Travelling New York Solo: My Top Tips
Thinking of travelling to New York solo? I've rounded up all of my top tips after spending one month in the Big Apple!
Spending one month in New York solo has always been the BIGGEST dream of mine, I spent some time with Kat, Ben and my bestie but the rest of the time I spent exploring on my own which I loved! I adore travelling solo and the freedom that comes with it!
After spending a month in NYC solo I thought I'd round up some tips in case you were thinking of heading out to New York on a solo adventure!
I put out a story on my Instagram to see what you'd like me to cover, I've answered as much as I can, as best I can! Let's go!...
1.) Confidence
The first thing I was asked about is confidence. The confidence to book a solo trip and the confidence to actually go and DO it.
I'm quite an introvert and always need time by myself to recharge and reset, so for me, travelling solo is like a dream come true haha!
BUT, the first trip is always the hardest right? I took my first ever solo trip to Paris for a 2 night stay around 5 years ago and haven't looked back since.
I don't ever really know what prompted me to take my first solo trip, I just had an urge to do it and wanted some quality time alone so I booked it quite last minute and headed to Paris!
I didn't book or plan anything other than my hotel & Eurostar, I didn't want to have plans - I loved the thought of just wandering around and doing whatever the hell I wanted.
That being said I *did have a slight wobble / what-the-hell-am-I-doing moment on the train when I was like "Oh my GOD what am I going to do when I get there", but the feeling went as fast as it came.
I spent the days wandering around the shops with a coffee, checking out museums and reading my book in cute cafes along the Seine with a glass of wine.
The trip was BLISSFUL and completely opened my eyes to solo travel - I adore it so much!
If you're thinking of booking a trip but feel like you don't have the confidence to book it, my advice is just BOOK IT. Sounds silly doesn't it? But honestly just book it, you'll feel a little (*Cough big) buzz of excitement in the pit of your stomach, then it's time to get ready for your trip! The rest will honestly just fall into place, let yourself get excited and have the time of your LIFE!
2.) EATING OUT
Another thing I was asked a lot, was about how I felt eating out alone, which I guess kind of rolls on nicely from the first point talking about confidence!
It's one of those situations where you think 'everyone is looking' at me, but if you're honest with yourself, you're not paying any attention to what anyone else is doing when you go out for brunch/ dinner / drinks - you're just enjoying your evening, and well it's exactly the same when you're on your own!
You might think that everyone is wondering why you're dining solo, but trust me when I say they're NOT!
I love eating out on my own, it's nice to have a meal by yourself that you can enjoy! If you're worried about feeling lonely then I'd recommend taking a book, a bullet journal or a notepad that you can write / doodle in!
The worst thing is to go for lunch on your own and just sit on your phone the whole time, if you're going to dine solo then appreciate your company and value the experience of eating solo!
3.) Safety
The last topic I've received so many questions about is safety! A lot of people asked how I felt staying in Brooklyn, but honestly to me, Williamsburg felt WAY safer than some parts of Manhattan at times!
My top tips on staying safe would be to always have your wits about you - you can never be too cautious. If something doesn't feel right, then it probably isn't, we have a gut instinct for a reason!
Tell people where you are! I sent Ben an email / text with all of my hotels / Airbnb addresses and what dates I'd be where, so he always knew where I was staying.
Use apps to help you feel safe! I used Google Maps and the subway app to help me navigate myself around the city, I'd always try to memorise the route or look at my phone in a shop / a busy place - I didn't ever want to be wandering around on my phone as it makes you a target (this goes for anywhere in the world!).
Lastly, just don't do anything stupid! A few times I had a lovely evening out and went for a few drinks but I never wandered aimlessly around when it was late / dark on my own.
Those are my top 3 tips for travelling solo, from safety to enjoying your own company and taking the plunge to book the trip! I hope this post encourages you to book your first solo trip! Did you find this post helpful? Is there anything else about solo travel you'd like to know?