11 good tips for everyone who would like to spend their holiday alone
Going away alone is not only a great way to get to know yourself and broaden your geographical and cultural horizons, it's also very practical. Holidays together often fail due to different holiday times, budgets, or travel destinations and in the end you fritter away the long weekend at home. So why not just pack your suitcase when you have the time and inclination? Even. Voyage, voyage!
1. Listen to your heart
Anyone who expresses the desire to travel alone often gets hundreds of well-intentioned pieces of advice, safety instructions, warnings, or an energy-sapping "Alone? That's boring" from the outside. I believe that everyone intuitively knows pretty much exactly what they want and what they can achieve. And that's the only thing you should listen to - when choosing your destination, whether you're arriving by night train or in your own car, where you're staying,, and how long you're staying. In short: If you've secretly wanted to go to Iceland, Bangkok or Lake Constance on your own for a long time, then just do it.
2. Plan well
It's great to have a good feeling and a large portion of wonder passion in your luggage, but it doesn't hurt to also have a solid plan in your pocket, so traveling alone is not that different from a trip for two or a group. But because you really have to make every decision on your own, it saves time and energy to clarify a few important key points beforehand. Where can I get breakfast, where can I shop, how do I get from A to B? I like to use Instagram as a search engine for food tips. When it comes to public transport, good old Google Maps has served me well so far. Where can I change or withdraw money cheaply? Things like that.
It's a good idea to make a travel planning list. So you can be sure to remember of everything.
3. Pack particularly cleverly
It is also essential to pack your bag sensibly, after all, you can't quickly stuff the hairdryer in someone else's suitcase or borrow a pair of socks. Luckily, we have a few good tips up her sleeve on how you can start a weekend trip without excess luggage and still be perfectly equipped. What works well from our own experience: rolling clothes instead of folding them really saves space, additional fabric bags are often a lifesaver in emergencies during short "I have to collect all the shells" moments on the beach.
4. Get lost sometimes
On our city trips, we have discovered the best things when we've played Lost on Purpose: pick a neighborhood, start in the middle of it, put the phone on airplane mode, and then follow your nose. It works best on foot because you don't drive past the exciting corners that are waiting to the left and right so quickly. For the way back, either the mobile phone is consulted or, what is even better: You recognize familiar places and find your way to the hotel, hostel, or Airbnb apartment on your own. The ultimate sense of achievement!
5. Learning to be alone
Being alone is an art that needs to be learned. But anyone can do that. The most important thing is to realize what you actually feel like doing. Sounds a bit esoteric now, but closing your eyes and listening to yourself is a pretty good method for beginners. One that sometimes brings unimagined truths to light: You have planned a tight cultural program for three days, but your inner voice calls for aimless dawdling and relaxation? It's not bad at all, because often both can be combined: first rest and then start with new energy, for example. Doesn't sound difficult at all, does it?
6. Share beautiful moments
That's probably the biggest downer: the cinematic sunset, the best raspberry ice cream of the year, the unbelievable view from a mountain peak - such golden travel moments you would like to share with someone and remember later together. Fortunately, we now have many ways to share moments digitally. And yes, there are ways to do that without being the annoying person who posts three photo albums with 400 pictures of their Everest hike to Social media every day. Of course, if you're going off for a few days to get away from the social media madness, that doesn't count.
7. Find a contact or let someone find you
What puts many off traveling solo is the idea that it's a very lonely, isolated time. Just because you start out unaccompanied doesn't mean you have to spend a dull holiday without social contacts. Even someone who is otherwise rather reserved or likes to travel as a loner will find out: It usually happens quite automatically when you get to know people. Apparently, there are secret attractions between solo travelers. At least that's what I think, since a small talk at a red pedestrian light in London turned into an invitation to Greece.
8. Don't just consume
City trips in particular often turn into a single shopping and consumer marathon and the only difference to home is that the same brands are in a different city. Sure, it's no easy task not to be distracted and sprinkled all the time, especially when you're traveling alone. But it's worth trying. Observing the hustle and bustle on the streets, noticing the people, their style, the atmosphere, and trying to get a feeling for the place, its inhabitants and their pace of life: all this works wonderfully without constantly swiping your credit card over a counter .
9. Use the freedom
The fascinating about traveling alone i: Nobody knows you, you don't know anyone - that means you can either completely reinvent yourself for the time of the trip or wallow in the comfort of your "comfort zone" - both are great and beneficial. It's the ideal opportunity to try yourself out and discover unknown sides of yourself - even if it's just starting a conversation in a café as a shy person or joining a yoga group in the park as a person who is phobic about relaxation. Such experiments feel much easier outside of the familiar environment.
10. Master small low flights
Hands down, even in the most beautiful solo travel paradise, sometimes something stupid can happen, you get off on the wrong foot, or you just have an exhausted body and mind. Left to your own devices, such moments feel particularly uncomfortable and persistent, after all, there is no one to kick butt or distract you. But that doesn't mean the day or even trip is over with it. The best thing to do is to answer the question "What would help me right now?" Honestly, even if that means that the planned cultural afternoon turns into an extended cake break or a walk on the beach to clear your head. The good thing is that you don't have to make any compromises and so the low flight is usually soon overcome.
11. Preserve memories in a different way
Of course, the camera is our constant companion, and actually a selfie stick would be the perfect accessory for solo travelers. But we all know why we don't have one after all. But it can also be exciting to test a different type of memory preservation instead of photos. Short audio recordings, for example, to record the sound of the sea or the happy babble of voices in a busy square. Anyone who likes to write or draw should definitely take a notebook with them so that they can immediately record what they hear, think, or see.
Read also:
Traveling Tips For Families With Kids
Keep Your Kids Happy On Long Car Trips