Solo Travelling for Indians: Ultimate Guide & Tips

The Ultimate Guide to Get the Best Out of a Solo Trip

To maximise your epic solo trip, utilise the tips and solo travel advice below. Our solo travel guide focuses on trip preparation, safety, meeting others, and embracing the location. Here you will also find tips for women travelling solo. 

Tips for Solo Travellers

• Do your homework: If you are wondering “How to travel solo?”, planning a solo trip with thorough research of the location is vital so you feel as informed as possible upon arrival. Learn about visa requirements, cultural attractions, public transportation options, essential local phrases and etiquette, dress codes, and safety concerns, especially if you are travelling solo for the first time. You’ll feel more comfortable navigating a new-to-you destination when you start with a basic lay of the land.

• Get comfortable striking up conversations: One of the best parts of solo travel is meeting locals and fellow adventurers. Conversations with taxi drivers, hostel bunkmates, restaurant servers, and seatmates on transit often lead to insider tips, cultural insights, and new friendships. Be open to chatting with strangers wherever you go on a solo trip. Simply asking, “What do you recommend I do in town?” or “Where’s the best place to savour the local cuisine?” is often all it takes to get an interaction going.

• Tap to the experience of others: Besides being friendly with the people you encounter, lean on the larger solo traveller community for expertise. Join social media groups or apps like Tourlina for female solo travellers. Here you can find how to travel by yourself, important solo travel advice, and tips for women travellers on solo trips. Check sites like Solotraveller, Niyo Travel Community and Reddit’s solo travel forum. Read solo travel blogs detailing itineraries. The cumulative knowledge of those who came before you is an invaluable resource.

• Go with the flow: When solo, you can change plans on a whim without having to align schedules and priorities with a group. Flexible choices allow you to plan your solo trip better. Keep an open mind, and allow your interests and instincts to guide your days. Wander down inviting side streets, linger at a cafe, fork over for an unplanned food tour, or extend a stay in a place you love. You can easily adjust your itinerary to your preferences when you are the solo planner of your solo trip.

• Don’t over plan: Don’t feel compelled to plan every hour of every day. Sticking too strictly to a packed itinerary can be stressful when things like delays or bad weather happen. Plus, rigid plans can limit opportunities for spontaneity. Leave pockets of unstructured time in your solo travel plans for exploration.

• Take it slow upon arriving: The first day or two in a new destination can be overwhelming, especially on a solo trip. Give yourself time to get acclimated. You can take your time by hitting up top attractions. Start with a walking tour to get the lay of the land. Wander through a bustling local market. Sit in a park or cafe with a cup of coffee, taking in the vibe. Ease into the location rather than trying to see and do everything at once.

• Explore different ways: When checking out a new city or town on your solo trip, use the various transport options to gain new perspectives. Walking allows you to notice little details and striking street art. Public transportation like trains, trams, buses, and ferries helps cover more ground. Joining a bike tour or renting a car allows freedom to venture beyond the tourist zone. Tuk-tuks, scooters, and motorbike taxis are a thrilling way to get around. Do away with monotony by varying your modes of transport.

• Attend local events: Keep tabs on special events during your visit. Festivals, concerts, markets, parades, and sporting events are a great way to get a glimpse of local traditions. When you are travelling solo for the first time, these events offer an opportunity to mingle with the locals. Even something as simple as a trivia night at a neighbourhood bar allows you to feel part of the community.

• Trust, but verify: As a solo traveller, especially if you are a woman travelling solo, you’ll have to make dozens of judgement calls daily, like which bus to take, where to eat, when to call it a night, etc. While it’s wise to trust your instincts, verify with outside sources when possible. If you’re unsure about a situation, quick online searches, asking fellow travellers, and soliciting locals’ perspectives are worthwhile. We all have moments of hesitation, but don’t let that hold you back from a mind-blowing experience! With street smarts and thoughtful awareness, you can feel confident trusting your gut.

• Eat outside your comfort zone: One of the best ways to gain insight into a new culture is through food. Sample fresh fruits at the market, join a cooking class focused on regional specialities, and pull up a stool at that hole-in-the-wall restaurant teeming with locals. The priority should be on outlets popular with residents vs tourist-oriented establishments. Be open to trying things not found back home. Take precautions by assessing ingredients and cleanliness, eating thoroughly cooked food, and sipping bottled water.

• Shop local: Instead of cold transactional exchanges at generic souvenir shops, buy something at neighbourhood markets and artisan boutiques. It makes for a richer experience connecting with local shop owners and craftspeople. Browse through stalls at the bazaar, chat with the artist as you purchase their handmade jewellery, or haggle over an item at the flea market. You will bring home something that genuinely represents the place you visited, supports small businesses and has great stories to tell about its origins.

