Travelling alone is scary for everyone. In this blog you will learn to travel alone, keeping full control no matter what is going on around you.
It’s always the same problem!
You want to go somewhere, somewhere that you have dreamt of visiting since the age of 6.
But nobody wants to come with you!
So, once again you switch off your PC and the images of those exotic places and you go back to your normal life.
ENOUGH!
Why does travelling alone terrify people? It doesn’t matter your age really.
TRAVELLING ALONE IS THE SCARIEST,
BIGGEST AND MOST IMPORTANT STEP
THAT A PERSON CAN TAKE
FOR THEMSELVES!
I have been travelling solo since the age of 20, and now I am 32… gosh, 12 years!!
Why did I say that?
I want to record my experience gained from these years of travels (yes, 12 years! I must sound old, huh?) and create a “SURVIVAL LIST” that will help you to stay safe when travelling!
I want to divide this topic into:
- TAKE THE DECISION
- PLAN FROM HOME
- ON THE SPOT BEHAVIOR
TAKE THE DECISION
BE BRAVE:
Some people might take it for granted but the first step is: BE BRAVE. You need to believe in yourself and you need to trust your feelings. Like a child who has just started to walk. At some point they feel brave and stand up, from 4 limbs to 2 – and you, when you feel ready, trusting in yourself and your ability, you will book a solo trip. It doesn’t really matter where, especially if it’s your first time – sometimes, having an experience of just a couple of hours by train from your hometown is a good start. To build an empire, we first need to create solid foundations.
PLAN FROM HOME
WHERE TO STAY:
Once you have the courage and you’ve pumped yourself up for this solo trip, you need to face the next big hurdle. Where I am going to sleep?
Don’t worry, keep calm and do your research. Being adventurous is fantastic, but sleeping under a bridge is maybe a little bit too much.
Personally, I love hostels for the simple fact that it’s easy to meet people that are solo travellers like you and you can hang out with them – go for a stroll, for a dinner or to a party.
You can check the website for hostelworld by clicking here: https://www.hostelworld.com/
Some people think that hostels are cheap, dirty and full of young and noisy teenagers. Guess what? That belief is absolutely wrong!
I have stayed in so many hostels and many of them, not only have dorms with shared facilities (female, male or mixed dorms), the majority of hostels also have private rooms with a private bathroom. How cool is that?
It’s obviously more expensive than a dorm, but definitely cheaper than a hotel room. So basically, you kill two birds with one stone: your privacy in your room and the whole world down in the lobby to socialise with.
Once again, you fellow travellers are not all young, noisy teenagers. I still remember the 57-year-old American woman from a hostel where I stayed in Philadelphia. We stayed awake till 2am with a cup of tea, talking about our adventures (Watch the video about my adventure in Philly.
I also met a super cool Australian couple in a hostel in New Orleans. We were supporting each other during the hurricane there. They had their private room with a TV! (Watch the video about Nola
So, as you can gather, I am a fan of hostels.
PACK LIGHT:
Yep, problem nr 2. WHAT TO PACK!? You will usually feel a slight “panic attack” one week to a few days before you leave home. It depends on how organised you are!
For me it’s always a few days before departure and honestly you cannot imagine how many times I’ve dreamt that I have to run to the airport and my luggage is not packed yet. Basically, EVERY TIME!!
So, I am not here suggesting when to pack as I am the ‘last minute girl’ and I can’t take responsibility for this. My advice is simply to PACK LIGHT!
Keep this in mind: you are alone, nobody will carry your bags for you. Imagine yourself travelling up and down the stairs at the station, imagine yourself running to the airport, imagine yourself getting lost and having to do the same street again, when you thought you’d already arrived at the right destination.
That’s it! This should be enough to convince you to only bring the essentials and PACK LIGHT!
ON THE SPOT BEHAVIOR
Ok, now you are in your new destination. How exciting is that? You made it and you did not step back! You should be super happy and proud of yourself. Now let’s see how to behave in a new city.
DON’T BE A TARGET:
Don’t look like a lost, intimidated person. YOU ARE NOT! YOU ARE JUST EXPLORING, STRONG AND POWERFUL.
Now, don’t get me wrong, the world out there is full of beautiful people so don’t be afraid of everybody who approaches you! However, keep your eyes open and your sixth sense active.
Now, if you follow my “rules” you cannot go wrong:
- Be the one to approach people, not the one to be approached: Ok, you are there, in the middle of the street, no idea where you are and your phone is without signal as it is taking it’s time to connect and you are looking for info from locals. Wonderful, the very first approach with the locals is on the way! But who to approach?
- Usually I approach sweet, old people. They are always nice and kind and in case of emergency, you can run faster than them, that’s for sure!
