Solo travel: 10 tips that make it really fun

Going solo? Best decision you can make for personal growth. These 10 tips help you do it cheaply, safely and with new friends.

Start with a 'safe' destination

For your first solo trip: Portugal, Thailand, Vietnam, Slovenia, New Zealand. Excellent infrastructure, lots of fellow solos, English widely spoken.

Hostels = social

Stay in hostels (not hotels). Choose ones with a bar/common area. You'll meet 5+ travelers per day. Hostelworld for booking, filter on 'highly social'.

Join group activities

Book a walking tour the day you arrive (€10-€15). Or join a pub crawl, cooking class, dive course. Best way to find travel buddies.

Solo female travel: safe destinations

Top safe: Japan, Iceland, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore. Walk after dark in well-lit streets. Lyft/Uber instead of taxis at night.

Skip the single supplement

Hotels often charge 70-80% of the double rate for a single room. Better: hostel private rooms (€30-€50) or Airbnb.

Eat at the bar, not at a table

A solo dinner at a tablecloth restaurant feels lonely. The bar is social - chat with bartender + other guests.

Stay connected

Local SIM at the airport. Share your location with someone at home (Apple Find My, Google Trusted Contacts). Check in once a day.

Bring a laptop or tablet

For nightly hostel evenings when you need quiet. Watch a movie, plan tomorrow, read.

Set a 'this is great' rule

When you're tired, lonely or stressed - pause. Cancel tomorrow's plans, take a slow day. Solo is harder than group travel; don't push through.

Take more photos than you think

Solo means no one will take your photo. Use a small tripod (€15) and your phone's timer. Future-you will thank present-you.