Everything You Need to Know to Prepare for Your First Long-Term Solo Trip
They say your 30s are some of the most transformative and enjoyable years of your life. As I approach my 30th birthday, I’ve spent quite a lot of time reflecting on what I want from life and what truly matters to me.
I’ve always dreamt of a long-term travel trip — I’d spend hours on TikTok wishing I was in places like Switzerland or Spain, but it never felt like something I could actually do. It wasn’t until I had a conversation with my friend Tricia about this “idea” of mine. She’s been traveling Asia for the past few months and has been such an inspiration. Having that conversation with her gave me the confidence to make this dream a reality.
I started by moving out of my New York City apartment, where I’d lived for four years, followed by quitting my job — both bittersweet moments. Although unconventional and scary, I had faith in my decisions and knew deep down it was the right thing to do. But a piece of advice: don’t try to manage a move while also planning a two-month solo trip!
Now, here I am, writing this post from my first destination: Lisbon, Portugal! Over the next two months, I’ll be exploring nine countries across Europe. It honestly feels like a dream, and I’m so excited about the experiences ahead.
That said, I’ve learned a ton while planning my solo trip, so I’ve pulled together this guide with all the steps you should consider when planning your own trip.
CHECK PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS
One of the first and most important steps when planning an international trip (especially if it’s a long-term one) is to ensure your passport is valid and meets the entry requirements for each country you’ll be traveling to. Some countries require that your passport be valid for at least six months from your travel date otherwise, you could be denied entry.
If you’re based in the US, I recommend visiting travel.state.gov to research the specific entry requirements for each country. If you need to renew your passport, I’d look into renewing online. The process was super easy — I just filled out the paperwork, took my own picture, submitted it through the platform and I had my new passport in just three weeks. You can find more information about that process HERE.
Depending on your destination, it’s also important to check how long you can stay without a visa. For example, as a non-EU citizen, you can stay in the Schengen Zone (which includes 29 countries across Europe) for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
BUILD A REALISTIC BUDGET
Your budget is one of the most important factors when deciding how long you can travel for. For me, I started by identifying a base budget I felt comfortable with, and from there, I mapped out how many destinations I could afford, the accommodations I could stay in, and so on. A helpful tip: I used ChatGPT to help me map out my travel route and estimate the budget I would need. Of course, you should still do your own research outside of ChatGPT, but I found it really helpful as a starting point.
Once I felt comfortable with my budget, that’s when I started booking. My #1 piece of advice is to book directly through the accommodation or transportation platforms. For example, if you’re booking a train from Prague to Poland, use the train’s official website rather than a third-party site like RailEurope. Not only do they charge a processing fee, but RailEurope quoted me $120 for a train ticket, whereas I paid less than $30 for the same ticket on the direct website.
When budgeting, I recommend breaking it down into different categories such as accommodations, transportation (flights, trains, buses), phone plan, travel insurance, food, activities, and other expenses (incidentals, ubers, laundry, etc). This makes it easier to track what you’ve spent before leaving and understand how much you have left for the duration of your trip. I’d also recommend opening a travel credit card with no foreign transaction fees. I use the Chase Sapphire Preferred, which allows you to earn points and offers travel insurance perks.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT ACCOMMODATION
It’s important to understand what kind of experience you want to have on your trip. Do you want a more relaxing atmosphere or a more social, party vibe? Are you looking for an all-girls dorm, or are you okay with a mixed dorm setting? Personally, I knew going into this that a girls-only dorm that balanced relaxation and socializing was essential for me, so I prioritized that when choosing my accommodations. I recommend checking reviews on sites like HostelWorld and TripAdvisor, but always book directly through the accommodation’s websites.
If you’re traveling long-term, I suggest doing a mix of hostels, Airbnbs, and hotels. Sometimes, it’s just nice to have your own space to decompress for a few days.
