Heading off for the first time? Make sure you’re prepared with these handy tips!

As a seasoned traveller (spiritually; in reality it’s only been four months), there are a number of things I learned on my first solo trip that I wish I’d known before I went. Some of them are fairly obvious and self-explanatory, but there are plenty of things that you can overlook with the hundreds of things you need to sort and organise before heading off. If you’re in the midst of planning your first solo trip, here are some tips that will hopefully help you out.

1. Don’t overbook – be spontaneous

Planning your route for the first time can be quite overwhelming. There’s so much to see and do; so many places you’ve seen fellow travellers raving about on Reddit, so many tours you’ve seen on GetYourGuide. How can you possibly condense it into one trip? (Hint: You can’t. So you’ll just have to go again.) While having a schedule can help you feel organised and ‘ready’ to go, once you’re there, it won’t take long for plans to change. And they should: you meet people, you want to hang out with them, they want to hang out with you. Maybe they planned to go somewhere you weren’t planning on; maybe you extend your hostel stay for a few extra days because you love it so much. Overbooking can destroy the spontaneity that should exist on these trips.

Before my trip, I had an itinerary of everywhere I was going to go, and the exact amount of days I was going to be there for. While it still gave me a nice outline of my direction of travel and kept me on track to not run out of money or overstay any visas, I didn’t follow the plan that I had laid out months in advance. And it was still great. So don’t worry about it too much. Book your hostels a couple of days in advance (more on that later), and you can book transport with as little as 12 hours’ notice from your hostel to the next place you’re going; if you can’t book directly with the hostel, they’ll be able to advise you how to get there. Spend less time planning and more time imagining all the amazing things you’re going to do.

2. Don’t overpack

No one likes carrying too much. Remember how it feels when you have to carry three bags of groceries when you thought you’d only have two, the handles of the carrier bags digging into your fingers, making you curse yourself for not just getting it delivered? Now imagine that with much bigger bags, for months at a time. Across multiple countries. See my point? Ideally you’ll fit everything you take into two bags: your big backpack for your clothes, shoes, toiletries, essentials etc., and a day bag, a smaller backpack you’ll take with you carrying the things you’ll need on a daily basis: a portable charger (always always always), sunglasses, a hat, a water bottle, sun cream, insect repellent, deodorant (these three particularly if you’re going somewhere hot and humid like SE Asia). If you can get away with it, even a bum bag would be ideal to fit that stuff in.

That said, if you like buying souveniers like I do, you will probably end up with another bag. I left with everything across two bags and had to get another to store all the things I bought along the way. I probably had to overpack for my trip as I was moving to Australia at the end of it, so wouldn’t be going back home. If I hadn’t been, there were definitely things I would have left at home. It might be tempting to pack loads of underwear and shirts, as initially I wasn’t sure how the laundry situation would play out. That wasn’t an issue: every hostel has washing machines (and most of them have dryers as well). If they don’t, there’s always laundry places within walking distance of the hostel, and it’s always very affordable.

Also, saving space when travelling is crucial, so make sure you buy some good quality compressing packing cubes for your backpack. These will help you keep everything organised, and save space in your bag. I got these Cipway ones off Amazon and they were perfect.

Obviously, where you’re going and at what time of year will determine what clothes you pack, but take less than you probably think you need. Then you’ll still have room for all the magnets.

3. ESims are useful, but can be costly

A local Sim is a great way to avoid those pesky data roaming fees, but when you’re first travelling, you’ve got enough running through your mind to sort out without thinking about phone data. In fact, it wasn’t something I’d even considered until the day before I left, when I suddenly remembered that the £2 a month plan I’d switched to so I could keep my UK number wasn’t going to work in Bangkok. Enter the eSim. Easy to install and download, it gives you instant data the second you land, just the convenience you need to tick one problem off your list. Imagine making your way through customs, with that pit in your stomach that the officers are going to find something in your bag even though you know nothing’s in there; panicking that you haven’t got the right visa as you go through passport control, working out where to pick your luggage up from, and then BAM. No service, no accessing Google Maps to find out how to get to your hostel (of course the airport WiFi doesn’t work, what did you expect?), no booking a Grab/Bolt/Uber (depending where you are), having to get stung by the taxis waiting predatorially outside the airport for the innocent new arrival with no other alternative.

