Have you ever dreamt of going on a solo trip but are scared of taking the final leap? I did.
Even if I have always loved travelling I had never travelled on my own before 2019.
Solo travelling can be scary.
Here are the things you will hear when you start mentioning that you would like to travel solo:
- You will be bored on your own
- It’s no fun alone, it’s better to share a trip with someone
- It’s not safe for a woman
I always wanted to travel to Southeast Asia, the plan was to go with one of my best friends after finishing university. Then life happened, when I had saved up enough money from working during the summer, my friend was no longer able to go so I didn’t end up going. I was not ready to travel alone at this time of my life.
I decided to start adult life, and look for a job. Having studied foreign languages at university, I had already lived abroad so I decided to apply to jobs in the United Kingdom as I had loved my time there during my Erasmus exchange.
I got a job in a travel agency in London (French girl in London: kind of cliché, I know!). My new colleague Meghan became one of my closest friends there (she is also my editor, thanks Meghy!).
Meghan wanted to teach English abroad with her CELTA diploma. We discussed this for a few months and then she finally decided to apply to schools in Vietnam. She got a job in Ho Chi Minh and left.
This was the kick I needed. That’s when I decided I wanted to go solo travelling in Vietnam.
I stayed for a few more months in my job to save money, read blog posts from other solo female travellers, did some research on Vietnam, how safe the country is, etc. everything to prepare myself, and my parents.
The first question was: how long will I stay there?
I could not stay for too long for financial reasons, and with no teaching diploma it would have been difficult to find a job (I wanted to travel not work, let’s be honest).
I wanted a real immersion, not a touristy trip, 3 months sounded perfect but people around me influenced my decision…”Oh but if you go for too long it will be hard to go back to reality”, “You will be bored on your own for two months” etc.
So I decided to go for a month as a first try. I booked my flights, and it became real. But there was lots of planning ahead: give my notice at work, figure out what to do with my rent, get travel insurance, get a visa, plan my itinerary…
DON’T WORRY, if you really want to travel you will get a thrill from all the planning. Depending on the length of your stay the organisation is more or less tricky, for a one month stay it is relatively easy.
Here are the different steps you should make to prepare your trip:
1) Budget all the costs
Booking the flights is the easy part. Once you have spent the money on your flights you need to calculate how much you will spend in the country. I would advise to do some research about the cost of life there, get a guide such as the amazing Lonely Planet Solo Travel Handbook, have a look at the accommodation’s price online to have a better idea (hostel world, booking…), how much is a classic meal, the transport… Try to simulate an itinerary to have a better idea.
2) Sublet your flat or terminate your contract
Living in London is tricky when it comes to renting, it wasn’t worth ending my contract for a month and having to find a storage place for all my belongings, so I decided to sublet my room. Luckily for me, a friend of a friend needed somewhere to stay for a month so it was perfect! Obviously you need to make sure the landlord is okay with that, and your flatmates too.
3) Schedule your resignation (or organise your remote work)
Bare in mind that companies have different notice periods, the company I used to work for at the time required a one month notice period. I decided to hand in my notice after I had enough savings. My flight to Vietnam was booked two days after my official last day of work, this left me plenty of time to pack. Prepare an official letter of notice, ask for a referral and always stay professional. If you were happy in your job, maybe you could go back if there still was a vacancy when you return from your travels.
If you can travel remotely well done! Make sure ou stay in places with a good wi-fi network and be mindful or the time difference to meet deadlines.
4) Make sure your mobile phone plan is adapted
Most mobile phone companies now offer unlimited data in many countries abroad. Check with your mobile provider to be sure you won’t get any bad surprises once there. I had an account with the UK provider Three and didn’t have anything to do as they operate in Vietnam. I had signal almost everywhere and Vietnam has a very good Internet network, there is wi-fi everywhere!
5) Be safe: take a travel insurance
Even if you are travelling for a short period of time be responsible and get insurance. It is safer as anything can happen and the cost to bring a person to hospital can be huge in a developing country. I had got insurance from AXA as it is a big insurance company.
6) Check if you need a visa
If you stay for less than 30 days in a country you should be able to apply for a visa quite easily (usually an E-visa). I did not anticipate that my stay was more than 30 days so I could not apply for it… I did some research and found out that I should get a letter of invitation from a specialised travel agency (called Vietnam Visa) and then apply for a visa directly at the airport in Ho Chi Minh. I had never done it before but the process went really smooth and I got my visa in 25 minutes after landing.
That is the before you leave checklist.
You then need to pack your luggage with whatever is necessary for your adventures.
If you are still unsure of travelling solo do not rush your decision. Not everyone is the same, and some people need more time. But if you are unsure because you hear “negative things” from people then try to put things into perspective.
Even if what they say can happen, it is not a big of a deal. At least you will have gotten out of your comfort zone. And that is brave!
I was alone on a few occasions but it didn’t make me unhappy, instead I pushed myself to go talk to people, or just take the time for yourself and enjoy it!
Reading blog posts is helpful of course but at the end of the day you’re the person that needs to make the leap!
Julia's Travels 