Traveling Solo And How You Can Be Prepared

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I’m of the mindset that having no-one to travel with shouldn’t stop you from traveling. If I want to see somewhere and I can’t find anyone who is willing or able to travel with me, then you’ll find me traveling solo. I’ve traveled on my own quite a bit, for both shorter vacations and longer trips. It’s liberating and fun, and having some “me time” is never a bad thing.

That being said there are things you should consider, or at least be prepared for before you go off on your own. It’s not always going to be easy and the way you travel with friends or a partner may not be the same way you travel alone. I’m not going to talk about safety here, because I think we’ve all read enough horror stories of traveling alone to make us aware of the dangers. Be sensible about where you go or who you meet and you’re halfway there. Today I want to talk about some of the more practical things and include some stories of my solo travels.

Hotel or hostel when traveling solo?

It may seem obvious to write, but traveling on your own means you don’t have anyone to share the costs of things with. This includes accommodation, which is often the biggest expense of a trip.

When I was younger I would stay in hostels. They were generally cheap enough to not break the bank being able to just book a bed in a dorm. Hostels are a great place to meet people. Some have bars or restaurants and significantly increase your chances of making new friends. Hotels on the other hand give you privacy and are generally more comfortable. Your room is cleaned daily and you know you won’t have to worry about someone else snoring.

Tequila and dumplings and why hostels are a great accommodation choice

I visited San Diego a few years ago and stayed in the HI San Diego Downtown Hostel there. I was sharing a dorm room with a girl from Washington and we got talking and thought it might be fun to go to Mexico. So the next day we took transit to the Mexican border and walked over into Tijuana. We spent a couple of hours shopping and eating Mexican food, looking around the town. Then I walked back across the border, answering the “anything to declare?” security question by wordlessly holding up my bottle of tequila, and was waved on through! This is something I might not have been comfortable enough doing on my own but it was a great afternoon out.

Another time I was at Mix Hostel in Chengdu, which, if you ever go to China, stay in a hostel. They’re cheaper and generally nicer than the small town hotels. Bonus: western toilets! I was there over Spring Festival, Chinese New Year, and the hostel had a dumpling making party. We spent the evening making and eating Chinese dumplings – I learned a new skill, and got to meet some people. A great experience for everyone but especially those, like me, who were traveling solo.

A good night’s sleep in comfy accommodation

Hostels were great in my twenties. If you’re travelling solo for the first time, or if you are still young enough to function on 4 hours sleep (good for you by the way), hostels are perfect. This may be an over-generalization, but I would think twice about sharing a dormitory now. Hostels at least left me with more money for other activities. I also got to meet some great people. Now though, I’m at the point where I don’t want to take part in the toga party in the corridor at 3 am. I may cause physical harm to the person packing at 5 am using only plastic bags and what I can only imagine to be a bag with 10,000 zips. And the ‘awesome’ bar downstairs now stood between me and a decent night’s sleep. See my post on Nice for another fun accommodation story.

So now I’m more of a hotel person, however as a solo traveler this can often get pretty pricey. Thankfully with my travel industry deals I sometimes get a good rate. And if I can’t find one, I’ll look for a budget hotel that doesn’t look like Norman Bates operates it. In my quest to find a cheap place I can afford on my own I often don’t research enough. There was the ‘murder motel’ in L.A. The ‘murder motel’ in Seattle. The ‘double-booked-move-every-night’ hotel that flooded in Rome, and the ‘bed bug companions for free’ hotel in Bangkok. My advice, is don’t go for the cheapest, and if it looks questionable, move on. Make sure to do your research. You live and learn right?

What type of transportation is best for solo travelers

If you’re not prepared for where you are going, transportation can be another big expense on your trip. I think we’ve all had the feeling that we’re exhausted from travelling and taking a taxi is the easiest option. But without anyone to share this cost with, it might not be the most economical.

High speed trains in China…

I love travelling by train. It’s usually the most relaxing way to travel. I can sit back and read my book, and stations are clearly marked which makes it easier in a foreign country. If I’m in big cities I will try to use the metro/subway train system, especially to get to and from the airport. I used the train all the time when I was in China. In Beijing when I would visit the metro system was a great way to get around, generally much cleaner than the buses and easier to use. When I wanted to get from city to city in China I would take the high speed train for shorter distances, or the sleeper train for longer distances. 

The high speed train is really efficient, although a stressful experience to begin with if you’re traveling alone. In my city of Jinan the stairs to the platform weren’t accessible until 2 minutes before the train departed. Cue the two minute warning, the doors to the platform open. Hundreds of people are rushing to the same train, station attendants yelling at everyone to get on the train. One particular day I had all my luggage to carry down two flights of stairs, then try to find my train car. In 2 minutes! Everyone was ushered into the nearest door so the train could depart. Absolute chaos, but at least once I eventually got to my seat it was a comfortable, relaxing ride.

