Planning a trip by yourself can be daunting. You might get overwhelmed by the option, not be entirely sure what to do, and have some travel anxiety from being in a foreign place on your own.

It seems stressful, but after breaking down your travel research into smaller steps, you can feel much more confident about your new expedition.

Whether you’re a seasoned solo traveler looking to get more organized or are planning your first trip and need guidance, here’s how I approach planning out my travels:

How to Plan a Vacation Alone

Decide on a Destination

You should look around social media and do some searches online to get inspiration for travel destinations. Be sure to look at safety, climate, language, and visa barriers that might be obstacles to reaching your desired destination.

Personally, I like using Travel Safe — Abroad to start off my research. It outlines countries’ and cities’ safety indexes based on a few criteria like transport risk, pickpocket risk, and natural disasters.

Don’t let it discourage you though, every destination will have its risks. I’d recommend glancing at your hometown or country to see what the risks are and to put the website’s judgment into perspective.

If you’re on a tight budget and want to explore cheap flights to everywhere, I found a great website to explore incredible travel destinations!!

Plan Your Itinerary

Decide how much time you’d like to spend where, and the top priorities you’d like to accomplish during your visit. This can range from an activity you do to a landmark you see.

Be sure to allocate plenty of time for each activity and give yourself some wiggle room. You’ll never know when you pass by a cute restaurant and would like to stop by for a bite mid-walk.

It’s always the spontaneous adventures that are the most memorable, so wiggle room is extremely important in my own itineraries.

Suggested: A Guide to Picking Budget-Friendly Travel Destinations for Families

Book Your Plans

It’s best to book activities, excursions, and accommodations well in advance. Once you have your itinerary set and are happy with it, start booking from the most expensive and inflexible things and build around that.

When looking for a place to stay, it may be beneficial to stay in a hostel or Airbnb if you want to get an experience closer to the culture.

Don’t forget to sign up for free frequent flyer or loyalty programs to help you save money in the future. Some might even offer benefits for signing up, so be sure to look around for deals and savings before purchasing.

Prepare for Your Trip

Make sure you have copies of all of your documents, identification, and reservations just in case. Keep everything in a safe folder, and find a deep pocket in your backpack to store everything and prevent it from getting lost.

I like to keep a checklist of things I’m packing on my phone to keep track of everything I brought. When I start repacking and leaving on the last day of my trip, I double-check that list to make sure that everything I brought is coming back with me.

Ever since I left my MacBook charger on a trip to Montreal, I’ve been paying particular attention to what I have and double check my list before leaving. I did not like paying $120 for another charger.

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Conclusion

Planning a vacation alone can be a challenging task, but it’s also an incredibly rewarding experience. By researching your destination, planning your itinerary, booking transportation and accommodations, being aware of safety, and stepping out of your comfort zone, you’ll be sure to have a trip of a lifetime.

Remember, it’s your trip, so make it what you want it to be. So, take a deep breath, pack your bags and embark on a journey of a lifetime, you got this!

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