Traveling solo overseas is the most rewarding experiences for many people.

You can experience a new sense of independence by seeing a place at your own phase. You get to explore and experience something you’re not familiar with and that’s very fulfilling.

While traveling alone could undoubtedly be very exciting, it can also be daunting. That’s why preparing yourself for your first solo trip is very important. Here are six important tips for traveling alone abroad for the first time.

Top Tips for Traveling Alone

1. Plan Well

Before going off on your adventure, have a general idea of what you want to do in a specific place.

Travel guidebooks and the internet are the best resources for determining what the best things to do are in those specific locations. By doing this, you will be able to make the most of your time.

Aside from activities, you must also plan on booking accommodation ahead.

Some travelers would rather go to a place and find their hotel there, but since it’s your first time, you want for everything to go smoothly.

When looking for accommodation, the cost of the room is not the only thing you must consider. Read the ratings and you will know whether the place is clean, close to places of interest, and offer amenities that you might need.

Read also: Quick Travel Hacks for Your Next Adventure

2. Learn a Bit About The Local Language

If you are going to travel to a country that uses a different language from where you live, learning some common phrases will take you a long way.

It might be frightening to approach someone and ask about directions when you are alone. But after traveling for almost half a decade now, I found that more people, especially if you ask in the local language, are more than willing to help.

You must not assume that everyone understands and speaks English – that’s just rude. One of the best tips for traveling alone is learning how to say “Hello”, “How are you?”, “Thank you”, and “How much?” in the local language.

Read also: 10 Creative Ways to Learn a Foreign Language

3. Act Like a Local

Research well before you leave. When visiting a new place, your safety should be your priority.

You can read crime statistics online, and there are websites that offer general safety tips and particular safety data and statistics regarding your destination.

Make sure to check out special rules and laws implemented in the country of destination. This includes proper dress code, religion, customs, etc.

Keep your belongings from the public eyes. Don’t wear jewelry and gadgets in public. You must be careful of the possible pickpockets. 

Don’t trust people easily. It’s always okay to make friends, but to fully trust a stranger is a no-no.  If you show people that you trust them easily, they may think you are vulnerable.

Always go where the crowd goes. Always avoid dark alleys and places that are too secluded. If possible, just go to where tourists go just to familiarize yourself with solo travel. After all, this is your first time and you don’t want to stress yourself being at a place that can make you feel uncomfortable.

Also read: 5 Solo Travel Tips to Take Care of Your Mental Health

4. Learn How to Be Alone

Unless you meet some fellow travelers in your hostel that you make friends with, you are going to spend a lot of time on your own.

Some people find it weird spending time alone, eating alone, and exploring a new place. But since you’re traveling alone, you should be ready for it.

If you’re not used to being on your own, you may want to have something to entertain you that will grab your attention – may it be a book, headphones, or the like.

This will keep you from being bored and frustrated while in a queue or at the airport waiting for your flight.

5. Know That You’ll Never Be Alone

For me, a huge part of traveling alone is to meet new people and learn how other people from different parts of the world live their lives.

So, while you might be traveling by yourself for the experience of total freedom or self-discovery, connecting to other people plays a big part, is inevitable, and one of the best parts of the entire experience.

Meeting like-minded travelers in a hostel or somewhere along the road can provide you with some companionship, which can be really convenient for both safety and monetary.

After all, the saying that “there’s safety in numbers” is true when you’re traveling.

6. Document Your Trip

One of the best tips for traveling alone is to try and document your trip.

If there’s something I regret when I travel alone for the first, it is not writing about it in a journal or a blog.

I found that writing your thoughts out eases stress and calms me down they I feel a little anxious.

I would go to a coffee shop and just write everything in my journal or blog. I would do this while people watching, drinking a cup of tea, and just thinking of good things in the present. My thoughts go all over the place and it puts me into Zen.

This time is also I usually feel the most creative. It makes me think of the good things that happened in the past, what’s going on in the present, and how I can use them for the future. I write them down.

As intimidating and perhaps stressful as traveling overseas on your own might be, this allows you discover a lot of things more than just being in your town, in the next city, or anywhere in your country.

Bit by bit, by doing it and following the tips for traveling alone, you become comfortable with yourself. You follow your guts and trust your instinct.

I experienced traveling with friends and special someone, and although it’s fun and amazing experience, there’s nothing better than exploring a new place by yourself. It was matchless and I’d do it over and over.  

But then again, traveling alone and traveling with someone are both amazing and enlightening experience.

If you can travel solo overseas, do it. Do it in spite of what doubts may come up.

Because the moment you do it for the first time, you will see how traveling alone can be beneficial and fulfilling.

About The Author

Alice Ross, a 9 to 5 corporate slave turned into a full-time travel blogger. If you want to know more about me, my adventures, and useful travel tips, visit me at Fortravelista.com.