Four years ago, I decided to travel alone for the first time when my friends and I could not agree on the date, place and time for a tourist holiday. Since then, I have been traveling alone and have already visited ten cities in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Georgia and Thailand. I have gained valuable experience and can share it with you.
Why I Chose to Travel Alone
The first solo trip was spontaneous. I was tired of looking for compromises in group tourism, so I chose a place I had long dreamed of - Svaneti in Georgia, packed up and flew to an unfamiliar country on the next flight. My friends were upset with me, but I decided to go anyway, because I was following the path of my ideal trip.
The first experience made it clear that traveling alone is easier and cheaper:
- no disputes over dates, places to visit, excursions and other aspects of the holiday;
- no need to adjust to the peculiarities of fellow travelers;
- It's easier to control your budget.
These advantages outweighed all the disadvantages of solo travel for me, so now I prefer to go to new places alone than to adapt to the interests of others.
Preparing for a solo trip
The first experience of solo travel, although spontaneous, made me understand that it is difficult to relax in a new place without preparation: there is no developed route, you do not know the sights, you choose housing at random, you do not know the peculiarities of the local people and laws. In addition, a planned vacation is cheaper than sudden trips.
In this regard, I have prepared for myself a checklist for preparing for a solo trip:
- Choose a place: don’t just point your finger at the globe, but study the features of the climate, landscape, the subtleties of the local mentality, the situation in the country, the laws;
- Develop a travel route: study the beautiful places you want to visit, interesting sights, unique architectural monuments, museums, so that upon arrival you know how to spend your vacation;
- buy tours, plane tickets, bus tickets, museum tickets, book a guide in advance - it's cheaper than buying everything at the last minute;
- select and book accommodation: this will allow you to avoid unscrupulous owners, choose a convenient location and save money.
Buy a selfie stick or tripod so you don't have to look for passersby who could take your photo. If you're going swimming at the resort, buy special waterproof cases for your phone, wallet, and keys so you can carry the essentials with you and not be afraid of theft.
A beautiful sunset on the island of Phuket in Thailand. I sat there on the first day of my arrival and soaked up the beauty.
How to Deal with First Time Travel Jitters
Traveling alone to a foreign country is scary, but fear is not a reason to refuse the trip. Usually, the unpleasant situations that we play out in our heads are exaggerated or completely impossible. This is often due to a lack of control over the situation, uncertainty, and fear of leaving the comfort zone.
This can be easily combated by carefully planning your trip: from the date of your flight to the cafes you will dine in. With this approach, you will feel in control and thus get rid of anxiety - you will be prepared for any situation while traveling.
In another country there are the same people and tourists, with the same thoughts, desires and problems. From personal experience I will say that in no country have I met such a person who would not help me solve some problem.
For example, when I was traveling alone for the first time, I wanted to walk the route from Mestia to Ushguli. The trail is 50 kilometers long. I didn’t have the right clothes for such a long way. I decided to approach the owner of the house where I was staying and asked for advice on choosing a store with sports equipment. In the end, he took me to a good store, told me about interesting places along the route and suggested what things to take with me.
If you are nervous about traveling to an unknown country, then choose places that are closer. Our compatriots, for example, prefer to go alone to Sochi, Simferopol, Moscow, and those who are more experienced - to Turkey.
First impressions and unexpected discoveries
The first solo trip is an exit from the comfort zone, so the impressions at first are corresponding. You feel insecure, afraid, uncomfortable being alone in an unknown place, afraid of getting lost.
After adaptation, new sensations open up: freedom, joy and awareness of the benefits of traveling alone. I realized how cool it is to be alone with yourself in a beautiful place, how nice it is to meet a picturesque sunrise in a tent in silence, how great it is to meet locals along the way.
Traveling alone is incredibly exciting in a good way. During the trip you get valuable experience and impressions that I wish everyone to experience.
It is especially pleasing that solo travel is becoming popular among our compatriots. According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, the number of Russians traveling alone has grown by 400% in ten years.
On vacation, I have met more than once the same fans of solo travel as I do. It is cool because it is easier to meet such people due to common views on vacation and life in general.
Rented a tent in a glamping in Phuket. I've wanted to try this kind of vacation for a long time. I met a lot of the same solo foreign travelers there.
Safety Tips for Traveling Alone
When solo-tourism, you should pay special attention to safety before the trip. Here are some of my rules:
- write down emergency service, taxi, and embassy numbers in your phone and notebook;
- carry copies of documents with you, save scans on your phone;
- study local laws to avoid going to jail or getting fined;
- download an offline map to your smartphone, set up GPS, install a translator;
- constantly inform relatives and friends about my location, plans and places I plan to visit;
- use the hotel services - book a place in a cafe or restaurant, buy a ticket for an excursion, order a taxi, choose a guide;
- don't stand out from the crowd;
- take inexpensive things with you, power banks;
- choose decent hotels and avoid staying in hostels;
- If possible, travel by public transport rather than calling a taxi;
- assemble a first aid kit to suit your needs and climate;
- don't trust suspicious people;
- Do not abuse alcohol and do not drink in unfamiliar company.
For your first solo trip, it's worth choosing a safe and familiar place. For example, many consider Moscow and St. Petersburg to be the best cities for solo travel.
In a foreign country, you need to behave confidently. Don't be afraid of new acquaintances and see every stranger as a swindler or a robber. Stick to basic safety rules, act thoughtfully, think critically, and listen to your intuition.
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There was no safe in the tent, and it was closed with a zipper. So I took everything valuable with me every time. But by the end of the trip I left everything, as I was convinced that it was safe.
There was no safe in the tent, and it was closed with a zipper. So I took everything valuable with me every time. But by the end of the trip I left everything, as I was convinced that it was safe.
How to Get the Most Out of Traveling Solo
Sometimes when traveling alone I feel apathetic, that I can’t share emotions with my loved ones, I feel lonely when I see cheerful groups of tourists or when I sit in a cafe alone. For this reason, my first piece of advice is: throw away prejudices that prevent you from enjoying and getting new impressions from the trip. Now this type of tourism is becoming more and more popular.
Solo travel is not about deep loneliness and lack of friends. It is about freedom, an unconventional adventure, a unique experience, new impressions, acquaintances and much more that you will not get on joint trips. Traveling alone is a choice, not a forced measure.
Remeber that when you travel solo, you are your own boss: improvise, change your route and plans, go to your favorite places, learn new skills and enjoy your independence.
Also, don't worry if you don't have time to visit or see something. Relax at your own pace: you don't need to do a month's worth of things in a couple of days. Treat it as a simple trip, not as a trip of a lifetime.
Summary and recommendations for future solo travelers
It is easy to go on a trip alone. It is difficult to decide to do it. For this reason, the main recommendation is: do not be afraid and cast aside prejudices. If you carefully plan your trip before the trip, take care of safety and choose a place to your liking, then there will be no problems in the adventure.
It is better to start traveling alone from your home country: you know the language, mentality, laws. The Inntravel.ru website helped me in searching for a place to rest in Russia . The service allows you to choose and book online accommodation for rest, tells about entertainment and ways to spend leisure time at the resort, suggests what is worth trying from the local cuisine, and gives other useful information.
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