Here are a few other things to consider when choosing a place to stay:
- Are there any activities at the hostel? Some of the hostels I booked offer family dinners which is a great way to meet other solo travelers.
- Does the hostel offer laundry services? This is especially important if you’re traveling long-term.
- Is breakfast included? Some hostels offer breakfast as part of the price or for a small fee. It’s usually nothing fancy, but hey, free coffee is free coffee!
PRE-BOOK YOUR TRAVEL PLANS
The most challenging part of this experience was mapping out all of my accommodations and travel plans before leaving. I did this because I didn’t want to end up in a situation where there were no rooms available and I’d have to stay somewhere I wasn’t comfortable. As a solo female traveler, I also wanted to prioritize taking trains during the day rather than late-night ones which was just a matter of preference. While it does take a lot of planning, the peace of mind that comes from having everything booked in advance is totally worth it.
Some people shy away from pre-booking because it can take the spontaneity out of travel. But here’s the thing: you can always book “flexible” rates for hostels and trains, which allows you to change your plans if needed. Ultimately, it’s all personal preference.
One more helpful travel trip: Make sure to set your Uber app to “no specific currency.” Otherwise, it might charge you in USD instead of Euros, which can make your ride more expensive. You can also download the Bolt app, which is commonly used in Europe.
don't skip travel insurance
This is something you don’t typically think about when planning a long-term trip or at least I didn’t. After doing more research, I realized how important it is to have travel insurance. There are a lot of options available, depending on what type of traveler you are (i.e. adventure, budget, etc). I recommend researching each option and reading as many reviews as you can but also taking those reviews with a grain of salt.
The three providers I specifically looked into were WorldNomad, Allianz, and TravelGuard. I ended up choosing TravelGuard because they had a straightforward website that offered an “adventure traveler” add-on for $18. This covered activities like skydiving, paragliding, hiking and more.
PACKING ESSENTIALS
This turned out to be a whole project in itself! There were so many items I hadn’t realized I’d needed before doing the research. Here’s a few items I’ve found to be super helpful:
- Beis Expandable Backpack: This backpack is SO spacious, even when it’s not expanded. And if you’ve ever traveled across Europe, you know how tricky baggage guidelines can be on budget airlines. I’ve used this backpack on EasyJet and Iberia Airlines so far without any issues, but I encourage you to double-check the sizing requirements for your specific airline.
- AirTags: I’ve never been one to travel with AirTags, but for this long-term trip, I purchased a pack of four to put in my backpack, wallet, suitcase, and kept an extra. These have been incredibly helpful, especially since I’ve been checking my bag on flights.
- Travel Adapter: Make sure that you bring a travel adapter so you can charge your phone, use hot tools, etc. I purchased one that works in the EU, UK and USA/AUS.
- Hostel Essentials: Don’t forget to bring a lock, shower shoes, a sleep mask, and earplugs. You never know who you’ll be sharing a room with. I’ve had girls coming home from a night out at 4AM or waking the whole room up at 6:30AM to repack their bags, so my sleep mask and earplugs have been lifesavers.
You can find all travel essentials in my Amazon storefront linked HERE.
And a quick reminder to try not to stress yourself out when packing. If you forget something, you can likely purchase it once you get to your destination!
SHARING YOUR ITINERARY & BRINGING CASH
Before you leave for your trip, I’d recommend sharing your itinerary with someone you’re close to. I shared my itinerary with my parents and not only is it helpful for them but I often refer back to it in case I need a reminder on where I’m supposed to be. I also shared my location with my family just in case.
Make sure you bring some cash with you. I typically try to convert around $250 – $300 USD (currency will be dependent on where you go). Some places you won’t use cash at all, while in others, you might use it more frequently. For example, in London, I didn’t use any of my Pounds but in Portugal I used more cash than I had anticipated. Some hostels will also require you to pay the city tax in cash upon arrival, so it’s important to have some on hand to avoid seeking out an ATM.
