Guide | 22 Tips for Safe, Confident Solo Travel

Solo travel is my favourite kind of travel. I’ve been to over 30 cities solo and I’d be hard pressed to commit to a full trip with others again. There are of course, benefits of having a travel partner or group however, the mental leisure of exploring alone is its own delight.

Here are 22 tips to traveling solo safely and confidently. Discussed in this article are tips covering:

• Safety
• Eating & Dining
• Meeting Others
• Photography

1. Your Surroundings, Your Call

I’ve been to a festival that just didn’t feel right (and found unfortunate headlines the next day). If the angst is above your gut sense of safety, you won’t regret leaving.

2. Unwelcome Interactions

It can feel frustrating trying to get out of unwelcome interactions with strangers. It may be best to behave rudely, duck into a shop or hotel, or temporarily join a group nearby like you’ve bumped into old acquaintances – they’ll understand.

3. Hotel Security

Hotel rooms often have a latch but you just don’t know til you get there. Door jams are effective, inexpensive portable tools. To purchase, search door-lock-travel-portable-security.

4. Rings

Wearing a ring on your wedding finger is a subtle way to deter unwanted interactions. Be sure to check which finger wedding bands typically go on as it differs by country.

5. Grocery Stores

It’s fun to see how different places operate this universal experience. Grocery stores often have ready-made meals and sometimes at a discount in the evening.

6. Take-Out

This is still an option if you’re traveling especially if you want to eat during the dinner rush when many restaurants are full.

7. Bar Seating

Popular restaurants are often at capacity with groups during dinnertime. If you don’t have a reservation, ask if you can sit and order food at the bar.

8. Off-Hour Dining

If you dine at 5:30pm or 9pm, there is almost always a seat available. This goes without a reservation but you should still reserve for popular places if you can.

9. Eating Variety

The biggest challenge I have eating while traveling solo is variety. Alone, one dish may be all you can fit. One way around this is to order only appetizers paying a slight premium for trying more dishes. As a bonus, I often find restaurants are most creative in their appetizers.

10. Small Dishes

Another way to tackle the variety issue is to seek out restaurants that are styled to serve small dishes. This might be tapas, izakayas and so forth.

11. Food Tours

Food tours and bar crawls are a great way to meet new people in a casual social setting.

12. Excursions

Book an excursion to an attraction. You’ll often get to meet other travellers or find yourself adopted into an existing tour.

13. Special Experiences

Do some research into what a city might offer in terms of special experiences.

For example, in Japan, Nagomi visits match you with a local family who will welcome you into their home for a meal.

14. Chat up the Next Table

If they’re local, ask for recommendations. If they’re fellow travellers, share tips!

15. Shopkeepers

Shop operators meet travellers all day long. They have a great sense of local culture and might offer interesting insights into the running of their business.

16. Bartenders

Bartenders know the local food scene extremely well. Ask your bartender where they like to drink and eat!

17. Walking / River Tours

Walking tours and river tours are a fun way to both explore and learn about local history and architecture. The guides are often not only knowledgable but passionate about sharing all they can about their city.

18. Ask a Stranger

Strangers are usually amenable to help you take a photo. If you’re in a busy tourist area, keep an eye out for those who are carefully composing their shots.

19. Tripods & Selfie Sticks

I recommend finding a model that is light and fit in your bag. If it’s clunky, heavy, and difficult to set up in an instant, you won’t be encouraged to make use of it.

20. Timer + Interval Shots

When taking photos yourself, use a timer to get in position and set up your camera to take interval shots. Interval shots allow you to select the number of shots you’d like taken and give you a set number of seconds between each shot.

21. Nevermind

It’s common to feel self conscious when taking photos, especially out in public. But these are your memories during hard earned travels. Don’t worry what others are thinking. When I’m watching others take photos, I’m really scoping out who I might ask to take my photo.

Even if you have an eSIM or data, it’s good to download an offline version of your map just in case. On your phone in Google Maps, select your profile icon > Offline maps > ‘Select Your Own Map’ > and Download. Even without internet, your phone can pin your location.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and found something interesting and useful.

Safe travels!