As a solo traveler, these are the top five questions that I often get asked when it comes to traveling solo.
What made you want to start traveling solo?
When you travel solo, you get to see the world at your own pace … There’s no one there to rush you along, you get to do all of the things that you want to do without hearing any complaints from others, and you get to reconnect with yourself!
Do you worry about safety?
No, not at all! Just like things can happen in your hometown, things can happen anywhere … you can’t live your life in fear! But, I will say this, I won’t travel to any country that’s listed as a level 3 or higher on the government travel advisories website. Level 3 is advising travelers to reconsider their travel plans, while level 4 says in plain language, do not travel. Say no more …
Isn’t it expensive to travel alone?
Travel doesn’t have to be expensive … I hate to admit this, but I stay on the Frontier Airlines app, constantly looking for flight deals out of Philadelphia International Airport. And, I’ve been pretty successful … I was able to book a roundtrip flight to Orlando for $50; I got a flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico to St Thomas USVI for $21. In regards to the accommodations, I’ll do a Google search to find hotels in the area and then I’ll book directly with the hotels and if the rates aren’t to my liking, I’ll find a nice a condo or home through Airbnb or VRBO.
How do you find things to do alone?
Your first source for recommendations will always come from friends/family that have visited your destination in the past. Once I get all of their recommendations, I’ll make a list and look into each one of their recommendations. From there, I will check out Viator, TripAdvisor, Groupon, Living Social, and even Airbnb — Airbnb has an experiences tab that has a lot of cool things listed for you try out! Everything listed on the apps are rated and come with plenty of reviews to help you narrow things down for your solo experience!
And the last question is always, do you have any tips that you can share that will help me to be able to plan/take my first solo trip?
And, these are the seven tips that I always share …
Do your homework.
Ask yourself, why do I want to visit? Did a friend recently return from a trip raving about all the fun that they had? Or, are you like me?! And, something popped up on your social media feed that sparked your interest. Know where you’re going and what they have to offer, because you’ll be absolutely miserable if you fly out somewhere and it’s not the vibe you thought it was going to be …
Know where you’re staying.
Don’t be sold on the pictures alone, because a lot of the listings today have filters … Like, who would’ve thought?! But, yes, a lot of filtered pics to mask wall and furniture imperfections. So, take your time, and look for places that are close to the attractions that you’re going to check out. Allow Google to be your best friend when researching neighborhoods and things like that … And, once you’ve narrowed down your top picks to stay, read the most recent reviews, along with those 1 star reviews, and compare. Sometimes starting out as an Airbnb host, there will be a couple of issues … What you’re looking to see happen, is whether or not the host took those reviews and made the necessary changes for future guests. If changes were made, you can consider that Airbnb as a potential accommodation for your upcoming trip.
Pack for the occasion.
Whenever I’m traveling solo, I match my outfits up to my itinerary, nothing more, nothing less … Extra undergarments and socks, if anything!
Bring back up.
Bring cash, credit cards, and a fully charged power bank, because you just never know …
The cash is for emergencies or for when cash is the only accepted form of payment. Not to mention, if you ever find yourself visiting a place that doesn’t have a reliable internet connection, having the cash on hand allows you to be able to settle your tab without any worries … this goes for hotel stays, too!
Create an airtight itinerary and stick to it.
The best thing you can do as a solo traveler is plan out your day from beginner to end - your itinerary should include all meals, activities, and any time not accounted for … Once completed, save it and share with a close relative or friend, just to be on the safe side. Stick to your itinerary and if you should find that you’re off schedule or you need to make a change, update your close relative or friend, so they’re aware …
Know how you’re getting around.
If you’re like me, coming from a major city, you have many options when it comes to getting around … But, where you’re visiting that may not be the case - they may have Uber and not Lyft or the other way around … or they may have neither as an option! I’ll use St Thomas, as an example — they didn’t have Uber or Lyft on the island, they rely heavily on their taxi system. With Uber or Lyft, you expect to pay for the ride itself, whereas in St Thomas, you are charged a fee, per person - in most cases this fee was to be paid in cash, because a lot of the cab drivers didn’t have access to a card reader.
Do not overindulge.
Overindulging in alcohol, not food! I’m a foodie, so a lot of the places I visit, I’m visiting because I saw a few cool TikToks and I read a lot of amazing reviews that had me wanting to fly out to the check them out the next day! It’s okay to have a drink or two with your meal, but know your limit/tolerance level, because you’re alone and you just never know who’s watching you … And, this also goes without saying, never leave your drink unattended … if you leave it, when you return consider it trash!
Traveling solo is an experience you will never forget … so don’t waste another minute trying to decide, just do it, and let the good times roll!
Contact Information:
For any inquiries, please feel free to reach out to me via e-mail at thiswomantravels@yahoo.com.