Traveling alone can be rewarding, but it can also be scary. There are many benefits to traveling alone. Not only will you not have to deal with trying to accommodate someone else and their wishes, but you can learn a lot about yourself by doing more things alone. For example, even something like finding your way around a new town can help you learn that you’re self-sufficient.

However, there are also many drawbacks to traveling alone. When you’re alone, you’re at a higher risk of becoming a victim of a crime, so you must find ways to keep yourself safe. In addition, when you’re alone, you may feel awkward meeting new people or eating alone. Luckily, there are ways to make your solo travel easy. Traveling alone can be rewarding, but it can also be scary.

1.    Consider Hostels vs. Hotels

Hostels are great for travelers because they give you a place to rest your head and meet other travelers. However, while hostels can be safe, you may not feel safe in a room with strangers, and that’s okay. Remember, you need a safe place to put your stuff, and many hostels offer this, but being around so many strangers when you’re alone can be dangerous. Of course, hostels are a great way to meet people, so they’re worth considering. However, hotels are always the safest bet if you want to stay safe and comfortable.

2.    Manage Your Cash

You should always have cash with you when traveling because not everywhere you go will take cards. In addition, you don’t want to run out of cash and have nowhere to go to get more. You need cash for a variety of activities, so keep cash with you at all times and try not to run out. Pay with a card whenever possible to ensure you always have enough cash for when you need it. If you need to transfer money to your bank account, do it online to avoid foreign transaction fees.

3.    Don’t Avoid Yourself

When traveling alone, you may feel the need to go out and meet new people every day. However, you should also spend some quality time with yourself. Many people have a difficult time simply hanging out with themselves, so it’s important to enjoy your own company and learn how to be alone with yourself.

4.    Don’t Drink Too Much

When you travel with friends, it’s easy to get over-intoxicated because the odds are someone in your group will ensure you make it back to the hotel. However, when you’re alone, you don’t have a sober friend to keep you safe. Instead, you must keep yourself safe and ensure you don’t drink too much since bars can be dangerous for people who are over-intoxicated, leaving you a potential victim of crime in an unknown place.

5.    Keep Your Eyes Open

Danger is around every corner when you travel alone. While you should always enjoy yourself, whether you’re traveling alone or in a group, you must keep your eyes open. There are safety risks when you travel alone, especially in an unfamiliar place. If you have a bad feeling about someone you meet or where you are, always listen to yourself.

6.    Set Your Own Pace

When you travel alone, you get to decide what you do and when you do it. This is your only time to decide when to wake up, what to eat, and when to sleep. You can even feel confident wearing everyday sweatpants when running errands, so take advantage of them. Don’t feel like you have to do something every day. Instead, you may enjoy a simple walk around town before heading back to your hotel for a midday nap.

7.    Meet New People

When you travel alone, you must meet others. While it’s good to spend quality time with yourself, you shouldn’t spend the entire time alone. Traveling is all about meeting new people and trying new things, so don’t be afraid to approach people wherever you go.

8.    Always Have a Plan B

Not everything will always go your way when you travel, so you should always have a plan B. Remember, when you’re alone, there is no one to take up the responsibility of solving all the challenges that come your way. Therefore, you should always have a plan B for everything, including a plan B for lodging, activities, and restaurants.

9.    Get Travel Insurance

We’ve already discussed how when you’re alone, you’re a bigger target for crimes like theft, so you must protect yourself. One way to protect yourself while you travel is to invest in travel insurance so that when something goes wrong, you’re not left without options. For example, travel insurance can cover lost or stolen luggage and other belongings, canceled flights, and medical emergencies.