Plan the Perfect Solo Trip: 16 Tips to Make the Most of Your Holiday

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Solo travel can be intimidating but with these tips you can plan the perfect solo trip. Planning and preparation is crucial to alleviate nerves, build confidence and ensure you don’t miss a thing!

Planning a trip is always a difficult balancing act – especially for a solo trip. You want to plan enough to keep yourself busy and entertained but be careful not to cram too much in! My aim is always to select my personal must do’s and see them all – I don’t believe in saying ah well you can always go back. It’s a big world with a lot of amazing destinations on offer – you might not go back!

Research

• So where do you start? You can stick your destination into Google or, like me, check out Pinterest – it’s full of blog posts with travel guides and inspiration. Set up a board to hoard your research posts on like the images below.

Itinerary

• Always start planning your trip well in advance. It can get tedious and stressful and you’ll have enough to worry about in the days before you leave! Start by getting a basic itinerary down.

• One way to make planning easier is to give each day a unique flavour – for example in Barcelona I planned a wander round the Gothic Quarter day, a Gaudi day and a beach day. Of course this may not always go as planned but it can be a helpful starting point.

• Plan for the unplanned. Alocate time for unplanned wanderings. Your itinerary should read – get lost.

• Highlight some parts of your itinerary in bold – these are the non-negotiables! Leave the rest more flexible.

• Research bars and restaurants and slide your faves into appropriate places in the itinerary. For example if you know your going to be in a certain area at lunchtime pop in a couple of places to eat you’ve spotted there.

• Plan exciting things for the evenings such as concerts, flamenco shows, organised tours, anything! The evening is the most awkward time of day as a solo traveller. Don’t leave yourself stuck wondering what to do!

Top Attractions

• You’ll find that certain attractions crop up time and time again in blog posts – this is a big red flag to say you need to have this on your list! Now, of course just because it’s popular doesn’t mean it will appeal to you but it’s a good way to pick out your potential must do’s.

• Decide which of the top attractions appeal to you the most. You may need to cut out even the most well hyped ones if you’re only going for a short time. You can’t cram it all in – be selective!

• Make sure you check which attractions you should book in advance. Plus any days they close or offer cheaper or free entry!

Maps

• Utilise Google Maps at all times when planning a trip! Especially if you’re travelling around a wide area or big city. You need to make sure your itinerary is logical and doesn’t have you doubling back on yourself or dashing from one end of the city to another all the time!

• Make your own maps. A tad over-zealous perhaps? It depends on your navigation skills. I get lost very easily and I’ve found it helpful to draw my own maps that make sense to me, rather than dragging my phone out of my pocket all the time to check Google Maps! This is also a safety precaution! Better to lose a bit of paper than your phone to thieves! Navigation planning is even more important on a solo trip. You can only rely on yourself to not get lost!

Getting Around

• Consider how much walking/travelling your itinerary demands. You might want to take public transport sometimes to save time and your legs! Make sure to check out what travel passes are available.

• It’s a good idea to book transfers to and from the airport in advance if possible. Knowing you have everything in place is a big weight off your mind. When visiting Barcelona I booked a taxi in advance. It might not be the cheapest option but reduced stress is sometimes worth a little extra cost. Booking in advance is also cheaper than hiring a taxi last minute!

Language

• One of the most important things to look into before you go is what language do they speak? No matter where you go – even if they will speak some English – learn the basics of their language.

• For the shy solo travelling introvert this is so so important. Having the confidence to speak in another language as a shy person is so difficult so you must practice! Even if you only learn the basics learn them well! It will make such a difference to your trip! Confidence is all about preparation. The thing is on a solo trip, no-one else can step in or take the lead – all the asking, buying etc is up to you!

Finally…

The most important thing is to enjoy your research! Planning a trip should be fun. It can feel overwhelming at times but it’s better to be stressed before you go than when you get there.

If you’ve got ages to wait before your next trip extensive research is also a great way to get excited about your trip and pass the time until it finally arrives!

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Need destination inspiration? Want beaches, art, culture and an irresistible mix of old and new? Think Barcelona: This is how to spend three days in the city of Tapas and Gaudi.

Research done? Ready to pack? If like me you’re allergic to packing light you need these tips: How to Pack Light When You’re the Girl Who Needs Everything.

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I hope these planning tips can help you get ready for your exciting solo adventure. Most importantly, I hope it will make solo travel seem less scary – just plan, prepare and get ready to feel the buzz of adventure!

How do you like to prepare for a trip? Meticulous planning or are you the (crazy) spontaneous type? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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