Amsterdam and Bruges: Solo Travel 101 (and a Giveaway)
This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to Terri for winning - I can’t wait to help you plan the perfect solo trip.
So rarely in life are trips almost perfect - flights get cancelled, hotels aren’t as advertised, meals disappoint, crowds overwhelm. So it’s understandable that I approached a recent solo trip to Europe with some trepidation. For one, it had been a while since I had used a passport. For another, this time I was going alone. And it’s not like the restart of travel has been particularly smooth - I’ve heard/read so many horror stories about travel in 2022. Despite some nervousness, I was also really excited. After two years of limited travel, I was looking forward to a trip full of all the things I loved, planned just for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love traveling with my family, but there is something uniquely special about taking a trip alone. For me, this is especially true as a mom. An entire week of true relaxation, not having to make decisions for anyone else, an entire bed to myself - it was all luxuriously wonderful.
Zero regrets about a lazy breakfast in bed
To kick off the series of posts on my almost perfect April trip to The Netherlands and Belgium, I want to do something a bit different. I’m going to share some of my best tips for solo travel and I’m going to do a giveaway! First, the fun part. I genuinely believe that everyone should take at least one solo trip. Even if it sounds like the least fun thing you can imagine, at least give it a shot. To help you do that, I’m giving away my travel planning services to help you plan your own solo trip. Whether it’s one night away or a longer getaway, I’ll work within your time, budget, and preferences to help you plan the perfect solo adventure. To enter to win, just comment on this post with your dream destination for a solo trip. The deadline to enter is 11:59 pm PST on Sunday October 16. I’ll select a random winner and announce it on this post.
In the meantime, I’m going to share some pointers if you are thinking about traveling solo. To be clear, I am not a hostel staying, solo backpacker, so these tips might not be entirely relevant if that’s your style. These are most applicable for the luxury-travel-on-a-budget type, like me.
Do What You Want. This may seem obvious, but it can be more difficult than it sounds to really know what you want to do. We can so often plan trips focused on everyone else’s preferences (and don’t even get me started on accommodating nap time…), that it can take a bit of effort to discern how you would like to spend your time on a solo trip. This starts with choosing a destination. For me, the ideal location has a mix of history, great food, and walkability. A dash of nature is an added benefit. For my most recent solo trip, the cities of Amsterdam and Bruges were perfect. After you decide where to go, then it’s all about filling in the details - where do you want to stay? what do you want to do? It can be overwhelming, so really stay focused on adding the things that are most enjoyable to you, regardless of any ideas you have about what you “should” do. For me, on this trip, I wanted to see the tulips, I wanted to eat some delicious meals, I wanted to indulge in some serious relaxation, I wanted to immerse myself in history, and I wanted to meander through city streets. So that’s what I did. There is no right way to travel solo - do what brings you joy.
Safety First. Unfortunately, this always has to be a consideration. Thankfully, there are just a few simple things that make any trip more safe: keeping someone informed of your whereabouts, not being entirely forthcoming about your solo status, and using all the same strategies you use at home. Someone I trust always knows where I am and strangers do not; in other words, I don’t advertise a current location until I’m no longer there. I don’t post on social media until I’ve finished a tour or activity or let anyone I might be chatting with know where I’m staying or that I’m traveling alone (the whole - “I’m meeting up with friends/my husband/whoever” lie does get deployed from time to time). For the most recent trip, Brandon had my full itinerary and always got a text when I left my hotel and when I got back, even if the time difference made it weird timing for him. Another important thing is to always be aware of your surroundings and don’t put yourself in unnecessarily vulnerable positions. Sadly, I don’t think I need to add a lot of details, especially for women travelers, because all of the same things we do at home to stay safe are the same things to do on the road. I’ll end this by saying - don’t let this stop you. The overwhelming majority of people I’ve encountered while traveling are lovely, there have been very, very few times I’ve felt unsafe. Learn to trust your instincts and use common sense.
