How to Travel Alone for the First Time: How I Plan a Solo Getaway in 7 Steps

For years I was the one who planned everyone else’s trips. I spent more than a decade writing about family travel at Little Family Adventure, and every trip was built around what worked for all of us. So when my kids grew up and it was finally my turn, I assumed planning a trip for one would be easy.

It wasn’t hard, exactly. It was different. Nobody was asking where we were going next, which meant I had to ask myself what I actually wanted. If you are figuring out how to travel alone for the first time, that is the real first step, and it is the one most guides skip.

My first solo trip was to Asheville and Boone, North Carolina. The planning felt familiar. What caught me off guard was realizing I no longer had an emergency contact, that one person you call every day to say you made it and you’re safe. I cried my eyes out over that. Then I shared the story with my friends, and every one of them said the same thing: I’m a phone call away. It got better from there.

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In Boone, I hired a guide and climbed Grandfather Mountain. It was rough, with rope pulls and ladders, but the views and the sense of accomplishment were empowering.

Later, I planned my 50th birthday trip to Machu Picchu as a solo milestone. Then my friend Heide Brandes, who now cohosts the Untethered & Wanderwise podcast with me, decided she’d go too. That’s the part I want you to hear: traveling on your own doesn’t mean you’re always alone. It means you get to choose.

Today I plan solo getaways for myself and for my clients as a travel advisor. This is the exact 7 step process I use, whether the trip is a long weekend two hours from home or ten days on another continent. If you’re a little scared to travel alone, good. That means you care about doing it well, and this plan is built for you.

How to Travel Alone for the First Time: My 7 Step Plan

Step 1: Decide what kind of solo traveler you want to be

Before I look at a single flight, I ask one question: what do I want this trip to feel like? Rested? Curious? Challenged? Social? Your answer shapes everything that follows.

There is no wrong answer, and you don’t have to be fully alone the whole time. Most first solo trips fall into one of three styles:

• Fully independent. You plan every piece and move at your own pace. Best if you love research and like a lot of quiet time.
• Independent with anchors. You book your own stay but add a few guided tours or a class so you have built in company. This is what I recommend for most first timers.
• Solo in a group. You join a small group tour, a retreat or a cruise and arrive alone. The logistics are handled, and you choose how social to be.

Write your answer down in one sentence. On my first solo trip, mine was “I want to go hiking, push myself to try new things and eat great food.”

Step 2: Pick an easy first destination

Your first solo getaway is not the time to prove anything. Pick a place that removes friction so you can enjoy being on your own. When I help a client choose, I look for these five things:

• Walkable. You can reach coffee, dinner and a few sights on foot from your hotel.
• Easy to navigate. Good public transit or reliable rideshare, clear signs, and a language you speak or one where English is common.
• Short travel time. A nonstop flight or a drive of a few hours. Fewer connections mean fewer things to manage alone.
• Lots to do solo. Museums, markets, walking tours, cooking classes, spas. Places with plenty of daytime activities fill the hours naturally.
• A comfortable safety picture. Check the U.S. State Department travel advisory for any international destination before you commit.

A long weekend in a U.S. city is a great trial run. Once you know you love it, go bigger. I’m building a full list of the best places for a first solo trip, and you’ll find it linked here when it’s live.

Step 3: Set your budget, including the single supplement

Here is the money truth nobody mentions until checkout: traveling solo usually costs more per person. A hotel room costs the same whether one or two people sleep in it, and many cruises and group tours price per person based on two people sharing. When you travel alone, you either pay the full room price or a single supplement on top of the per person fare.

I build a solo budget in four buckets:

Bucket	What goes in it
Getting there	Flights or gas, airport parking, transfers
Stay	Nightly rate, taxes and resort or destination fees
Experiences	Tours, classes, tickets, spa time
Daily spending	Meals, coffee, local transit, tips, a small cushion

Then I decide where I’m willing to spend more, and where I’m happy to spend less. In Boone, North Carolina, I skipped the chains and stayed at Rhode’s Motor Lodge. It was different from what I’d usually book, but it was a fun, quirky spot that I loved. In Almaty, Kazakhstan, I went the other way. After I returned from the countryside, I upgraded to a room with an in house spa at Sadu Hotel Almaty, a Radisson Individuals property. 10/10, I recommend it. Knowing where you’ll splurge before you go keeps the budget honest and the trip fun.

Watch for solo friendly deals, too. Some cruise lines have studio cabins built for one, and some tour companies waive or reduce the single supplement on certain departures.

Step 4: Book a stay that does the heavy lifting

When you travel alone, your hotel is your home base, your concierge and your safety net. It matters more than it does on a family trip. Here is my checklist before I book:

• A central, well lit neighborhood with restaurants open in the evening
• A 24 hour front desk, so someone is always there if you arrive late or lose a key
• Recent reviews that mention solo travelers or women traveling alone
• A room above the ground floor
• A good bed and a quiet room (I read the reviews for noise complaints every time)
• A lobby bar, a restaurant or a breakfast room where eating alone feels natural

Boutique hotels are my favorite for solo trips because the staff tend to learn your name quickly. Compare central stays on Booking.com and filter by guest rating and location score. You’ll find my picks at four price levels further down.

Step 5: Plan your days with one anchor per day

The biggest mistake I see first time solo travelers make is either overplanning every hour or planning nothing and feeling adrift by day two. My fix is simple: one anchor per day.

