Solo travel can be rewarding in more ways than one! Traveling by yourself means you’re not stuck with other people’s schedules, and you can set your own pace, but it also means you have to be prepared to make friends, navigate complex transportation systems, and stay safe all on your own.
Focus on your own experience
The best way to master solo travel is by trying it. There’s no better teacher than experience. You can read all of Rick Steves’ Europe guidebooks and take as many Spanish classes as you like, but it won’t teach you anything about yourself. So, if you want to master solo travel and improve your Spanish-speaking abilities simultaneously, stop reading and book a flight! You have nothing to lose!
Continue reading for solo travel advice if you’re still not convinced. After you’ve gained some firsthand experience, come back here for more useful advice from great travel advisor.
Focus on local life
Going on a solo journey can be frightening. However, avoiding tourist traps and spending time with locals should be among your top goals. The ideal way to do so is to hire a local travel advisor who can introduce you to other expats, local businesses, and local-only sights around town. So before booking any airfare or hotels for your trip, take some time researching your destination’s expat community, so you know where to go—and where not to go—when you arrive.
Set realistic expectations
Yes, traveling alone is exciting, but it can also be daunting and expensive. A great travel advisor will set realistic expectations for clients who want to master solo travel. As a solo traveler, you will likely want a little extra help and advice from your travel advisor—like insights on activities that are good for singles or recommendations of hotels with good singles reputations. You may also need some help budgeting your time and finances while you’re abroad (though, again, solo travelers often find they don’t spend much more than they do at home). Budgeting is essential for solo travel; without proper research of local prices and hotel options, you might miss out on a fantastic experience. That’s why talking to a great travel advisor beforehand is so important.
Learn Spanish (and where to learn it)
If you’re thinking about visiting Costa Rica, you’ll likely need to learn Spanish before heading there. Whether you learn on your own or take a formal class, taking a short Spanish course will make your life much easier—and enriching—when visiting. A wealth of free online resources is available from nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Just remember that any lessons you choose should be geared toward what you want to get out of your experience: Do you want a fun way to meet people and feel like less of an outsider when traveling alone? Or do you want more structure so that speaking with locals feels more natural once you arrive at your destination?
Create an itinerary with help from locals
It’s easy to think we can do everything alone, but that doesn’t mean we should. Technology can be a great travel advisor if you use it wisely, but it can also turn against you if not used correctly. Before booking your flight, ask locals for advice on where to go and what to see. Also, make sure you book a room with an ocean view! (this will help keep your mind at ease)
The first thing I would do is get myself some good walking shoes and start exploring! I would then try and find out where all of my friends are going so I could join them for dinner or drinks. I would then head over to Playas del Coco beach because it’s super pretty.
Try New Things, Meet Local People
We all fear things we don’t know, but solo travel is about facing those fears. It would help if you made yourself try new things every day and push your comfort zone. Try something every day that scares you and see how you grow from it. This helps with cultural barriers and will give you something unique to talk about while networking with people.
Use technology wisely
Technology has been a game-changer for travel, giving us more tools than ever to make travel more accessible and offer us new ways to connect with locals. But if you don’t have your wits about you, these shiny new technologies can also make solo travel a lot less safe.
Make sure you use every technological tool at your disposal wisely; get all set up with international incident management insurance before heading off on your adventure, and pack a prepaid cell phone card to call home in an emergency (or call local authorities if necessary). Keep your belongings safe with apps like Find My iPhone or go old school with something like Pacsafe City Safe.
Final Thoughts
As long as you’re safe and having fun, traveling solo is an experience unlike any other. Though it takes some adjusting, being on your own can also be an exciting and rewarding challenge—and one that will leave you with amazing stories for years to come. Many memorable moments and incredible sites to see when traveling solo, from sunsets on beaches to hidden wildlife at national parks.
