In September 2024, I embarked on an exciting journey to study abroad at the University of Bristol for the semester!
The semester presented its own challenges academically, and mentally– but throughout it I made such great friends. With my new circle, I never really felt like I was tackling this journey alone. Because of this, I thought I would push myself and take a 12 day solo trip throughout five different cities in Europe, while finally flying home from Berlin to end the semester overseas. In this time span, I visited Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava, Prague, and Berlin. While 12 days may seem very short to some, or maybe long to others, as a beginner to solo travelling it felt like a good length to venture on my own. Here are some things I have learned, and things that surprised me on my first solo trip as a 21-year old studying abroad!
Solo travelling is uncomfortable… at first
This first point may sound intimidating, but trust me, you need to hear it. My first stop on my solo trip was Salzburg, Austria. I chose this stop mostly because the flight was cheap (shoutout to EasyJet Airlines), and I happened to book the same flight as two of my study abroad friends simply by chance. My trip didn’t technically start as a solo journey, but while waiting for the flight, I shared my nerves about navigating unfamiliar cities alone with a friend. In response, they offered me some advice: “Solo travelling is going to be uncomfortable, but you just need to lean into the discomfort of it and have a good time despite that.” This advice resonated with me throughout my travels.
Though the stigma around being alone in western culture is very real, at the end of the day, nobody cared that I was alone, and nobody really noticed either. Leaning into the discomfort allowed me to feel more confident about what I was doing, and hearing that advice reminded me that although I was alone on my trip, I wasn’t really alone in what I was experiencing. It truly reminded me that all of the feelings I was experiencing were completely valid.
You don’t have to be alone all the time
As a beginner to solo travelling, I had this image in my head that I would be alone all the time due to the independent nature of my plans. But the moments that truly made my experience were the ones where I put myself out there, and joined multiple social settings. One thing I would recommend is taking advantage of free walking tours provided in the destination you are visiting (although they are not actually free, and instead more of a pay what you can scenario). The walking tours allowed me to physically understand the idea of a city’s layout, and figure out what I wanted to see more of. They also allowed me to be a part of a group setting, where I met other tourists from all around the world–including some other Canadian solo travelers. By staying in hostels, I was provided even more opportunities to connect with fellow travellers. I also found myself chatting with locals from each city quite a lot–with many of them giving me advice on where to visit, or food to try.
Needless to say, solo travelling doesn’t have to be an entirely solo experience; sharing your experiences with others—whether meeting new people or connecting with friends back home via FaceTime—holds great value. Even if you don’t immediately notice, countless small interactions occur throughout your day, and solo travel has taught me to appreciate these moments much more.
It’s impossible to see everything- so follow your intuition!
For the first couple of days on my trip, I found myself overwhelmed by how many activities there were to choose from, and how much time I had in a day. In my previous trips with friends, planning an itinerary was a combination of everyone’s interests. I became used to following what the people I travelled with wanted to do, so when it was time for me to travel alone, I felt overwhelmed by having to make all these simple decisions for myself. Luckily, I had gotten a lot of advice on places to visit from my well travelled friends–even stealing some of their itineraries for myself to make things easier. Still, I started blowing through tourist attractions much faster than I had before because I didn’t have the extra time that chatting often takes up to slow things down.
To remedy this, it was crucial to listen to my body, taking breaks when needed, and visiting places that I found interesting (even if they weren’t the most popular destinations). At one point, I spent an hour just sitting in the sun, on a bench by the Budapest riverside. The atmosphere was so pleasant that it became one of my most memorable experiences. Whether you are travelling, or just going about your day, take time to listen to yourself, take breaks, get snacks, and so on. It is overall a great self-care practice, especially in the busier times of your life!
Being over-prepared pays off
While travelling, I opted to carry a large tote bag with everything I thought I may need in a new city alone. I brought a first-aid kit, portable chargers, water, all my IDs, cash, a pencil case, and surprisingly I ended up using all of those items frequently. Although my bag felt unnecessarily packed at times, I never found myself in emergencies because I was prepared for everything, and none of my items were stolen because they were all buried so deeply in the tote I carried. In the end, everyone travels differently, but I would recommend accounting for everything that could happen, because it is better to be over-prepared than under.
While there were many other lessons I learned during this experience, these were the ones that stuck out to me the most before embarking on a similar adventure. All in all, solo travelling was frightening, but it improved my confidence in myself and the trip has become one of my proudest accomplishments. I would recommend everyone take a chance and add solo travelling to your bucket list–even if it’s just a day trip!