With Valentine’s approaching we know that many singles will either be buying copious amounts of food and love films, or out exploring… which one would you prefer? Fall in love with the world and treat yourself this Valentine’s and travel around the world! Travelling on your own takes a lot of planning, so we’ve got all you need to know about how to plan your solo trip around the world.
Are you ready?
Travelling the world takes commitment and it’s a long decision to decide whether you’re ready for it. It can also be very expensive, so think about are you ready to leave your home for a few months and discover the world. It’s important to consider commitments including your job and whether it’s possible to pack up and go.
List the destinations
If you’ve decided yes to the question “Are you ready?” then great! It’s start to planning the solo travel. First of all, list all the destinations down where you’ve always wanted to visit and list what things you’d like to experience in each place. We recommend buying a big map (click here for an example) and then putting post it notes of what you want to do on each destination. This will then slowly build up and ideally your world map will be full of post-it notes.
Do you really want to go there?
Now don’t just put destinations on there for the sake of it, it’s only going to cost you more money that you might regret when travelling on your own. Read up about each destination and make sure you’re 100% sure you want to visit there. Once you’ve done this, remove the suitable post-it notes and you should have a good plan.
How to travel
Start to think about which way you’re going to go first. Mark where you will start and to what destination next and consider how you will get to each place whether that be flying, boat or cycling. You don’t necessarily need to fly to every single destination when there are modes of public transport available for a cheaper cost.
Comparison
Once you’ve mapped out your journey, start looking at what air tickets you need and how much the cost of them will be. Once you get an idea of costs, you can then start thinking about setting a realistic budget. Look at the difference costs of round the world tickets in comparison to a return or single way ticket.
Round the world tickets
If you decide to get a RTW ticket, start matching up the cities you’ve planned to visit into this ticket. You might soon find that you can purchase one ticket and have your flights all purchased for your next few months of travelling around the world.
Duration
Another important thing to remember is how long you wish to spend in each country. We recommend asking people or looking at bloggers to get an idea of how long you will want to spend in each country – this way you can start selecting which days to depart and arrive into new places.
Visas
Once you’ve got your flights booked, you must look at what visas you might need. The last thing you want is to arrive and not be let in because you didn’t purchase your visas. Each country is different so don’t assume each country is the same and has the same visa process.
Vaccinations
You’re travelling around the world, so the chances of you needing vaccinations are high. Talk to your GP and check if you need any for your destinations so you are safe while travelling and avoid having to come home early.
Packing
The closer you get to your departure day, think about how to pack. Carrying around a suitcase won’t be ideal, so we recommend being very tight with what you pack and packing a rucksack. Pack old clothes that you can bin while you’re travelling and purchase new ones. Don’t pack as if you’re going for months otherwise you won’t have the space – just remember you can purchase it out there.
Another key thing to bring is quotes and poems. You’ll be travelling on your own and if you begin to feel lonely, anything positive can help cheer up your mood.
Now you’re all set for the adventure of a lifetime… and you’ve probably forgot about Valentine’s Day just thinking about it. Just get up, go and make some incredible memories.