For anyone who has decided to take the leap of traveling by themselves, I’m sure you feel somewhat overwhelmed with where to start the planning. As a seasoned solo traveler, I know all of the prep and planning that goes into one of these trips.
What to Book First
First things first, flights (or whatever form of transportation you will be utilizing). Before planning anything else, you need to know what days you’ll be gone, what time you’ll be getting to your final destination, and what time you’ll be leaving to go home. This is where I like to list out all the days, starting with the day you leave home. Next figure out how many nights you’ll be gone so you can book accommodations. Finding a place to stay should be the second most important item on your travel to do list because the good accommodations can go fast. Next on the list should be comparing prices for travel insurance. Hopefully this insurance is something you will never have to use, but if there happens to be an emergency or some kind of travel complication, you’ll be glad you have it!
This is my favorite part of trip planning, researching all the fun things to do at my destination! I compile a list of all the sites and activities that sound interesting to me, then I go through and check their locations and proximity to each other. I then try to predict how much time each will take, and make itineraries for each day based off those things. There will be some sacrifices in this category. It is quite unlikely that you’ll be able to do everything on your list, especially if you have a limited amount of time and a few of the attractions or activities are an hour or more outside your main destination.
Other important things to research well before your trip are entering requirements, like visas, if you will need any vaccines before you go, and any typical tourist scams to avoid.
I also sometimes add restaurants into the research category, especially if I have my heart set on a certain kind of dish from my destination, but this is not always necessary. If you have phone service while you’re on your trip, it’s easy to just look up nearby restaurants with your desired cuisine and price range.
Even though I have traveled so many times, I still find myself needing to buy at least one thing I didn’t have for an upcoming trip. Sometimes its just a matter of replacing things, like the shoe inserts you absolutely destroyed on your last trip. Going to a different country? You might need an outlet converter. Can’t survive without full phone data? You might consider getting an international phone card. You plan on doing a lot of hiking? It might be time to buy that day pack you’ve been eyeing, or some good hiking boots. Every trip will have its own unique list of odds and ends. Do some research on your specific destination and activities and that should give you some good insight to what random things you’ll need to pack.
The first step to packing is deciding if you will be checking a bag or not. I try to avoid checking a bag if my trip consists of city hopping, but if you’re generally going to be in the same destination, checking a bag might not be a bad idea. I know I know, checked bags are expensive, but if you find an amazing wine in the french countryside and want to bring a bottle back, or if you expect to buy a lot of souvenirs, checking a bag is the only way you’re going to get all that home. Next you have to choose your luggage. I personally have so many different kinds of luggage that it would make anyones head spin, but they all have their purposes. One thing I will warn against if you are going to Europe and think you’ll have to walk your luggage to your accommodation, do not bring wheeled suitcases. I brought a brand new suitcase to Europe a few months ago, and after a couple walks across the cobblestone streets, the wheels were broken. I learned my lesson and will be taking a duffle bag next time. But if you plan on going from airport to taxi to the front door of your accommodation, then you should be fine with wheeled luggage. Now that you know what size and type of luggage you’re working with, you can start to think about what you need to pack. When it comes to clothes, it all depends on what the weather is going to be like and what activities you have planned. I was recently in Puerto Rico and thought that it would be a good idea to pack jeans for zip lining. I was wrong, I got way too hot because I didn’t consider how muggy it would be in the rainforest (I know, obvious oversight). Or if you’re going somewhere that’s perpetually rainy (I’m looking at you Ireland), make sure to bring comfortable rain boots or waterproof shoes, a good rain jacket and umbrella. If you are interested in knowing how I start my packing list for every trip, take a look at my Master Base Packing List, it will start your packing off on the right foot.
A Rainy Day in Amsterdam
Tickets and Passes
If you’re planning activities like tours or excursions, make sure to get tickets way ahead of time, like a month before you go. If you don’t, there’s a good chance that your activity will be sold out. It’s also a good idea to get tickets to popular tourist attractions like castles or famous museums. Not only will this assure that you’ll have entry, but usually it means you can skip the long lines as well. I would also suggest using this tactic if you’re wanting to go to any popular restaurants. Make reservations ahead of time so you don’t have to wait hours in line only to find out that the kitchen is closing.
Loose Ends to Tie
There are a few more things I would suggest doing before embarking on your adventure of a lifetime.
Submit a travel notice to your bank so they don’t flag your purchases and put a hold on your card while you’re gone.
Tell a close friend or family member where you’re going, what dates you’ll be gone, and I always suggest you give someone access to your location. Ever since my first solo trip, I give at least one person my location so they can track me if I were to get in any trouble. The app I use for this is Life360, but I’m sure there’s many other location sharing apps out there that would work just as well.
Double check the opening hours for attractions you will be going to. It seems like a lot of places are closed on Mondays, or some churches may be closed for a period during the afternoon, so just make sure that your plans line up with these days and hours.
Check attraction rules and policies. Many attractions like palaces and museums don’t allow you to carry around large bags, including backpacks. Some of these places have lockers that you can store your things in, but if not, plan ahead. There also may be dress codes, camera or photo regulations, or a myriad of other random rules. Just be prepared and stay informed.
Solo trips can feel overwhelming, but they’re such incredible experiences! You won’t regret this decision, and you might even find that you prefer to travel solo! I congratulate you on this big decision and wish you all the best with planning your first solo adventure!
