August 28, 2023February 21, 2024 Travelling Solo – My experience and Top Tips A year ago, the thought alone of travelling abroad by myself would have stressed me out but a year on and I’ve completed my first solo travel experience and loved it! As it was my first solo holiday I decided to keep it simple, nowhere too drastic and only for 4 days but it’s a start and it was enough to learn about the basics of travelling alone that I can pass on to you ready for your first solo trip. When I decided to book this holiday I thought the best thing to do was go somewhere I knew was safe and somewhere not too far away, which made Palma, for me, the obvious choice. I also wanted to ensure that the journey there was as smooth as possible so I chose to book through TUI since you can arrange all flights, accommodation, and transfers through them and all of it will be on the app to avoid unnecessary stress on the journey. This was absolutely the right decision as my journey there and back was completely drama free and made me feel so relaxed and prepared for a few days alone. Let’s start at the beginning of the journey though and talk through some parts of travelling solo that may have people avoiding it. For me, something that I don’t necessarily enjoy (does anyone?) is the queue for check in. It’s always a slow, sometimes stressful start to a holiday and for my first trip alone I wanted to avoid that so stuck with just taking carry on luggage and checking in online so I could head straight up to security. Security can be a breeze as long as you plan in advance, by this I mean having all of your liquids in a clear bag (I buy my own through amazon to be extra prepared), and having any electrical items at the top of my suitcase so it’s just a case of opening it up and grabbing them, no queue holding up then either! After security it’s then free reign of duty free to do what you want and no one else, the first perk of solo travelling! I decided to grab all of my last minute toiletries from boots, which you can also order beforehand if you’re super prepared, and then sat in Starbucks for a quick coffee and breakfast. I made sure to keep my eye on the board for flight updates and then headed to my gate ready for boarding, the next solo travelling mission. For me, the thing I was probably most nervous about for the journey was getting space above my seat for my suitcase and to not knock anyone out while trying to get it up there, but it could not have been simpler. Most airlines will give speedy boarding to anyone with an overhead case so that you get on the plane pretty quick and then as for getting it up into the locker, there are air hostesses happy to help as well as the odd stranger who is willing to give you a hand too, nothing to stress about! Amazon – Clear liquid bags Boots – Click and collect I quite enjoy flying so the flight alone didn’t phase me, I just read my book, enjoyed the views (booking a window seat was a great choice) and relaxed before landing down in Palma and heading for my bus. This is where the TUI app was a lifesaver, I simply logged on and it gave me all of my transfer details including which door to exit from, how to get there and the number for my bus. TOP TIP: Check with a Tui rep before getting on a bus as the numbers do tend to change. They will be dotted around the buses and exits so let any of them know which hotel you’re in (also in the app) and they’ll guide you to your bus. Now onto accommodation, I chose a lovely Sensatori resort in Sa Coma, Mallorca as I know that Sensatori’s have great reviews and wonderful service from previous experiences as well as them being all inclusive so avoiding any solo money stresses. Since I was nervous about being alone I upgraded to a swim up pool which meant in reality I barely had to leave my room but I made sure I did to get the full solo experience! Although there were majority couples around the pool since it was an adults only hotel, it’s not to say that people weren’t on their own too. One partner might go to the gym or one may go to the bar so there is no reason to feel nervous or embarrassed while sunbathing or paddling in the pool/sea alone as most people are at some point too. I recommend having things with you to keep you entertained during the day, for me that was headphones, a book and some colouring. It made the days fly by and made me completely forget I was alone. I think the main thing I was, and probably most people would be, nervous about was the eating alone, 3 meals a day sat alone sounded very daunting to me so I made sure the moment I got to the hotel I walked around, found my bearings and all the surrounding restaurant options so I knew where I’d be going for my first meal. Luckily I arrived around lunch time so I jumped straight in the deep end and went for lunch. I was quick to notice that all of the staff are very friendly and comforting when you’re alone, and all recognised me everyday and checked I was comfortable so I never really felt alone! I only really used the buffet restaurant as then you can be in there for as little or as long as you like and it’s also a great time to chat to people while you’re up choosing food or finding a seat. By the second day, eating dinner alone felt normal and it was especially nice to see so many others doing it too, even if it was mostly men clearly fed up of waiting for their partners! As long as you look confident, eventually you’ll feel confident, fake it till you make it and I promise that people around you will be more impressed about you being alone than anything else! My dinner date… I personally decided not to leave the hotel this time as I felt like I’d dived out of my comfort zone already and will leave the outside exploring for next time, but just from exploring the resort I felt empowered so exploring around the town must be exhilarating and something that I can’t wait to try out and share with you all. But if you’re like me and avoiding doing one thing then definitely set yourself a goal to challenge yourself even more. I was dreading the evenings and didn’t want to go and see the evening entertainment or bars alone but my goal for the end of the holiday was to go to the entertainment which luckily for me on the last night was musical themed, so I braved it and went to watch the show on the last evening! It wasn’t awful but also wasn’t my favourite part of the trip since there were a lot of families and couples everywhere, and less people alone but it was empowering for sure and made me feel proud for doing it! Last but not least, it’s probably something you’ll hear loads if you’re travelling alone and you’ll get bored of it very quickly (I did!) but it’s so true… talk to people!! It will honestly grow your confidence so much in such a small space of time if you just talk to the people around you at the pool or at dinner. It’s good way to break up the day and you never know what new friends you can make. I cannot wait to book my next solo holiday and explore more of the world alone, I hope I’ve inspired you to do the same! All Posts Travel Tips