Planning your first solo travel experience can be daunting, ‘where do I start?’ ‘how much money do I need?’ ‘Am I safe by myself?’ are only a handful of questions that are likely to fly through your head while your surfing travel related Instagram pages.

This post should hopefully give you a good starting point for planning your first solo travel journey. This was one of the best experiences of my life, and although there were some days of feeling lonely and lost I would not have had it any other way. The places I saw, the things I experienced and people I met could have never been replicated by staying in my comfort zone in my home town.

My Experience as a Solo Female Traveler

As a previous solo female traveler I have a rough insight into what it’s like being alone in a foreign country. I solo traveled Europe for 4 months in 2017, I have since been back to Europe and visited Canada and the USA with my husband, so I still travel, just not alone.

As children we were all taught to not talk to strangers let alone trust them, yet all those lessons go out the window as soon as you set foot inside your first hostel. I will never forget the people I met and the connections I made, a stranger one minute and your best friend the next bar hoping and sharing secrets like you’ve known each other since school.

Although traveling on your own does not come without its risks, always trust your gut instinct and stay in places that are busy with tourists. Never head out without a charged phone and grab an international sim as soon as possible. Majority of people I met in hostels were all there to have a good time and meet new people, but there is always that one sleaze.

I would recommend to anyone who can to travel on their own, you will never experience independence quite like it while having so little responsibilities.

Working out your budget

To give you a rough ball park of how much you may need, I spent between 20k-25k on a 4 month solo trip around Europe, along with accommodation and various bus and train travel, this trip included:

• Return flights from New Zealand
• Tomorrowland festival tickets
• Ultra Music festival tickets
• 12 day Contiki Tour
• 7 day Sail Croatia tour
• 5 inter-continental flights
• A lot of gelatos
• Too many margaritas

This was in 2017, so costs would have have risen since then especially since Covid heavily affecting the tourism industry. Ideally and logically, the more money you have the better. You don’t want to be stuck having to miss out on incredible opportunities or activities because you have budgeted down to the last penny.

Exchange Rates

Checking out the exchange rate for every country you plan on visiting is a super important step you need to take into consideration, your home dollar value will vary greatly depending on where you are in Europe, such as Western European countries like Germany and Netherlands are much more expensive compared to countries like Albania and Serbia.

Booking your Flights

Booking your flights is probably the hardest part of planning any holiday; where do I fly to? who do I fly with? My word of advice for figuring out where to fly to is for it to be somewhere where you know it will be flooded with tourists, and is a large city where English is widely spoken. Don’t, as your first time solo traveling, fly into somewhere obscure where only a few select locals know broken English and you’ll find yourself panicking because you can’t read the train timetable.

Countries like Italy, France or Germany are great starting points. Their main cities like Rome, Paris and Berlin are overrun with tourists so you’ll have no trouble finding friends or English speaking locals that can point you in the right direction.

Having your return flight booked is one of the most important things to organize from a customs point of view. If you’re not a European citizen or have a passport originating in the EU, or have been granted a working visa, customs officials will want to make sure you’re not going to be an overstayer. So having a return flight to show will make your transition through the airport so much smoother so you’re not bombarded with questions as to how long you’re staying or how much money you have to sustain living in Europe.

Long Layovers

Living in New Zealand proves to be painful when you want to explore anywhere around the world that isn’t Australia or the west coast of North America. And when you’re spending thousands of dollars on flights you want to be able to cut costs where you can. Long layovers are tempting when the prices are much lower than if you were to jump from flight to flight, however do know what you’re getting yourself into before deciding to spend 21 hours in Beijing! (Yes, that’s exactly what I did).

I saved a couple of hundred dollars by flying with Air China and spending nearly a full day in Beijing. I had planned to explore the city but I didn’t prepare for it. I didn’t pack a spare change of clothes and I wasn’t ready for the thick, muggy temperature that Beijing welcomed me with…
I spent around 2 hours exploring Beijing before I got enough of the heat and went back to the airport thinking I could sit down with a light meal and cold drink and scroll the internet to pass the time.

Nope.

The only food that was available was hot soups and China is so restrictive with their social media that the only platform I could use was Snapchat. Needless to say it was a miserable 21 hours and I should have just forked out the extra few hundred dollars to have a comfier flight over to Europe.

Luggage

Don’t be one of those people that takes a suitcase on wheels to Europe, unless you’re hiring a car and therefore not relying heavily on public transport or walking to places you need to go, you might find it a bit of a struggle. A lot of streets and sidewalks in Europe are older than New Zealand, so it’s very common to come across cobblestone streets or uneven footpaths and wheels don’t bid well.

A backpack does make you look like a hermit, but it also allows for easier travel because you’re hands are free to carry a coffee or your phone for directions. Plus carrying around a 65L backpack will do wonders for your quads.

How to Pack for Solo Travel

There is an artform to packing for long term travel, but it only really matters when you need your bags to fit on a plane. During my 4 month trip through Europe unless I was flying to the next destination my bag appeared as though it had a cotton based anaphylactic shock.

