Of course, traveling alone and traveling with friends are two entirely different ways of spending your time. Moreover, solo traveling will not only give you the opportunity to see new places and cities, but it will also help you to understand yourself better. Well, when you are solo traveling, there might be several issues you need to solve all by yourself, as there is no one that can help you; also, you need to eat and find the roads to your destination by yourself. All this means that you are going to spend a lot of time alone, and it is not a secret that spending time alone is the best way to explore yourself and your habits better, especially in a different environment.
If you are traveling alone and you are worried about the costs, in this article, you will find several essential tips that will help to organize your day in a foreign destination better.
Here, you will find the answers to these questions:
- Why should you choose solo traveling?
- Is solo traveling affordable?
- Are there any helpful tips for affordable solo travelers?
Why should you choose solo traveling?
As it has already been mentioned, solo traveling is not only about all the beautiful destinations that you are going to attend; it is also about having time for yourself and understanding what kind of person you are.
You will have time to be alone with your thoughts and finalize your goals or think about your dreams.
On the other hand, if you love traveling, then going on a solo trip will be a new experience for you, and you can discover the destinations you attend better. Also you will be completely free to choose where you want to go, eat or drink, so this is also one of the greatest advantages of solo traveling.
Is solo traveling affordable?
One of the common myths about solo traveling is that it is very costly, and not everyone can do it. That is mainly because there will be no one who can share the room with you, or buy the meal and all the food products together.
Yes, this is true. But if you do a good amount of research before traveling, you can find many great and, most importantly, cheap options for solo travelers. You just need to spend a little bit more time on the research.
Are there any helpful tips for affordable solo travelers?
Remember, there is nothing to be stressed and worried about. If you decide to take this opportunity, then enjoy it fully.
So, there are several helpful and interesting tips that you will definitely need if you want to travel alone.
1. Stay flexible with the dates and destinations you are going to choose
If you decide to visit a place at the height of the holiday season, it will, of course, be very expensive. That is why you should start planning very early. As soon as you start planning, also start your research on the place you will visit. Find out the seasons and dates when it will be cheaper to stay there.
After checking the cheapest season, look at where you are going to stay. Find hotels or hostels, whichever will be more convenient for you. Another good trick is to look at hostels a little far from the central part of the place you want to visit. Moreover, pay attention to whether there will be a nearby metro or train station. Also, keep in mind to check some Pinterest pictures before visiting famous touristic places. Consider looking for inspiring photos before your trip and selecting destinations where you would like to have pictures; you can check what other people posted on their social networks with the hashtags, and also check out women’s stock photos for posing, the camera’s positions, and further details.
2. Do huge research on accommodations.
Looking for a cheap and affordable place to live will be the most complex thing for a solo traveler as it is time-consuming. Moreover, you can definitely find a good deal if you look for it on every possible site.
Keep in mind – you should not only look at the cost of a night in a hotel but pay attention to what kind of deals the hotels offer. You are a solo traveler, and even the smallest things can be very helpful at that moment.
Therefore, you need to
- Look at all the deals that various hostels offer the tourists. Look for discounts when booking something. It can be because of your credit card, country, or the place you want to stay in.
- You can find many hotels or hostels online but after seeing the cheapest offers, try calling them and booking it directly with them. This will help you to save more money and nerves.
- If there is no budget room to book, try looking for shared rooms. It is a great opportunity to make new friends in a foreign city and ask for advice from them.
3. Nearly all touristic cities have FREE walking tours
Free walking tours are something that is funded by the government, so they are completely free. These tours are a convenient option if you do not know where to go and how to explore the city on your own.
For finding the free walking tours, just google the name and add the name of the city you will be in. There will be a website, and you can see all the other details.
4. Plan what you are going to eat
When you start doing research about the city you will visit, do not forget the prices for meals in cafes and in the supermarkets.
It is important to know the prices before arriving. Well, in this way you can, for instance, buy products from the supermarket for three days and use them gradually.
When it comes to finding what to eat, there are many good options – one of them is street food. In many cities, the street food culture is quite developed and very cheap.
Although, when booking a room, you can see if the breakfast is included or not. Most of the time, many hotels offer breakfast. And if you do not have much money, you can keep half of your breakfast for your lunch.
5. Transportation from one place to another
Transportation is going to be the hardest part of solo traveling because, in various countries, transportation works differently.
A good tip for this one is to make sure that you live near a bus stop or train/metro station. In this way, you will be at least close, and you can ask the workers about the timings whenever you wish.
This will also take several hours of research, and when doing it, you can also look for the timetable for the transportation ways online; many cities also have a digital version.
Most importantly
Whatever happens to you, do not panic. Try to understand how you can solve the situation and start finding ways to do so.
Solo traveling is very beautiful, and it has many benefits. You are very lucky that you have the opportunity to do it, so just start researching as much as possible and have a good trip.
