Solo Travel Survive & Thrive Tips April 2018

Published: Sun, 04/01/18

TIP OF THE MONTH

Check-in Time Hours Away?

How to Ditch Those Annoying Bags

Have a few hours to wait to check in to your accommodation? A few hours before your flight home? For less than the cost of a Starbucks latte, a surprising variety of businesses — delis, dry cleaners, mobile phone stores — will look after your bags so you can sightsee hands-free.

From The New York Times, here’s how it works, along with some websites and apps to help you find a place to leave your bags.

GREAT TRAVEL LINKS

Tools for Sleeping Well While Traveling More and more apps are promising to help you catch some shut eye on the road. And while sleeping away from home can be challenging, when it comes to managing jet lag, things get even trickier. A handful of new apps purport to help by adjusting your circadian rhythms. Stephanie Rosenbloom lays out some of the best new options for helping travelers to sleep and fight jet lag.

22 Ambassadors Recommend the One Book to Read Before Visiting Their Country Language learning app Babbel asked foreign ambassadors to the U.S. to pick the book they believe first-time visitors to their country should read before they arrive. Their answers may surprise you. From Conde Nast Traveler, here are book suggestions for 22 countries around the world.

Surviving 15 Hour Flights in Economy There is no magic pill for enjoying a long-haul flight in economy, especially when you’re on one of the longest flights in the world. Your sleep will be restless. Your muscles will ache. Your skin will be dried out. But Hitha on the Go aims to teach you how to survive it. Here are her top tips for surviving long flights in economy.

The most clicked-on link last month:

New Google Tips and Tools for Travelers Flight delay predictions, mobile trip-planning, automatic itinerary management, language translation through Bluetooth earbuds, and a smartphone that enables users to learn about landmarks by tapping an icon and aiming the phone at them: These are among the travel innovations Google has been introducing in recent days and weeks. Stephanie Rosenbloom describes the new tools available from Google and how they work.

Looking for tours, cruises, and other travel products - without a huge single supplement?

The Solo Travel Deals Page Don't forget to check out our Solo Travel Deals page before planning your solo trip. You may just find exactly what you need there at a great price.

Seeking solo traveler-recommended accommodation around the world?

The Solo Traveler Accommodation Guide We've added new listings to the ever-popular Solo Traveler Accommodation Guide. Containing recommendations for hotels, hostels, B&Bs, and inns around the world - all vetted by solo travelers - the Guide helps you find, review, and book a room all in one place.

Nominations Are Open for the 2018

Solo Travel Awards!

Sponsored by World Nomads

Designed to recognize travel companies that serve solo travelers well and encourage others to follow suit, awards will be presented in the following categories: tours, specialty tours, vacation packages, river cruises, ocean cruises, and solo-only companies. Companies are invited to nominate themselves.

New this year: the World Nomads Solo Travelers Choice Award, where travelers will have a chance to vote for their favorites.

Get your nomination in before the April 16th early-bird deadline!

Get all the details here.

World Nomads is a fast-growing online travel company that provides inspiration, advice, safety tips and specialized travel insurance for independent, volunteer and student travelers traveling and studying most anywhere in the world.

To learn why we think travel insurance is vital, what to look for in a policy, and why we recommend World Nomads, click here.

The Solo Traveler Advisory of Deals

Arriving in your inbox one week from today!

THE PICS OF THE WEEK

Pics of the Week are contributed by members of the Solo Travel Society on Facebook. We love to publish travel photos submitted by readers. Join our community of more than 225,000 travelers from around the world: simply "like" our Facebook page and you're in! Upload photos any time, along with a caption telling us a bit about what is in the picture. Click on last month's photos below to get the full effect and see where they were taken.

TOP POSTS ON SOLO TRAVELER

Here are the top 5 articles published on Solo Traveler in March.

Alone at an All-Inclusive: 10 Tips for Going to a Resort Solo

All-inclusive resorts are for solo travelers too! Use these tips to get the most of your resort vacation alone whether you want a bit of R&R or a lot of fun!

Before You Pack Your Bag: Trip Planning for Solo Travel Safety

From managing your money and documents to buying travel insurance, this post covers all the basics you want to consider to be safe as you travel solo.

Why Do We Travel to Sad Places?

Why do we visit sad places when we travel? To remember? To honor? To celebrate? I believe it’s for all these reasons plus one more.

Solo Hiking: Top Tips for Walking Holidays

Hiking solo is peaceful, relaxing and rejuvenating. Here are my tips on gear, training for your hike, hiking safety and some fabulous hiking destinations.

Tips for Respecting Local Cultures

Respecting local cultures, customs, and laws is fundamental to personal safety when traveling. Here are 8 tips to help you be respectful even if you don’t know the nuances of the country’s customs.

DESTINATIONS

In February, we featured destinations in Cape Verde, Japan, and Spain. Have you traveled solo to a destination that you loved and would recommend to fellow travelers? Consider submitting your story and photos via our easy online form.

Solo Travel Destination: Sal Island, Cape Verde

Looking for sun, relaxation, and adventure after an illness, this Solo Travel Society found all that and more on Sal Island in Cape Verde.

Japan Solo: Trip Planning Resources, Itinerary and Budget

Solo in Japan. Yes, that’s where I’m going and I’m excited. Here’s my trip planning process including my favorite resources, itinerary and budget.

Solo Travel Destination: Torrox, Spain

Planning a trip to Spain? Here is a short but sweet recommendation for Torrox as a solo travel destination, courtesy of a Solo Travel Society member.

PUBLIC WIFI: MAKE IT SAFE!

We use StrongVPN when going on public WiFi to do anything financial both while traveling and at home.

Booking a hotel room? Turn it on!

Signing up for a tour? Turn it on!

Checking your bank balance? Turn it on!

Hotel Wi-Fi, coffee shop Wi-Fi, airport Wi-Fi - these are all public and without a VPN you can have your identity stolen and your accounts hacked. StrongVPN also allows you to watch Netflix when you're out of the country and get around Wi-Fi firewalls in countries that have them.

Read: VPN for Travel: What, Why and an Easy Setup Guide

EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS

Booking a hotel, B&B or hostel? Going shopping on Amazon? You can support Solo Traveler by clicking through to Booking.com or any links in our Accommodation Guide or Gear & Books page. It doesn't matter what you buy or how small it is, it all helps. Many thanks!