6 Simple Steps To Start Planning Your Solo Trip This Year
Step 1: Glance over your bucket list.
First, where have you always wanted to go? Pick a destination on your bucket list, and then we can talk.
Source: Lake Ashi, Japan. 2007
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6 Simple Steps To Start Planning Your Solo Trip This Year
Step 2: Save the date.
No, not for your wedding. But once you’ve got a place settled down, you want to start thinking about what season, festivals, or activities you want to do in that country. Cherry blossom doesn’t happen in winter! And climbing glaciers are NOT for summers.
Source: Tokyo, Japan. 2007 
6 Simple Steps To Start Planning Your Solo Trip This Year
Step 4: Lock down the cities.
Depending on how much time you’ve got for vacay, creating a rough sketch of an itinerary is important even if your agenda will change later. At least have a good idea of which city peaks your interests and how many there are.
Source: London, UK. 2009 
6 Simple Steps To Start Planning Your Solo Trip This Year
Step 5: Safe to stay?
Some people like to figure it out on-the-go, since Airbnb is such a great option. But for a planner like me, I like to know which neighborhood to stay away from ahead of time, so I’m never left homeless for a night.
Source: Sintra, Portugal. 2011
A huge trend we saw in 2016 was the rise of solo trips.
According to a 2015 Visa Global Travel Intentions Study, 24% of U.S. population traveled alone mostly overseas for leisure. In 2013, solo travelers merely stood for 13% across 25 countries. Popular website for booking trips targeting 18 to 30-year-olds, Topdeck Travel‘s research showed that 30% of the people they surveyed travel solo.
Since you’re probably one of them, you’re most likely planning a solo trip in this new year. How to make your thought into a reality? Go ahead, read on!
Since 2007, at the ripe age of 27, I embarked on my first solo trip abroad. Except, it wasn’t exactly a trip but more so a 6-month move to Tokyo. The joy of living alone inspired me to travel by myself later in life. After a breakup in 2010, I planned a vacation to Portugal where I cried, laughed, drank and indulged in fantastic meals ALL BY MYSELF! It was an unforgettable 5 days of my life and I would recommend it to anyone, breakup or not!
If you haven’t thought about it, please make 2017 the year of solo travel. If you’ve already sunken your wanderlust teeth into such a selfish idea, good for you!
