Going on an adventure alone or traveling solo can be a therapy in itself to help relieve everyday fatigue. Solo traveling also gives you a sense of freedom. You can explore various places, eat whatever you want to try, to explore certain cultures that interest you.

However, traveling solo means that you will go anywhere alone, do everything alone, and have no friends to discuss with. You will determine all decisions regarding your activities while traveling.

That’s why, so you don’t easily get lost or choose something wrong, it will be much easier if you use applications and gadgets while traveling.

Apss for Your Solo Trip Easier

There are many things that are sometimes difficult for you to do alone. For that, there are several applications that could be the best choice to perfect your search. Starting from finding the right transportation, a comfortable place to stay, to a tour of the destination you want.

Some of these applications can help you to overcome it all easily.

1. Citymapper Transit Navigation

The first challenge you face when traveling solo in a foreign country or city is determining a travel route. You need navigation to determine where you are going, like this Citymapper Transit Navigation application.

This integrated Uber application can make it easier for you to map in unfamiliar areas, by providing real-time public transportation departure systems, line status, transit maps, and real-time trip interruption warnings. The coverage is quite wide, including major cities in Asia, Australia, Europe and the United States.

2. Peek Tours and Activities

Peek Tours and Activities can be used to find interesting activities and tourist spots in your location.

The “handpicked activities” feature in the application has a function to help you filter your choices until you find entertainment that suits your interests and pocket conditions. Then there are the “Off the beaten path” and “Walking tours” features which can provide an exciting travel experience discovering cities in a unique way.

Peek Tours and Activities can be used in 17 major regions of the United States, Cancun, Paris and London.

3. Google Maps

Who doesn’t know Google Maps? This is one of the most popular directions app around the world.

Google Maps cannot only show routes and addresses, but can also be used to find cool places that you can explore more broadly later. For those of you who don’t bring a private vehicle, Google Maps also has a feature that can guide you in using public transportation.

Google Maps is also able to show which roads are jammed and which are not. Shown with a red indicator on the road flow, indicating that the road is congested and will take longer.

4. Airbnb

Airbnb is an application that travelers can use to find accommodation around the world with the right budget. This application will connect solo travelers with lodging providers around the world.

Not only staying overnight, if you are willing, you will also be invited to tour your destination by the host. So stay overnight but have a personal guide, suitable for those of you who do solo traveling who are looking for friends on the way.

Apart from being a visitor, you can also become a host on Airbnb. Using an empty house to get income is a brilliant idea.

Apps for Solo Travelers to Find New Friends

There are various apps available that can help you if you want to travel to a new place. If you like traveling solo, you can also find people with the same interests to share tips and tricks.

The applications that have been developed have various functions. But its main use is to form a circle of friends among travel enthusiasts.

1. Solo Traveler

The first application that is included in the recommendation is the Solo Traveler application. This is the best application that can be used by people who like to travel alone.

By using the Solo Traveler application, you can find new friends who are both on vacation alone, and can also plan your trip perfectly.

You can also get and share information about the cost of tours, transformations, lodging and more. With this app, you can find travel companions that are tailored to your age, place of residence, and interests.

2. Couchsurfing

This traveling application is one of the most famous and most used by solo travelers around the world. The Couchsurfing application allows you to form a community that can later provide a place to live or join in at the place of fellow members.

If you stay at the homes of fellow community members, the costs you incur are less than living alone. You can register as a member by including information about yourself and where you live.

The main requirement to be registered as a member is that you are willing to be a host, that is, someone who wants to give other members a place to stay.

3. Withlocal

Withlocal can help you when you visit a new place, because this application will show you various activities and exciting vacation locations. You can also communicate with local residents so you can find cool tourist spots that not many people know about.

This application is suitable for use when you are traveling to Europe and Asia. You will find a guide through this application who can accompany you during the trip. When using this application, you can also chat with the prospective guide you choose.

In addition, you can list if there are specific things you want to try. This is perfect for those of you who don’t want to miss a hidden gem in a new location!

4. Meetup

Meetup is the right application for those of you who want to meet people with the same hobbies to travel together. As a solo traveler, Meetup will help you connect with the community that holds certain events. The event can also be held online, so you can save it and view the event again later.

This application allows you to participate in forming Meetup groups according to your interests and hobbies, then you can share photos between your groups.

