Traveling solo comes with its own pros – you’re unbiased, you have the freedom to explore at your own pace, go for the things that you actually want to do, eat wherever and whenever you like and you’re undisturbed. You don’t have to wait for your companion to pack up or decide on the commonplace of choice to eat or when to call it a day. You are free to explore whatever you want, when you want.
With solo travel, the name Europe usually comes up. Europe is a beautiful solo journey vacation spot and with its regular common currency and no borders, it makes travel simpler than it was 20 years ago. Though it’s still a challenge in terms of language, Europeans cities are quite secure and make it quite smooth for solo travellers to discover new places, even at night time. With excellent public transport, proper cycle routes and pedestrianized zones and many hostels that offer a motorbike rental, Europe provides you with the best and cheapest ways to explore the continent.
To Guide you through your solo trip, we have prepared a guide for you, that you must take into consideration on your journey so that you take only incredible experiences and joyous moments back at home:
Travel Alone Without Feeling the Same
One of the biggest fear of someone traveling solo can be the fear of loneliness, they know that there is a big difference being alone and being lonely. Luckily, combating this feeling in Europe is easier than in other parts of the world. The European continent is always full with solo travelers, especially in the peak season.
Being among the top solo travel destinations, you’ll not only get the opportunity to meet and interact with the locals but also others like you from all over the world with whom you can exchange your experiences with and get inspired. Ask them the places that they have visited or are planning to visit that can be a good add up to your list and just share your experiences with them.
That way you will able to get to know the place as well as can plan your next spot with other.
In case you’re feeling shy and have no idea from where you can start a conversation with someone, cameras are ultimate icebreakers; offer to take their photograph (with their camera), or maybe even talk about photography in general.
Other than that, take a walking tour of the town where you can learn all about its history and architecture and meet others. Also, If you’re staying in a hostel, see its message board — a few hostels set up institution tours which can be a great place to meet people.
Checkout for your Hostels in advance
With over 5000 hostels in Europe to select from, you’re bound to discover a hostel that’s perfect for you. Whether you want to party all night or take benefit of the free yoga lessons on the hostel roof terrace, there is going to be a place for you.
Make sure to look for your kind of hostel in advance by doing some online research. After finding it do check out its reviews and the experiences shared by other travelers who stayed there to make sure that it’s the right choice for you before you pay for your booking.
The hostel bar and common room are the best places to meet other guests, so, don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with them.
With almost as many languages as there are nations, Europe may be an alarm to a first-time solo traveler. What if you wander away and get lost because you can’t ask for directions, or starve due to the fact that you can not understand something on the menu?
Don’t worry, overcoming these problems is simple. A bit of the neighborhood/local lingo and some language translation books/guides will allow you to have basic conversations with the locals and help them help you with any problems that you may have.
Try to Spend some time mastering a few primary phrases, to not only help you get around but to also show your respect for local customs. You’d actually be surprised by how a little attempt can go a long way. Plus, being able to understand the right words can prevent you from spending a lot of unnecessary cash while placing orders at markets and restaurants.
Create your Places List
There are infinite number of options for you to explore abroad or within the country, all you need to do before you leave is just Googling up the best places for you to visit there. It will help you come up with a list of not only beautiful and serene places, but also places from where you can absorb their culture and experience the way that they live.
Search questions like; which is the best season to visit a particular country, how can you make the most out of a visit, the festivals, along with festivals, ceremonies or natural events/sceneries that you must experience to have your bucket list of places to go and things to see.
Plan out a road map of your trip with day to day places to visit. This way, there is no chance that you will not miss anything on your list and can create the most out of your trip. I would also recommend that you research the famous local dishes that you can try there, those are the best experiences so make sure that you don’t leave the country without having them.
Join a Guided Tour:
When traveling alone you have a chance to be alone, but make sure that you break down a long trip by taking organized group tours, this way you can have some company and also be relieved from the planning aspect of things. It saves you the time and energy that you would typically put into planning out your personal excursions of your vacation spot.
It is also the best way to find new travel companions. Other than that, you also get a chance to get the insider information that only the locals have. Usually, Tour groups perform frequent Tours inside the location and rent locals to guide their clients.
This allows you to an internal knowledge of the destination that you might not have.
Pack your Essentials before Hand
Tickets, Necessary documents, Accommodations and your Itinerary! It’s time to plan out the essentials and things that you need to carry along. While you may be mentally ready for the best experience of your life, it’s important and convenient to have a rundown of things you need to carry along with you to be physically prepared as well.
Firstly, decide how long you are going to travel and research the weather conditions there. So that you can plan your bag accordingly. Pack everything from toothbrush to clothes, and don’t forget to carry your essentials like medicines, portable charger, shoes etc. Try not to over stuff but make sure you don’t leave your essentials behind.
Be Alert and Safe
When you are wandering alone in a new place, you might be unaware about the scams and tricks of the locals. Even if you’re travelling alone, make it seem like you’re not, mix with a group of tourists or something so that you keep yourself away from being the target of pickpockets.
Try to carry less amount of cash on you at a time, you can just withdraw when required. Make a point to keep your cash safe when you’re headed into crowded areas. Keep a list of emergency contacts handy with you like a toll free no.of your credit card company, few emergency number of friends and family so that if you ever have a problem, you can contact somebody.
All these things will comes handy at the time of emergency and will keep your trip stress free. Be careful but don’t forget to enjoy!
A solo trip could truly be a standout amongst the most agreeable encounters that you ever have. Indeed, it’s enjoyable to gain experiences with your loved ones, be that as it may, solo explorers have a great time as well. If you are receptive to new experiences and want to gain a different perspective towards life then all you need is an inspirational disposition and then you can go off on a solo trip and have the time of your life. It is a guarantee that you will meet new people and make friends along the way.
The most difficult thing about travelling solo is making the decision and moving forward, but once you are on the way, you will feel not only excited but also more confident than you have ever felt in life. It’s worth giving a try. Now just pack your bags and GOOOO. Also, if you are planning your next solo trip to Europe, I have made part of your research easy by having a list of 48 Heavenly Hostels in Europe that you can check out.
Happy Journey!
Authors Bio:
Abhyank Srinet
Holds a Masters in Management degree from ESCP Europe & has an engineering degree with a specialization in Instrumentation & Control. His interest in the digital landscape motivated him to create an online startup for Masters in Management application consulting (MiM-Essay.com), focused on spreading quality information about the MiM degree & performing application consulting services for clients. He is the chief consultant of the company and takes care of Business Development and Digital Marketing side of the company. He is very passionate about writing and marketing.