When You're Traveling Alone

Excited to travel, but worried about traveling alone? If you find yourself in this situation whether it be because you are traveling on business or just need some "alone time," here are some tips to ease your distress, so you can still have a nice time.

(1) Emergency contacts. Before you go, double-check that all of your emergency contacts are saved into your phone as well as any local agencies you may need.

(2) Make a copy of your travel itinerary. It's a good idea to leave a copy of your travel itinerary with a trusted friend or family member, so they will know your whereabouts if there is an emergency.

(3) Single supplement. When booking a room, be sure to ask the hotel staff if there is a single supplement fee. This usually appears as a hidden charge on your bill, and hotels will use it to ensure they get paid as though two people were staying in the room. It's sort of like a penalty for not traveling with another person, so they can still get their money. If the hotel you're looking at does have this fee, then just look at another one instead.

(4) Check the ratings. Be sure that you book at a hotel with multiple positive ratings. These can give you insight as to what the staff is like as well as the surrounding area.

(5) Free wifi. When you make your hotel selection, be sure they offer free wifi. This will come in handy especially if it gets dark early where you are traveling to, and you don't want to be out alone at night. Instead, you can use the hotel wifi to contact family back home or map out more details for your trip.

(6) Try new adventures. One benefit to traveling alone can be that you will have the chance to venture out and do things you wouldn't normally do if you brought another person along in fear that they might be a 'flop.' For example, you will now have time to visit that local art museum that you wouldn't have normally carried someone else to because they would rather be laid out on a beach somewhere.