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Travelling alone can seem daunting from the comfort of home. What happens if you get stranded somewhere? Can you go out at night solo? Won t it feel weird to eat in a restaurant alone? All these worries and more (Will I get attacked by bandits? Or my car stuck in a ditch?) plagued me before my first solo trip – my first research trip for Rough Guides, in 2003. My fears quickly evaporated, and now solo travel is a huge bonus of my job. Here s how to make the most of your first solitary outing.

Know your strengths

Are you a sociable person who wants to be in the middle of everything? You might go crazy if you can t communicate, so head for where you speak the language. Or, barring that go somewhere with very few tourists. A gregarious friend of mine travelled in Indonesia last year and loved it – foreigners were so rare on Java that schoolgirls stopped him in the street to have their picture taken with him. I felt like a rock star”, he said. If you re more of an introvert and prefer to observe a culture, forget the language barrier and go for passive entertainment. Vibrant cities are perfect for this, especially ones with good café cultures. Paris is classic, but other former French colonies, such as Lebanon and Vietnam, are also great for sitting and people-watching, all for the price of a coffee.

Sleep around

Play the oddball card

Just say no

Pack a book

A good book, a magazine or even just postcards to write or your travel journal to jot in – are all legitimate activities at a bar or restaurant if you get to feeling a little bored/lonely/exposed, so carry one of them with you at all times. And as a last resort there’s always fiddling with your smartphone.

Take photos

Making photography a mission, even if it s just little odd details you notice about a place, gives a little structure to your day. And you will notice more odd details, because you ll have the time and attention to look around. Your friends at home will appreciate your perspective and the story that comes with it.

Eat big

You might be tempted to live on fast food, just to avoid awkward restaurant situations. Don t. In fact, fancy establishments are fantastic places to dine alone. Waiters are happy to help solo diners who smile and say, I made a special trip just to eat here. What do you recommend? Social folks might want to eat at the bar, but there s no shame in taking a table for two.

Get an early start

If the thought of bar-hopping alone makes you die a little inside, just recast your day. Wake up early, enjoy a leisurely breakfast (when all the good stuff is still available on the hotel buffet) and head out for parks, museums and other daytime-only activities. If you pack your day full enough, you ll be ready for bed by 9pm.

Find your people

Use Facebook and Twitter to ask for connections where you re travelling. Offer to take local friends of friends out for dinner, and you ll be surprised how many people take you up on it – everyone likes to be tour guide for a night. Also seek out your interests in your destination – the fan club for the local football team, say, or the chess association. That same gregarious friend who loved Indonesia also hooked up with an improv-comedy group in Kuala Lumpur. Hilarity ensued.

Revel in it

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