Listen to the full episode on the The Salad Toss Podcast here.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE
1. Pre-Plan
Pre-planning will make your trip much smoother. Yes, there will be times when plans fall through, but that’s when the back-up plan comes into play or your spontaneous side is revealed. It doesn’t hurt to create a trip itinerary. Look through a blog or two of your destination to see where the popular tourist spots are and also discover the “hidden gems” previous travelers may have already discovered.
What outdoor sports and excursions are offered there? Do you need to purchase a ticket ahead of time? Klook, Booking.com, Viator, and TripAdvisor are all great websites that are one-stop shops for all things travel. Whether you need to book lodging accommodations, purchase a cooking class reservation, or reserve a seat on a guided tour, these websites have everything you need for your pre-planning process.
2. Do your research
Before you head out the door, do a bit of research on the country you plan to visit. Do you know about their culture, customs, and current events? Have a bit of knowledge on the “three C’s”. Trust me you will learn a whole lot more when you get there, but doing preliminary research will save you the embarrassment or stress when you decide to visit a country, and find out they are in the middle of a war or visit a friend and you don’t take your shoes off at the door. If the country is not an English-speaking country, do you know how you would say “hello” there? Are there any national holidays you should be aware of during your trip?
Visiting the State Department Travel site will give you a heads up on travel advisories on your country of destination and the countries’ requirements for when you go through their airport customs. You don’t want to get caught up bringing something that is considered illegal in their country. Take some time to do the research.
3. Make paper copies of important documents
What you don’t want to happen is you losing your passport during an outdoor excursion. I highly recommend making a paper copy of your passport and other government IDs you plan on bringing with you. Even though you have your flight itinerary and hotel reservations in your email inbox, it’s also helpful to have a paper copy of your itinerary and reservations on hand as well.
4. Universal Debit/Credit Cards
Even though it’s wise to bring cash and convert it to the local currency, universal debit and credit cards are usually the safest and most reliable option when it comes to traveling. VISA and Mastercard are the major brands accepted for purchases around the world. Just remember to alert your bank prior to traveling that you will be outside of the country or there will be a possibility your purchase may be declined for security purposes. On my banking application, I can enter in my travel dates. So make sure you check in with your bank before flying out.
WHILE YOU ARE THERE
5. Prioritize your trip
Now you have arrived at your destination, what’s first? It’s helpful to have some idea of what you want to accomplish while you are there. Whether it is eating at the local restaurant you saw on Instagram or going on the excursion you booked in advance, it’s nice to have an itinerary, even for the most spontaneous travelers out there. What you don’t want to happen is you get to the tourist spot, museum, or boat ride, and it’s all sold out. Prioritize the activities/ locations you want to see or experience the most, and then save the unplanned part of the trip for last.
For example, when I went to Arashiyama in Kyoto, Japan on a Saturday, I made sure I got to the Monkey Mountain first and early in the morning, because I expected that spot to get crowded as the day went on and then saved the unguided walking tour of the town for last.
6. Backpacks are your friend
It’s all about packing light and traveling with ease. Trust me. As someone who has lugged around a huge suitcase through the Tokyo subway and on the shinkansen, at that moment I wish I only had a big backpack. Bring clothing items that you can wear multiple times interchangeably with multiple outfits. Check out my article on How to Pack for a 4-5 Day Trip.
7. Connect with Others
Don’t be afraid to reach out to other solo female travelers while you’re traveling. Who knows what bonds can be formed? I met Alexa, another fellow Solo Female Traveler while on the top of Monkey Mountain in Kyoto, Japan. She was visiting Japan while teaching English in South Korea, and I was living in Osaka teaching English. We bond over the fact that we were both teaching English in foreign countries and both from America. She joined me on one of my podcast episodes, 10 Best Practices of Solo Female Travelers. You can listen to the full episode here. If you see another female traveling solo, exchange contact information. You never know how that relationship will grow fruit in the future.
8. Splurge a Bit. It’s okay.
You created a budget, but you see this souvenir at the local market that you really want and don’t know when or if there will be a next time you will be able to visit this country. It’s okay to splurge a bit. Add a little room in your budget to treat yourself.
9. Seek out Hidden Gems
The best memories of my trips were when I explored “non-tourist areas”, also known as hidden gems. These were places I usually didn’t find many tourists but jumped out at me in an unusual type of way. For example, there is a town next to Umeda, a well-known city in Osaka, called Nakazaki Nishi. It’s a small local town, but what amazed me was all the tiny unique cafes, handmade craft shops, and family-owned businesses all tucked in the narrow streets. I would have never known about this area if I didn’t decide to walk outside of the Umeda area and venture out of my comfort zone.
10. Don’t overlook Hostels
Hostels have definitely been given a bad rap from Hollywood movies, but after staying at three different ones in South Korea and Japan, I am quite impressed and highly recommend them. They were all pretty clean and you have the option in most hostels to reserve a room to yourself or bunk with other travelers. Hostels are also great places to meet other travelers and connect with them. It’s a great place to share information about the local area and learn about a restaurant or attraction you didn’t have planned from the others staying at the hostels. And might I add, they are usually cheaper than hotels.
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