10 Mistakes to Avoid on Your First Solo Trip

In the excitement of solo travel trips, it is highly possible that you end up packing too many clothes and other things. But, that can lead to you losing or misplacing some of your precious possessions! And, just imagine, how heavy the luggage will be! To avoid that, pack only what you will need on your trip. Keep some space in your luggage for some souvenirs or other items that you might buy from the tourist destination. And in case you are running short of something, you can always buy it from the destination.

Checking into the wrong accommodation on solo holidays is a mistake you must not make. Now, many people will have differing opinions about what’s the “right” accommodation for you. But you gotta make the choice. We know there might be a tight budget, but accommodation is something where you should invest. Don’t book a hotel where you won’t get the facilities you want! Also, make sure the accommodation has a frontdesk and provides 24-hours security service to ensure your safety.

One of the most common solo travel mistakes is misplanning the budget. No matter how much you plan your budget ahead, you can go out of budget. So, the smartest way is to always carry extra emergency funds that will save you, just in case. Oh, we are talking about cash by the way! Not debit and credit cards because there might not be an ATM. Also, a rickshaw puller or a local vendor is not going to accept card payments. Another fact is that you must save money while traveling alone. This is not to mean you become a miser all the way. But just try to be within your budget at your best. Those saved funds can actually help you meet some unforeseen emergency costs.

Often people shy away or don’t ask for help, just to feel self-sufficient! But, here’s a solo travel tip. You can’t do it all alone and that’s okay. Wherever you go, you can’t know everything about the new holiday destination. Along your way, you may need to ask for directions, bus or train timings, restaurant recommendations or just have some friendly conversations with the locals. When you need to do so, don’t shy away! Especially when you are travelling alone, a second opinion and some recommendations from the locals will never hurt.

Although we don’t want an unforeseen emergency to pop up during our solo traveller holidays, yet we can’t deny that it might just happen. Mostly, we don’t prepare ourselves for that. But, you know what, we highly recommend you avoid this mistake by taking some prior preparations for emergency cases. Keep some cash in a separate place to serve you only when you absolutely can’t do without that. Also, keep a reliable relative’s or friend’s number on the emergency dial so that you can quickly inform them in case of dire need. Also, during female solo travel, it is better to keep all health products, even if you don’t need them.

In the excitement of travelling solo, you might overplan by including too many activities on each day of the trip. But that can be tiresome. Also, many tend to plan every small thing beforehand, starting from where to have food to where to buy souvenirs from. But trust us, the best solo vacations are all about going with the flow. So, keep some activities and some parts of the day unplanned and when you reach the destination, you will surely come up with a nice plan to cover that time.

People often take the whole “solo travel” concept way too literally and choose not to travel with tour companies. But we ask, what’s the harm in that? No one’s going to barge in your privacy during the trip. You will be guided by well-informed tour guides. And even better, you will have a couple of travel mates to talk to when you feel like it. So, consider choosing a trustworthy travel operator or guide who offers solo travel tours for a safer solo trip.

No, we aren’t saying that making friends is a mistake. But, weren’t you travelling alone to enjoy your own company? So, while you might end up making friends during your single traveller holidays, you must not focus too much on making new friends throughout the trip. It takes away a lot of your cherishable “me” time and you also might end up being friends with the wrong person or group. It is best to stick by yourself and enjoy shopping, sightseeing, eating and chilling with yourself. After all, that’s the whole point of travelling alone!

Even if you want to escape from the familiar faces back in your hometown, it is not a good idea to absolutely vanish without informing any single soul about your whereabouts. Always make it a point to let at least one reliable person know about where you are at the present and where you are heading to next. Also, nowadays, sharing your trip pictures on social media can be a good way to let others have an intimation about your location.

So, these were the most commonly made mistakes that you would not want to commit on your long-wished first solo trip. So, try to keep the tips for traveling alone in mind that we discussed here to ensure a trip with less hassle and more fun!