8 Tips for Solo Travel

As mentioned in my previous post — I got the somewhat crazy idea three years ago to head to Europe for the first time, by myself! (Yes, my Mom and Dad probably have a few more gray hairs thanks to my experience-seeking ways.)  So if you’re here because you have decided a solo trip is in your future, then congrats! It will truly be an adventure of a lifetime.  You may come away from it and decide you prefer to travel with others (or you may only want to travel solo!!), but no matter what, you’ll come away with a much greater appreciation and understanding of yourself.

As you start your planning, here are some key tips and takeaways for traveling solo from my own experiences:

Safety

The key is to stay aware and do your best to seem like you know what you’re doing… not much different from what you would do in NYC or DC.  Avoid beggars/street vendors, don’t let people put things on you (like bracelets), keep your luggage, etc… I had perfected my “don’t even try to talk to me” face by the end of my trip.  Though I did travel in the off-season so there was less of a risks of pick-pocketers being out and about, this advice would apply anytime of year.

This was my choice, but I was never out past 9pm… I would go to early dinners then head back to my AirBnb to relax, have a glass of wine I bought at the local store, read my book, or do some research for the next day… I personally felt more comfortable/safe not being out late.

Everywhere I traveled people spoke at least some level of English… a few were slightly annoyed to have to use it, but I expected that…. I mastered a Bonjour+Hello combo as a greeting in Paris so someone would not start rattling off to me in French.

Lodging

I stayed in eight AirBnBs and most of them were in a shared apartment. Booking my own room but in a shared apartment ended up being wonderful, both with safety because there is a “person on the ground” that kind of knows your whereabouts (at least when you’re supposed to arrive and leave); and also great because the host/hostess can give suggestions on some of their local favorites.  I literally didn’t try one thing in Brussels that my two hosts didn’t suggest.  It was Awesome with a capital A.

You’d probably meet more travelers in a hostel, but I felt safer staying at someone’s house who had been vetted by AirBnB and had high reviews/ratings from other people who have stayed.  I also chose to stay places based on location… every place I stayed was basically smack in the middle of things.  That way I was able to walk almost everywhere and rely minimally on other means of transportation.

 Planning/Booking

I planned my 21 days European adventure kind of oddly… I chose my dates and booked my flight to London and from Rome, then figured out what cities I could do in between and only be an hour or two train or plane ride…  then booked my AirBnBs and activities.  This trip for me was a “large sampling” of Europe as I had never been, so I was in each city only two-ish days.  Surprisingly, for most places two days was enough to get a good feel for the area (though I clocked about 10 miles a day walking).  I ended up really enjoying the random cities I included like Brussels and Munich too.

Activities

In nearly every city I scheduled one of those hop-on-hop-off bus tours (hello tourist!) or a walking tour for the first day I was in a new city.  This helped get me oriented really quickly with the city’s layout and the different neighborhoods I wanted to explore while I was there.

Packing

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m extremely efficient at packing.  I packed one carry-on and a bag for 21 days and besides wishing I had packed more socks, that amount served me well.

I packed items that could be layered and majority of the clothing was black (one to fit in most everywhere and two because it doesn’t show dirt).  Hindsight is always 20/20, but the one thing I wish I had thought to do prior to this journey was to buy a pack of underwear and a pack of socks and just toss them after I had worn them.  21 pairs of underwear and 21 pairs of socks take up a lot of space.  So this is on tip I wish I had thought of before my trip.  I’ve heard of folks who take this idea to the extreme… wearing old clothing that they can toss as they go.  But to that I’d say, if you’re going to Paris, London, or Italy wearing clothes with holes in it might not be your best idea 😉  Also a great idea is mid-trip to book an AirBnB with a washer/dryer or use the hotel’s washers. (This means half the socks & undies!!)

Communication

Since I have a data plan in the U.S. I don’t typically notice which restaurants and stores have available wi-fi.  So in going to Europe and wanting to rely minimally on cell data, I was surprised to learn that nearly everywhere had wi-fi.  Even town squares in Brussels have wi-fi?!  The key to only using wi-fi in Europe is to make sure you turn your phone to airplane mode and turn wi-fi back on before you leave out of your country.  That way you’re not accessing data at any point until you turn airplane mode off.

Navigation

I am so thankful that prior to my trip my friend taught me that Google Maps will work even without cell data or wi-fi.  What I would do is I would download a few different Google Maps of the city to my phone, then while still on wi-fi I would pick a place farther away where I was going to meander my way to and click for walking directions.  It would show on the map the suggested direction and once out of wi-fi rang I could literally look at my phone and see my little blue dot (i.e. the dot that shows your current location) moving along towards my destination.  (This blue dot showing you current location comes in handy whether or not you have loaded the directions a destination or not. ) Learning this technique has saved me from needing an international data plan.

Food

And finally, my favorite part of traveling… food! One of the most interesting parts of my 21 day trip was that I made a decision starting in London that I would try a “local” dish in each city.  I typically went off recommendations from my AirBnB host/hostess to find out some suggestions and this added a very unique element to my trip!

London – Sunday Roast @ Dean Street Townhouse

Paris – steak & frites at Le Relais de l’Entrecote

Brussels – mussels at De Noordzee (Not pictured was the Carbonnade a la Flamande and Brussels style Belgian waffle

Prague – roast beef on cream and roll dumplings at Cafe Louvre (opened since 1902)

Munich – pigs knuckle and coleslaw

Venice – pizza from a hidden pizzeria I saw locals popping into for a slice

Florence — lampredotto (aka. the 4th cow stomach, eep!) at ii Santo Bevitore

Naples – Sorbillo fried pizza (not pictured is the delicious sfogliatella I had every day for breakfast!)

Rome – Roman-style pizza at La Montecarlo

 

Though you don’t have to go to the extreme I did, I do think exploring food of different areas can be both a taste treat and provide you with even more insight into the region and ways of the locals there. (Even if it is three types of pizza!)

Enjoy your upcoming adventure! Have you been on a solo trip? Have your own suggestions? Let me know in the comments!