Solo traveling is becoming more popular on social media, especially among women. I enjoy seeing all the travel pics and videos being shared of the beautiful places they are traveling to and I know so many other people do too. It’s inspiring to most to live that lifestyle, but most don’t know all that goes into it. I get asked a lot of questions about solo traveling and decided it was time to answer to top most asked questions I get about solo traveling.
1. Do you feel safe?
The short answer is Yes. I never felt unsafe in the other countries I traveled to. However, I did make sure to let friends and family know where I was. I was always in contact with someone who knew where I was going, I always had my phone on me, and I rarely ever traveled alone at night. The only time I did was in Florence after a night out with some friends. But, even then I made sure to text them when I made it home safe. If I’m being totally honest I felt more safe traveling in parts of Europe than I did in parts of the U.S.
2. How do you pay for all this travel?
I go over this in one of my previous blogs about How I Make Money and Travel (check it out). But to summarize here I just would take opportunities as they came. When I got the opportunity to do seasonal work and travel around the US and just went for it. The money and lodging provided were enough for me to make the decision to go. Something I didn’t mention was how I spent over two months in Italy. During my time in Florence, I actually did au pair work with an amazing host agency called Romeabroad. The company finds you a host family to live with where you get your own room and food is provided. You also get a weekly allowance that I used to fund all my weekend trips. It was a great opportunity to learn more about different cultures while also teaching a little more about our language and culture. As for my trips to London and Hawaii, those were all booked on the money I saved from seasonal work. I really ended up saving a lot working and not having to pay so much in rent that I was able to plan really luxurious trips to places that have been on my bucket list for years!
3. Aren’t you lonely traveling alone?
This is probably the biggest hurdle I dealt with the first time I went on a trip alone. In the beginning, it is hard. It’s a totally new, foreign experience to travel alone and I believe it is something people don\’t get. As a black woman, I got a lot of raised eyebrows and some thought I was going crazy to do something like this. I do get to you. Being alone and then also feeling alone at the same time. I was lucky enough to make some like-minded friends on my journeys which really inspired me to keep doing it. Their stories were so amazing of all the places they’ve been and I couldn’t just sit around waiting for others to join me anymore. In the end, I chose me and that is how I kept having to think about it. I still have days where I may feel lonely but it definitely gets better after your first few trips.
4. What about dating? Does that happen for you on your trips?
Dating for me was still pretty much the same as dating when I was home. I would swipe on Tinder mostly. I think only a few ended up in meet-ups. It is harder to meet people while you traveling since you are only there temporarily. I didn’t go on that many dates during my travels, but, I did end up meeting my amazing boyfriend on a random night in Italy. We are still together doing a long-distance relationship for now. We make it work but it’s something you have to really decide is for you. I know most wouldn’t like LDR but we made a choice that we wanted to be together and would find a way to make it happen.
5. How Do You Find Travel Deals?
This is probably the most asked question I get. It truly is from learning so much from the travel industry that I have been able to learn so much about booking deals. What I have noticed is timing is key for booking. So you have to be sort of flexible when it comes to booking dates. Especially with flights right now you really have to play with Google flights calendar to get the best deals. The best deals are usually further out like 3-6 months. But, you can get lucky with a sooner date. You just have to keep watch. This is why I love the Hopper app, they do all that work watching price changes for you. You can even freeze prices if you see one you like. As for hotels, I love booking directly than with a third-party site. Especially, being a travel agent. You can reach out to the hotel and get upgrades or discounts during your stay.
Book vacation packages is also a good way to get discounts on your travels. A couple of my favorite sites to book packages are Vacation Express and Travelzoo but I also recommend booking vacations on Delta, Southwest, and American Airlines for some good deals.
Have any questions about booking a trip? I am here to help! Send me a message.
Travel is the best teacher. The only way to an open mind is by taking a plane out into the open world.
C. Joybell C.