How to start solo travelling (even if you’re scared to do it alone)

Travelling solo completely can sound pretty intimidating at first, but once you dip your toe in the water, you may find that it is more natural and easy to do than you thought. So, in today’s blog post I am giving you some top tips on how to get started the easy way, that won’t give you too much stress, but a good taste of what solo female travelling could be like. 

Let's see how solo travelling can be done in small steps

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I think the problem why some people are quick to judge solo travelling or state that it’s definitely not for them, is because they imagine a whole trip alone. If you’ve never really tried to cross borders and navigate foreign metro systems alone, this may seem like a full on overload. But. Solo travelling can be consumed in small portions, you don’t need to go from zero to hero. Let me show you how. 

So, the easiest thing to do is carving out some alone time when you’re going on a holiday with friends or family. You won’t be totally alone, but you can make some time just for yourself, to be intentional. You will likely have a base, familiarise yourself with your surroundings with other people, but once you feel more comfortable you can make time for a micro-experience alone. My recommendation would be to do this towards the end of the trip, as in my experience that’s when most people crave some time alone anyway, plus you will already know your way around, so it will give you a better sense of comfort. 

Doing something alone while on holiday with others can be the perfect opportunity for you to test the waters, and see how you feel about doing things solo. Maybe you will love the freedom and independence so much, that you will end up booking a whole trip alone. Maybe you will stick to the above strategy, and will  keep adding a solo experience to all your future holidays with friends and family. Either way it’s a good lesson about stepping outside of your comfort zone, and learning more about yourself. 

So now, let me share some of my top tips for what you can do as a solo experience while on holiday with others. Please keep in mind that these are recommendations for places that are solo travel friendly, so if your next destination isn’t really falling in that category, this may not be the best time to explore solo travelling. But you can keep these tips in mind for another trip! 

Order a drink/dinner at the hotel bar/restaurant: 

You won’t even need to leave the hotel you’re staying at to enjoy being alone. If being out and about sounds too intimidating (or the place you’re visiting isn’t super solo travel friendly), you can start by dining alone where you’re staying. While this may not seem like a big deal, dining alone may not come as easy to some who are used to having company while eating out. In my honest opinion, if you can confidently dine alone, you are more likely to enjoy and really embrace solo travelling too! If you’re starting out make sure you read my post about my top tips on dining alone while travelling solo. 

Ordering a coffee of light meal at your accomodation is the easiest first step to take

Go out for a morning stroll and coffee: 

Another thing that you can do alone, and fits well within a group trip (since grabbing coffee and walking alone aren’t likely to make other people experience FOMO, if that’s something you’re concerned about). For this you can pick a coffee shop that is close by or somewhere you’ve already been to as a group. You can take your morning as slow as you want and just be very intentional with your time and energy. 

Book a micro-experience: 

This can be a cooking class, a city walking tour or a museum visit. It doesn’t have to be long, so that you won’t make others wait for you all day. To avoid conflict, I would have a quick discussion with everyone travelling about whether there is any activity that doesn’t really speak to anybody else but you, and pick the one that is only of interest to you. This way you won’t have to feel bad excluding anyone from this experience and you will get to do something solo. 

Watching the sunset can be another solo experience that is easily done

Plan a whole day alone: 

If you’re ready to really embrace solo travelling, you can have a whole day to yourself and plan it the way you want it! Of course, make sure it aligns with the group’ plans, before leaving your friends or family behind for a whole day. I normally would only do this if the trip is at least a week long, so I get to spend quality time with everyone, but also make sure that there is a day done my way. Because when you travel with others there will be a lot of voices, opinions and compromise, so it will be refreshing to spend a day alone. You can include all the above activities in your one-day itinerary. If you’re looking for an example, I have actually wrote a whole blog post about how I spent a self-care Sunday in Kyoto while travelling with family. It was such a wholesome day, you can read it here if you’re looking for inspiration. 

And this brings me to the end of my post on the topic. I hope you found it useful and feel encouraged to give solo travelling a go, even if in small doses.