Of course, with that convenience comes an added cost. The 30-day eSim with unlimited data in Thailand was £30, and it was data only, meaning no local number. You can find Sims for sale in the airports, although they are more expensive than the ones you will be able to find once you are out the airport and in the city. Have a look on Reddit for an idea of where the best Sim deals are when you land. While I did use eSims during my travels, they were significantly more expensive than local Sims, without having a working number if you needed to make a call.

4. Hostelworld is your best friend

This isn’t sponsored (although if you want to Hostelworld, hmu bby xx), but Hostelworld is the best way to book accommodation and find friends when you’re travelling. Not only do they have all the hostel options available in a given place, they also give you access to a city-wide group chat, including everyone else who has booked through the app. These groups are a hub of activity, with people making plans and inviting people to meet up and join them. You can set your interests in your bio so like-minded people can find you and vice-versa, and you can set that you’re looking to meet people, making it more likely for others to message you to see if you want to meet.

I made countless friends through the Hostelworld group chats, from going out for dinner, meeting up for a drink, going to explore the local temples and sights, checking out a market, grouping up to split the cost of a taxi to a sunset spot and stopping for drinks on the way back, you’ll meet as many people as you want through this app. And it’s free. Can’t argue with that.

Seriously Hostelworld, collab???

5. Cash is king

Again, this depends where you’re travelling to, but in Southeast Asia, having cash is vital when it comes to paying for the everyday items. Buying food from a stall, getting goods from a market, even going to the supermarket for supplies: many places don’t accept card, so cash is super important. Stopping at an ATM will become an almost daily routine. It will also help you get around foreign transaction fees that your bank might have set. I set up an account with Monzo before I left – they are an online-only bank in the UK that have no foreign fees, so it was a good way to cut the costs down a little.

As an aside, if you’re in Thailand, when using a foreign card at an ATM, the machine will ask if you want to confirm the conversion rate. Always press NO: these rates are set by the banks and are really low, if you press no, then it reverts to the international conversion rate; at times, I got an extra £8 than I would have if I’d accepted the ATM’s rate. Plus, any leftovers can go in your scrapbook and look cool. Or keep them in your wallet and let it be a daily reminder that you have unfinished business with that bun cha place in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.

6. Learn some handy phrases in the language

It always helps when you can understand what people around you are saying. If English is your first language, you are blessed, and you will very quickly realise that. On my travels, I met people from all over the world, and the only reason I was able to talk to them was because they all speak English. It did make me realise how fortunate I am to be a native English speaker. Don’t take it for granted though; make an effort to learn some of the basic phrases at least. That way you’ll be able to get by a little. Learning how to say hello, goodbye, please and thank you will get you a long way with the locals. Of course, Google Translate is great for helping you out when you need to put together a sentence or question, but taking the time to learn some of the lingo will really enhance your trip. There are plenty of sites and forums where you can learn the basics, and YouTube is obviously a wealth of information.

On top of that, learn the local customs: how to greet people, how to use your hands, whether it’s rude to have your toes pointed at someone when you’re talking to them. It’s the little things that show the locals you’re not an ignorant tourist, and that you actually care about and respect their culture.

7. Hostel activity nights great to meet friends

Hostels are where other travellers are staying, right? Why wouldn’t you hang out in them to meet people? All hostels have events on different nights of the week, from pub quizzes, pub crawls, beer pong tournaments (they mainly revolve around drinking), to organised walks, tours and cooking courses, there’s something for everyone. I even stayed in some who put on yoga sessions every morning. This is the perfect way to meet other travellers and team up. Most nights, hostels will have a happy hour (or even an hour of free beer, like the hostel I stayed at on Cat Ba Island, who also did free breakfast every day and a free barbecue every Wednesday – great for my bank account, bad for my waistline), the perfect way to get to know other travellers over a cheap beer or cocktail.

And, of course, talk to your roommates. I mean, they’re right there. 99% of other solo travellers will be easygoing and approachable, especially when you’re going to be sleeping in the same room. When I arrived at my hostel in Koh Tao, I got talking to the girls in my dorm, we hung out for the four days I was there, we learnt to ride motorbikes, went to the beach, went out drinking, and then two months later I ran into one of them at my hostel in Phong Nha. Small world. Or in Kampot, Cambodia, when three girls travelling together from England and one girl from Germany moved into my room the day after I got there; we went up to the bar for happy hour, and hung out for the next three days with a German guy the German girl met while checking in. Over a year on, we’re all in a group chat together, and I’ve been hanging out again with one of the English girls who is over in Sydney for a few months. Plus, making friends from other parts of the world gives you an excuse to go there to see them (and maybe even get somewhere to stay for free).