…And barely moving Chinese sleeper trains

Flying across China is easier, but not sustainable when you’re living there on a lower wage and you want to maximize your traveling. Eventually you end up on a sleeper train with bunk beds, the higher the bed the cheaper the price. I went on a train journey from Xian to Jinan. I was on the top bunk in a room with 6 beds. Two on either side, three high. I settled in for a 17 hour overnight train journey. We played cards, chatted in English to students who wanted to practice, and tried to sleep to a chorus of snores.

We had been due to get to our destination at about 8am so at 7am when I woke up and realised we were in the middle of nowhere, I started to worry. Turns out we weren’t even halfway to our destination. We were stuck because of snow on the tracks. Nobody seemed concerned though. The staff weren’t really giving us information and when we asked people what was going on they told us they didn’t know but were “sure it would be fine”. 

Looking out the window I noticed there were two men shoveling snow in front of the train, then it moved along a few feet. Then they shoveled a bit more, and we moved again. If they were planning on doing this for the next 500km we were in for a long day. We arrived into Jinan 13 hours late, our 17 hour train journey had become 30 hours. Throughout all of this nobody got mad. They seemed to just accept everything that was happening. I feel like this would not be the case back home. Perhaps this is the norm, I never found out. Next time I took the plane!

Read more about my first trip to China and all the cultural shocks here

How to avoid taxi scams when traveling

I think of myself as a pretty savvy traveler. Most of the time you can see a scam coming a mile away. But every now and again, usually through tiredness from traveling, I get sucked in and I end up kicking myself. It’s easy to do, you just have to be more aware when you are a traveling solo. A couple of taxi experiences I wanted to share so you don’t fall for the same thing. While they can happen to anyone, I feel that traveling solo made me more likely to be targeted. While they were an inconvenience, some situations can get worse especially as a solo female traveler. If it doesn’t feel right, maybe it’s not.

Taken for a ride in a Thailand taxi

I remember arriving in Thailand for the first time. I’d lived in China for 2 years and felt pretty confident in Asia on my own. I took the shuttle bus from the airport to downtown Bangkok to save money. But from where the bus dropped me off to my hotel looked like a 15 minute walk with luggage so I took a taxi. Tired from a long flight, and late at night, I jumped in a taxi and gave my hostel address.

We arrived and the driver told me the price…three times more than I would pay for a taxi back home! And only a 5 minute ride! I was kicking myself for being stupid enough not to check the meter was going. I looked like a clueless tourist so he made up an exorbitant rate. Luckily this is when my bargaining skills kicked in and I got it down considerably which I don’t think he was expecting. But I was still mad at myself. Rule #1: Always check the meter is on or there is a fixed rate agreed upon beforehand!

Played in Paris with a fake French taxi

In November I was in Paris. I’ve never taken a taxi there. If coming from the airport, I always take the train. If coming from the train station, I always take the Metro. With a couple of bags, and the fact my hotel would have meant changing twice on the Metro I thought it would be easier to take a taxi. How I wish I’d taken the train…

Standing in the taxi line outside Paris Gare de l’Est, an “attendant” told me I was in the wrong line. That was the line only for those going to the airport, not within the city. So he takes me to another place to wait and walks off. I wait, a “taxi” arrives and tells me to get in. It’s an unmarked black car, so I’m skeptical. Pointing out that he’s not a cab, he argues that he is and that he is Uber. At this point I try to move back to the Taxi line when the first guy yells at me, telling me I’m holding up the line.

Stupidly I get in, but checked the rate up front. I was told it would be EUR 18 or 19. When he drops me off he tells me it’s EUR 90! I refused to pay so he called his boss, and they’re all shouting at me and each other. He drops to EUR 75 but after some more shouting I got away with EUR 50. I can’t believe I fell for it and got in. I feel like this may not have happened if I wasn’t on my own. Also my option of just getting out of the car is impossible when travelling on my own as my luggage was in the trunk. Rule #2: Don’t get in unmarked cars, only official taxis.

How to dine alone while traveling

For all my solo travel, I still have a bit of anxiety around eating alone. Not so much the eating alone, just more when you first go into a restaurant and have to declare to the host that you’d like a table for one. Then they repeat, “for one?” and you have to say yes as you’re sure they’re judging your lack of friends. In reality no-one probably cares and it’s all in my head, but it always takes a little more effort to pluck up the courage and go for it. I’ve never had anyone ask me “where are all your friends?”, or “why are you eating alone?”.

