Starting solo women’s travel

So you’ve been dying to take off on an adventurous trip to exotic places but aren’t sure how to make it happen? Reading about the travels of others — especially the extended trips around the world that some people take — is a lot of fun, but their size and scope can seem overwhelming to those who haven’t yet had the opportunity to take a year (or more!) off to see the world. Starting solo women’s travel can certainly feel tricky.

But fear not, there are baby steps that you can take to travel solo that will allow you to test the waters of this type of traveling to see if it’s for you.

When I first decided to put a plan in motion to see more of the world, I didn’t have the experience to plan a complicated trip or the cash to pay for airfares or expensive hotels. So I decided that I would start by taking a few short road trips to places I had always wanted to visit that were within a few hours of where I lived.

I found that this approach was the best way for me to get my feet wet in solo travel because it let me try traveling alone without making a huge commitment to an extended trip.

Maybe there’s a nearby beach or lake you’ve heard about but have never visited. Or perhaps there’s a festival or concert in a city not too far away that you would love to see. Wherever you decide to go, try to pick a place that’s within a comfortable distance for you.

Is there a beach nearby you could visit by yourself?

I found out when I began traveling solo that I often didn’t have to go a long distance from home to discover some fun and exciting places. I happen to live on the east coast of the United States, so I was able to travel south and explore some fantastic cities like Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia.

I also took a week of vacation one autumn and drove through the New England states of the northeastern United States. The changing colors of the trees were beautiful, and I discovered how different the scenery can look, even when I’m not very far from home. It seemed like no matter what direction I picked, there was something worth seeing.

Traveling solo can be a different experience, and it can sometimes take some getting used to. But there are lots of things you can do to make your first few solo trips enjoyable experiences.

Decide where to go

So you’re ready to pack a bag and hit the road, but you don’t know where to go? There are lots of ways to do your solo travel research and decide on a destination. If you have an idea of an area you want to visit, there’s almost certainly a book that has been written on it already. Your local bookstore or online bookselling sites are great places to explore your destination before you get there. You can also use the Internet to research locations that interest you.

Many cities and towns have websites that give information on local attractions, things to do, and places to stay and eat. You can also check out online travel communities such as Trip Advisor, or Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree travel forum to see reviews and advice from other travelers for many destinations. And there are lots of free podcasts dedicated to travel — a little research might turn up a few about the location you’re visiting or give you ideas about places to go you hadn’t thought of.

Decide where to go!

Be prepared to meet new people

One of the best things about solo travel is that it removes the invisible social barrier that is sometimes present when traveling with other people. When I travel with friends, we tend to discuss what we see and do mostly with one another. It’s almost automatic to direct most of your conversation to your travel companion. But when I travel alone, I’m more likely to start a conversation with a local person in a cafe or ask a passerby for directions. This can open up a whole new way of experiencing the place you’re visiting, and some of my best travel memories include the great people I’ve met along the way.

Relax and enjoy your newfound freedom

There is a great amount of freedom in solo travel. You have the luxury of doing pretty much exactly what you want to do when you want to do it. Feel like sleeping late one morning or want to hang around a particular spot until you get just the right light for that perfect photograph? No worries — your time is your own, and you don’t have to make any compromises with a traveling companion about where to go or what to see on a given day. When you travel solo, you have the freedom to make any plans you want or to change those plans at any time.

Want to sleep in, or just enjoy the view? You can!

Keep a travel journal

A travel journal can be a great way of recording your experiences and reliving your trip for years after you’ve taken it. Travel journals can hold photos you’ve taken (or sketches and illustrations if you’re artistically inclined), notes about where you stayed and who you met, impressions of different locations, funny stories about your journey, small souvenirs like ticket stubs or pressed flowers, and whatever else you might come across that will help encapsulate your experience. Travel journals can also be helpful if you ever return to a location. If you remember staying in a lovely bed and breakfast somewhere but can’t remember its name, you can always go back to your travel journal and look it up.

After trying out a few shorter trips, your small doses of traveling can give you the boost of confidence you need to plan more extensive trips that are further afield. I eventually used the experience I gained from my short solo trips to plan a solo trip to Spain. Traveling in a different country presented a whole new set of challenges for me, but I was able to use what I had learned in my short trips closer to home to help me navigate my way through the journey and have a fantastic time.

This article was originally published on Art of Solo Travel.

Have you travelled solo? What did you find helpful to do on your first trip alone?