Everyone wants to enjoy a fulfilling vacation and everyone should partake in some solo adventure at least once in their life. However, going it alone can be intimidating and you might not think you can do it. The trust is that you can do it though, and knowing you, you’ll have no trouble making it exciting, successful, and entirely stress-free.
How can you make it a stress-free experience? If you want to do something other than sit on the beach all day, you need to know the best way to approach your next adventure, so here are eight ideas to consider to make sure you get to your destination and explore the world without a care.
Have a Plan
The first thing anyone will tell you about your trip is that you need to have a plan. This doesn’t just mean knowing which countries you’ll visit; it means from the day before you leave. Do you know what you’re packing? Do you know how to get to the airport and how long it will take to get there? What about rush hour? Where is your passport? How about taking some snacks for the journey?
And then you need to think about landing, getting to your hotel, and enjoying your vacation. Don’t feel like planning makes you uncool, because knowing every step of the process will make things less stressful for everyone involved.
But Don’t Be Afraid to Be Flexible
Yet, you don’t need to feel like this plan is set in stone. While it’s useful to know what you’re doing – or at least what you’d like to do – you cannot ignore the benefits of flexible travel to make the most of your adventure.
This is simply because you never know what will happen or who you might encounter. You don’t want to come across as a travel curmudgeon by avoiding the chance to spend time with people and make friends, so while you can keep an eye on your itinerary, there’s always room to maneuver to make sure you still enjoy yourself.
Learn To Recognize Danger
No to alarm you or anything, but bad things can happen while you’re traveling, especially when you’re traveling alone. Even as a dude, going solo can make you a target so you need to learn how to recognize and avoid danger to ensure you’re safe no matter where you go.
Of course, you can’t always avoid danger, and you might get caught in the middle of something that isn’t your fault. If this is the case, you should still know how to follow the right steps to mitigate further problems. Speaking to the local police and a truck accident lawyer or other legal professionals can reduce the impact of some problems. You should also make sure you get travel insurance before leaving, too.
Don’t Overpack
It’s tricky to know what to pack in your backpack or suitcase. You don’t want to bring too little and have inappropriate clothing, but you also don’t want to have too much as it can make it difficult to lug around after you.
You can avoid packing problems by thinking about what you’re going to do. An active trip means lightweight and multipurpose adventure clothes, while a relaxing vacation may only require a few pairs of swim shorts and plenty of sunscreen.
Bring Backup Cash
Although you might not get mugged, you may still lose or misplace your wallet. Backup cash can give you a comfortable buffer just in case something happens. You can also think about using digital payments like Google or Apple Pay, but there’s no guarantee that shops and other services will carry the technology for this, especially if you’re visiting rural areas.
Don’t keep the backup cash with your regular cash as it’s too easy to get it confused and means you might spend it all before you’re ready. If nothing else, consider it an emergency fund to help you get home or to a safe place if you’ve not booked your return flight yet.
Get There During the Day
So you aren’t scared of the dark, but you’ll quickly wish you’d have arrived during the day if you land in a dark, mostly closed airport on your first night. Even the safest destinations can feel sketchy when doing this, and if you can’t pre-arrange transport to your hotel or hostel, you are bound to feel a little uneasy.
Getting there during the day is a much better approach. This isn’t just because of the safety aspect, but also because it gives you a chance to get a taste of the country. It adds to the excitement of your trip and also means you can hit the ground running, get to know people, and fight off any exhaustion you may have from jet lag.
Research Your Destination
In addition to this, it’s also worth learning more about your destination. You can learn a few key phrases (or at least note them down on your phone) as well as get the currency prepared and consider any cultural differences. You may also want to get a photograph and offline directions to your hotel or hostel to make it easier to find. Once you’re there, the front desk should have a business card for you to show taxi drivers when you need to get back.
Stay Connected
Although your trip is the chance to get away from the monotony of home, it’s still vital to stay connected to friends and family. They will want to know you’re okay, so checking in every few days will ease their worries. This saves them from giving you a panicked call later on, and it also helps you from feeling too isolated which is always a risk no matter how much you’re enjoying your adventure.
Where To Next?
The solo adventure is one of the best ways to learn about yourself and the rest of the world. While you may still encounter some issues, you can’t let them ruin the experience, and these tips will help you make your adventure as stress-free as possible no matter where you’re going. By air, land, or sea, you have all the tools you need to make it the time of your life.