Choosing a restaurant when traveling solo

I often avoid certain types of restaurants when dining alone. Is it mostly couples? Is there mood lighting? If so I’ll move on. Pubs are a good go to. They generally have a good array of food and are much more relaxed than a restaurant so personally I feel more comfortable.

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I always carry a book when I travel. That way I can read while waiting for my food to be served. I also prefer to have a window seat so I can people watch. I guess you just have to find what works for you, and the more I travel the more I realize I’m not going to skip dinner just because I feel a bit awkward for the first 30 seconds.

How not to lose your table when dining alone

The one thing I do find difficult when traveling solo and dining, is going to the bathroom. Not wanting to leave my things at the table, but taking it with me I risk the chance of my food or drink being taken away prematurely. I find it best to go as soon as I order my drink (before it comes) or at the end of the meal before I leave. I usually give the server a heads up so they know not to clear the table. Or I try to leave something of no value so that others know the table is taken. Like cheap sunglasses, or my book, maybe a sweater.

I visited the UK recently and found an additional problem. In UK pubs you order from the bar. It was a sunny day so I had no jacket, and I’d forgotten my book. I had nothing to claim my table, but needed to order across the room. Stood in line at the bar on a busy Friday evening I had to abandon my place a couple times to shoo people away from my table. “Well no-one was sitting here” was what I got in response. I wanted to say “that’s because I can’t be in two places at once” but instead I apologized for the inconvenience in a British way.

Can you overdo the alone time while traveling solo?

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy traveling with people, but I also enjoy traveling alone. People wonder why I do it and how I don’t get lonely. That’s a big question I get all the time. But for me I don’t mind as much. I’m happy to keep myself entertained, visit the places I want to visit and eat where I want to eat. I’m naturally more introverted so don’t always need a group of people around me to feel happy and complete in my travels. Plus I’m an only child so years of practice on my own.

Keeping myself entertained on a solo trip

If Jeff isn’t able to travel with me, or I go somewhere for work, I still want to explore on my own. Not being with anyone is not going to stop me. Like eating out alone, certain other activities take more effort to convince myself I’m OK to do on my own. Going to the theater for example. I’ve been to a couple of shows on my own in London. In Denver last year I went to the Broncos NFL game by myself. It’s like being in the restaurant. The first 30 seconds might be awkward but I get past it.

I’m happy enough to wander for hours in a new city by myself. I like that I can plan my own day and see everything. If I see somewhere I really want to visit I just go, which is especially good if it’s something that wouldn’t interest a traveling companion. I also like to have the hotel room to myself sometimes. It’s nice to be able to go out for dinner, and then return to the room and have a nice bubble bath and have a drink. Spread out in the middle of the king size bed and watch TV.

When is traveling solo too much alone time?

There are times when I travel, especially if I’ve been gone for a while, where it gets a bit lonely. Other than ordering my food, or a quick couple of words exchange in a gift shop I realize I haven’t spoken to anyone for days. As a solo traveler, I think it’s important to make sure you mix in some social time with your traveling. Sign up for a tour where you will get chatting to other people, mix in a hostel between your hotel stays to meet some other people. Start planning your next trip here.

I’ve met some great people in hostels and signed up for some good tours too. Likewise when staying in a hotel, it might be worth sitting in the hotel bar for a drink than just heading straight to your room when you return. Sitting at the bar rather than a table is often a better way to get chatting to people. Another helpful source of meeting up with people is the Facebook Group “Girls Love Travel”. You have to join the group, but there are some people who often say they are visiting a new city and would love to meet up with others to do a tour or socialize. A great way for women to connect while traveling solo.

Everyone should travel alone at least once in their life

When I was younger I didn’t really travel. My Dad didn’t like flying so we never left the UK. I went on a couple of school trips it that wasn’t really traveling alone. I even passed up an opportunity to move to a different city for university because I was afraid of leaving home. A few years later and I decided I was moving to Canada for 6 months. That was in 2006. I live in Canada now and it has been my home permanently for almost 10 years.

Without traveling solo, I never would have discovered who I was or what I wanted to do. I wouldn’t have had half the amazing experiences I can now fondly tell people about. My love of travel realized, I moved to China on my own for 2 years and traveled around the world after that. I was scared at times, lonely at other times, but I can tell you I don’t regret a single thing about it. Well except maybe getting in that taxi in Thailand.

If you’ve enjoyed this post please leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. What does traveling solo mean to you? Have you ever taken a solo trip? Let me know any advice you would give someone for their first time