Gadgets for Solo Travelers

We live in a world where technology is very sophisticated, so inevitably we will keep up with the times, one of which is the use of gadgets. Apart from daily needs, gadgets can also be used for certain purposes, such as traveling needs.

If you are a solo traveler, it’s mandatory to bring some gadgets that will be useful for traveling and capturing your vacation moments.

1. Smartphone

Smartphone are mandatory items for everyone, including solo travelers. There are many uses that can come from one practical object, such as installing applications that are useful for traveling, capturing moments, listening to music, and watching videos.

It’s good, you choose a sophisticated smartphone that allows you to do many things. Make sure your smartphone’s memory storage still has plenty of space to install applications and capture photos and videos.

2. Camera

If you like capturing things while traveling, a camera is an important item to carry. This will make it easier for you to capture moments, capture beautiful places, and anything else you don’t want to forget.

3. Earphones / Headsets

This is necessary if you like walking while listening to music. You will feel calm from the music you hear while traveling alone so you can avoid the hustle and bustle around you.

4. Power Banks

You definitely don’t want to run out of battery in the middle of a trip, so a power bank is the solution. Power banks are useful for charging your cellphone battery if it runs out of power in unexpected places, because not all places provide access to charging.

Always remind yourself to fully charge your cellphone and power bank at night, so that the next day, you’re ready to take them without worrying about running out of battery.

5. SteriPen: Drinking Water Purifier

When visiting countries where the water supply may be less than ideal, you can take your SteriPen with you. This portable water purifier uses UV light to turn tap water into safe drinking water, and it’s small enough to fit in your pocket.

6. Mini iron

Even though the clothes are neatly arranged in the suitcase, sometimes you will find some clothes that look shabby when traveling. To work around this, this mini iron can help you.

7. GoTenna

This is a gadget that answers your safety issues when you are in a foreign area and there is no internet connection there. The appearance of GoTenna was inspired by the concept of aid when disasters often hit America.

This gadget, which is made of durable material, serves to maintain an Android or IOS device connection even when there is no cellular network around us.

8. Smart Bag

The smart bag is a waterproof bag so that the items in the bag won’t get wet if it rains. This bag can also be used to charge cellphones, power banks, laptops and so on. So, this bag will really help you during the trip.

Conclusion

At least, install some applications and bring some gadgets that we think are very crucial on the way later. Never do solo traveling without the proper preparation and gadgets.

Solo traveling is an activity that very many people do to take time for themselves when they are starting to get tired with their work. It is undeniable that our brains definitely need something fresh, fresh air, and our eyes also need rest.

You can take advantage of long weekends and holidays to travel out of town, even abroad. Unfortunately, not everyone can make a good schedule or plan for traveling. The thing that often arises and becomes a problem is the budget. Basically, the budget is really needed no matter how small the nominal.

However, as a wise person, you must also be able to manage finances for traveling so that big losses do not occur later.

Budgeting for Solo Travelers

Even though your travel destination is close, budget planning for solo travel is still necessary. Especially if the tourist spots are far away, you have to plan a more mature vacation budget.

Planning a travel budget alone requires precision and proper research because you will do everything yourself. Don’t let it be in the middle of a vacation, you run out of money because your spending money is out of control due to careless budgeting.

Before planning your own travel budget, it’s a good idea to see how to prepare money for a trip.

1. Looking for a Side Job

If you want to travel during the long weekend next month, it’s a good idea to find a side job this month. A side job will help you more financially so you don’t lose too much later.

2. Saving Routine

There’s nothing wrong with setting aside money from your salary for vacation needs. You can set aside 10% or more of your salary every month for savings so you can plan a fun trip.

You can allocate your salary or money from a side job for shopping at tourist attractions and so on so that these vacation activities won’t leave your pockets dry when you return from vacation.

How to Plan and Pay for a Solo Trip

It can be said that everyone must have a different method for budgeting a trip alone, depending on whether they are someone who prefers to save money or prefers to buy anything on vacation.

In general, there are some tips that you can do for budgeting a trip alone. This will come in handy for anyone having a hard time managing a travel budget alone.

There are at least two ways you can plan and pay for a solo trip:

1. Decide where you are going and how you will do it.

The main thing when going on a solo trip is to determine the destination, whether it is far or near. Next, how are you going to take the trip, do you want to take a simple walk or want a luxurious vacation.

Because the difference in the choices of these two things determines the budget that you will spend. Of course, longer distances and luxury vacations will cost more.

