Planning Your First Solo Trip Abroad: How I Did It & What I’d Do Differently -

If you’re planning your first solo trip abroad, here’s the first thing I want you to know: You can plan everything in advance, and your trip still isn’t going to turn out exactly the way you’d expect. And that’s okay.

In fact, it’s probably why you’re interested in solo traveling–for the adventure, the self-discovery, and exploring places you would never have expected.

Part of any trip is being comfortable with the unknown. And honestly, it’s not something you’re going to get comfortable with until you experience it. Probably multiple times.

That said, there’s still a fair bit of planning that goes into any big trip, and if you’re like me, you’ll want to prepare as much as possible for your first big solo trip abroad.

So without further ado, here’s what I did for my first solo trip…with the added benefit of some lessons learned in hindsight.

Choosing a Destination

The first step in planning any trip? Deciding where you want to go.

My first solo foreign travel was technically my study abroad trips during university, but this post-graduation trip was my first real, on-my-own, no support systems travel experience. No hand-holding. No one else financing the trip. No college credit on the line.

So the question of where I wanted to spend my time and money was actually a pretty big one.

There are a few factors to consider when making this assessment:

Where are you interested in going? What places have activities you love, food you want to try, and culture you want to know more about?
Where are plane tickets relatively affordable? This might put you on a certain continent or region of the world.
What weather am I looking for? When am I trying to go?
What safety factors am I willing to deal with?

For me, it came down to a few considerations: One, I had never been to the tropics and wanted to visit. Two, I wanted somewhere that spoke English or Spanish, since I’d be able to get around in those languages. Three, I wanted a country that was generally considered safe for solo female travelers. And four, somewhere affordable (although I was willing to pay a bit more for comfort and safety.)

I literally just started googling places in Central America to see what the options were. I looked up plane tickets and searched weather patterns in October, which was the month I could go.

It turns out that plane tickets to Costa Rica are pretty cheap in October, because the weather in the most touristy parts of the country isn’t ideal at that time. But on the Caribbean side of the country, it’s actually the dry season. It’s also cheaper over there, and there are still tons of things to do.

Since it was my first time planning a trip, I hesitated quite a bit before I put any money down. But eventually I just said, ah, screw it, and booked my plane tickets.

Planning A Solo Trip (And What I Didn’t Plan)

I’m a huge proponent of “planned spontaneity”. It’s what I call having lots of plans and options for anything you could do, without pigeonholing yourself into any one thing. Essentially it gives you the option to adjust your schedule for whatever the best, most fun thing is.

But…I’m extremely Type A, too, so I need a decent amount of scaffolding around my schedule. Big ticket items and any absolute must-dos are planned in advance.

On any given trip, here are the absolute non-negotiables I know before I go:

Plane tickets. Since I fly to and from a home base, I know my departing and returning location and will get the best prices by buying a roundtrip ticket a few months in advance. Generally 3-6 months is the sweet spot.
Accommodations, at least for the first week or so. I do prefer to have this planned out. It’s just such a relief to know where you’re going to be sleeping each night. Plus, in popular areas, many places get booked out well in advance, so I like to lock down my Airbnbs/hotels early.
Which days are in-country travel days. Yes, sometimes you’ll need to go in person once you’re there to buy a bus ticket. Sometimes train reservations don’t open until a month or two before the date. But at least if you know which days you will be traveling, you won’t overbook yourself.
Must-do activities. Museums, tours, concerts or other events may require tickets in advance. Or maybe not…but if they aren’t on your itinerary, it can be easy to overlook them.

Things I don’t plan on solo trips:

Super specific, daily itineraries. Part of this is just because I tend to spend enough time in a place that I don’t feel rushed. Instead, I keep a list of activities I want to do and restaurants I want to try, and every day I’m there I try to check one or two things off the list.

It’s worth it to do your research, though! Many museums, botanical gardens, etc. have free days during the month or week. If you’re in a place long enough, you might be there for one of those days. Pencil it in on your calendar and enjoy your savings.

Packing For A Solo Trip Abroad

Now, a packing list is super specific to where you’re going and what you’re doing. So I’m not going to give you a checklist, but I will give you some general packing advice.

