5 Tips for Solo Travelers for Plan a Solo Vacation Day

March 1 is Plan a Solo Vacation Day. Lots of websites offer advice on how to stay safe as a solo traveler (like here and here). However, on a practical day-to-day basis, traveling alone has its own set of problems, from loneliness to boredom. Here are five tips for Plan a Solo Vacation Day to help you enjoy a solo trip wherever you are headed!

1. Bring a Book

Bringing a book while traveling is a great idea in general. As a solo traveler, though, a book can be a great friend. Eating our while traveling alone can be lonely, but a good book makes it something to look forward to. And if you're looking to make friends while traveling, a book can be a great ice breaker.

(Might we suggest any of the 101 Travel Bits books if you need reading material? Now available: The Alaska Highway, The Florida Keys & Overseas Highway, and Key West.)

2. Remember to Enjoy the Great Things About Solo Travel

It can be easy to dwell on the negative aspects of traveling alone. However, if you're feeling down, remember all the positives of solo travel. For example, you get to make all the decisions about where to visit. If you don't like to visit old churches, you never have to visit one. Likewise, if you want to visit every brewery in a town, no one is going to suggest you do otherwise.

3. Join a Group Excursion

When you're traveling alone, sometimes the last thing you want to do is go out with a group. Sometimes it seems like everyone else has friends or a significant other. But it's also a great way to find and meet people who share your interests. And if you don't meet anyone, you likely learned something and had a great experience anyway!

4. Pull Out a Deck of Cards

A deck of cards is a cheap and easy way to make friends. Break out a deck of cards and start playing a game of solitaire, and it's only a matter of time before someone comes over to offer unsolicited advice. Ask them if they want to join you in another game, and you'll find yourself with some new friends. (and you won't have to listen to unsolicited solitaire advice).

5. Have a Good Time

Travel is supposed to be about seeing the world and having a good time. No matter how you're traveling - with a group, with your significant other, or alone - it's important to step back and realize you're out there experiencing life instead of sitting on your couch at home and just watching it on TV. So above all, enjoy yourself!