New Year, New You

It’s that time of the year when everyone makes grand statements of expectations for what they want and hope to achieve in the New Year but it usually lasts the month of January or for a couple of weeks thereafter, then return to status quo.

Whatever your goals are, I hope you have a reasonable plan to bring them to fruition. One of my goals last year was to get out of my comfort zone by embarking on a solo travel and boy, did I! I embarked on two solo travels to five countries in 2018 and within those countries, I maximized my experiences by visiting local cities and nearby countries on day trips.

For example, on my inaugural solo travel to Copenhagen, I took a $36 equivalent train ride across the Oresund to Malmo in Sweden on a day trip, met a friend there and we took a 15 minute train ride to a small University town, Lund, for the Lund Cathedral and its Astronomical Clock.

This year, I want to continue that solo travel trend (and keep moving out of my comfort zone) and I’ve been surprised at the number of women who really want to solo travel but cannot…or think they cannot; and I get a barrage of questions from them about how I begun and how to start.

Thus, I got the idea to pen down a few tips on how to go about making this your year of solo travel with these useful solo travel tips for novices.

 

Related: Solo Travel Musings of an Introvert

 

1. Start Small – Explore Local

We all have different personalities and tolerance levels so before you take the plunge into this big, beautiful world of ours, see how you fare in familiar surroundings alone.

Indulge in a weekend away in a town or city close to your city of residence; somewhere close enough that you feel comfortable in but far enough that you cannot get home in 30 mins if anxiety overwhelms you.

Stay in a bed ‘n’ breakfast and explore said town or city exactly as a tourist would, because you are one. Research what to see and do beforehand so that you are prepared to make great use of your time. Peruse the tourist site of the city for tips or inquire from your local BnB host on interesting things to do within city limits for your comfort.

If a practice weekend away seems a big step, just do a day trip to a nearby town or city and that will work. You know we always have things to see in nearby towns that we never get the time to so use this reason to practice exploring on your own. I know that most people dread being their own company hence the reticence towards solo travel and if this is you and you want to embark on a solo travel, you really have to get very comfortable with yourself and doing things this way as this is how it is travelling solo in unfamiliar climes.

This tip is great practice because you get comfortable with approaching strangers, asking for assistance, discovering food sources – it sounds like hunting lol –  and being in unfamiliar surroundings just as I do on my overnight stay in the beautiful town of Hudson.

2. What Type of Solo Traveller Are You?

“Huh!? What does this even mean!?”, you ask exasperatedly.Well, brethren, it is a very valid question because we don’t have the same personality type or tolerance levels hence you need to know what you want to get out of a solo travel.

First things first. Decide on what kind of solo travel suits you and your personality type in addition to what you would like to see, do, eat and experience on your travels.

For example, I am an introvert – more like ambivert in the right company – and love, love, love unique museums on a place’s culture & history as well as areas with beautiful nature, historical sights, transport accessibility and basic modernity because I will always be a city girl.

Hence, my premier solo travel was to beautiful Copenhagen from whence I undertook an affordable day trip to Malmo and Lund across the Oresund. Although Copenhagen is in the top 10 most expensive cities list, I still find a way to travel affordably by doing my research before leaving.

If you’re into outdoor activities, look into hiking in Banff, Canada, the Colorado mountains or even water activities in the Caribbean. Just do what you feel comfortable engaging in and remember, it’s a solo travel so it’s all about YOU.

3. Location, Location, Location…

Continuing from above, align your potential location with your personality type and activity choice and get to searching. Pinterest is a great start on solo travel tips, travel how-to itineraries, guides and even culture, if you’re into that. There is something for everyone on Pinterest and you will fall down a rabbit hole researching towns and cities.

It can be overwhelming so make a list of countries and narrow them down by cities or towns and research on Pinterest or Google. After this, research affordable destination rates with Booking below where you can book now and pay later.

Believe me, this is the best way to get over solo travel jitters as you feel like you’ve burst through an invisible wall and are one concrete step towards embarking on your inaugural solo travel. Even after two solo travels under my belt, I still feel slight jitters over my next one but I know research and itinerary planning will overtake me and it’ll be pure excitement. Once I book that flight, I know that it is ON! Lol.

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4. Choose Your Season

“Winter, spring, summer or faaaallll…” The seasons affect everything from the cost of travel and accommodation to availability of popular seasonal activities and even the depth of crowds.

If you detest large crowds, like moi, summer is the worst time to travel to popular North American, Caribbean or European cities, but if that is your choice or the only time you can travel, research cheaper cities in your country of choice where you can take a cheap bus or train ride to the capital city nearby for the experience.

For example, everyone comes to New York City in the summer and the sidewalks throb with humanity all year round. Of course, accommodation costs are through the roof so find a cheaper North-East city to fly into and stay in, say Philadelphia or even Baltimore, and check Wanderu for cheap bus or train tickets to New York City.

If you have specific seasonal attractions to experience like, European Christmas markets, then you know that winter is the only season to experience these so plan this unique solo travel well in advance.