• Get a lay of the land: One of the first things to do when exploring somewhere new is to get oriented geographically. Identify main areas of town, pinpoint iconic structures and landmarks, locate transit stations, find the tourist information office, etc. Having a strong sense of direction goes a long way as a solo traveller. Spend your initial hours exploring and familiarising yourself with the surroundings. This will reduce your dependency on your phone for directions later and give helpful context to any maps studied beforehand.

• Take a tour… or two: One of the best investments you can make as a solo traveller is signing up for a group tour or class. Not only will you get insider access and fascinating commentary from a local guide, but it will also provide an opportunity to meet fellow travellers who may become your exploration partner during the visit. Take a food tour, history tour, photo tour, bike tour, or a free walking tour. Visiting critical sites with a knowledgeable guide always provides the context you’d miss alone. Tours are also a great way to ease into a new place when you are travelling solo.

• Plan for Evenings Out: Solo travellers know evenings spent wandering alone in a strange place or a hotel room get old fast. When planning your solo trip, look for fun evenings that provide chances to be social. Take yourself to a play, concert, comedy show, poetry reading, dance performance, cooking class, wine tasting - whatever appeals. Look for ways how you can travel all by yourself and have the time of your life. 

Safety Tips for Solo Travellers

While horror stories of solo travellers meeting unfortunate ends circle around, practice sound judgement and caution, and the chances of something going wrong will be extremely slim. Here is key safety advice for your solo travel, especially if you are a woman travelling solo for the first time:

• Research and awareness: Before arriving at your destination, plan your solo trip and research areas to avoid common tourist scams, your legal rights in that country, emergency phone numbers and resources, and other risks. Being informed ahead of time will help you avoid dangerous situations.

• Share your itinerary: Give loved ones back home access to your daily itinerary and plans. If you go missing or have an emergency, they can provide essential details to authorities. Regularly update your itinerary as plans change.

• Stay in touch: Check in regularly via text, WhatsApp, and social media posts so your family and friends know you’re safe. Even quick daily messages saying, “Arrived in XYZ today! All’s well!” go a long way to avoiding panic if sudden silence occurs.

• Blend in: Dress and act like the locals as much as possible. Avoid standing out as a loud, oblivious foreigner on your solo trip. Remember to respect the local customs and traditions and avoid challenging it - not all countries and cultures are the same. Be more cautious if you’re a woman travelling alone. Keep valuables like expensive cameras and jewellery out of sight. Scammers and thieves often target tourists who look vulnerable.

• Trust your instincts: If a situation doesn’t feel right, don’t worry about being rude - remove yourself immediately. Listen to your gut feelings. If someone makes you uncomfortable, walk away. If a taxi driver seems shady, get out of the car. It might be your first time travelling alone, but don’t feel pressured to stay somewhere unsafe. 

• Secure belongings: Use lockers whenever possible and split up valuables across multiple locations so all eggs aren’t in one basket. Only carry limited cash when out and about. Keep the bulk of the money, extra credit cards, passport, etc, secured in your room.

• Avoid isolated areas: Be extra cautious exploring quiet side streets, dimly lit parks, deserted beaches, or anywhere isolated after dark when travelling solo. Such places invite trouble. Stick to well-populated, well-lit areas and only use reputable taxi/ride-share services at night.

• Be cautious with strangers: While locals are often friendly and helpful, only some charming people have good intentions. Use common sense when approached by strangers. Refrain from readily accepting invitations, giving personal details, divulging travel plans, etc.

• Stay alert: Be hyper-aware of your surroundings on public transit, tours, markets, concerts, or anywhere crowded. Keep your backpack/purse close and valuables secure. Criminals often target distracted tourists in busy locales.

• Emergency funds: Have some emergency cash and an extra credit/debit card squirrelled away in case of theft. You don’t want to be abroad without access to money. Leave an emergency fund somewhere secure, like your hotel safe, as a backup.

• Share plans: Give your hotel or hostel a daily itinerary so they know your schedule and where to find you in case of an emergency or missed check-in.

• Photocopies: Always travel with photocopies of your passport, ID cards, visas, travel insurance, etc. Having copies proves you are who you say if originals are lost or stolen.

• Stay sober: While fun, excessive drinking alone in unfamiliar settings substantially increases vulnerability. Inebriation impairs judgment, awareness of surroundings, ability to gauge suspicious situations, etc. Moderation is key.

• Stay informed: Read local English news and weather alerts specific to your destination. Awareness of breaking news, areas to avoid, transit strikes, storms, etc. allows quick response to changing conditions.

• Learn basic phrases: Know key phrases for asking for help, giving directions, ordering food, reporting issues, etc. The ability to directly communicate with locals is essential if trouble arises.

• Self-defence: Take a self-defence course before your trip to learn physical responses in case you get attacked. Knowing how to escape an assailant’s grasp or land effective blows could save your life.