For anyone who has decided to take the leap of traveling by themselves, I’m sure you feel somewhat overwhelmed with where to start the planning. As a seasoned solo traveler, I know all of the prep and planning that goes into one of these trips.
What to Book First
First things first, flights (or whatever form of transportation you will be utilizing). Before planning anything else, you need to know what days you’ll be gone, what time you’ll be getting to your final destination, and what time you’ll be leaving to go home. This is where I like to list out all the days, starting with the day you leave home. Next figure out how many nights you’ll be gone so you can book accommodations. Finding a place to stay should be the second most important item on your travel to do list because the good accommodations can go fast. Next on the list should be comparing prices for travel insurance. Hopefully this insurance is something you will never have to use, but if there happens to be an emergency or some kind of travel complication, you’ll be glad you have it!
This is my favorite part of trip planning, researching all the fun things to do at my destination! I compile a list of all the sites and activities that sound interesting to me, then I go through and check their locations and proximity to each other. I then try to predict how much time each will take, and make itineraries for each day based off those things. There will be some sacrifices in this category. It is quite unlikely that you’ll be able to do everything on your list, especially if you have a limited amount of time and a few of the attractions or activities are an hour or more outside your main destination.
Other important things to research well before your trip are entering requirements, like visas, if you will need any vaccines before you go, and any typical tourist scams to avoid.
I also sometimes add restaurants into the research category, especially if I have my heart set on a certain kind of dish from my destination, but this is not always necessary. If you have phone service while you’re on your trip, it’s easy to just look up nearby restaurants with your desired cuisine and price range.
Even though I have traveled so many times, I still find myself needing to buy at least one thing I didn’t have for an upcoming trip. Sometimes its just a matter of replacing things, like the shoe inserts you absolutely destroyed on your last trip. Going to a different country? You might need an outlet converter. Can’t survive without full phone data? You might consider getting an international phone card. You plan on doing a lot of hiking? It might be time to buy that day pack you’ve been eyeing, or some good hiking boots. Every trip will have its own unique list of odds and ends. Do some research on your specific destination and activities and that should give you some good insight to what random things you’ll need to pack.
The first step to packing is deciding if you will be checking a bag or not. I try to avoid checking a bag if my trip consists of city hopping, but if you’re generally going to be in the same destination, checking a bag might not be a bad idea. I know I know, checked bags are expensive, but if you find an amazing wine in the french countryside and want to bring a bottle back, or if you expect to buy a lot of souvenirs, checking a bag is the only way you’re going to get all that home. Next you have to choose your luggage. I personally have so many different kinds of luggage that it would make anyones head spin, but they all have their purposes. One thing I will warn against if you are going to Europe and think you’ll have to walk your luggage to your accommodation, do not bring wheeled suitcases. I brought a brand new suitcase to Europe a few months ago, and after a couple walks across the cobblestone streets, the wheels were broken. I learned my lesson and will be taking a duffle bag next time. But if you plan on going from airport to taxi to the front door of your accommodation, then you should be fine with wheeled luggage. Now that you know what size and type of luggage you’re working with, you can start to think about what you need to pack. When it comes to clothes, it all depends on what the weather is going to be like and what activities you have planned. I was recently in Puerto Rico and thought that it would be a good idea to pack jeans for zip lining. I was wrong, I got way too hot because I didn’t consider how muggy it would be in the rainforest (I know, obvious oversight). Or if you’re going somewhere that’s perpetually rainy (I’m looking at you Ireland), make sure to bring comfortable rain boots or waterproof shoes, a good rain jacket and umbrella. If you are interested in knowing how I start my packing list for every trip, take a look at my Master Base Packing List, it will start your packing off on the right foot.
A Rainy Day in Amsterdam
Tickets and Passes
If you’re planning activities like tours or excursions, make sure to get tickets way ahead of time, like a month before you go. If you don’t, there’s a good chance that your activity will be sold out. It’s also a good idea to get tickets to popular tourist attractions like castles or famous museums. Not only will this assure that you’ll have entry, but usually it means you can skip the long lines as well. I would also suggest using this tactic if you’re wanting to go to any popular restaurants. Make reservations ahead of time so you don’t have to wait hours in line only to find out that the kitchen is closing.
Loose Ends to Tie
There are a few more things I would suggest doing before embarking on your adventure of a lifetime.
Submit a travel notice to your bank so they don’t flag your purchases and put a hold on your card while you’re gone.
Tell a close friend or family member where you’re going, what dates you’ll be gone, and I always suggest you give someone access to your location. Ever since my first solo trip, I give at least one person my location so they can track me if I were to get in any trouble. The app I use for this is Life360, but I’m sure there’s many other location sharing apps out there that would work just as well.
Double check the opening hours for attractions you will be going to. It seems like a lot of places are closed on Mondays, or some churches may be closed for a period during the afternoon, so just make sure that your plans line up with these days and hours.
Check attraction rules and policies. Many attractions like palaces and museums don’t allow you to carry around large bags, including backpacks. Some of these places have lockers that you can store your things in, but if not, plan ahead. There also may be dress codes, camera or photo regulations, or a myriad of other random rules. Just be prepared and stay informed.
Solo trips can feel overwhelming, but they’re such incredible experiences! You won’t regret this decision, and you might even find that you prefer to travel solo! I congratulate you on this big decision and wish you all the best with planning your first solo adventure!
Pursuit of Happy Travel 
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