Most of us have been in the position of wanting to travel or experience something new, but the people in our inner circles were unable to join for one reason or another.  As a textbook introvert, and highly functioning loner, I've always seen this as a fun opportunity, and applaud those who go out there and conquer the world no matter what.  To be honest with you, with the invention of the internet and advanced methods of communication, traveling solo has become more of the norm and people are having the time of their lives doing so.  In this article I share my 7 tips for the solo traveler.  This list is by no means comprehensive, and in case you're wondering, I don't touch on safety at all because that's something we have to be conscious of no matter where we are.  Feel free to leave comments below if there is something you'd like to discuss not mentioned.

Alright, grab a snack and let's do this.  7 tips for the solo Traveler!

1.     Have a plan! Moving through unfamiliar territory can be daunting no matter where you are, so it wouldn't be the best idea to plan on "winging it" in another country if you're new to the solo travel crew.  Don't get me wrong, it's absolutely important to leave room for spontaneity, however, in this case, I'd leave that open space within the confines of at least a rough plan ;).  Important things to consider when planning your trip besides what you'd want experience should include:

1.     How to get to and from your planned excursions and an estimate of how much time it should take.  Now and days, thanks to the internet, securing transportation can be done online while you're in your home country so that could save you time and money.

2.     Gather a general understanding of what to expect. Visa requirements, currency, culture around tipping for service, or even the ability to use credit cards in another country are just a few considerations that if not properly understood, could have a negative impact on your experience or even ability to travel.  So do your homework and be prepared.

2.     Share your Plan!  You're traveling alone remember; make sure that someone back home is aware of your itinerary, along with phone numbers and addresses to wherever you will be lodging. Whether I'm traveling alone or with others, I always make a point of sharing my plans and copies of my passport with someone just in case.

3.     Stay in Touch.  Pick a person, any person, who lives in your home country to be your point of contact throughout your trip and set expectations for them to avoid confusion.  For example, my sister knows that as soon I have access to Wi-Fi, I will facetime her, however, when traveling to Cuba, because I did my research about the country(see step 1 bullet 2)  I was aware that there was a possibility I would not be able to make contact as soon as I normally would.  I let her know that I would find a way to touch base within 24 hours of landing, and if she didn't hear from she should call the house I was staying in.  As it turned out, I wasn't able to contact her until 24 hours later, but because I established the expectation, she wasn't worried sick that something had happened to me.

4.     Learn the language (enough to get by).  I almost made this #1 because it is just that important.  It's human nature to assume that someone will be able to speak whatever language you're fluent in while traveling abroad, however, that is farthest from the truth( I learned that the hard way).  Applications such as Duo lingo, are great for learning the basics of any language.  In the least, make a list of words/phrases that you know for sure you'll need (Hello, goodbye, please, where is, what is, how much, etc.) and commit to learning them.  Your experience will be much better because you took the time to do that.

5.     Participate in group tours. Unless you're on a mission to stay away from people all together, it can't hurt to participate in organized tours/excursions.  Sites like Friendly Planet are wonderful in that you could go on a 100% planned group tour, or you could use a site like viator for example to plan your experience.  I've made many friends along the way on group tours while traveling alone.

6.     Find your Tribe.  Simply put, look into the possibility of meeting an old friend or family member wherever you're going or maybe even a friend of a friend.  Asking your network about their connections at your destination country can't hurt.  Friends are typically more than happy to connect you with someone they know, and more often than not, those that live in other countries, welcome the notion of meeting someone new and showing them around. Heck, you could even reach out to the Board in the Cities community on Facebook and see if you could arrange a meet-up or something.

7.     Be confident and have fun.  This one goes without saying but here we are.  At the end of the day what you're doing is wonderful, and you should be excited about the adventure you're going on.  You've made it this far, so be confident about your ability to figure things out.  You are prepared, you have a plan, and your inner guidance system is fully functioning so all there is to do is have fun.   Enjoy yourself, and when you get home, make sure to share your story with your friends here at Bored in the Cities.com.

Happy travels!

-Ryn