If you’re anything like me, you might have booked the absolute cheapest plane ticket, which comes with only carry-on luggage.

Spoiler: It’s more than possible to pack for weeks (and even months) at a time with just your overhead luggage and a backpack. Trust me, I’ve done it often.

The packing tips that work for me:

Bring more underwear than you think. If you’re doing laundry minimally, it’s worth having at least some fresh undies.
Only bring clothes you already wear at home. If you didn’t wear it there, you’re not going to wear it on vacation, I promise.
Bring clothes that do double duty. Yoga pants can be pajamas. Sports bras become swim tops. A scarf dresses up an outfit but also keeps you warm.
Quick-dry everything. Avoid cotton if you can. Clothes that veer more toward outdoor gear are a good bet.
Bring a reusable bag. You know one of those little ones that packs down really small? I use mine for groceries, carrying souvenirs when shopping, and holding my toiletries in the bathroom.

I firmly stand by these rules of thumb, but don’t forget to look up packing lists specific to where you’re going. You might need to bring a power adapter, medications you can’t find in country, or things like sunscreen that will likely be less expensive at home.

Actually Taking Your Trip!

So traveling can be scary. Full stop.

I don’t think I’ve ever felt more nauseous than before boarding the plane to Costa Rica. I had jittery, jet-lagged, and overwhelmed nerves. Yes, I was excited, but it was also a very definite feeling of, what the heck have I gotten myself into?

And that’s normal. Traveling isn’t supposed to be easy; it takes you out of your comfort zone.

Solo traveling especially can be very lonely. If you’re in a country where you don’t speak the language (or not well), and you’re pretty introverted, you might not find the need to talk to a whole bunch of people until all of a sudden you realize you’re craving a conversation.

I speak from experience, because I spent an entire month by myself on the beach in a small town in Costa Rica for my first solo trip. I was calling my closest friends and family almost every day to chat for a few hours, hanging in my cabana hammock.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed myself. I ate the best banana chocolate muffins of my life. Had delicious seafood. Drank spectacular coffee. Woke up to howler monkeys at 5 am. Fell asleep to the crashing of ocean waves across the street. Rode horses on the beach. Learned how to do a headstand.

The point is, your trip is going to be both better and worse than anything you imagined. You will enjoy some parts in the moment. You will enjoy some parts or find them funny only afterward, when you’re retelling the story.

Here’s what you should do to capture and remember your first solo trip:

Take photos. You may be by yourself, but take photos of scenery, food, and what you’re doing. Or maybe be brave and ask someone to take your picture for you.
Consider journaling. I admit I didn’t, but wish I did. A few notes, or maybe a voice memo, can teach you a lot about yourself. It’s a great way to reflect back on your experiences once you’re back home.

Either way, remember traveling isn’t a perfect experience and it’s not always as glamorous as social media makes it out to be.

But you took all the steps to make it happen. You planned, and you executed. And that alone is worth it.

What I’d Do Differently Traveling Solo

Oh man, I would do so many things differently than how I did them on that first solo trip.

First of all, I don’t think I need a month alone in one small-town location. Even as a highly introverted person, that’s a one-and-done for me.

Second of all, I don’t love the tropics a whole lot, and wouldn’t choose to spend so much time at the beach. I’m a mountain girl through-and-through; give me snow and rocks any day.

Third of all, I realized I could have (and should have) spent a little more money to have experiences I would have enjoyed. I’ve always been a big saver and have struggled to spend money on myself, but realizing how little I spent in Costa Rica was actually a wake-up call for how I organize my trips now.

But truthfully, I would never have known how lonely I could be or how much I missed the mountains if I hadn’t experienced those things in Costa Rica. And I wouldn’t have believed you if you had tried to tell me beforehand. So while I’ve made adjustments going forward, I’m still glad I was able to learn those things for myself.

But I also did a lot of things right:

I planned well, stuck to a budget, and found the perfect and cutest little cabin on the beach, just like I wanted.
I wanted to experience a new part of the world, and I did.
I wanted to prove I could travel by myself, and I showed that I absolutely could.

Ultimately, you only get one first solo trip. It’s not going to be perfect, but you’ll learn a lot. And the good news? It can only get better from there.