However in saying that, to make the most of the space in your bag I suggest rolling your clothes instead of folding and laying flat. Pack large items first and leave the smaller items to fill in any spaces you may have between solid items like shoes or toiletries. And last but not least, fill your shoes with any small clothing items like socks, undies etc. Seems like common sense but that seems to fly out the window when you’re stressed about how many pair of undies you’ll need for 4 months on the road.

Packing cells are also a great way to organize your bag. This way you can separate all your clothes into different cells depending on what they are, need socks and undies? cell 1, need a cute top for a night out? Cell 4. This also means you can spare a cell just for washing instead of digging through your bag and playing ‘guess who’ with what items need cleaning.

Related: Festival Survival Guides

Essential Travel Items

Packing for an international solo travel experience isn’t just about grabbing your cutest outfits and Lonely Planet book. You need to prepare for the unexpected and the most inconvenient times, like when you’ve left your charging cable at your hostel because you were running late for your flight, or you partied for 4 weeks straight and found yourself down with a cold too sick to leave your room. Or your phone died, thanks to aforementioned lost charging cable, and you don’t have the door code for your AirBnb.

All experiences based on a true story

So to keep it simple, here’s a list of the items that I wont travel internationally without:

• Power pack
• Extra charging cable
• Universal travel adapter, I have one similar to this
• Printed travel documents
• Medical kit (containing pain killers, plasters, antiseptic cream, cold and flu tablets)

Planning your Itinerary for Solo travel

Planning your itinerary is where the fun begins but can also be the most mind boggling if you have no idea where to begin. My tips for planning your solo travel itinerary will give you a good base of where to begin.

My Top 5 Tips

1. Don’t Book too Far in Advance

My biggest piece of advice for any wannabe solo traveler is to not pre-book all your accommodation before you leave. I had my return flights and first week of accommodation organized just so I could settle into the nomadic life without feeling homeless and lost. This is so you have as much freedom as possible while you’re on the ground and making new friends.

I of course had the big ticket items like festivals booked, Tomorrowland was the very first international item I purchased and this was mainly a way making sure I made this trip happen!

After I landed in Europe and I found my feet with my new vagrant lifestyle I wouldn’t plan my next journey or destination until a night or two before I was due to check out of my hostel or AirBnb. I often made friends at my hostel and I would tag along with them to a new city or country and then eventually part ways.

If you’re travelling to a new country or continent on your own and your main goal is to explore and immerse yourself in the culture while meeting new people, you don’t want to restrict yourself to an itinerary that doesn’t allow for last minute travel or change of plans. One of the greatest things about the ‘overseas experience’ is your only responsibility is your own wellbeing and safety, while completely going with the flow and making on the spot decisions.

The last thing you want is to meet a bunch of cool people who have decided to all fly somewhere together, but have to turn it down because you made non-refundable bookings for a bunch hostels somewhere else!

2. Explore Potential Locations through Instagram

This sounds cheesy but if you’re anything like me and want some awesome pictures to bring home with you then you need to check out Instagram. Instagram provides an up to date view of what locations look like in real time, and is the first place I check before heading anywhere on a trip. The main things I regret when coming back from a trip is seeing online a beautiful location not far from where I was and not visiting because I didn’t do my research!

3. Research Train and Bus Routes

Companies like Flix Bus and Busabout provide easy to follow bus routes for travelers through Europe. I used Flix Bus a lot for last minute journeys, I never used Busabout but it’s great for people who are a little more organized and are wanting to visit the locations where the Busabout route travels through.

4. Familiarize Yourself with Accommodation

Staying in hostels are the best way to save money and make friends, I found majority of my hostels through Hostel World, otherwise I would meet people and book into the hostel their staying in. A lot of hostels run games nights and pub crawls or have their own bars, I have had some of my best nights just hanging out in hostel common areas making friends.

5. Keep a Timeline

Keeping a timeline will help you keep track of where you want to be and when. I simply just typed up a word document with the days and dates tracking down the page, and filled in beside it the location I needed to be or whatever event I had on. I had specific festivals to be at so I needed to make sure I didn’t find myself travelling east towards Serbia when I had to be on the other side of the continent in Belgium a few days later.

Book With a Tour Company

Traveling solo has its perks, but it can also have its more lonely days. Companies like Contiki and Topdeck tours are popular among 18-35 year olds and both run tours through every continent. They are a fantastic way to meet new people and find more places to travel to. This can also be a great way to start your solo journey; find your feet by discovering several countries with people who are strangers on day 1, but by the end they will be your best friends.

If you’re of a slightly older generation or travelling with a young family then bus tours like Cosmos or Trafalgar are a better fit. These are way less party orientated and take you through more family friendly cultural and dining experiences. My family and I went on a Cosmos tour from Paris to Rome for about 12 days, it was a great experience and even as an 18 year old I didn’t feel awkward, left out or bored

Best Solo Travel Destinations

No matter where I went when I was traveling solo I had an amazing experience. But if you’re wanting locations that are busy and bustling with life and other tourists then you want to travel to main cities and popular countries. A lot of Western European countries are set up for thousands of tourists every year and have the infrastructure to support it. Eastern European countries like Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia are bloody fantastic to travel but only when you are confident in your solo traveling abilities and don’t mind trying to mime to strangers for directions.

