I’ve been travelling solo for 20 years — here are my top tips

Solo travel is booming, and I hate to say I told you so, but … I told you so. I’ve loved travelling alone over the past two decades, and the fact that #solotravel has been used more than ten million times on Instagram suggests that others do too. I’ve enjoyed a week in South Africa for four Bruce Springsteen gigs, road-tripping to Margaret River in Western Australia, scoffing street food in Trinidad and sunbathing on the beach in Miami at Christmas. I love travelling with my own agenda and no time wasted debating what to do. Here’s what I’ve learnt.

1. You’re solo — not alone

There’s a misconception that travelling solo means being alone, and potentially lonely, the whole time. This is so far from reality. If you want to spend time with other people it’s easy to do so. I always book a food tour in a new city — it’s a great way to get to know a place and a sociable way to spend time with other people if you feel like it (and that’s the crucial part). If you do feel like it you’ll likely also make friends in all corners of the globe — there’s always someone willing to show you the local side of a destination and I’ve met some of my closest friends this way. There are also dozens of tour operators catering to people travelling solo in a larger group, whether it’s for a week-long or month-long trip — such as Intrepid Travel, G Adventures and Flash Pack.

2. It’s not as daunting as you might think

Solo travel doesn’t have to mean taking on all the planning or putting yourself in precarious situations. Inside Asia, which organises everything from private guiding to transfers, reports a 40 per cent increase in solo travel bookings this year compared with 2023; Discover the World has had a 15 per cent spike over the same period. If you’re not keen on going independently, a tour operator can remove any stress you may feel and there’s always somebody at the end of an emergency phone line.

3. Start with the right sort of trip or destination

If you’re heading off on your first solo trip, whether organised by a tour operator or DIY, I’d recommend Japan. It’s a very safe country (I find it one of the best places to travel as a woman on her own) and dining alone at a counter is the norm. Otherwise, city breaks are a great choice, and you can book tours and nights out with companies such as Airbnb Experiences and Viator if you don’t want to do all the sightseeing solo. Or you can ease yourself in with a shorter trip. Then there’s always the good old “reading a book by a pool in any lovely hotel” option.

4. It pays to research and plan

I’m a bit of a laissez-faire traveller, but before I set out solo on a DIY trip I make sure that every eventuality is covered, knowing it would be only me dealing with any issues. This could mean withdrawing cash (as a backup if bank cards fail), checking public transport routes from the airport to the hotel or planning where to eat on the first night (to avoid standing in the street peering at my phone). As a female solo traveller this stuff feels extra important.

5. Pack carefully

When you travel alone you can’t rely on someone else to remember the toothpaste. You’ll cope with forgetting a T-shirt or a pair of knickers, but prepare for the essentials — I travel with enough Imodium for a busload of backpackers. I also throw in at least three plug adaptors because if I take only one it’s inevitably the wrong type.

6. It’s the ultimate alternative Christmas

Christmas is seen as a sociable time, so skipping out on it may raise a few eyebrows, but the festive period isn’t a joyful celebration for everyone, and if you need to escape it, do. I loved being in Miami on Christmas Day, when I read books on the beach in the day and swapped roasties for a counter meal at Cheese Burger Baby that night. It felt great to do what I wanted and not what society expects (my family was fully on board). On Christmas Eve I headed round to see a local friend — the “Burger Beast” — and celebrated a Cuban Christmas with his family and friends.

7. It resets me more than any spa day

At this point I should probably confirm that I love my husband and my toddler. But I need some time away from them in my own space, and an afternoon at a spa simply doesn’t cut it. However, eight hours on a long-haul flight watching films of my choosing — rather than listening to Super Simple Songs’ Wheels on the Bus on repeat — does. The space I need is that reminder of my life before, which as much as I prefer my life now was a more independent time. And while a long afternoon getting wrinkly in hot tubs is lovely, it’s the adventure that I crave. For me, that’s relaxation; that’s a reset. And as any cohabiting couple can attest, absence really does make the heart grow fonder.

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8. Solo dining is utter joy

Easing into the day with a quiet breakfast and a book? Yes please. Dining solo is something to be celebrated, not pitied; in a world of constant noise that quiet time is essential. If sitting at a table with the cutlery opposite you cleared away makes you feel a little awkward then choose places with bar seating — this is common in the US and Japan. The only downside? Not being able to taste anyone else’s food — strangers don’t respond well to that kind of thing. My next solo trip? I quite fancy eating my way around Bologna. Better get the childcare sorted.

9. It’s the most transformative travel you can do

I feel a tug of sadness when I head off on trips away from my child now, but then I get the liberating solo-travel feeling. Travelling alone is empowering — you’ll do things you never thought you’d do, say yes more readily and experience a destination in a whole new way. You can pay more attention to what’s around you. There’s a lightness that comes with it, and that’s incredibly freeing — and extremely addictive.

Are there any solo travelling tips you’d add? Share them in the comments

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