- Be Alert! This is the biggest and greatest tip I can offer to the solo traveler. You have to consciously and actively be aware of your surroundings at all times. This includes in cabs/Ubers. At no point should you let your guard down. Always think the worse and prepare yourself. I personally always keep my phone in my hand just in case I need to make an emergency call. I always make eye contact with every person I cross just in the event I need to identify them in a police line up. I am always looking around, in front, behind me, just so I know what’s going on. If you are alert you can prevent anything that could go wrong.
- Be friendly. Being nice can definitely go a long way. Simply smiling with the person you make eye contact with can help you skip a line of even get that photo you need to post to the gram. Being nice, friendly, and polite can definitely help in the long run.
- Ask questions. Do not be afraid to ask questions or ask for help. Many solo travelers don’t want to look out of place so they navigate on their own. There is absolutely no need to do this. By asking questions you can alleviate any unnecessary time spent on possibly being lost. Simply asking questions gets you to where you need to be!
- Do you! Don’t be afraid to do you because of getting caught up on what others may think. Whenever I’m solo I always get in my head thinking “they must think I’m a loner”, “why would someone be by themselves?”. IT DOESN’T MATTER! When you do you, the outside noise is irrelevant. Take that trip by yourself if you know it’ll make YOU happy!
- Have fun! The ultimate reason why most travel is to have fun. If you are not enjoying your traveling experience, refer back to #4 because you clearly are not doing you. You don’t invest time and money to not have fun so that is for sure a top priority and you should never lose sight of that.
Ultimately solo traveling is not bad. Having a set itinerary is best, but moving on a whim may work for others. When traveling solo keep these things in mind. They have worked for me and I think they can work for others.