5. Make a List and Check it Twice.

No, luv. This list isn’t for Santa but for you. Since this is your solo travel without friends or family, I understand your apprehension because I went through it too.

To be ever so sure on your journey, make sure you do these things before you leave home:

• Verify visa requirements from the consulate itself. U.S. passport holders can travel most of Europe without a visa for 3 months but few European countries outside the Schengen area might require a visa.
• Make physical copies of your passport bio-data page. Keep one with you in a different place from your passport, keep one at home and another with a trusted person who can be reached in case of emergency.
• Scan or take a screenshot of your bio-data page and email it to yourself AND save a copy in the cloud too.
• Go old school and print out paper copies of flight and accommodation itineraries. I know we have apps for these but what if you lose your phone or it runs out of battery power at the most inopportune moment? Huh??

6. Get Snap Happy!

Yes, yes. I know that solo travel is meant to explore the scene and culture of a place but let’s not act all holier-than-thou like it’s not for Instagrammable photos or unique selfies in exotic locations. I’m guilty of this and so are you too. Lol. I use my smartphone for fire pics and edit with Snapseed on the go but I also have an inexpensive digital camera for when my phone needs to rest.

If you use your smartphone for pictures, videos, directions and whatnot, it comes as no surprise when it runs down and requires on-the-go charging. For juicing your phone, get a portable battery pack that can charge without a travel adaptor or you hunting down a cafe, buying coffee and chaining yourself to the wall till your device is fully charged.

Furthermore, we all know roaming fees that come with using your service provider abroad and to counter-act this, I always turn off data and switch it back on for 10 minutes when I need Google Maps. I never post on-the-go for security reasons as outlined further down, but this is a blessing in disguise as I’m getting more comfortable with a couple of hours of digital detox on a solo travel.

Nevertheless, if you prefer 24/7 internet access, it is best to inquire from your service provider how much extra Wifi abroad costs for the duration of your solo travel or buy their portable Wifi hotspot device, whichever comes out cheaper.

7. Travel Insurance

Speaking of lost electronics, make sure to invest in travel insurance, or as Chris Rock calls it, “in case s**t happens…” Lol.  I can hear you saying, “another expense!” but it is not. For as little as $15, you can get coverage for cancelled flights, lost luggage, medical, dental and so much more! Some credit cards offer free travel insurance if you purchase your flight tickets through them so whip out those cards and start making calls to confirm any travel privileges accorded you.

8. Itineraries or Not…

Have an itinerary of your trip. To maximize your solo travel, know what you want to do each day based on your research so as not to walk aimlessly about. You don’t have to follow it to the letter and I personally leave room for spontaneity but have ideas of what to see and do daily.

For my second solo travel to the BeNeLux region – Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg – I planned each day to the letter because I was going through three countries, several cities and could not afford any glitches. I made Brussels my base city of arrival and departure, spent two nights exploring Amsterdam’s culture and did a day tour to South Belgium and Luxembourg City. In between, I also experienced the lovely city of Haarlem in the Netherlands as well as the historic cities of Ghent and Bruges in Belgium with their UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Don’t get me wrong; I spent two days in Brussels sleeping off my fatigue after my whirlwind tour of Amsterdam and this too was factored into my itinerary as I had nothing planned for those days. If I chose to, I could’ve been spontaneous with those extra days but I knew I’d be exhausted so I chose to sleep.

Having an itinerary definitely helps you narrow down what you can experience in the time you have booked as well as research cost of entry, accommodation and attractions of these experiences before hand. Yes. I did all of these too. If you prefer to just wing it and go wherever the wind blows, so long as you feel comfortable, go for it!

I am meticulous about my travels and even have screenshots of directions and maps just in case I don’t have access to paper maps. This is me, a Capricorn. You don’t have to do all this if you don’t want to.

9. As Light As a Feather

No. I don’t mean become weightless but pack lightly. I prefer carry-on for European and Caribbean travel as you spend less time waiting for luggage and minimize the traumatizing experience of dealing with lost luggage overseas.

Trust me when I say that you’ll wear less clothes than you pack except of course, you’re one of those folks who do photo shoots with different hourly attires. In that case, I say, carry on! No pun intended.

10. Be Safe, Secure & Aware

As solo travellers, especially women, it is imperative that we stay alert and keep safe at all times. We’ve all heard stories of perverts trying to gain access to hotel rooms or Air bnb accommodations with extra door keys or shady hosts setting our gut instincts all a-rumble.

Sadly, we’ve read of the recent death of Grace Millane in New Zealand and that is what gets family members worried when they hear us say the words “solo travel”. Read well the solo travel tips below on being aware during travel and tools that can help in keeping safe and secure.

Safety Stats & Stories

I recently attended the NYT Travel Show in New York City and one of the seminars I went to was on safety tips for women solo travellers. A panelist from AIG gave stats on female safety as well as very useful awareness tips and apps to look into. Heck, I didn’t even know that AIG was into travel!

First of all, go to Geosure and download their app on iOs and Google Play. It is a personalized safety app that scores 28,000 locations across seven categories like women’s safety, LGBTQ, political freedoms, health & safety, theft, physical harm and overall safety.

