Introduction
Am I going to be alright in my solo travel? What if something happened to me? What if I fell victim to the COVID restrictions? What if I don’t find any exciting activities? I am too introvert to meet new people! These are the doubts that every solo traveler has embraced in his life until he or she has managed to overcome them. Since it is completely different than that of traveling with the family, this article will break that myth for you and give you tailor-made suggestions on how to travel alone. So if you are fed up with your friends ditching you or want to experience some alone time to gain spiritual insights, this blog is for you. Following are 13 great post-covid solo traveling tips tailor-made for you.
Plan everything
Planning is the foremost thing in any activity. Therefore, it is extremely important to do thorough planning about your destination, total days of stay, places you’re going to visit, and so on. You’d also want to check all the travel documents needed. Read any travel guide beforehand if possible. You’d also want to check all the travel documents needed
A vaccination card is your new Best Friend
Covid has changed the way we used to travel. Now, a vaccination card is a must for anyone who travels. Make sure you are fully vaccinated and have all the documents with you.
If you are a Pakistani national, you can check the status of your vaccination here.
Check Ratings before you stay
Ratings are the testimony of the experiences of all the travelers who have been to that place. Therefore, it is really important to check the ratings, read the reviews, and plan your stay accordingly. Travel apps like trip advisor or booking.com etc. are some of the trustable sources. Sometimes, owners purchase paid reviews. So, keep an eye on that as well. The more the reviews, the more genuine the ratings are likely to be.
Make sure to have an active internet connection
On top of all solo traveling tips, choosing a place where the internet is accessible is vital for your safety. You can always update your location and last seen messages, and inform your people back home about your whereabouts. It also aids you in uploading the pictures, or videos that you took during traveling and tell your online community about your newest adventures. That’s what Social Media is all about, isn’t it?
Be aware of the vicinities nearby
It is extremely important to get an idea of the places nearby when you reach a new place. Use Google Map. See where the police station or the hospital is and what’s the shortest route to reach there? Don’t use street routes at first. Try to travel through main roads where you’ll find traffic and people roaming around.
Learn to Say No to unwanted people
To me, when you know how to say No that’s when you become ready for solo travel. Rest is secondary and you learn as you go. Sometimes, people find you alone and try to take advantage of the situation by psychologically pressurizing you to do a certain thing. It could be a Taxi driver forcing you to take a ride or a hotel manager for renting a room or a stranger inviting you to a coffee or club. If you don’t feel like doing it, just say NO.
Choose your Food Carefully
Your body’s digestion system is just like a machine and a machine is not designed for every type of fuel. You know your body limitations and what type of food you can or cannot have. Spend some time around to get to know about the right type of food for you. You also would want to see if the place is hygienic or not. You better do this if you don’t want to spend the rest of your holiday in any hospital bed!
Meet other travelers
Meeting other travelers is a vital part of solo travel. You get to know the place from their perspective. More often than not, you get valuable information from them about the rates, places to visit, or Dos and Don’ts that you would not have known otherwise. Pro Tip for introverts! If you don’t know how to do this, just go to such a place where travelers meet and be a part of it. Someone definitely will make you part of the conversation. Once you’re at it, there is no coming back. And for extroverts, this is the best part of solo traveling tips, isn’t it 😉
Embrace the local culture
Why are you on this trip in the first place? Ask yourself this question and you’ll get the answer in three simple words, “For a change”. So, here is that change. You’ll see a change in everything – from sleeping patterns to clothing and dining. Embrace it. Take the best practices and leave what you don’t like behind. You ought to be a different person when you come back home than you were before going.
Don’t explore nightlife straightaway
Every city and place has different norms and laws. Some allow nightlife while in some conservative societies, it does not deem fit to do so. While in some towns, the nightlife isn’t safe due to high crime rates. So whenever you go into any place, have a fair understanding of the area. Learn about local norms. Respect them. If the crime rate is high, you wouldn’t want to go to any club late at night without taking the necessary precautions. This is probably the hardest part of solo traveling tips, but it is necessary.
Make your own Dos and Don’ts list and share it with others
If you want to help other fellow travelers generally or from your region, in particular, you could simply make a Dos and Don’ts list from your own experience. This is optional though if you feel like doing it. Many simply don’t because writing isn’t their thing.
Create a backup plan
You MUST have a backup plan for your every activity. If things go south, you need to be mentally and logistically prepared to deal with that situation. For example, take an extra copy of all the travel documents. See two or three places to stay. Talk with more than one tour operator or guide in case you are taking the services of any. If you’re traveling solo for the first time, it is advisable to avoid doing any such activity that doesn’t have any immediate backup. Make sure to read about the places you are going to visit at our Travel Page.
Have Fun
Last not but not least is to have fun. That’s why you are there in the first place. Don’t forget your original plan in the backdrop of taking all the precautionary measures. Do what you wanted to do. Take so many pictures. Record travel Vlogs. Interact with locals. Explore local cuisine and dresses. Make new friends. HAVE FUN!
Conclusion
It is said that you become altogether a different person when you travel. Well, that’s one hundred percent true for solo traveling. It stretches your limits to the maximum and you realize that you have so much potential inside you. However, there are certain precautions that you need to take to stay safe and healthy. Checking the ratings and reviews of the places where you stay, being aware of the vicinity, having an active internet connection to stay in contact with your people back home, and having a backup plan is top of them. You do that and rest assured it’s not as dreadful as it seems.