ride, try to find fellow travelers for greater safety and to split the cost. If you arrive in a new city late in the evening, try booking accommodation closer to the train station or airport for the first night, even if it's a bit more expensive. Then, in the morning, you can head to a more distant but preferred hotel.

We are confident that traveling to other cities and countries without company is cool. After all, you'll never know what it's like to travel solo until you try!