8. Eat where the locals eat

If you’re a foodie like me, trying new cuisines is one of the best parts about travelling. Your eyes (and mouth, and nose) are opened to a whole new universe of flavours, ingredients, methods, and smells. You might even have no other option but to learn how to use chopsticks. While there’s nothing wrong with treating yourself to a meal at a nice restaurant, the best meals are the ones where you can’t read the menu and have to point at the pot of boiling brown-ish liquid that the old woman on the other side of the cart has had bubbling away since 6am, eaten on a plastic stool on a low table on the side of the road with a cold beer to wash it down. Those are the meals I miss the most. On your own, these spots are fantastic; with some friends (that you met using all the handy tips I’ve given you) they are the most memorable moments of your trip.

Allow yourself to get lost through the maze of markets and food stalls; let your nose guide you to your destination like a 1950s cartoon character wafting towards the cherry pie sitting by the open kitchen window. Find a stall or roadside eatery where the menu is one side of A4, laminated, and only in the local language. Make sure an old person is the one behind the pots, and make sure you load it with chilli. When they point at something, nod. When they go to add the weird meat that you’ve never seen and have no idea whether it’s flesh or innards, let them. They’re the ones cooking. And when you’ve finished every drop, every slurp of the heavenly, sweet, salty, spicy broth that wasn’t absorbed into those fresh noodles, remember that you could’ve just had a Big Mac instead.

9. Get travel insurance

This is a non-negotiable. Make sure you are insured if you go anywhere. You don’t want to end up uninsured in a foreign hospital, not knowing what’s going to happen or how much it’s going to cost you. One accident could cut your trip short if you end up using all your funds on treatment. All the big insurance companies offer coverage for solo travelling, with options covering multiple countries, and a range of activities. I took my insurance out with True Traveller; coverage for the 127 days I was travelling cost £356, including coverage for my luggage, money, documents, or phone. That’s less than £3 a day. There’s really no excuse to not get it. Luckily I didn’t have to make a claim on my insurance, but better safe than sorry.

Side note: If you’re going to Vietnam and plan on doing the Ha Giang Loop (which should be everyone going to Vietnam; if you aren’t, change your plans IMMEDIATELY), most insurance companies no longer cover the Loop due to a “high number of claims” (pretty sure the point of insurance is so we can make a claim but whatever), so you’ll have to book through a company like Big Cat who do cover it. Cover for the 4 days, including baggage, cost me £54.

10. Get used to riding on the back of a motorbike

I guess, again, this depends where you’re going. This is very much based on my experiences in SE Asia, where Grab and Bolt bikes are everywhere and are super, super cheap (by cheap, I mean they were like 20p). And also, when it’s 35 degrees, you don’t want to have to walk everywhere, do you? I didn’t get on the back of a Grab bike in Bangkok; it took me nearly a week to pluck up the courage; I’d never been on a bike before then, and holding on for dear life for the first, five-minute trip, I lost my hat on the streets of Chiang Mai. Luckily, I found an identical one the next day and all was forgotten. But, very quickly, you’ll realise that the Grab drivers actually know how to ride a bike, and it will soon become one of the best parts about the trip; whizzing about the city on the back of a bike, weaving in and out of the manic traffic, wind blowing off your face (not through your hair, wear a helmet please), taking in the scenery.

If you’re elsewhere, I guess the recommendation would be to make sure you know your way around the public transport system, if there is one. I would imagine if you’re in Europe for instance, Ubers will be significantly more expensive than the Grabs are in Thailand and Vietnam. Public transport is still a great way to get about and see your surroundings, and I particularly enjoyed the Metro in Bangkok. Either way, knowing how to get about without having to rely on expensive taxis is definitely one of the best ways to keep your expenses down. And of course, don’t forget about just going for a walk. Let yourself get lost down the side streets and back alleys. That’s often the best way to truly, fully explore somewhere, off the beaten path.

Hopefully these tips will help you as you prepare for your first trip. Not everything will go to plan, and that’s okay. Obviously there are more to check through before you leave, such as visa and vaccination requirements. Just embrace everything that comes your way, and enjoy every second of it. You’ll probably realise within a couple of days, once the jetlag wears off, that you’ve just made the best decision of your life.