By: Hannah Kazemi, Staff Writer
The first time I travelled alone was in August 2021, when I flew to Montreal and spent a week exploring the city. It was one of the most liberating weeks of my life, and lit a fire in me to do it again. I’ve gone on a few more solo trips to Europe since then, and learned some valuable lessons along the way. I’m very privileged to have had the means to travel. If you can’t afford to travel right now, you can still experience a solo adventure in your own city. Here are some things to keep in mind.
Being your own entertainment
I had never gone out for a meal alone before, but travelling solo requires it. Walking up to a restaurant and asking for a table for one is intimidating. It can feel lonely to not have someone to talk to. The same goes for sightseeing and being a tourist. If you Google, “what to do in Montreal,” I did all of it. It can be difficult to keep yourself busy if you’ve done everything you wanted for the day, but still have a bit of sunlight left. There are a lot of hours in a day, and when you’re travelling solo, it can feel like a lot of alone time. Sitting in a plaza eating ice cream by myself while watching people around me became my favourite thing to do.
Making friends while travelling solo
I’m naturally a social and extroverted person, so being alone forced me to embrace the silence a little bit more. It was uncomfortable at first, and I almost felt embarrassed doing things alone in public. While I learned to enjoy my own company, I also talked to strangers. It’s not too hard to find other solo travellers and do stuff with them. I had dinner with a tourist from Germany and drank at the hostel bar with travellers from Japan, India, Australia, and England. I walked up Mont Royal then ate poutine at Montreal’s most famous poutine place with someone from Mexico. I made an effort to socialize back at the hostel when I could and ended up making friends. All I had to do was start talking! It was so cool to experience a new place with people who are also experiencing it for the first time.
Planning and budgeting
When booking a trip, keep track of everything. I make a note of exactly how many nights I’m going to be in each city and set a budget for each day. I also list the sites I want to see and things I want to do. Keeping track of this helps me visualize how much free time I’ll have. The costs of travelling add up so quickly it’s hard to keep track; you have to take so many things into account, especially when you’re travelling alone and don’t have someone else to split costs with. What I lack in dollars by the end of a trip, I make up for in extraordinary experiences and memories that will be with me forever. Be strategic and spend your money on what matters most for you; I tend to splurge on a flight with a better layover, or accommodation in a safer neighbourhood and save where I can on meals or transportation costs.
Safety
Travelling solo, especially as a woman, made me nervous. I stayed in a hostel in Montreal, but booked a private room instead of a shared dorm because it was my first time going away by myself. I feel comfortable staying in a shared dorm now, but at that time I didn’t know what to expect and also wanted privacy. Hostels are excellent options, especially considering cost and the social aspect of them, but you have to do ample research and read reviews. Also, don’t engage with people who try to hand you flowers or bracelets or other knick-knack souvenirs when you’re in plazas or major tourist attractions — they’re usually trying to get you to pay for it. Don’t hang around metro stations late at night. Make sure your room locks. Bring a padlock with you always, especially if staying in a hostel — you’ll likely need it.
After my trip to Montreal, I felt so confident in my ability to be alone and exist as an independent adult. Choosing how I spent my time felt so freeing, and my anxiety talking to strangers has decreased significantly. I’m more outgoing and willing to do things that make me nervous. I now embrace that nervous-excited feeling of arriving in a new place and itching to explore it.