2. Calculate the costs that you will incur.

After determining the place and style of solo trip that you want, then you have to plan a budget from the time you leave to return from the trip.

You can start calculating the costs that you will incur by doing research on the place you want, transportation and accommodation costs, what tourist attractions you want to visit, and what you want to buy.

Tips for Budgeting Solo Travelers

The right way to minimize your expenses is to calculate expenses from the largest and then reduce the budget to the smallest. You can throw away things that are unnecessary, such as lodging that is too luxurious or buying too many souvenirs.

Here are things you need to pay attention to when budgeting for solo travel.

1. Accommodation and transportation

At this stage, you can do research on what type of transportation is the cheapest but most comfortable for traveling alone, as well as accommodation that is safe for living alone.

• Transportation; For example, if you choose to use an airplane but the costs are expensive, you can consider using the train or bus if possible because the costs are cheaper. However, comfort is the main thing.
• Accommodation; Do research on the price of accommodation per night at your destination by searching it on the internet. You can choose several accommodations, then compare them in terms of prices and positive reviews from users.

2. Food

Setting up costs for food can vary greatly from one person to another. You only have to determine whether you want expensive food or simple food during a solo trip.

If you already know it, you can budget how much money you have to prepare to eat in a day. If it exceeds your budget, you can change your plan by choosing simpler foods at your next meal.

3. Tourist Ticket

At the beginning, we explained that it is important for you to determine what tourist attractions you want to visit. This is because you need to set the right budget so you don’t spend more on buying tickets to tourist attractions that aren’t on the list.

4. Budget for Walking-around

This budget is needed for other purposes while you are walking around town. For example, to buy snacks, drinks, transit fees, or others. It’s more like you’re setting up an emergency fund for small, unexpected needs while out for a walk.

5. Souvenirs

Souvenirs are something you can’t miss when you visit tourist attractions, whether just outside the city or abroad. This is useful for giving mementos that you have been to that place and also giving gifts for loved ones at home.

However, you need to calculate how much money you will spend on buying souvenirs so that it doesn’t disturb your budget for other, more important things.

6. Travel Insurance

Remember, we don’t know what awaits us in the future, especially if you are going to travel alone. Therefore you need to prepare money for travel insurance costs to protect you from bad things.

7. Expenses outside the budget

It is important for you to prepare more money among the budget lists that you have compiled. Because you are in a foreign place, it is not impossible that things will happen outside of your plans. Prepare at least 15% or 20% of the total budget.

It could be that later you are tempted to buy goods in a shop when you pass it while sightseeing, or suddenly you want to visit a tourist spot that you just found out about when you were there.

Travel Budget Breakdown

When you really want something during a solo trip, you don’t need to be too pressured to make a choice. Remember that you go alone, everything is in your hands no matter what decision it is.

You can just spend money according to the travel budget if you feel you have enough fun, satisfaction, the things you want, delicious food, and pleasant sights.

However, it’s also okay to break your travel budget plan if you feel that you can only do this once in a lifetime, and you don’t really think about how much it will cost you.

As long as you have enough money and don’t interfere with other important needs, try the things you really want when traveling alone. Whether it’s expensive food, five-star hotels, luxury entertainment, or buying lots of things you really want.

If you don’t have enough money, you can work around this by reducing your budget in several aspects, for example:

• Reduce transit costs and decide walking,
• Reduce visits to tourist attractions that are not very desirable,
• Choose a cheaper place to stay,
• Buy some souvenirs, or
• Don’t buy snacks at all.

All depends on your decision. However, it would be better if you think about a wise decision so you don’t have to regret it later.

Things You Should Pay Attention To In Budgeting Solo Travel

There are a two things that you should pay attention to when preparing a travel budget so you don’t regret it and still get happiness according to your main purpose for traveling.

1. Do not borrow money

Money from debt is someone else’s money that you have to return, including using a credit card. If you plan to travel, you should already have your own money savings.

2. Do not choose something very expensive

If you only have a small amount of funds, don’t choose something more expensive. If you can only prepare money to take economy class transportation, then don’t dare to choose business class.

Or for example, you can still choose food at roadside stalls as long as it’s hygienic, you don’t need to come to a fancy restaurant. So that your expenses will not overflow from the set budget.

Conclusion

Your purpose for traveling is to relieve stress, seek happiness, and experience, not to add burdens to your life when you return from vacation.

So, arrange your travel budget as best as possible with your own money so you can still have a peaceful vacation.