Today I’ll show you how to travel alone for the first time.
If you want to travel more and looking for a challenge; keep reading.
The work I started to do in Latin America was a great way to travel outside my comfort zone! From my first solo travel to now; I have achieved a lot.
A handful of years ago, I coined the term ‘Trips of Growth’ and even today, I use this term to describe the action of traveling outside my comfort zone.
How to Travel Alone For The First Time
Right, so you’re thinking of traveling by yourself for the first time. Below I will share some insights, tips and tricks on how I did it for myself.
I started a new chapter in my life when I went backpacking through Mexico where I faced a new set of challenges to add to the long list I was already born with. Solo travel has become an integral part of my personal growth.
The interesting point is how I managed to use solo travel as a tool to facilitate this challange. Let me start by firstly saying that a Trip of Growth doesn鈥檛 have to mean traveling to a new country or place.
My Trips of Growth
As a person who thrives off creativity and discovers the new and unknown, I gain so much value from positioning myself in new environments.
I find travel the best way to break from the known! On a trip of growth, you鈥檒l find me traveling solo, exploring new territories, and facing old fears.
Are you ready to take the necessary steps towards becoming a better you?
In this guide, I’m going to give you some tips which I implemented my first time traveling alone. For me, it was a major comfort zone challenge.
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7+ Tips on How to Travel Alone
No matter if you have traveled before you are traveling alone by plane for the first time. I’m going to give you so of my tips on how to travel alone.
If you’re traveling to an unknown place, you are taking a risk. Any risk that you run in life can appear daunting.
1. Choose a desirable place
After acclimatizing, a few hours or days later that feeling fades away.
If you’re still in the stage of wondering where to travel alone for the first time. I recommend you try backpacking in Latin America.
Why? Because I know you’re going to have the time of your life.
The people and places you’ll visit will win your heart in seconds. Below I will list the three great countries for solo travelers to visit.
Forget about the bad press pick up your map of Latin America and start to nominate a few locations.
If you are from the United States and it’s your first time on a plane, for example, Latin America is a great choice because it’s not too far.
Also, you’ll more than likely be in the same time zone so it will be easy to communicate with family and friends back home.
Here are some countries I recommend for traveling alone to:
If you don’t yet speak Spanish. Or, a bit rusty from high school, don’t worry. Even in Europe there are plenty of options to support you in becoming fluent in Spanish before, during, and after your solo trip.
Don’t let the language barriers be the reason for dismissing a whole continent of life of love that awaits you.
2. Get a Travel mentor / Guide
In my case, I started by searching for the right mentors. I did this to learn more about areas I found myself lacking in fulfillment.
I developed the trip of growth idea after listening to lectures by Joseph Campbell. He talks about ancient mythology and living with purpose.
Joseph’s books inspired me to discover a deeper meaning in my first 3 months of solo travel from down through Central America back in 2014.
When traveling solo it’s necessary to have support and challenge. Because when you鈥檙e not fortunate to have someone challenge you, it is too easy to find yourself stuck in a rut, reliving the same experiences day after day.
Let’s be honest, we’d all prefer the right type of challenges; the type that plays to our strengths. But then, ask yourself, is it really a challenge if you鈥檙e reliving something you’ve experienced before?
Having a mentor is paramount to being challenged.
I wanted my experience traveling alone for the first time to be backpacking in South America, but I was scared.
Then I met an oracle, disguised as a young Australian cocaine addict, who give me a piece of advice that changed everything.
Read about it amongst my other backpacking South America travel tips.
3. Make a solid plan
If this is going to be your first solo backpacking trip. I recommend you do at least a bit of trip planning. Do you know how to plan for a trip like this?
Don’t worry if not, you can kind of wing it, a little bit.
The main idea here is to execute your main travel strategy getting from point A to point B. Let your heart sort out the rest of the in-between bits.
Whether going beach hopping in Colombia or exploring the streets of Buenos Aires, I recommend that you carry a travel journal with you and you use it as the base for all your trip notes and findings.
One of my best tips for traveling alone for the first time is to know where you want to go while allowing time for Mr. Random and his friends to creep in at any moment. Being spontaneous is where your adventure starts.
4. Follow your heart
When the world was telling me not to travel to Latin America because it was dangerous. If I’d listened to my head and ignored my heart, I would never have made that initial trip of growth I did to Mexico back in 2014.
In fact, when searching for solo travel destinations, the counties in Latin America barely even make it on any list.
Your heart has a reason that the mind cannot understand.
The same reason why society, our friends, family, and even ourselves cannot fully comprehend why we would do something.
I’ve found that on every instance that I follow my heart, which usually coinsides with a deep passion, I find myself wishing I’d do it more often.
When traveling alone for the first time, following our heart usually means turning our backs on society and sometimes friends and family.
Not in a spiteful way, but in a more polite way, that says…
Look, I need to do this for myself.
I know I am not the only one that understands how breaking the code of everyday thinking and following your heart is a courageous thing to do.
The only thing I’d worry about is not following my heart, because, as we grow older and wiser we rely on it more to guide us.
In other words, start following your heart now; before it’s too late.
5. Stay Social
One of my most useful tips for traveling alone for the first time is to stay social. This may sound obvious but it can get lonely traveling alone.