Travel in Style (and Comfort). The logistics of solo travel can be stressful. If something goes wrong, it’s all on you to figure out plan b, plan c, plan d… There is no one to consult when directions are confusing or when the directions are fine, but your skills are the problem. I minimize the stress of that as much as possible by prioritizing travel arrangements to maximize comfort and convenience. When you’re traveling alone, things like business class tickets may be more of an option because you’re purchasing them for only one person. Paying a bit more for assigned seating or for special access to an attraction may be more within reach. All of these things can help simplify travel. On this particular trip, I used airline miles to book business class tickets for the return flights, I booked first class train tickets, and I maximized points and credit card perks in order to stay in luxury hotels in great locations. Moreover, even when I chose not to splurge, I did all the things to be more comfortable. For example, on my economy flight to Europe I brought all the usual stuff, plus some new additions - compression socks, a hydration multiplier, melatonin, moisturizer, nasal spray - so that I could enjoy the flight and arrive as rested as possible. Even if the extra money/points/miles are not there to literally upgrade your experience, when traveling alone, put extra effort into making each part of your day as comfortable as possible.
Stay Connected. This means both with those back home and with new friends. Even for an introvert like me, solo travel can get lonely. Make a plan for connecting with your loved ones back home (as if I could go much more than 24 hours without talking to Harrison anyway) and take advantage of the built in camaraderie of travel to get to know fellow travelers. I love booking small group day tours as a way to both explore and to have a chance to meet others. While in Amsterdam, a conversation over lunch with a woman I met on my day long tulip tour led to me connecting her with one of my best friends and my favorite artist, Shannon Watson, for a commissioned painting from her travels. Even when the goal is some alone time, meeting new friends and sharing your adventures with with those at home makes a trip that much better.
Do Some Prep Work. I mean, if you know me, you know I do allll the prep work before a trip. In fact, I have dedicated file folders where I organize all of my travel documents and plans. My tendency to over plan goes into overdrive when I’m traveling alone. Some specific things I do that are especially helpful: download offline maps so you can navigate without cell service if needed, research and book any tours or restaurant reservations that are a priority, memorize a few phrases in the local language and have a translation app for backup, become familiar with basic local etiquette (including tipping), and, as an added bonus, check to see if there are any local events or festivals that you would like to attend. My other favorite kind of prep work - read a historical novel or two for some context.
Splurge a Little. I touched on this a little bit above when I discussed travel arrangements, but if you’re ever going to add a little luxury to a trip, a solo trip is ideal. You don’t have to worry about someone else’s schedule when you book that spa appointment. The cost of a fancy dinner is more attainable when it’s a table for one. A splurge or two can help you relax from the stress of travel and can make the challenges of traveling alone so worthwhile. For example, while in Amsterdam, I treated myself to a post-flight spa day at the Waldorf Astoria (highly recommend). This is your trip - enjoy it!
Start Small. It can be really intimidating to think about taking your first solo trip. Sure, I was lucky enough to enjoy a week in Europe this spring, but that wasn’t the first time I’ve traveled alone. In fact, I’ve slowly worked up to that over the course of years, starting with solo day trips when I lived in Houston. Of course, there was the time I moved across the country by myself, but it wasn’t until after I moved to Oregon (8 years ago!) that I took what I consider to be my first solo overnight trip (if you don’t count conferences). From there, I took a couple of long flights alone to meet friends in other countries before taking my first truly solo international trip to Iceland where I joined a small group tour. This trip to Europe, as amazing as it was, was literally years in the making. Each time I’ve traveled alone, I’ve gained a few more skills and a little more confidence, but it certainly didn’t happen overnight.
Trust Yourself. I’ll end with this. If you take a solo vacation, you will have a lot of time with yourself - to think, to do, to experience. We (again, especially as women) are so often disconnected from ourselves - our own desires and needs and preferences. Having uninterrupted alone time feels strange. But through it you can learn so much about yourself. You can learn to trust that your body knows when you need food and rest. You can learn to trust when your mind tells you to take a risk or when to play it safe. I think this is the real gift of solo travel, however long or however far away - getting to know and learning to trust yourself. Honestly, it’s a little bit magical.
And today, I’d like to help make that magic a reality for someone. So, if you’d like to start planning your own solo trip, share where you would like to go in the comments before 11:59 pm PST on Sunday October 16. I’ll select a random winner and help you plan your own almost perfect solo journey. Up next will be more about my solo adventures, including my exact itinerary.