The lower the score, the safer the location, and it can be used by frantic parents to monitor the ambience and security of their children’s locations and neighbourhoods during solo travel or at home.

According to TravelZoo UK, 40% of women are not taking basic safety measures during travel and 31.4% of female business travellers have encountered sexual harassment while travelling. Time to turn the tide.

In addition, know the local culture and harassment laws of the city or country you’re visiting so as to not offend or get into trouble. A panelist mentioned how in Kuala Lumpur, she was followed and flashed by a local and she almost brought out her pepper spray to use on him…but at the last minute, he left her alone.

It was only after she returned home and researched her experience did she discover that pepper spray was illegal in Malaysia and had she used it, would’ve been potentially jailed… all for protecting herself from her harasser. Hmmn.

This goes without saying but in Muslim-centric areas where headscarves and modest clothing are required, please, wear them, and don’t bring western-centric opinions about clothing to locals. Respect the culture to stay safe and obscure while you enjoy your solo travel.

I mention having an itinerary for pre-arranged experiences but they are useful for safety reasons too. People at home need to have a general idea of where you are or will be every day for emergency sake. If you choose to be spontaneous and spurn an itinerary, at least keep in hourly contact with a friend or relative at home.

Whatsapp is free and runs on Wifi – yes, you can use free Wifi for this, but be mindful – to enable you stay in touch. My mum messages me often when I’m on solo travel and if I don’t respond in a timely fashion, she calls, video calls, messages me on social media and emails till I respond. Lol.

Speaking of social media, refrain from posting your real-time location. I know we all want to stunt for the ‘gram but safety first. You can “check-in” hours or a day after you leave because you don’t know who is watching. I mean, you can post the city or country but not necessarily the accommodation you’re in.

For Heaven’s sake, please don’t “check into” your current accommodation when on a solo travel, especially! If you feel you might combust if you don’t post a current location, use caution and again, no current accommodation exact location.

I know that solo travel is all about experiencing a new location and interacting with people and culture but be smart about this and do not follow random folks to the latest underground club or whatever. Sure, it might be totally legit and you meet the love of your life or your next bff… or it could be an ambush for the naive foreigner. Apply caution.

I am a Black woman and in countries where there isn’t a large African population, like Denmark and Sweden, I know that I stand out in my long braids and attract coy stares. I never felt unsafe – in fact, I had such a swell time in Copenhagen – but, I still researched the city, hate crimes and female safety, and let’s just say that they put America to shame. Sigh.

Security Tools

a. To foil nefarious attempts of pervs and creeps, buy a portable door brace that stops unauthorized entry, requires no tools for assembly and is ideal for a hotel or dorm room.

b. Have you ever gone for a night out and wished your hands were free instead of carrying a purse with your passport and valuables within? Change that by getting an affordable security infinity scarf that features a hidden pocket for your passport, ID and even jewellery. It comes in various colours and will not look out of place on your attire.

c. Another wonderful dividend of smart tech keeping us safe is the portable and waterproof travel security wallet with RFID blocking technology. For those not in the know, RFID stands for for Radio-Frequency IDentification and refers to technology where digital data encoded in RFID tags or smart labels are captured by a reader via radio waves.

This is the latest method by which identity theft occurs at home and abroad. You don’t have to have your passport or card physically stolen anymore; an RFID reader within a few feet can capture pertinent details and be sold on the black market for a fortune. The pros and cons of tech, huh?

d. Speaking of the dark side of tech, we all love free WiFi, innit? My hands are up because I’m very guilty of logging into free WiFi of reputable spots for social media. Similar to RFID theft, hackers can spoof the genuine WiFi name of a reputable location to lure people desperate to access the internet.

It’s one thing going on social media with free WiFi – which can be unsafe – but it’s another thing to log on to access bank accounts and personal sites where your details can be spoofed and used to wipe you out. Heaven forbid! To prevent this, use reputable proxy VPNs available on iTunes and Google Play. If you have to pay a couple of dollars for a reputable VPN app, splurge, girl!

e. The final security tool every solo travel female must have – even at home – is Wandersafe. This is a flashlight, strobe and personal alarm all-in-one and in event of unease or emergency, press a button to automatically notify your pre-set contacts via text with a map of your current location. I’m getting one for my next solo travel and it is also available on Google play and iOs.

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Don’t use the excuse of being an introvert to put off solo travel because that dog does not hunt but do be mindful of all solo travel tips chronicled above especially the safety and security tips. I am glad that I am now comfortable with going on another solo travel, if I choose to, but even with my comfort, I still actively research cities and their safety.

I hope that these solo travel tips inspire you to plan your inaugural solo travel in 2019 (and beyond) and tick one personal goal off your resolution list.

Don’t forget to comment and share on whether you’ve done a solo travel or have plans for it this year…as well as any other tried and true solo travel tips you swear by.

Thank you for reading and don’t forget to share and Pin graphic below. See you on the social streets! xoxo

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