The Perils of Travelling Alone and How to Deal With Them

So you have finally decided to take that alone trip you have been planning and imagining for years! As happy and as excited as you are, you have several concerns because you have never been the person who could travel alone, eat out alone, and even go watch a movie alone. What do you do? What should you be worried about and how should you deal with these fears and concerns?

Blend in

One obvious and major concern while travelling alone is your safety, because there’s no one to watch your back or to take care of you in untowardly situations. How do you deal with that? Wear regular clothes, nothing flashy and attention catching lest you wish to become your own bait. Don’t wear that ‘I love NY’ tee and wear reasonably modest clothes according to the weather.

Exude confidence

Walk purposefully and confidently, not with your head buried in a map. Figure out transportation means and timings beforehand; also research on the fares, so that you don’t end up getting played.

Keep in touch

Leave a copy of your itinerary with your friends or family, so that in times of need, they know exactly where you are. Try to stick to the itinerary as much as possible; also, if there are any sudden changes in plans, inform your folks. Also stay in touch via phone and texts; if you happen to be in a place where there’s low cell reception, make arrangements to inform your family about the same.

A little lying hurt no one, if you have to ask for directions, maybe say something like ‘Could you please guide me ‘name of the location’, my friends are waiting for me there’.

Trusting people around you

Travelling alone is all about novel experiences and exploring the unknown, finding peace and solace in your own company and making new friends along the way. However, do not be entirely trusting towards everyone. Use your instincts and follow your gut, if you feel even slightly sceptical about anything, don’t do it, better safe than sorry; for example you may not want to ask strangers to hold your bag while you use the restroom etc.

Judicious spending

It is seen that solo trips sometimes tend to be costlier than when you are travelling in groups.  Tours and hotels have deals for couples, while the lone traveller may end up paying more than them. In such a case, you can ask the tour company to team you up with someone who’s also looking for a package deal but plans to travel alone. Also while booking a stay look for hostels where you can share the place with people of different ethnic and social backgrounds, and have the most fun time exploring their culture, exchanging stories, building memories.

Pack wisely

When you travel alone, it is important to pack smarter, so that you don’t have to be worried about lots of luggage. Try and pack only the essentials and keep room for the stuff you are going to buy on the way back.