First 24 Hours in a New Destination as a Solo Traveler
You've arrived somewhere new - now what?
We’ve all done it - taken a journey, be it by foot or by plane, and arrived in a new place.
Maybe you have been planning to go there for a while, or perhaps just pointed yourself in a direction and ended up in a new city or small town.
I’ve done both in my travels. There are times when I have been traveling that every mode of transport was pre-booked. A list of accommodations day by day and a notebook full of new sights to explore. My own package break, ready to go.
Alternatively, there are times when I have risen in the morning and have no idea where I will be staying that evening.
Whichever style of travel you prefer, there is a minimum sensible amount of planning needed to avoid sleeping rough - unless that’s your thing!
Where to Stay Tonight
We all need our sleep, much as we would love to spend 24 hours each day exploring the world.
Whichever way I travel, highly planned or on a whim, I usually have somewhere booked for the night. That said, it is not always the case. Over the years I have done several unplanned road trips in the United States, where I have made up the journey each day and the only thing booked, was the plane journey back home two weeks later. I would head for a town on the map, drive up to a safe-looking motel with no reservation, and check right in - just like they do in the movies.
Let’s imagine you prefer to have at least something planned.
The myriad of booking apps makes finding a place to stay a lot easier than it was a couple of decades ago. You can find the right style of accommodation and check availability, without the need to call anyone and ask. This can be handy if you are abroad and do not speak the local language.
The place is booked and you are on the way.
A Bed for the Night
Two important considerations here. The first, knowing where you are staying, and the second, is how to find it. The two go hand in hand.
Whether you have a detailed itinerary or booked the place online that morning, have it written down on a physical piece of paper. A small notebook is all you need. Keeping everything on your phone is, of course, perfect until the battery runs down, you leave it on the bus, or someone steals it from your pocket. I do both.
Store and write down the name, address, email, and phone number of the hostel, hotel, or rented mansion. It is useful to also record how much you agreed to pay assuming you have not pre-paid. This can save an argument at the reception desk.
Also, note down any directions on paper, although, like me, you will probably just use the map apps on your phone.
You’ve arrived, are all checked in, and your bag unpacked. The rest of the day, or the following day, is in front of you.
Pick up a couple of business cards from the hotel and pop one in your pocket and another in your bag as a reminder of where you left your bed for the night. They are also useful to show to a taxi driver, especially in a country where you do not speak the language.
Heading Out
Can you walk everywhere you need? If so, you may well be able to pick up a map from your hotel to give you a good overview of local highlights. Mark the hotel location with a cross to help you find your way back.
On any bus journey, note down the bus number and for the train, which station name you need for your return journey.
It may be that you’ll need to take a taxi or bus into town. Asking the hotel reception desk for the best and safest route can help you here. A good question to ask, is which areas to avoid, especially at night.
My father tells a story of staying in Miami Florida and had journeyed out by taxi. He wasn’t too far from the hotel, perhaps a mile across a bridge, so decided to walk back later that evening. He arrived at the hotel door and the doorman said, “Sorry sir, I didn’t hear your taxi arrive”. As my father had walked, he said just that. The doorman looked at him in abject horror, saying “You walked? And you are still alive?”
Places to Go - People to See
Of course, what you do now depends on your personal interests.
You could be heading for the noisiest nightclub and the action, or to the quietest of museums where you are the only visitor that day. I avoid the nightlife, but I have been told I was the only visitor that day to a museum.
Where to see in a city, town, or out in the wilderness is worth at least some pre-planning. It would be embarrassing to visit Paris, and see the Eiffel Tower but have no knowledge of Versailles Palace, the most visited palace in France.
Your phone can be your guide here, with most cities and towns of any size having an app with details of what to see and hopefully up-to-date opening times. As an alternative, look for leaflets/flyer holders and pick up some paper versions.
If your inward journey is by plane, bus, or train, take some time to research ahead to make sure you don’t miss that all-important palace.
Eating Out
Again, this depends on your personal tastes.
A five-course meal at a Michelin-star restaurant in Singapore, one of the world’s most expensive cities, could be your style. Alternatively, a snack from a convenient corner shop can satisfy the smallest of budgets.
What I like to do in a new country, is to find a place where the locals eat. Those places may be set a street or two behind the main strip but can provide a much more satisfying meal and add some colour to your visit.
In Asia, street food is the way to go, so do check our article on street food and how to enjoy it.
Make Memories
The phone in your pocket can be a blessing or a curse.
As a blessing, the word is at your fingertips for information and of course, the camera is there to record your memories.
The curse and I have seen this so often, is people walking around a city, starting at their phones and not at the city itself. They do not remember any of it. And that is rather sad.
And Next
The city is done. The museums visited. Food and drink consumed.
It is time to move on to the next adventure.
Safe travels!