Montreal – Toronto – Vancouver – Whitehorse – San Francisco. The route I chose for my first solo travel experience ever. Nothing extremely extraordinary, but exactly where I wanted to go. And so I went.. 4 weeks of North America. Alone.
To be honest, when I first stepped on the plane (actually nothing special for me) I was a bit nervous. Not only that I was alone, but also traveling standby is always a nerve-wracking situation. But against all my doubts, I got a seat and started my journey from Munich to Montreal.
And I want to start with the top 10 things I learned along the way as a solo travel freshman:
- You don’t have to go crazy! Choose a destination you feel secure about. It doesn’t have to be miles away like an exotic place in Asia or Africa for the first time. Just go, even if it is a city in your own country. Choose a place where you can communicate in a language you are able to speak and where you feel safe about walking around.
- Don’t overpack! You really don’t need all of that stuff. Depending on your route you might want to change places and travel around. Do you really want to drag all of those bags and suitcases around with you? My tip: Pack your bag. Than remove 50% of the clothes you packed. And you will still have enough to wear (probably still too much).
- Do your research! Write lists with things you want to see and do. Use media like Pinterest, Blogs or YouTube. It’s always good to have things to do – you don’t want to get bored. And I bet you won’t. But just in case you have a plan you can rely on.
- Get familiar with the public transportation network! You don’t want to get lost. Nearly every big city has an app for getting around. Also CityMaps2Go is a great offline tool for orientation.
- Trust your gut! If you don’t feel good about something, don’t do it. It’s easy as that. That is the great part about traveling solo, you can do whatever you want. It is your trip and you should enjoy it.
- Using media like Couchsurfing is a great way to meet people! I always thought it was all about finding accommodations or offering your couch. But there are actually events in every city you can attend to and meet other traveler. It’s also an easy way to connect with locals who can show you their city. I wasn’t aware of this tool before, but I will definitely use this more often.
- Don’t overplan (like I did)! It is never a bad thing to have a plan and know where you are going, but too many details might stop your travel flow. If you have enough time and aren’t bound to fixed dates or places, just go with it! You will find so many beautiful places and things on the way you might not know about before.
- Rest days are okay! If you are like me, you might have a hard time with just doing nothing. But there will be days where you are too tired and exhausted. Make time for yourself then. You will need that energy.
- Write it down! You will see and experience a lot of things. Writing a journal is a great way to not forget about all those things. To be honest, I always try and fail. But you will be happy about it later. Write down thoughts you have, things you’ve seen or whatever comes to your mind. Usually I use my phone to make notes and look at them later.
- You are actually never really alone! You will meet so many interesting and amazing people on the way, that you really don’t feel alone. I really had to make time for myself at some points. But that is what makes traveling solo so unique. Experiencing foreign cultures, meeting people and finding out that we are actually all the same. Longing for interaction, conversation and company.
girl on a journey 