As travellers, we don’t always get the opportunity to connect with like minded people. I don’t recommend forcing interactions. Or, in other words, don’t spend your valuable travel time chasing other people.
When backpacking alone for the first time in Latin America, I started my first trip by staying with a local. I’m grateful to this day that Araceli and Omar put me up in their home for a few weeks in Mexico City.
The best way to spend time traveling the world alone and still being social is by mixing it up. Carry a travel board game or show a unique skill, or, even have something useful that you can offer all new people you meet.
I like to do a mixture of the following:
- Staying with locals
- Getting my own apartment
- A dorm room in a hostel
I’ve found I can do all 3 methods on any one trip. Staying and living with other people in a new country has been my #1 comfort zone crusher.
I will continue to do this as I’m able to learn and share with others and some cases offer a lot of value to my hosts while I am staying there.
6. Travel Light
This is one of the hardest to achieve as a backpacker. If I was to give you 3 of my best tips on how to travel alone for the first time, this would be #1.
As I mention in most of my travel tips on this blog. Traveling light is an art form. Even the most seasoned backpackers have trouble with this.
I managed to achieve a verison that I like after more than 5 years of backpacking through South America and I still carry some things I don’t use.
Traveling light is an evolving process of testing, learning, and try new gear.
I’ve listed some things that may inspire you, especially if you’re a first-time traveler. See my South America packing list for ideas on what to carry.
7. Learn the Language
One of my old adages is this: travel to a country where you can’t understand the language and you’ll quickly realize how unimportant you and your life are. Just like I did when I first started to learn Spanish.
My friend Araceli initially helped me in Mexico. Without the support and challenge from her and the family, I wouldn’t have made it out sane.
Not only is language learning a great thing to do, but it gives you confidence and access to new layers of the culture you find yourself.
8. Research accommodation
If arriving in a new place for the first time this is a smart thing to do. The best solo travel destinations make this easier for people.
I once landed in Latin America with terrible jet lag and without pre-booking any accommodation. I almost left myself stranded.
When you’re looking for the best places to travel alone for the first time, at least research the accommodation before you arrive.
I have done this with some of the best hostels in South America because they usually get booked up fast. This doesn’t mean you have to book anything, but, I recommend you do if you want the best beds.
With some sites, you can book accommodation and cancel for free if you’re not sure you’ll go to that place or if your travel plans change.
Traveling smartly is something you learn, and it’s not for everyone, but if you’re a first-time traveler with little experience, researching and booking at least your first night’s accommodation is an intelligent thing to do.
How to Travel Alone For The First Time
So, what is backpacking going to do for you? For me, it鈥檚 changed my life and helped me develop many areas of my life, and I hope you鈥檒l see the many other backpacking benefits I have gained by reading this blog.
You can also check out Eli鈥檚 tips on solo travel tips for even more ideas and insights. He鈥檚 got some great insights and tips on traveling alone.
So, why is traveling important again? Hopefully, you鈥檒l be able to see this for yourself after traveling alone in Latin America.
It may not be easy, but you should have a boost of confidence that can take you far because you鈥檝e read the benefits of traveling solo from this page 馃檪
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I really liked this post, and there is nothing better than solo travel than to grow personally. I also moved abroad to learn Spanish, to Madrid, Sevilla etc. ANd it s the best way to become fluent in a language. Can’t wait to see how your Spanish will improve.
I totally get you about moving beyond your comfort zone when you travel. For instance, I had to learn Japanese when I taught in Japan. It was the ultimate challenge. I’m interested in listening to Joseph Campbell though.
I belive one can grow as a traveler, solo or with someone…you just have to find the right partner. I have challenging myself a lot while traveling by my own and traveling with my husband so at the end its not about traveling solo or with someone is about if you are open to challenge yourself. And yes you can learn a language at any age. I learnt fluently french at 26 years old and now at 36 I am learning german.
I am sure you will learn spanish fluently because you have so much will! Good luck!
It’s so funny, I often find myself saying solo travel is the number way to push yourself out of your comfort zone. I am glad that you were able to take the experience of solo travel and really utilize it to help you grow as a person. I will definitely have to take a trip like your’s through Latin America and see how I do!
This type of post is rare and glad I came across a gem such as this! For someone who’s not married, I think solo travel is the way most times. However, starting out can look scary. Good to read of your determination to learn the Spanish language. It’s an inspiration to me. There’s always something rewarding stepping out of one’s comfort zone.
Love the idea of a trip of growth! Similar to you, I initially went to Latin America hoping to improve my Spanish (among other reasons, of course). I didn’t get as far as I had hoped last year, but I have plans to go back in 2018–fingers crossed I grow more on this trip!
I love this type of trip where you challenge yourself to step outside the comfort zone! I agreed that it doesn’t have to be going to an unknown place. Last year, I challenged myself to learn French so that I can go back and revisit other parts of France. I was making small progress and I can’t wait to continue this year!
Totally agree. Growth begins when we step out of the comfort zone. Right now, looking at my baby gal, trying to crawl inspite of getting stuck up (which looks adorable though) and starting to cry, she still tries the moment we make her lie down. I was asking my husband when the hell did we stop trying this much!