Berlin, Germany

Berlin has an incredible underground club and alternative scene and there is no shortage of hostels. The city is deeply ingrained with cultures from around the world and historic monuments. The public transport is top tier and English is widely spoken.

Paris, France

Paris is every romantics’ dream. Another big city with hostels on every block that you wont have problems making friends. Pastries for breakfast and champagne for brunch, what more could you want?

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam is extremely popular especially for New Zealanders and Aussies. The red light district is the biggest money maker from tourists and it is a super fun city to be in. I spent a week in Amsterdam and should have stayed longer. The sunset across the canal creates a perfect backdrop for when you and your new friends want to enjoy some ganja for dinner.

Rome, Italy

Rome is another haven for travelers and Instagram photo lovers. The pizza, pasta and wine are worth drooling over. Again this city is ravaged in tourists in the height of summer so finding someone who will be keen to travel to Venice with you wont be an issue.

There are so many more popular cities and destinations across Europe that are riddled with tourists and intrepid travelers every year, but this list above should give you a bit of an idea about where you would like to start. Western Europe is always the go to when first starting your journey, and make your way north or east once you have a bit of confidence and you home sickness has settled.

Do your Research

This is super simple and mainly just common sense, as someone who is about to embark on a solo travel experience of a lifetime, you don’t have anyone else to rely on but yourself so you always want to research the city or country you are wanting to be travelling to. Even just a quick Google search for recent news articles or searching the safety in that place, such as “Safety in New Zealand”. This will give you a brief overview of what to expect.

Schengen Zone

The Schengen Area baffled me the first time I came across it, and I had to read several articles and blogs to understand the concept and meaning behind it.

Basically, in Europe there are 27 countries that ultimately allow unrestricted travel across their borders, (think of all these individuals countries as one large one). This means you can travel between, to and from any of these countries without needing to apply for individual visas for each country. However you will need to check whether you need to apply for a Schengen Visa or if you can just travel on your passport.

The Schengen Area does not include every country in Europe, quite a few Eastern European countries do not sit within the zone. Quite often when travelling Eastern Europe I came across other travelers who had used up their 90 days and were exploring the rest of Europe.

Schengen Visa

Depending on where you are from depends on whether you need to apply for a Schengen Visa, or whether you can travel freely on your passport. Check this Schengen Visa list here for what category your country falls in.

Here’s the catch, if you’re on a tourism visa or a ‘privileged’ passport you can only stay in the Schengen Zone, visa free, for up to 90 days out of a 180 day period. So you can pop into the Schengen Zone for 20 days, then travel out of the zone for 10 days, the day you cross the border back into the zone is day 21. But once you have done your 90 days in the zone you have to skiddly-dee out of there before risking deportation, but after 6 months you can come back and your 90 days has reset again.

Online Travel Groups

The internet is a wonderful place to start making connections with like minded people from around the world. Facebook groups like Gals who Travel are great for advice or to meet up with other solo travelling females, this is also great to gauge what a country is like for solo travelling females, getting tips from the very people who have recently been there is the best type of knowledge you can have. Sorry guys I don’t know of any male only travel groups as I’m not part of them!

Finding Travel Deals

If you’re planning far enough ahead you can keep your eye out for deals with places like Contiki or Topdeck, these companies often run deals if you book between or before certain dates. Contiki also has a page dedicated to Contiki deals, so if you’re not too fussed on where you’re going you can book something straight from here.

You will find that accommodation is most expensive during the height of tourist season, think about travelling to traditionally hot places at towards the end of spring and popular winter destinations at the beginning of spring or middle of autumn. That way you will get cheaper accommodation and the towns wont be overrun with tourists.

Personal Safety

Although I never felt unsafe while traveling by myself, even when weighed down with an 18kg bag, I was still very aware of my personal safety. Pick-pocketing is big in Europe so I never kept my phone or wallet in my back pocket, and in busy main streets or markets I strapped my bag to the front of me.

Although petty crime happens all over the world, you don’t want to be stuck in a foreign country with no phone or money, especially on a solo travel trip. If you’re really concerned then check out these anti-theft travel bags from Bivouac.

Souvenirs

It’s your first solo travel experience, the last thing you’re probably thinking about is finding tacky souvenir shops in every country and grabbing a cheap and nasty piece of plastic to bring home with you. But take my word for it that once you start meeting and talking to fellow travellers; everyone has their own little thing they collect from every country or city they go to. From shot glasses to lighters and patches, everyone wants a little memento to remember their carefree travel lifestyle when their reciting their exciting stories to their children one day.

Personally I collect a low denomination bank note from every country I go to, and a patch to sew onto my backpack.

Always Remember

Everyone else you meet in hostels or tours are in the same boat as you, they have left the comforts of their home and family to discover themselves and who they are. I have never felt so warmly welcomed to sit at a table full of strangers than the days I was country hopping through hostels and student accommodation. Remember this when you’re feeling anxious to walk into a common room full of people, they might end up being your best friend by the end of the night.