An anchor is one booked thing you’re looking forward to. A food tour on the first evening. A morning cooking class. A day trip you couldn’t easily do on your own. Everything else stays loose for wandering, reading in a café or a long lunch.

I like to book a guided tour early in the trip. It helps you get your bearings, meet a few people and pick up local tips you can use the rest of the week. Browse small group tours on GetYourGuide or Viator and sort by reviews.

When I was in Almaty, Kazakhstan, I booked a two day excursion through Viator to Charyn Canyon, Kaindy Lake and Kolsai Lakes. I was on my own, and I met great people along the way. A guided trip like that is the easiest way to reach places you’d never attempt alone, with company built right in.

Step 6: Build your safety plan

Feeling safe is the number one worry I hear from women planning a first solo trip. A plan won’t remove every risk, but it removes most of the worry. Here’s mine:

1. Share your itinerary. Send your flights, hotel addresses and tour times to one person at home, and agree on a daily check in. If you don’t have that person anymore, ask a friend. When I did, every one of mine said yes.
2. Enroll in STEP for international trips. The U.S. State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program is free and sends you email updates and alerts from U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. You sign in with a Login.gov account and add your trip details.
3. Arrive in daylight when you can. Finding a new hotel is easier and calmer before dark.
4. Save the essentials offline. Download offline maps, save your hotel’s address in the local language, and keep a photo of your passport somewhere separate from the original.
5. Carry two ways to pay. Keep a backup card in a different spot than your main one.
6. Get travel insurance. For trips with big prepaid costs or travel abroad, I don’t skip it.
7. Trust your gut. If a street, a ride or a person feels wrong, leave. You never owe anyone politeness at the cost of your comfort.

Step 7: Pack light and get connected

When there is nobody to watch your bag while you grab a coffee, every extra piece of luggage becomes your problem. I pack so I can carry everything myself, up stairs and onto trains, without help.

• Choose bags you can handle on your own. My go to lineup is a Quince carry on suitcase, plus a Fjallraven High Coast tote or a Knack backpack as my personal item. For longer trips, I check my Travelpro bag.
• Pack outfits, not items. Choose one color palette so everything mixes.
• Keep valuables close. Your passport, phone and cards should stay in the bag that never leaves your side.

Then sort out your phone before you leave. Your phone is your map, translator, boarding pass and lifeline. For international trips I use an eSIM, which you install before departure so you have data the moment you land. Your phone needs to be unlocked and eSIM compatible. Lately I’m loving Gigsky, followed by Airalo.

My full packing list for a 10 day trip in one carry on is coming soon.

Solo Notes: Safety, Dining Alone and Getting Around

Safety. Choose a hotel with a 24 hour front desk, share your itinerary with someone at home, and enroll in STEP for international trips. Keep your evening plans close to your hotel the first night while you learn the neighborhood.

Dining alone. Lunch is the easiest solo meal, so make it your big one at first. At dinner, ask for a seat at the bar or the chef’s counter, where eating alone is normal and the staff often chat. Once you’re seated, you can talk to people, read a book, surf the web or simply enjoy your own company. We are our own best company.

Getting around. Download offline maps before you go, and save your hotel’s name and address in the local language. Use official taxi stands or a rideshare app you trust, and check that the plate matches before you get in. In walkable cities, plan your days by neighborhood so you aren’t crossing town after dark.

Where to Stay on a Solo Getaway: Four Price Levels in Almaty

The right stay depends on your budget, but the solo checklist from Step 4 applies at every level. Here’s how that looks in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from a women only hostel to the Ritz-Carlton.

Level	What to look for	My Almaty pick
Budget	Women only rooms or a women only property, top cleanliness ratings	Tomiris Lady’s Capsul Hostel Only for Women, a capsule hostel just for women
Moderate	A trusted brand, a 24 hour front desk, an easy location	Holiday Inn Almaty
Higher end	Character, a spa, attentive staff	Sadu Hotel Almaty, a member of Radisson Individuals, where I upgraded to a room with an in house spa
Luxury	Full service, a concierge who plans for you, advisor perks	The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty

I stayed at Tomiris, the Holiday Inn and Sadu over nine nights in Almaty, and I spent time at the Ritz-Carlton during a conference. Moving between price levels on one trip is a smart way to stretch a solo budget: save on the nights you’re out exploring, and splurge when you want to rest.

At the higher end, it pays to book through a travel advisor. I can’t guarantee perks, but when you book with me, there’s a good chance I can secure upgrades and extras for you.

Find central, top rated stays on Booking.com

Plan Your First Solo Getaway With Me

You planned everyone else’s trips. Let me plan yours. As a licensed travel advisor with Fora Travel, I’ll help you choose the right first destination, find a stay that feels safe and special, and build in the tours and extras that make traveling alone easy. There’s no planning fee when you book your travel through me.

Start planning my getaway

Trip planning toolkit

• Stays: Booking.com via Stay22
• Tours and day trips: Viator and GetYourGuide
• Phone data abroad: Gigsky and Airalo eSIMs
• Bags: Quince and Knack
• Safety alerts: STEP from the U.S. State Department (free)
• Everything I use: My Favorite Travel Booking Sites (once live)

Still deciding whether to go? Read Why Women Are Ditching Traditional Travel Plans.

FAQ: Traveling Alone for the First Time