17 "I Wish I Knew That Sooner" Solo Travel Tips That Saved Me So Much Time, Money, And Patience

Hey! I'm Spencer, and I recently went on my first solo travel trip ever. It was incredibly fun, scary, and a bit overwhelming, but I learned a lot, so I wanted to share some of my best (and unspoken) solo travel tips with you here. Hopefully they're extra helpful for you on your next journey, so feel free to take what you want and leave the rest.

1. First of all, always put one of your shoes in the hotel safe with your passport. Traveling solo means no one is around to remind you to grab your passport, credit cards, or whatever else you might forget in the hotel safe. But you'll ~never~ check out without making sure that you have full sets of shoes in your suitcase, so this will save you from making a really costly mistake.

2. If you're traveling to a big city, download a hi-res photo of the area's subway system to your phone. Also, make sure you save the pic in a separate photo album so you can easily access it without having to frantically search your "recent" pics while possibly missing your stop or getting on the wrong train.

3. If you're queer like me, try booking your stay through sites that filter with LGBTQ+-friendly options. Traveling alone can already be scary enough as it is, so I used this feature on Hotels.com as a way to take extra precaution. It's so stupid that we even need to take these safety measures, but I'd hate to be in a foreign country and have something go wrong, so it's an easy thing that makes me feel more welcome and comfortable.

4. I suck at directions, so if you're traveling anywhere new — especially to a foreign country or a place where you won't have Wi-Fi — pre-save some key searches (like your hotel's address) into the free Google Maps app before you leave. This way you can access a real-time, overhead map of where you are, and it'll point you in the right direction, even without Wi-Fi. This genuinely saved me from getting lost soooo many times.

5. Another savior app with immediate results is Google Translate . I used it every single day in France , and it was especially helpful with restaurant menus and directions. Basically, you just use your phone's camera as if you're going to take a pic, and the app will translate every word it sees into English in real time.

Spencer Althouse

I used Duolingo every day for five months in order to prepare for my trip, and even though I learned a decent amount, I don't think the majority of it was super productive or helpful for a weeklong vacation. But luckily, I had the Google Translate app because I was able to translate things in real time, even without Wi-Fi, which was a huge lifesaver. It also made me feel more like a local because I didn't need to ask for a menu in English.

6. If you're a first-time solo traveler, go somewhere you're semi-familiar with already. The most important part about your first trip is making sure you're as comfortable as possible, so use it as a way to dip your toe in the water before venturing off and doing even more the next time. For me, that meant starting with a place where English is commonly spoken. This way, if I ~did~ end up getting lost or if something terrible happened, at least I'd be more at ease knowing I could try to talk my way through the situation.

Spencer Althouse

I studied abroad in London over 10 years ago, so while I wasn't as familiar with the city as I used to be, it was still reassuring to know that I'd been there before. I also have a brother who lives in Paris, so the idea of knowing someone while abroad really comforted me. This way we could meet for random dinners, and I could also rely on him for non-touristy recommendations.

7. Always try to book a hotel or hostel through your go-to site's app instead of on their .com site. In my experience, most companies typically offer additional discounts when booking through their free apps, and I love saving money, so it's a win-win.

8. Be smart about how you travel, and if you know you're going to do certain things ahead of time, always book them ASAP because they'll be way, way cheaper. For example, I knew that I was going to travel from Paris to London, so I opted to take a Eurostar train instead of a flight. The earlier you book, the cheaper they are, so I spent $65 a few months in advance, but if I had booked my ticket the week of, it would have cost over $250.

Spencer Althouse

The train was more comfortable, convenient, and way cheaper than any flight would have been. Rather than wasting the entire day at the airport, I breezed through security at my Eurostar gate and got on a quick 2-hour ride that dropped me off in the center of London (literally two tube stops away from my hotel in Covent Garden!). If I had opted for a flight instead, my journey to the airport in Paris and through security would have taken more time than the train ride itself, so always look at all of your travel options.

9. Do. Your. Research. Again, I'm anxious about everything, so I plan whatever I can. The first thing I did was set up alerts from different discount sites for flights (like Hopper ). But I found that the most underrated search engine is actually TikTok. There are a lot of great travel and food accounts that consistently post about flight deals and the best places to eat in whatever city you're going to. Watching actual videos of people at their favorite restaurants and seeing their go-to dishes is so much more effective than scouring through a restaurant's outdated website without any pics.

Spencer Althouse

TikTok accounts like topjaw and knivestomeetyoulondon consistently highlight must-try restaurants all across London. The first account features recommendations from chefs, locals, and celebs, while the second account is basically food porn in the best way possible. I had some incredible meals because of their suggestions, and I never would have found them had I not searched on TikTok.

But my favorite meal from the trip was actually a recommendation from Will Poulter during his Times Radio interview. He raved about the fine-dining West African restaurant Akoko in London, and holy crap, I was not disappointed. I've had dreams about their jollof rice ever since, and I'd happily bathe in several of their sauces.

