Me in the Galapagos Islands. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com
The thought of going to dinner or to a movie alone is being the pale for many people. So, suggesting that they go traveling alone is practically unimaginable. But, for people with intense wanderlust, they are no longer letting it stop them. While some people fear they may be lonely or lack the confidence to explore alone during their career break travel, long-term travelers develop several ways of traveling to thrive on the road.
Tips for Traveling Alone Without Feeling Lonely During Your Career Break
- Get to know other travelers at your hostel. Hostels are great for meeting people. For the most part, all you have to do is go camp out and before you know it, you’ll be talking to other guests.
- Use technology to stay connected with the folks back home. You’ve got great stories to tell from the road and people back home want to hear from you. So, whether you use Facebook, simple email, a blog or skype, you have lots of ways to stay in touch.
- Get an unlocked cell phone. If you plan to use a cell phone on your trip, you need to get an unlocked phone so you can use local SIM cards.
- Start in a country that speaks your language before moving on to a country with a foreign language. To minimize culture shock when career breakers first start traveling, I’ve known several people who decided to start in countries that speak their native tongue.
- Travel with a small group tour operator like Gap Adventures. Traveling in a small group gives you instant, like-minded travel companions. On my trip to India with Gap Adventures, there were only 12 of us. It was just the right size to meet people from many different places.
My B-Side Solo Travel Tips for Your Career Break Travel
I’m only going to leave you with one tip. And, yes, it is really this simple.
- The only question you need to know at the hostel: What do you recommend seeing around here? Travelers love to talk about their travels. And, everyone has an opinion about ¨the best thing to do.¨ So break the ice with that question and let the conversation flow.
Check out the other topics covered in the Gap Adventures Career Break Video Series
- Introduction
- Packing Tips for a Career Break
- Money Tips for Your Career Break
- Security 101 While Traveling
- Discovering A Country Through Its Food
- How to Get Around Like a Local While Traveling
- Why Consider a Small Group Tour Operator on Your Career Break
- Cooking Class in India: Learn Something New on Your Career Break
- Solo Travel: How to Travel Alone Without Feeling Lonely
- Getting to Know Our Tour Leader in India
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Disclosure: I am serving as the Gap Adventures media spokesman for career break travel. While this series is part of a broader campaign to raise awareness about career break travel, all opinions, tips and advice are mine.
Tags: career break advice, career break travel, Ditch the Cubicle
hey eat at the bar of a nice restaurant – they will often offer a full menu or make a n exception because you’re on your own and don’t want a table – you’ll also meet people that way and be able to actually carry on a conversation with your server as it’s generally the bar tender and he can chat more easily in his position than a waiter.
I find that I’m only alone in the US or abroad as long as I want to be. Last night I hit a taco joint I’d never been to and asked the three people ahead of me in line what I should order and how often they ate there. None of us knew each other when I walked in but we were pals by the time my order was bagged and i was heading out the door.
Thanks for the post Jeff! and @Maria for the extra tip. Good Advice!
@Jeff In all actuality, how safe is it for a woman to travel alone?
I see lots of women traveling alone. So, I would say very. Having said that, most of them have told me that they have to take a few extra precautions that men don’t think about. Janice from SoloTravelerBlog has a lot of tips on females traveling alone. Check her out. She has some great stuff.