Picking a Place to Go as a Solo Traveller

The world is at your fingertips, but how should you choose?

How to Choose Where to Visit as a Solo Traveller

METHOD 1

Open an atlas at the map of the world. Close your eyes. Stick in a pin.

If the pin misses the ocean and hits a country - just go.

METHOD 2

Do a bit more planning than method 1.

We are fairly sure, that 99.9% of solo travellers prefer not to choose method one, but for a hardy 0.1%, they do just that. For the sake of everyone’s sanity, we are going to go with method two.

The United Nations lists 195 member countries, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. There are some travellers who have managed to visit all 195.

While 195 seems a large number, it is easy to add extra territories to the list. For instance, the Cook Islands in the Pacific are independent but are a protectorate of New Zealand, which represents the Cooks at the U.N. Depending on your definition of a country, the list can be pushed to around 300.

Some countries are more accessible than others, not to mention safer. A solo visit to Afghanistan or North Korea may be on a few bucket lists while remaining unlikely destinations. Tourism on the island of South Georgia in the Antarctic is minimal but safe, spectacular and not impossible.

Here are some thoughts on how to choose your ideal destination.

We Wouldn’t Start from Here

Let’s say that you live in Scotland and have a hankering to visit Tokyo. Starting from home in Glasgow and making your way to Japan, is a significant distance.

There again if you are Japanese and based in Osaka, Tokyo may not be appealing, when walking in the Scottish Highlands has always been a dream.

Wherever you are, you have your starting point, which is going to be different from anyone else.

The secret is to start.

Staying in Your Home Country

Some countries are larger than others, making it quite possible to undertake a long trip while not troubling your passport. If you even have a passport.

Some years ago, I visited Ohio in the USA on a driving trip and drove into neighbouring Indiana, pulling into a small motel at the edge of a fairly small town called Columbus. As a British traveller, fairly rare in Columbus apparently, the motel receptionist asked what I was doing in her small town.

After answering that question and saying my final destination was Atlanta Georgia in two weeks’ time, the young receptionist, probably in her late twenties, admitted she had never travelled outside her own state. The state border was less than 25 miles (40 km) away. Her only vacations had been less than 15 miles (24 km) from home.

Other Americans I have met have been quite happy to travel across the U.S. for their holidays, travelling thousands of miles for a couple of weeks, again, not troubling a passport.

It is quite possible to solo travel in your own country, as there will always be plenty to see, with many miles or kilometres covered.

Then again, if you live on the island of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, it takes less than an hour to drive right around the island, so any solo travel will involve a flight or two.

Visiting a Single Country or Region

Which county has called to you the most over the years?

Do you have a hankering for Singapore? Perhaps a visit to the Amazon in Brazil is top of your list. New Zealand could be good at this time of year.

Time to do some specific research. How easy are flights to your chosen country? What is the best time of year to visit? Remember, if you are crossing the Equator, summer becomes winter and winter becomes summer, depending on when and where you start.

Read up and use your favourite search engine to gather some facts together. Look for a great place to stay and for things to do which pique your interest.

And with all other travel decisions, book it and go!

Travel to a Place Where You Can Follow Your Passion

If you are into history, Rome or Athens can be great cities to visit.

Exotic food and great cuisine can take you anywhere, with Paris being high on the list. Hunt down the restaurants of the world where there is a Michelin chef and indulge in some exquisite, if expensive, dining.

Alternatively, a visit to Asia to sample the wonders of street food.

The Road Less Traveled

Trekking across the plains of Africa in a country whose name you are uncertain how to spell can be an allure for some. This one is not for me.

Mysterious placenames such as Shangri-La, Timbuktu, or the island of Ofu in American Samoa are not spots where you will find many tourists but offer very different experiences.

Ofu is somewhere I have been and there is so little to do there, you can’t help but relax and take in one of the most spectacular and secret beaches in the world.

You’ll need to do more research on out-of-the-way spots, which can give great rewards.

The World is Your Oyster

Whether your choice is to spend your holiday vacation 15 miles from home, like the motel receptionist, or collect your baggage directly from the hold of the tiny plane taking you to Ofu, choosing where to visit can be almost as much fun as being there.

There again, perhaps the pin in the map method is your choice.

However you decide on a destination, all you need to do is go.

Safe travels!