Travelling alone is an excellent way to experience a country exactly the way you want to. No compromising, no arguing, just a great chance to soak up the culture around you. If the idea of travelling alone intrigues you, yet simultaneously terrifies you, keep reading for some of my most useful travel tips for lone trailblazers!
1. Read up on the countries culture to avoid offending the locals
In religious countries, in particular, there are lots of laws you need to abide by to ensure you’re respectful.
• Clothing expectations. Not all areas of the world are as laid back as the UK regarding dress sense. If you’re visiting cities such as Rome, your OOTD (Outfit of the day) may require some careful thought. It’s well known to locals and experienced travellers that you can be denied entry to a building if your shoulders and head aren’t covered. Across all of Italy in fact, you are expected to have your shoulders covered entering churches. Be sure to adhere to these rules to avoid causing offence to the locals.
• Language usage. It’s easily forgotten that in most languages, there are formal and informal ways to speak to others. This is less prominent in English than it is in other languages. Nevertheless, be sure to avoid accidentally using the informal synonym in inappropriate scenarios!
2. Keep your valuables close
This tip isn’t specifically for solo travellers. However, should you be unlucky enough to have something along the lines of your phone or wallet stolen, it’s a lot more difficult to contact authorities abroad if you don’t speak the local language or know the correct points of contact.
Occasionally, it can be painfully obvious when somebody is a tourist, so walking alone can make you an easy target. A good idea would be to invest in a bumbag. It’s small and skin-tight, so you can tell if somebody in a crowd is trying to undo it!
3. Make sure that you have travel insurance!
This tip is arguably the most important! Whilst you should have travel insurance regardless, it’s exceptionally important to have it when travelling alone in case anything happens to you. Not only will this keep your loved one’s minds at ease, but it means all expenses are covered in the event something happens to you. Some travel insurance can even cover the funds it costs to get to the nearest hospital in incidents which don’t warrant an ambulance. Travel insurance comes as cheap as £9, so make sure you spend the extra tenner, it could be the best money you ever spend!
4. Learn the most common phrases!
Again, this is useful regardless of if you’re by yourself or not. But it stretches beyond useful to essential when you’re alone and need to make yourself understood. Phrases which are a good idea to learn range from ‘Hi, how’re you’ to ‘Help’ and ‘I need a doctor’.
Keeping all these things in mind, you should be set to embark and live your most Pinterest-like fantasies!
