One of the more interesting trends in the world of travel in the 21st century is the rising popularity of solo travel. Increasingly, we’re seeking adventures on our own – glad of the freedom to set our own schedules, and holidays according to our own individual priorities.
If you’d really like to stretch your legs and explore the wider world, then taking an entire year out for travel is worth doing. Travel for solo travellers is even more liberating when you’re in it for the long term! But this is a major undertaking, and getting it right often requires extensive planning. Let’s take a look at how you might approach that planning.
Set Your Budget and Plan Your Destinations
To begin with, you’ll need to determine how much your travel plans are going to set you back financially. You should factor in every single area of spending, including accommodation, food, transportation, and any activities you might have planned.
Most travellers will look for a mixture of inexpensive and luxurious stops along the way. You might save money by staying for longer periods in the inexpensive places, and treating the expensive ones as short-term treats.
You can take the traditional approach to budgeting, and do it with pen and paper – or a spreadsheet. However, there are also a number of purpose-built apps that will help you put together a budget and track it throughout your trip.
Pack Smart for Long-Term Travel
When you’re going to be on the road for such a long time, the value of efficient packing becomes incredibly difficult to ignore.
For best results, it’s best to pack lots of versatile items that can be mixed and matched depending on your circumstances. If you wear the same t-shirt beside the pool as you wear to a restaurant, then you’ll have saved on packing space.
There are several items that qualify as must-haves. If you’re going to be venturing far from the beaten track, you’ll want to take a first-aid kit with you. You might also want to include paper copies of important paperwork, like insurance documents and visas.
Of course, the way that you pack also matters. Learn the best tips and tricks, and put them into practice.
Join an Organised Trip to Ease Into Solo Travel
If you’d like to throw yourself into the deep end, you might decide to book, organise and arrange every last bit of your adventure. If you’d like a little bit of peace of mind, on the other hand, you might have an experienced, specialist company organise the trip on your behalf – or, at least, some part of it.
Group tours provide a chance for solo travellers to network with one another – so you’ll avoid the feeling of total isolation. However, you’ll still get the opportunity to head out on your own, and make new friends outside of the main group.
Stay Safe and Connected on the Road
When you’re on a long trip, it’s worth taking precautions. This applies particularly if you’re going to be moving through a relatively unsafe part of the world. Check the Foreign Office’s travel advice regularly, and make sure that you keep friends and family back home informed of your plans. When you’re actually on the road, be cautious, and avoid risky situations. If something seems unnerving, then it’s probably time to back away from it.
Conclusion
The best solo adventures are supported by lengthy planning and budgeting sessions. You’ll stand a better chance of making the right travel decisions if you make them in advance. However, your plans should still allow for enough flexibility that you can still be spontaneous every now and then!