Travelling is one of life’s great pleasures. It’s normally a time we can relax, refresh, explore new cultures and experience a new perspective on the world. However, organising a trip and getting everyone who’s going to agree can become very stressful. Although travelling alone and only having to worry about yourself makes travel organisation much simpler, it can also be a daunting thought. Here we have put together some top tips on how to travel alone successfully.
Learn to Enjoy Your Own Company
Spending a lot of time by yourself can seem a little overwhelming at first. However, you will quickly learn to enjoy your own company and find ways to make new friends at every stop if you’re feeling sociable. It’ll be helpful to get used to being on your own without distractions such as your phone or TV. Try going for a walk by yourself without music or going for lunch on your own without using your phone. Feeling comfortable and content by yourself is a strong position to be in.
Find Likeminded People
The great thing about travelling alone is that you’re much more likely to get to know other people and make new friends. Staying in hostels is a great way to meet other travellers and make friends quickly and easily. The hostel bar is often a great place to go to meet people and become part of all the social activity. There are also a lot of great apps out there to help you meet people while on the move. One app, Backpackr, let’s you see if your travel plans match up with other travellers, so you can easily arrange to go together.
Learn the Language
Although many people around the world know at least a little English, it’ll make life much easier if you learn at least a bit of the local language of your destination. Knowing even a few phrases here and there will often be much appreciated and help ingratiate yourself with the locals. Also, if you happen to get lost or end up in trouble, knowing a few words will help you get to safety much more easily.
Make the Most of Every Day
It’s often said about life that you should make the most of every day; however, this is especially true when you are travelling and have a finite amount of time in your chosen destinations. Plan to wake early and make the most of your mornings by going exploring, visiting a museum and trying new and varied places for breakfast and lunch. If you pack your days full of activities, you won’t even notice you’re alone for much of it.
Embrace Tech
Although you don’t want tech to be a distraction from being sociable while on your travels, it can come in particularly useful. If you find yourself bored and on your own at night, having quick access to Netflix is always a great way to pass the time. Tech is also a great way to be able to stay in touch with your family, and help you feel closer to them if you start feeling a little homesick. Tech can also come in very useful for keeping your budget on track so that you can afford to do all the things you want to do while you’re away. There are many apps which can act as digital financial assistants which can track your spending, let you know if you’re going over budget and show you the currency exchange rate in real time.
