Important tips for the solo traveler
Some people might think that travelling solo couldn’t possibly be fun; they’d be lonely. But like solo visits to an Everygame login, there are lots of ways to meet other people while travelling alone. Staying in hostels and joining organized tours are both good ways to meet new people. These tips for the solo traveler will help you have enjoyable experience.
Solo travel is on the rise
It seems that solo travel is on the rise, especially now after the pandemic. According to the numbers that appear on the Solo Traveler website many more women are showing interest in travelling solo and it seems that “Google searches for solo travel have quadrupled since 2020.”
There are positives about travelling solo. First of all, you are the one in charge of your itinerary and secondly there is far more chance of meeting new people if you are travelling alone. There are a number of things that you can do to feel more comfortable when travelling alone and also more fun. Below we look at some of them.
Check in to a hostel
Hostels come in all shapes and sizes, catering to those with a high budget as well as those with a tiny one. Most hostels have areas that are communal, like kitchens, and sitting rooms, some even have bars, where you can meet other travelers and share experiences and perhaps even team up with someone you’d like to travel with.
For example, Klara Zhao, originally from Sydney, who works as a receptionist at a hostel in East Lothian and has done a lot of solo travelling says “In Helsinki, I stayed at a hostel by the woods with a cafeteria where guests had breakfast. I met a nice German family and another girl my age and spent a couple of days travelling around the city with them.”
Many hostels do offer private rooms, so you do not have to sleep in a dormitory. There is often lots going on in hostels, especially those located in cities where lots of young people are passing through.
Staying with families
Staying with a family can be a good way to learn about the area and to try out your language skills. You can search through Airbnb or homestayin.com and find a place that you can share with the host. There is also a site called Couchsurfing where you can locate a couch or bed to sleep on for free. Women solo travelers should check out Nomad Sister.
Exploring the City
The founder of Solo Traveler, Janice Waugh suggests booking a tour with Worldwide Greeters as they offer free introductory walks in 130 cities around the globe. Planning and safety are important, and this makes tours great for solo travelers. Freetour.com offers tours that require tipping only and can be fun and interesting.
Touring on a tram
Public transport can be a great way to really learn and explore any new city. For instance, in Helsinki you can jump on the number 2 tram and visit many of the sites in the city in a comfortable, safe and relatively cheap way. The ticket you purchase for the tram ride is also valid for use on the ferry to the island fortress, so well worth the price.
In Amsterdam the number 14 tram takes you right by the Hortus botanical garden and on to the “reeds and willows of Flevopark”, plus many other interesting landmarks on the way.
There are things that you can do to feel more comfortable when travelling alone and also more fun.
Take a walk
In Britain, The Ramblers is an incredibly popular walking association. They offer free Wellbeing Walks for non-members to try out. The Ramblers have 50,000 group walks all around Britain during the year for members and Jardine Howlett, PR director says “The are an excellent option for solo travelers wanting to explore spectacular off-the-beaten-track landscapes with confidence.”
Lisa Denison runs “Quiet Walks” located in Carmarthenshire. Quiet Walks is excellent for those who like their own space but still want to be part of a small group. She says “Most of my customers come on their own.”
Find like-minded people
Meetup is a great website to check out for those seeking like-minded people to share activities. Here you can find walking groups worldwide or any other activity that you are interested in from coffee and jazz clubs to climbing mountains in hundreds of locations worldwide.
Food and Drinks
Eating and drinking is a great way to bring people together. Healthy living has become very important and more people are interested in learning about nutrition. Cookery classes can be a great way to meet new people while traveling. For example, Kerry Bowness from Foraging Course Company offers ‘foraging walks’ around Norfolk and Gloucestershire in the UK. These “foodie walks” are popular all over the world now as are visits to vineyards and breweries.
Taking a ride on a Minibus
You can join a minibus tour, for example, Rabbie’s Tours based in Edinburgh and meet new people and at the same time view some wonderful landscapes.
Lisa and Tom Benjamin met while both of them were travelling alone in South America and went on to set up Go Cotswolds. Lisa says “When we later set up our business, it was very important to us that our tours were welcoming and affordable for independent solo travelers, because that’s where we were coming from.”
Becoming a holy traveler
The majority of those walking the Camino are women. Many begin the journey alone and make fast friends along the way. According to Carolyn Gillespie, author of Pilgrim, about walking the Camino, “It’s all about stepping out of your comfort zone and seeing what you’re made of.”
But it’s also about travelling with others all going to the same place, being part of a “travelling caravan of people.” If you are interested in meeting women on the Camino you should check out the Camigus Facebook page.
Journalling
Keeping a journal is a wonderful way to focus your attention, safeguarding all those experiences and also gives you something to do while you are travelling solo. Zhao says “As a means of jotting down impressions, observations, little sketches of the moment. It’s also a nice souvenir of the travels to look back on.”
