Solo Guide
Solo Travel - The Ultimate Guide
Your first solo trip or your tenth: everything you need to leave confident, meet the world, and come back transformed.
Conviction
Why travel alone
Total freedom
You decide everything: itinerary, pace, budget. No compromises, no negotiations. The trip adapts to you, not the other way around.
Self-confidence
Handling the unexpected on your own transforms how you see obstacles. Every problem solved is a personal victory.
Easier connections
The solo travel paradox: you meet far more people than when travelling in a group. Locals and travellers naturally approach someone who is alone.
Self-discovery
Far from routine and your usual circles, you learn what truly motivates you, what you enjoy, and what you need.
Financial flexibility
No restaurant imposed by the group. You eat at the local food stall, sleep in a dorm or a boutique hotel — you choose your own value-for-money ratio.
First trip
Ideal destinations for a first solo trip
🇹🇭
Thailand
Well-established backpacker infrastructure, low costs, huge traveller community.
🇵🇹
Portugal
Safe, English-speaking, affordable for Europe, and incredibly welcoming.
🇯🇵
Japan
Ultra-safe, impeccable transport, solo-friendly down to the culture itself.
🇳🇿
New Zealand
Perfect for solo road trips, spectacular nature, and well-marked trails.
🇨🇴
Colombia
Human warmth, landscape diversity, and a booming backpacker scene.
🇮🇩
Indonesia
Bali and beyond: minimal budget, easy connections, surfing, and spirituality.
🇲🇽
Mexico
Legendary cuisine, colours, cenotes, and a genuine joie de vivre.
🇻🇳
Vietnam
Two-wheeled adventure, street food for 1 EUR, and genuine hospitality.
🇬🇷
Greece
Accessible islands, high safety, slow pace ideal for a first solo trip.
🇰🇷
South Korea
Modernity, nighttime safety, addictive cuisine, and mountain temples.
Connections
How to meet people while travelling solo
Hostels & youth hostels
Dorms aren't just a budget choice: they're connection accelerators. Shared kitchen, organised events, shared rooftops — bonds form naturally.
Apps like Orizn
Orizn connects you with travellers around you in real time. See who's there, start a live, or join an adventure already in progress. Organised serendipity.
Group activities
Local cooking classes, free walking tours, boat trips, surf sessions: joining an activity is the most natural way to break the ice.
Coworking & cafes
If you work while travelling, coworking spaces are full of digital nomads. Same rhythm, same struggles, same evening drinks.
Wellbeing
Managing loneliness
- Keep a journal — writing transforms loneliness into productive introspection.
- Call your loved ones regularly but without making it a crutch.
- Set yourself a daily goal: visit a place, try a dish, talk to a stranger.
- Accept quiet days. They're as much a part of the trip as the highlights.
- Choose social accommodation when you want company, private when you want peace.
- Listen to music or podcasts on transport — it fills the silence without overwhelming it.
Money
Solo vs group budget
| Category | Solo | Group |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | Dorm 8-15 EUR/night | Shared room 10-20 EUR/person |
| Transport | Bus/scooter, flexible | Shared taxi, often cheaper |
| Meals | Street food, free choice | Restaurants, higher average budget |
| Activities | Free walking tours, solo entries | Shareable private tours |
| Total/day (SE Asia) | 20-35 EUR | 25-45 EUR/person |
* Estimates for travel in Southeast Asia. Costs vary by travel style and season.
Safety
Solo safety - 10 tips
- 1Share your itinerary with a trusted person and check in regularly.
- 2Photocopy your documents (passport, insurance, tickets) and store them in the cloud.
- 3Arrive in a new city during the day — scout your neighbourhood before nightfall.
- 4Trust your instinct: if a situation makes you uncomfortable, leave.
- 5Keep an emergency fund separate from your main wallet (hidden money belt).
- 6Register with your embassy or consulate before each country.
- 7Learn the local emergency numbers as soon as you arrive.
- 8Avoid displaying valuables (jewellery, tech, wads of cash).
- 9Use a padlock for your bags in transport and dorms.
- 10Tell your hotel/hostel reception if you're heading out for a solo hike or excursion.
Memory
Travel journal
Why keep a journal
- It transforms fleeting observations into lasting memories.
- It helps process emotions — joy as well as frustration.
- It becomes a guide for your future trips and for those who follow in your footsteps.
- It gives meaning to slow days where 'nothing' happens.
How to get started
- Set a time: morning at a cafe or evening before bed.
- No need for literary prose: note 3 things seen, heard, tasted.
- Mix text, sketches, glued tickets, printed photos.
- Try a digital format if paper slows you down (Notes app, Notion, private blog).
Download Orizn to never travel truly alone
See travellers around you, join adventures in progress, and turn your solitude into connections.
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