HELPFUL TIPS FOR THE SOLO TRAVELER

Traveling alone??? Are you insane??

Is this what your parents reaction, when you announced you are ready travel by your self. You are a kid no matter how old you get, from your parents point of view. Also it is scary, daunting and all you got is your self to count on. But its fun! Its adventurous!!

Hope the tips and suggestions we discuss here will help you not only to encourage you but to actually start traveling by your self.

Be informed.  

Do research. As much as you can about the destination you gonna go. Unlike those days, internet brings all the information we need to our finger tips. Study the maps, read the fellow travelers feedback and find the best and the safest way to reach your city.

Some have even have virtual tours and google street views will also help you to be familiar with the new place.

Pre booked Plan your trip well in advance. Book your hotel at the same time you booked your flights. If you go unprepared, then you may have to waste your time looking for a place to stay. Therefore save time by booking in advance and arranging all you need with the hotel/hostel/guest house. For an example, see whether the they can pick you from the airport, and take you on tours or even restaurant reservations.

If you like to rent out a vehicle or even a motor bicycle, you can request them to reserve it for you. This will save you more time, money and the hassle to look around for these after reaching there.

Pack Less. Pack only you need NOT want. After doing the research you have an idea of the culture, climate, and even the activities you gonna do so plan your attire accordingly. So you know what type of clothes you need and what you gonna wear. Pack vert light weight clothes cause only you are there to carry. But pack an extra pari of shoes. Pack disposable items and request your accommodation provider to arrange other things if you cannot carry all the things you need.

Be a Local. Try your level best to blend in rather than standing out like a foreigner. This is where your research helps you. You know the taste, color  and the types of clothing people where. Its not necessary to wear just like a local but no harm in adopting few of their styles.

You will be surprised how much it will help you if you at least can speak few sentences in the local language. So learn few catchy and  commonly used phrase you may need.

How to Greet, Ask for direction, Thank You, How much it is.

Smiley Face Do not be paranoid and think everyone is there to take advantage of you. Try to smile with the locals and communicate with them. Make friends with them so you will not have any problems of getting information and help when you need. Trust your instincts and know whom to trust and when to draw the line.

Do not be Scared. It is intimidating to go to a place where you have not gone before and explore by your self. Do not let that cloud you. Think of doing what you want at any time you want. You do not have to check with someone else. No need to change your plans or do an activity you have already done for the sake of your travel partner.

Do not be afraid to move out of your comfort zone and meet new people. Discover new things you like.

Keep them informed. Share your travel plan, hotel names, contact numbers, itinerary with your friends and family. If there is a change in any of these, keep them informed. Make sure to communicate with them at least once a day. Thanks to wifi and social media you can post your activities so they all know whats happening with your holiday.

Give your best and do not hold back. Be adventures and tick your bucket list before coming back home. Don't forget to make arrangements for your airport parking. Pre book your airport parking with Merry Parking.

RANDOM TRAVEL TIPS

Traveling to another country will give you the opportunity to learn different cultures, belief, traditions and many more. But how exactly you gonna behave or say the right thing when you are in a complete  a different environment? This could be exhausting, if you are not fully prepared.

Crash cause on local language. You do not have to be an expert on the language if you do not have time to master the language but make an effort  learn very common but useful phrases. Such as ” Thank you”, ” Please”, ” I am sorry”, ” How much” Also if you are a vegiterranean, or do not eat certain meat items, its better to know the words of these in local language so you know you can ask them and avoid eating what you do not want to eat.

Ready to try new food. Most of us are looking forward to try the local cuisine and try to find places where they serve teh authentic local food. Do not try to pack your favorite food or snacks to take on your trip. You can come back and eat all that later and you may like it more, as you didn’t get to eat while traveling. This way you meet local people and a chat over a meal is an ideal way to break the ice and get to know the locals

Have copies of all the important documents. Don’t wait till you go the new country to make the copies. Have copies of the passport, visa, hotel accommodation, air tickets and any other document you needed. if possible have two copies and keep in two different bags. Its also recommendable to have soft copies of these documents where you can access easily.

Don’t be predictable  – Nothing wrong with having a plan and a travel itinerary. It gives you a guide and pointed out the most important and must see places in the new destination. But it will be fun to act on impulse and do some spontaneous things in the new place.  There could be an event which you were not aware by the time you plan your trip so do not try to stick to the itinerary and miss out interesting events, places. But be cautious, check for more details before attending.

Bring Extra Cash. Bring some extra money so there won’t be any regrets. You may see a souvenir or wanna take part in an event which was not planed. Even you will never know when an emergency occur so its always better to be prepared. But don’t put all the eggs in a one basket. stack the cash in two places so you know you always have extra cash in case you lost or needed.

Remember to Bring a wrap/sarong at All Times. Either to protect you from sun or cold have this ready in your back pack. In some countries you are required to cover your self when you enter religious places. This will come  in handy to cover your self up if you are wearing shorts or sleeveless tops. If not be ready to spend money on burrowing or buying.

Don’t forget to Click. These days there is no need to pack a camera unless you are on photographic tour. Your smart phone and the selfie stick is all you need. But make sure you bring an extra battery which is charged cause you may run out of it pretty soon. Also bring the back up. So every day you can take a back up of the photos and keep the phone memory empty for the next day.

Airport Parking – Drive your self to the airport on your own vehicle. Why spend more money on taxi when you can easily pre book your airport parking at Southend with Merry Parking !! Compare the airport parking and book your car park. Get amazing discounts by signing to our newsletter.