10. But if you're feeling especially overwhelmed about planning everything and have no idea where to start, consider asking AI to do some research for you. AI sites like ChatGPT and ForgeMyTrip can create full itineraries based on your preferences, budgets, dates, and so on. You can get as specific as you'd like, have the responses include prices, ask for free activities, etc., and they'll send you detailed suggestions that can be used to tailor a vacation based on who you are and what you're looking for.

Spencer Althouse / Jean Cocteau, Spencer Althouse

Do I think these AI sites will give you perfect results? Absolutely not. But they'll definitely give you a great jumping off point and guide you along the way. For example, I asked for a bunch of lesser-known events in Paris + some free activities that'd be going on in each city. From those results, I was able to do the extra research to see what I'd actually want to see, eat, and do. It also told me about a queer art exhibit (featured above) going on during my stay, and I never would have known about it had I not asked. So, like, I guess AI can sometimes be good?

11. Always have at least one book downloaded onto your phone before you leave for your trip. This way you'll have something to do (even without Wi-Fi) while waiting at a restaurant, on the subway, or in line at a museum without having to physically carry a copy with you.

12. Figure out your main goal for going on a trip in the first place, and then plan what you actually want to spend money on based around that. For me, I cared more about eating my way through a city than I did about seeing certain landmarks, so I planned my trip around the food. As a result, I felt less stressed and didn't feel like I needed to cram every single thing into one vacation.

Spencer Althouse

Vacations are expensive, so figuring out your main reasons for going will help you save time and money, rather than attempting to do, eat, and see everything that's available. My goal while abroad was to eat really good food, so I did a ton of research about the best restaurants for me (and asked friends, followers, and locals for their faves, too), and I built my itinerary around that. This way I basically had a map of go-to spots and could plan my days around what was close by. It also helped that I had been to London before, so I felt like I could prioritize food and great seats on the West End over paying for more touristy experiences, like a tour of Westminster or something.

It's also important to weigh your options and personal safety levels. To me, getting crammed into a tiny room with the "Mona Lisa" and 500+ other tourists was not worth it. I was one of maybe three people with a mask on, and the whole process of actually getting semi-close to the painting took about 20 minutes. There was a lot of pushing and shoving and heavy breathing by everyone around me, and the final result was a picture where I've never looked more tired and stressed out in my life. Basically, if there are some attractions you think you'd be okay with skipping, then it's probably best to trust your gut.

13. If you can swing it, buy one nice, tangible "thing" for yourself while on your trip (and I'm not talking about a random trinket or souvenir with the country's flag on it). Think of this like a jacket or a pair of shoes or even a cheap pair of earrings. Whenever you use the item, you’ll think, "Oh, these are my London sunglasses" or whatever, and they’ll always have you feeling nostalgic about your trip and ready to book another one.

14. Be a local, and recognize that you can't (and shouldn't) plan everything. There will always be hidden gems that you can't find online, but you'll never be able to discover them if you stick to a full itinerary the entire time.

Spencer Althouse, Alissa Foti / @fotayheyhey / Instagram: @fotayheyhey

One of my favorite nights in Paris was when I had no plan and just walked around like I lived there until I found a restaurant that looked cute. I listened for French speakers who were eating outside because that let me know the restaurant was good enough for the people who actually live in the city.

But if you're pressed for time and don't have the luxury of walking around until you find some hidden gems, just ask the people who you come across who actually live there. I'm normally super introverted, but if I can do something to make my vacation even better, then I'll probably try it. At one point, I walked into a nice-looking shop and asked the woman who worked there for her favorite restaurants nearby. She pointed me to a great spot called The Pelican (featured in the pic above) that I never would have found on my own, and I absolutely loved it.

15. As a way to treat yourself, do small things you wouldn't normally do in everyday life. My family was never an appetizer or dessert family at restaurants (I have three brothers, and it’s expensive to take six people out for a meal, so I totally get it!), but when I was on vacation by myself, I wanted to make the most of it. Ordering an appetizer or a dessert at a nice restaurant — even though I was still conscious of the extra cost — was a great way to make me feel special and worthy of nice things and like I was truly on vacation.

16. No matter what you do, keep reminding yourself that you will never be X age in Y city again in your life. I promise that this will change how you interact with and experience everything. For example, I kept saying to myself, "You will never be 32 and in Paris again," and that really pushed me to have more fun and make more memories.

Spencer Althouse

Obviously, I'm super fortunate to be able to use this mindset on my trip. To be completely honest, I have a really weird relationship with money and often don't think I'm worthy of things, so I never spend it. But I've been trying to change that, and this mindset really put me in the moment and helped me enjoy my trip (and myself!) way more than I typically would have.

I actually stole this idea from TikTok where a guy talked about having the chance to fly and stay in Dublin for St. Patrick's Day for $600 when he was 23. He ultimately decided against it because it seemed like a lot of money at the time (which is absolutely valid!), but looking back now, he'd redo it in a heartbeat. His reasoning is that he'll never have those experiences or memories of being 23 and in Dublin, and life is short, so he shouldn't wait his entire life to save up and have those experiences at a later date. Instead, he'd rather find a way to make those experiences happen now, especially since "later" isn't always guaranteed.

17. And finally: Be. A. Hoe. (Safely!)

That's it! If you have any other solo travel tips that have worked for you, please feel free to share them in the comments. Thanks!