For a lot of people traveling alone can challenging. One of the biggest benefits of solo traveling is the freedom to do what you want to do. Solo traveling carries risks and there are mistakes that will be made. You do need to exercise more caution when traveling solo, so what are the mistakes to avoid when traveling solo?
When traveling solo you do need to be more careful, you do have to make copies of important documents and have a backup if your bank cards or money gets stolen. It does not mean that traveling by a group is not risky at all. At the same time, traveling solo can be risky, though the risks can be reduced with some simple precautions.
In this post, we will go through mistakes to avoid when traveling solo. Let’s get started!
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- What To Do If The Airline Loses My Luggage?
- Is Traveling Alone A Good Idea?
Mistakes To Avoid When Traveling Solo
The key to traveling solo is you need to be more careful as well as do a little bit more planning and research than normal.
Let us go through simple mistakes to avoid when solo traveling.
Copy Important Documents
If you’ve watched the movie by Rowan Atkinson titled “Mr. Bean’s Holiday”. You might have laughed at this character’s carelessness in leaving his passport and other important documents at the top of the public phone booth.
But, you should admit that there are times when we can be as careless as he was. Bringing a small bag everywhere is very important, though it shouldn’t be too small.
At least, bring an average bag. Whether it is a shoulder bag or sling bag to keep these important documents safe. If it is important, you should use the hotel safe.
Also, have a photo or copy of your passport stored online like Dropbox.
Isolating Yourself
Traveling alone can be very risky. You need to inform friends and family back home about the exact countries that you visit and send pictures.
So it will be easy for you to ask for help during your solo travel.
Don’t Drink Too Much
As the title suggests, don’t drink too much. If you are not in control of your facilities, you will become a target for thieves.
Bringing Too Much Stuff
It is fine to bring your laptop when you visit a café or a park. But, stay alert as you might attract attention. The main problem with visiting countries is the seemingly endless high rate of crimes, particularly among tourists.
It is also recommended to bring only important stuff when you are out and about. Especially in crowded places like flea markets or amusement parks.
Follow Local Rules And Regulations
There are countries where they have strong regulations and rules based on their culture, like wearing the burqa, eating halal foods, etc.
Learn a lot about the countries before you visit them. Avoid doing things that may contribute to local people’s anger.
Figuring Out What You Want To Do
Before you go on your trip, decide what you want to do. These might be things that interest you, that not everyone will appreciate going to the museum or diving.
Stay In A Reputable Hotel
Choosing a good hotel as your main accommodation is always recommended, particularly if this is your first solo travel.
By choosing a good hotel, you know that you are safe and will be comfortable during your stay. It may be a little bit more expensive than local hotels or hostels that don’t guarantee your safety.
USEFUL TRAVEL RESOURCES
Book Accommodation
Booking.com has a large range of properties from hotels, hostels, guesthouses, and resorts where you will find the best deals. Airbnb and Hostelworld also have a good range of places to stay at good prices.
Booking Flight
Skyscanner is a flight search comparison website that searches millions of flights all at once. Ultimately it is the best flight comparison website online at the moment.
Booking Transportation & Things To Do
Rome2rio and 12Go are useful to plan how to get anywhere by searching train, bus, car, and ferry routes. Especially useful in countries like Vietnam or Thailand. While Klook is great for exploring things to do in each place.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is cheap and more than likely you will never need to use it but you will have peace of mind if something does happen, you are covered in case of an emergency. World Nomads have great customer service and competitive prices.
Check out our resource page for the best companies to use when you travel.
Wrapping Up
Finally, when traveling solo you do need to be more careful, you do have to make copies of important documents and have a backup if your bank cards or money gets stolen. It does not mean that traveling with a group is not risky at all.
At the same time, traveling solo can be risky, though the risks can be reduced with some simple precautions.
And that’s it for now! I’d love it if this post on mistakes to avoid when traveling solo was helpful to you. Let me know if you have any questions and let me know if there is more to add.
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