- Middle-aged people going about their everyday activities: the woman with the child, the man and the dog, the young boy listening to music on his phone, etc.. They will never risk their child, the dog or their phone to attack you. NEVER!
- Workers: bus drivers, station ticket office people, the barista. They cannot leave their job to follow you. You’re safe!
Ok, your first approach to the locals is done – you are a SURVIVOR, well done! Once again, feel proud of yourself. Now you have to learn a few tips and tricks to make sure you have a wonderful time.
Whether you’re a woman or a man, you will be approached by people.
How many times have I been approached? Gosh, so many!! From the person that is looking for information, the person who is looking just for a chat and the nice and self-confident men that want to invite me out for a dinner. This doesn’t mean that something bad is going to happen to you. Be always nice and never show you are afraid. If the situation doesn’t make you comfortable say NO and find an excuse.
We always think that the woman is in more danger than a man. But it’s not always like that.
Consider the story of a guy that I met briefly! He was travelling around London and was approached by a sexy woman who invited him back to her place… what a lucky night, huh? No, my dears, too good to be true! IT WAS A TRAP! At her place there were two big men who attacked him, took him to a cash machine and withdrew everything they could. He went back home with almost a broken nose and an unbelievable story to tell.
So, be nice and kind and say ‘NO’ if you don’t feel comfortable with the situation! Have quick excuses to hand! Unless you want to have a story to tell – good or bad!
If you want to hear more about my story and my adventure watch my video on YouTube:
AVOID TOO MUCH ALCOHOL:
Yeah!! You are having a great time; you’ve met some wonderful people at the hostel and together you decide to go for few drinks. Awesome, you are socialising with other travellers. Now make sure you know your limit and don’t turn this potential wonderful night into a drama.
Be responsible for yourself and don’t even think that people you have just met will be there looking after you. It’s not their task of the night!
LISTEN TO YOUR SIXTH SENSE
It’s something that you will develop pretty quickly and it’s the thing that will keep you away from trouble and bad situations. If something doesn’t sound or look right and you can feel it, don’t ignore it.
Stop, listen to your sixth sense and move away ASAP!
PAY FOR SAFTY
Saving money while travelling is not easy but there is definitely no reason to put money ahead of your safety. It can happen that you’ve booked some cheap accommodation which originally looked like a great idea but once there you understand it’s not actually that great. Perhaps it doesn’t feel so safe, so spend some extra money and make sure you sleep in a safe place.
Or, sometimes you decide to go walking somewhere because, as per Google Maps, it looks only 20 minutes away from where you are and you think: “Wonderful, I am going for a nice walk!”. It turns out to be not as great an area of the city to walk as you expected. So, grab a taxi, and stay safe.
DON’T LISTEN TO THE NEWS:
Journalists can be so dramatic, brainwashing us with fear and violence.
I do listen to the news because I want to know what’s going on around the world before travelling somewhere, but I don’t listen too closely to fear-mongering by journalists.
I remember I was travelling around America and my next planned destination was Los Angeles. In all the news the reports warned not to visit Los Angeles due to the San Andreas Fault that was ‘on the move’.
Indecisive as to what to do, I joined a group of travellers on Facebook and asked the views of people in LA who gave me feedback that was very different from the news on TV. I decided to go and had a great time. I am glad I did not listen to the news! Watch my video about my Los Angeles adventure!
USE YOUR GOOD SENSE:
How many times do we hear people saying after a tragedy: “She/he was looking for trouble!”.
It’s a sentence I hate!
How are we looking for trouble when the only thing we want to do is get the most of our travel? However sometimes we are so excited and happy with this huge sense of freedom, that we forget to pay attention to the environment we’re in.
Despite the sense of freedom and courage you have gained:
- Don’t walk at night alone – especially in areas of the city that you don’t know. Better be safe than to be that person people describe later as: “looking for trouble”. Grab a taxi and reach your destination safely.
- Don’t take/wear your expensive jewellery. Keep it at home safe!
- Don’t walk about with your phone on display – somebody can grab it and run away. Gangs on motorbikes are common and becoming more aggressive in many big cities. Big careful!
KEEP YOUR BAGS SAFE:
I always keep my bag containing my valuable stuff in front of me to make sure nobody can steal something from it. Yes, it’s not the most stylish way to hold a bag but definitely the safest one.
Safety first!
These are my main tips and advice for a solo trip! However, most importantly, make sure you enjoy your time.
This is the journey you always wanted to take, don’t let fear ruin it.
So, breath, relax and BOOK THAT FLIGHT.
I hope you can soak yourself completely inside the amazing world of the SOLO TRAVELLER and I wish you all the best that this new adventure can offer you!
P.S: LIVE, TRAVEL, LAUGH AND REPEAT.
in a responsible way
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