How To Plan Your First Solo Trip: A Step By Step Guide

It’s finally that time. After months (potentially years) of psyching yourself up, the big moment has arrived. This isn’t just any other trip you’re going on, nah, it’s your first SOLO trip. And that calls for a celebration. Remind me to do that when we get there though. Let’s focus on one thing at a time, shall we?

But, before we can even think about what we’re gonna wear to our celebratory dinner and drinks (there are non-alcoholic options for those who don’t drink, don’t worry, I got you), there’s one big question… where the fuck do you start with planning a solo trip? 

Everything You Need To Know Before Your First Solo Trip

I mean, obviously, the answer is “right here”. I’ve very kindly volunteered to suffer through the trials and tribulations of planning my own first solo trip, and several after that. Which means, I’m qualified, potentially even overqualified, to give you the tea on everything you need to do, in the order you need to do them. You’re welcome. Tips available (and accepted) via cash and bank transfer. The donation box is on your left, by the way.

Step One: Pick A Solo Trip Destination

Let’s get the most obvious one out of the way. If you’re planning a trip, you need a location. Now, I’m not gonna tell you exactly where to go (in this one, at least), that’s entirely up to you. You might want to do something small. Maybe you’ll go to another city in your country. Maybe you’ll go to the next country over. Maybe you’re feeling adventurous and you’ll fly half way across the world. Who Knows. As long as you have a location.

Once you have that, it’s time to do some research on said location. The easiest thing to do is figure out the best time of year to go based on the weather, and most importantly, the price. We’re all about saving money over here. To put it into context, let’s say you want to go to the Caribbean, for example (any island, we’re not picky, we love them all <3). You do some research and find out that it’s cheapest to go around September. But then, when you look into the weather, you figure out why – it’s hurricane season. Now we’re back to the drawing board. My suggestion: if you have a month in mind, find out the best countries to go to during that month and work from there.

The next thing we need to think about when figuring out where to go for your first solo trip is does the culture in the country align with what you’re interested in? I mean, there’s no point planning a trip to The Alps if you hate skiing and can’t stand being cold, right? But also, – we gotta get a bit deep for a second here because, unfortunately, this world hates women – now would be the time to check if that dream location you have is actually safe for you to travel to alone as a woman, especially if you’re a black woman. We all know the mandatory “*said destination* black girl friendly” search.

Step Two: Finding Flights For Your Trip

Now that we’re locked on a location, we’ve gotta get into the logistics. That starts with figuring out how the fuck we’re acutally getting there. Are we taking a train? A plane? A boat? Flying carpet? Look into all the options and get familiar with how much they should cost for the time of year you’re planning to go. At this point, you can eliminate ones that are out of your price range, because some of them most definitely will be.

Once you’ve narrowed down your options, think about which ones you’d actually be willing to do for the sake of the price. Is it worth spending 400 hours travelling, with 42 connections along the way, just to save £1.50? Probably not. That will help you cut out some more options until finally, you settle on the one that makes the most sense price wise and convenience wise.

One key tip at this point is to be flexible with your dates. Sometimes, if you plan to go a single day earlier or later, it could be the difference between saving hundreds. Well, maybe not hundreds all the time, but something at least. A good way to see what flights are saying is by using two of my personal faves: Skyscanner or Google Flights. If you’re looking far enough in advance, you can also set up price alerts so you can see when they’re at their lowest.

Step Three: Where To Stay As A Solo Traveller

We’re gonna jump ahead a lil to the next step, because this is how I, personally, figure out the best places for me to stay when I solo travel. What you’re gonna want to do is to do a very light Google search to find the main attractions in the place that you’re planning to go to. For example, if you’re coming to London, you’d be seeing things like Big Ben, Oxford Circus, Hyde Park, all that good stuff. Based on the things you find and where they land on the map, you can figure out the best place for you to stay so you can easily do all the things you want to be able to do and see. Or, if you find somewhere further out that you just have to stay at, make sure you can get around easy enough. You don’t want to be trapped in the centre of town at 10pm, waiting for the only bus that goes there, which hasn’t shown up for the last hour. I’ve been there and done that. Trust me, it’s not worth it.

Now, we move on to actually finding somewhere to stay. If you’re new to solo travel, which you will be if you’re reading a guide on how to plan your first solo trip, or travel in general, it’s better to go for a hotel where there will be people working there 24/7, in most cases, who will be able to help you out. My favourite places to do this are Expedia and Booking.com. Hotels can feel a lot safer for first time solo travellers because 1. You know there are other people around, should anything happen. 2. You’re inside a room, inside a secure building, so it’s unlikely unwanted people will be able to get in (not without passing some sort of CCTV first).

If you’re not new to travelling or you just like having your own space that feels like a home away from home, look into Airbnb. I know, I know, we’ve heard the horror stories. But me? Oh, I love an Airbnb. They could never make me hate her. You just need to make sure you’re doing enough research on the place you’re booking. Like, don’t just book somewhere that looks nice, but was put up yesterday by a host that has no reviews.

