So Many Places: Where Should I Start?
Figuring out where to go for your first solo travel experience might be one of the hardest decisions to make. There are about 190+ recognized countries in the world.
With that many countries to look into, it can get overwhelming to choose the right place.
A good way to start your search is to look at which major continent you’d like to learn more about instead of just individual countries.
Major Continents Largest To Smallest:
- Asia
- Africa
- North America
- South America
- Antarctica
- Europe
- Australia
Once you’ve decided which major continent you’re willing to travel to, then it’ll be easier to do research on different countries.
After you pick the country, you can look into which cities you might enjoy the most and continue that process until you’ve found a place you might be interested in.
That being said, I won’t really recommend any specific places just because my experiences may be completely different than yours.
This post was written specifically to help people with their decision-making process by offering ideas they might consider when deciding where to travel.
Solo Travel Based On Experience
I think one of the best ways to decide is to look at your own experience and choose somewhere that’s similar to where you were born or raised.
Now I know that doesn’t sound as exciting, but sometimes it’s a good idea to get a little more experience traveling on your own before going all out.
Of course, you can also look at your own experience and choose where to go by picking out a place that’s the complete opposite of where you’re from.
The only negative about this is that you may end up struggling more due to a lack of experience.
A person who’s a little more experienced with solo travel would have a better sense of what it’s like to travel on their own.
Even if that person has never been to another country, they would still have that experience of relying only on themselves while traveling.
Learn a New Language?
Another thing to consider when deciding where to travel for the first time is your willingness to learn another language (this is especially true for solo travelers).
If you’re not willing to learn a new language or if you want to ease your way into solo travel,.
It might be best to travel to a country where the majority of the people speak the same language as yourself.
In this case, any English-speaking country or country where the majority of the population speaks or understands English.
It would be a good choice for a first-time solo traveler coming from that background.
Go With the Flow? Popular Destinations
You can also base your decision on the popularity of a specific place. This would probably be the easiest way to decide where to travel first.
The thing about traveling to a popular destination is that most people who do this base their decisions solely on popularity alone.
There’s nothing wrong with that way of thinking. It’s just that if you go to a specific place based only on popularity, just know that other people’s experiences could be completely different than yours.
That being said, if it’s your first time traveling on your own, popular destinations are a good way to get experience traveling solo for the first time.
Even if you decide to travel to a place that’s popular with tourists, Just try not to base your choice solely on popularity.
Finding your own way and making your own decisions are all part of the solo travel experience.
Hobbies and Interests?
Another reason people decide to travel is for certain hobbies or interests. A lot of people like traveling to experience the natural habitat of other places.
Hiking is probably one of the most common hobbies or activities for a lot of solo travelers.
Or maybe you’re more into nightlife. You love the party scene and want to go to the hottest party venues to live it up.
Others might travel just to experience different cuisines from other cultures.
Regardless of what you’re into, a good way to decide where to travel is to look into the things you like to do.
There might be a specific place that has a community of people who might be into the same things.
There might even be events or meet-ups that other people host specifically for the type of interests that you might be interested in.
Traveling for Culture or History
Some people like traveling just to experience the culture or history of a specific place.
If you’ve ever been a bit curious about another culture, that’s reason enough to travel somewhere you might find interesting.
Maybe you’re into history and want to experience a historical site firsthand. A lot of people also travel to learn more about their heritage.
Learning how people from your cultural background live could be a great way to gain perspective on your own life.
Comparing your life or upbringing with that of another person from your own heritage who lives in another country can be an eye-opening experience for some people.
What Else to Consider for Solo Travel Experience?
Some people may not even have a real reason as to why they want to travel. Other people might feel the need to travel just for the experience of travel itself.
If you feel the same way, sometimes it’s best to just pick a place for a simple reason.
Not everything has to be planned (of course, I do recommend doing some type of preparation), but if you have a strong urge to just go and experience something different,.
Then traveling to any place interesting would suit your needs. Even if it ends up being less than ideal, you’ll still gain experience and knowledge that you never had before.
For more on solo travel, check out the main page at Traks&Paks.
