My Guide to Solo Traveling

One of the best parts of the study abroad experience is the opportunity to travel to some of the most beautiful places in the world. Often times, this will be in groups. This definitely can add to the experience when you attend large events like Oktoberfest in Germany or a music festival in Amsterdam. However, I would like to focus on the unique solo travelling experience today. I believe it is a great way to force yourself to embrace the culture head-on and to meet people you would otherwise not have met. You learn a lot about yourself by pushing outside your comfort zone. Here are some tips:

1. In Europe, the drinking age for most countries is 18. My favorite place to meet people in a casual, low-pressure setting is a bar or a pub. Whenever I travel to a new country, I google something along the lines of, “Best bars for expats or people who speak English.” This is a great way to converse with people from the area if you do not speak the native language. This worked wonders for me in Paris because I do not speak French.
2. Find the things you are passionate about. If you really are passionate about it, you will really soak it all in when you are on your own. For instance, in London, I went to the Queen’s Theatre to watch Les Miserables live. It has been my dream to see this play live so I had an absolute blast.
3. Reach out to friends you have that live in the area. This is always a great opportunity to reconnect with old friends. In the featured picture, I just happened to be in London at the same time as my friend from back home so we caught up.

Featured Photo Credit: https://www.roughguides.com/article/10-things-everyone-learns-travelling-solo/