I know some people also like to do hostels for the social aspect. I have no comment on that because I am very much not built for hostels. Sorry. Although… I did spend some time in one my friend was staying at in Puerto Rico and I could semi understand the appeal. I was very happy to leave her 12 person bedroom and go back to my own private bed though.

Step Four: What To Do On A Solo Trip

Here comes the fun part, apart from actually getting there and starting your holiday. Planning what you’re gonna do when you get there. Now, I know, there are some people who will skip this part completely. They’re happy to just know where they’re going, when they’re going, and where they’re staying. That’s it. They’ll figure the rest out on the ground. And I love that for them. If it works for you, who am I to object?

However, if you’re someone who’s still quite nervous about your first solo trip, it might be good to at least have an idea of what you’re doing. It makes things a lot more predictable and you can actually enjoy yourself without worrying about panic finding things to do at the last minute. This is where we go back to that research we mentioned earlier. You know, where we were Googling “things to do in said place”? Yeah, that research. You’re gonna pull all of that up again and dump it somewhere you can make it a bit more organised. Like a Google Doc, for example, which is my personal preferred choice. Or, if you’re like my sister, your notes app. Either works. 

Once you have a basic list, you can start looking on other parts of the interweb, like blogs (hint hint, wink wink) and TikTok. Or, if you’re looking for more experience type activities to book, you can look on websites like Get Your Guide and Viator. And once you’ve finally done all of that, you can go back to your preferred itinerary hosting site and organise them into a cohesive day by day activity list.

Step Five: Staying Safe When You Travel Alone

Now, we reach the big scary one. The one that puts people off from actually doing the thing. How to stay safe when you solo travel? Well, you’ll be happy to know that it’s actually not that much different from what you’d normally do if you go somewhere. The only difference is that you’re doing it in another country. I mean, maybe you won’t actually be happy, I don’t know. I can’t read minds.

Basic rules apply: make sure at least one person knows where you’re going, what you’re doing, and when you’re doing it. Multiple people knowing is better, but I’m not gonna assume we’re all as popular as Sophie over there. If you only know one person, that’s good enough. Make sure they also have access to your itinerary, then they can see where you should and shouldn’t be. In the last one, we went deeper into this, so feel free to read there so I don’t have to add extra reading time to this one by writing it all again.

In terms of safety while you’re actually on your trip, there are a few things you could invest in to make you feel just that little bit safer. Especially if you’re not staying in a hotel. One thing I swear by, specifically as a woman who travels alone, is having a universal door lock. It’s a little metal thing that you kinda just stick in the door and it stops people from being able to open it from the outside, whether they have a key to get in or not. Another thing I have, that I’ve never had to use (thankfully), is a tiny alarm that can fit in my bag. I mainly keep this one on me at night, so if I’m in a situation where I don’t feel safe, I can pull the pin and everyone can feel just as unsafe as me 🙂

FAQs: How To Plan Your First Solo Trip

Question 1: Where To Go For Your First Solo Trip?

It’s entirely up to you and how comfortable you feel with travelling. If you’re not used to travelling or doing things alone, you might want to start small with somewhere near. If you’re looking for more of an adventure, or a specific vibe, go somewhere further. Before you go, do some searches to see what places are recommended based on what you’re looking for.

Question 2: Are Solo Trips More Expensive?

Honestly, yes. When you think about it, all the things you would normally split with someone have to be paid for alone. But, that doesn’t mean they have to be more expensive. If you start planning in advance, you can track things like flights and accommodation prices to make sure you’re getting the best deals.

Question 3: Should I Stay In A Hotel, Airbnb, or Hostel?

Again, entirely up to you and what you feel comfortable with. Personally, the idea of a hostel terrifies me, so that’s just not something I would choose. For some people, they might feel that way about Airbnbs. Each to their own. The safest option would be going for a hotel, especially if you’re new to travel in general, and travelling alone.

Question 4: What Do You Do When You Travel Alone?

Literally anything you want, that’s the beauty of it. You can choose to see all the touristy things, or avoid them completely. You can focus fully on eating as much food as humanly possible, or not eating at all because you’re too busy lying on the beach. No matter where you go, there’s gonna be something to do. You just need to look for it.

Question 5: Is It Safe For Beginners?

Nothing is 100% safe, but that doesn’t mean it’s dangerous. If you have a general awareness of the things happening around you, and at least one person is aware of what you’re doing, you’ll be fine.

Am I Ready For My First Solo Trip?

I’m hoping, by now, the answer is yes. Otherwise, you’ve spent a long time reading all this for nothing. But, hey, it was a good read right? Right? Please say yes, I need the reassurance.

The moral of the story here is, planning your first solo trip doesn’t have to be as complicated as you think. Find where you want to go, find where you’re staying and how you’re getting there, figure out what you want to do, and stay safe while you do it. It’s really that simple. Just like planning any other trip, you’re just overthinking it because it’s your first time going solo. That’s it. But, trust me, it will be worth it in the end. You just gotta make it there.

Byeee, bestie

Caira