• Emergency contact information: whenever you arrive in a new country, make sure to have the following contacts saved or handy on your phone or in a note:

• • Indian embassy / consulate helpline in the country
    • Indian MEA hotline (in India)
    • Local Police / Fire / Ambulance line in the country

Apps for Solo Travellers

Here are more detailed explanations for each of the helpful apps for solo travellers:

1. Life 360: This app lets you share your real-time location with friends and family back home. They can pull up the app anytime and see where you are on a map, whether at your hotel or exploring the city. Knowing your loved ones can check your location if you fail to check in regularly brings peace of mind. Alternatively, you can also use Whatsapp’s live location feature or Apple family sharing to keep folks updated about your whereabouts. 
2. bSafe: bSafe is an excellent personal safety app designed for solo travellers. You set up scheduled check-ins for upcoming walks, rides, etc. If you fail to check in by the end, it will automatically alert your emergency contacts. They can then coordinate help. bSafe also has a real-time monitoring feature where your contacts can watch you travel.
3. Sitata: This app is like having a personal travel security advisor in your pocket. Sitata sends daily alerts about potential risks and dangers in your location, such as civil unrest, severe weather, transport strikes, terrorist threats, etc. It will also give you advance notice if you have upcoming travel to a high-risk zone so you can cancel plans.
4. AllsWell: If you are in an emergency as a solo traveller, AllsWell allows you to request help quickly with just one tap. It will send your location and distress message immediately to your designated emergency contacts without needing to make difficult calls or texts. 
5. VPNs: 1.1.1.1 by Cloudflare, NordVPN, and many similar VPN apps let you change your virtual location by routing your connection through different countries. This allows you to access location-restricted websites, apps, WiFi networks, and more while travelling abroad. It’s an essential tool for trip planning.
6. First Aid App: A first aid app like the Red Cross version can provide literal lifesaving assistance when you are hurt or ill while travelling solo. This travel solo app gives step-by-step instructions on treating injuries, administering CPR, managing illnesses, and more until you can seek professional medical aid.
7. AccuWeather: Knowing the minute-by-minute weather forecast at your solo travel destination can help you plan activities accordingly and avoid getting caught off guard by bad weather. AccuWeather has hyperlocal forecasts worldwide that can help you dress weather-appropriately and stay safe.
8. WhatsApp/Facebook: Regular check-ins via your daily WhatsApp or Facebook status updates help assure your loved ones that your solo trip is going smoothly. They can follow along with your adventures in real-time and ensure you’re being your usual active self.

Key Takeaways

Embrace the freedom of solo travel and craft the trip of your dreams designed entirely around your interests and preferences. The world is yours to explore. What are you waiting for? Grab your bags and go! But before that, keep these in mind: 

• Do your logistical homework upfront and leave room for spontaneity once on the ground. 
• Take tours and classes to gain insider perspectives and put yourself out there to meet fellow travellers and locals. 
• Learn key phrases and understand cultural etiquette to avoid standing out. 
• Varied modes of transport allow you to explore far beyond the tourist bubble. 
• Life-changing moments await you as a solo traveller.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to travel alone as a woman?

When travelling alone as a woman, prioritise safety by researching destinations, opting for well-lit and populated areas, and staying aware of your surroundings. Also remember to respect the local customs and traditions and avoid challenging it – not all countries and cultures are the same. Share your itinerary with someone you trust, keep important documents secure, and trust your instincts. Connect with fellow travellers, use reputable transportation services, and be cautious with alcohol consumption. Embrace independence while remaining vigilant to ensure a fulfilling and secure solo travel experience.

2. How to travel by yourself for the first time?

If this is your first solo trip, choose a familiar and safe destination. Plan your itinerary, including accommodation and transportation details. Keep essential documents secure, inform a friend or family member of your plans, and stay connected with them during the trip. Be open to new experiences, trust your instincts, and gradually build confidence as you navigate the journey independently.

3. Is solo travel safe?

Solo travel can be safe with proper planning and awareness. Choose well-reviewed destinations, research local customs and safety tips, and stay in reputable accommodations. Trust your instincts, stay vigilant, and communicate openly with friends or family. While risks exist, many solo travellers have enriching and secure experiences by taking precautions and staying informed.

4. How to start planning a solo trip?

Begin planning a solo trip by defining your destination and setting a budget. Research accommodations, activities, and local customs, considering safety aspects. Create a flexible itinerary, prioritise the safekeeping of your essential documents, and inform someone trustworthy of your plans. Embrace the adventure by balancing preparation with a willingness to explore spontaneously.

5. What should a solo traveller bring?

A solo traveller should pack essentials like travel documents, a first aid kit, and necessary medications. Bring versatile clothing suitable for different climates and comfortable footwear. Include a power bank, universal plug adapter, and a compact day-trip backpack. Additionally, consider a guidebook, language translation app, and photocopies of important documents for added convenience and safety.