SOLO TRAVELING THE WORLD! It’s not as weird or scary as you think. Sure, your first-time solo traveling can be intimidating but you just become more and more comfortable when you realize how easy it really is.
I was really afraid at first but I got over it quickly after I realized how amazing it made me feel to go out on my own. People often describe me as brave because I travel alone and I recently moved to a new country alone. I moved from the US to London and often get shocked faces, like “Wow, you moved to a new country by yourself. You are so brave.”
My first Solo Travel Trip and why I travel Solo
My passion for travel started when I worked at Delta and could travel the world for practically FREE! I started solo traveling at this time because I couldn’t benefit from these travel perks with friends outside the company since my plans could never be concrete (standby life ‑ no seats left on the flight means you can’t get on). I also tried to make friends at work to travel with but they didn’t have the same ambitions as me to go EVERYWHERE!
I finally found someone who said she’d go somewhere with me ‑ but then she canceled! My heart was broken but in that moment I decided I wouldn’t let it stop me. I was so scared and I took my first flight solo. I thought if I didn’t make the flight because it’s full it wouldn’t be meant to be.
But that day, I made the flight and it forever changed me.
Fast forward 2 years and I left my job at Delta which was a hard thing to do. I then made it my mission to move abroad because I wanted to have Europe at my fingertips. It’s now been 3 exact years since I found out my dream of moving to London from Atlanta, GA (big change!) became real.
I have traveled to over 40 countries and 15 have been solo!
Tips for your first solo trip
- Start small: If you’re afraid to go on your first trip alone, why not start by going away to a nearby town for just the weekend. This will let you ease into solo travel and allow you to find out if it is right for you. You might find that you really like it and then plan for other trips. You might become addicted like me and start going everywhere! But don’t feel discouraged if you don’t like it the first time. I enjoyed my first trip but I enjoyed each new trip even more because I was able to learn to travel like a pro!
- Go on a group tour: If you are still nervous to travel solo, there are many group tours you can do to ease into it. Viator has some great options!
- Safety: Safety is a big concern traveling solo. Make sure you always tell a friend your wherabouts and research the location ahead of time. Safety can be an issue everywhere though – even your home town – so just be smart about it. You can read my guide here on the safest countries to visit.
- Use an offline map to get around: I love the CityMaps2Go app. You can learn how I use it to plan my trips here!
For more tips be sure to download my FREE e-book on solo travel using the form below!
My e-book will cover:
- Where you should travel if you are just starting to take solo trips
- Top safety tips
- How to meet people while traveling solo
- Tips for eating alone
- How to get that solo travel shot!
- Some of the adventurous things I’ve done traveling solo
- Apps I can’t survive without
- FAQ’s
