I’ve been travelling solo for the best part of five years now, and I absolutely adore it and would recommend everyone try it at least once. Of course, this doesn’t mean travelling into the far corners of the globe; starting locally in areas you’re familiar with also counts!

Solo travel is great, as you get to do things in your own time, and don’t need to rely on others to get through the day or take part in activities. As someone who prioritises extreme organisation and promptness, there is nothing I hate more than having to wait on others to get ready or to make up their minds as to what they want to do while abroad. Solo travel allows for the opportunity for growth; learning how to overcome challenging situations, fine-tuning your navigation skills, making friends and improving your social skills, and experiencing once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and sights. It’s invigorating, and most of all, fun!

There are some things, however, to consider. When alone in a foreign place, safety should always be your number one priority. If you’ve always thought about travelling alone but are a bit hesitant or anxious about going due to safety or general comfort I’ve got you covered! I’ve listed some essentials that I also personally own, that should cover everything from safety to random issues that may arise. I’m also an incredible over-packer, and usually use my carry-on luggage as storage for all of the below, alongside my camera equipment and laptop. Luckily, a lot of the below are quite small in size, so should fare well.

As a disclaimer, some of the below may carry some affiliate links.

1. A Filtered Water Bottle

This may not be an ‘essential’ to some, but for me, having a filtered water bottle is an absolute must – mostly because I cannot drink ‘raw’ tap water, and haven’t done so for a number of years due to tap water making me feel incredibly ill (I assume it’s to do with the amount of chlorine – which I’m allergic to – and other metals contained in tap). When travelling, it’s always advisable to drink bottled water where possible anyway, but in worst-case scenarios, it’s always handy to have one of these around to filter out the hardest metals. Also, you’re helping save the planet too.

2. O.R.S Hydration Tablets

I recommend this to those taking part in high/extreme activity travel, backpackers or those taking part in extended travel periods. Hydration is an absolute must especially when you’re outdoors, and the ORS tablets really came through for me whilst hiking in Japan a few years ago as well as during a Grecian heatwave in 2021!

3. A Bluetooth Tracker

Sure, Apple’s Airtags are a thing, but not everyone has Airtag money. Next best thing? The Tile Bluetooth tracker. They can be attached to your keys, can be put in your wallet/luggage or can be put in your bag. It’s super handy if you’re someone who is prone to losing things. It’s compatible with Android and i0S, as well as Alexa and Google Home. I have one attached to my keys and my main luggage, so I can always see where my luggage is at the airport, and if it’s safely made the journey with me to my destination. The product I linked above comes as a four-piece, however you can also buy it as just the key tag holder, or as a duo key tag tracker.

4. Portable Door Lock

Easily one of the most important products in my solo-travel kit, the portable door lock. This easy to use lock works on virtually every door, and is something I absolutely recommend to all solo travellers, especially female travellers who use Air B&B and Aparthotels. I also use these for hotels too, and it provides an extra layer of security when sleeping at night.

5. Travel Tripod with Remote

Listen, I know that for some, paying £25 for a camera tripod may be a little OTT, but I have this exact make and model and I cannot tell you how awesome it is! It folds down to be incredibly compact, fitting in handbags and the like, and also has LED lights on the side for that perfect selfie moment. This tripod does all the things, and is quite long when stretched out to full length. It goes everywhere with me.

6. Travel First Aid Kit

After I broke my ankle in Japan, I started including first-aid kits in my carry-on luggage. I’m also trained in first aid (I retrain every year) so I’ve been lucky in that I’ve been able to treat minor cuts, sprains, burns and injuries whilst abroad without having to waste time visiting the hospital or clinic. That being said, please always remember to buy travel insurance too. Better safe than sorry! I’m sure if I didn’t have travel insurance when I broke my ankle, I would have paid thousands!

7. Anker Portable Phone Charger

I mean, this is pretty self-explanatory! Anker is a well-renowned brand when it comes to portable chargers, and this slim-sized version takes up very little space in my handbag and pockets. I find that with this specific model, the charge-time is significantly less, which is great when you’re on the go.

8. A Key Ring Alarm

Again, another great find for solo female travellers. If you ever find yourself in a sticky or potentially dangerous situation, you can use this alarm to alert others that something is going down. So far, I’ve only ever used mine once, and that was during an unfortunate incident in Italy but that’s a story for another day!

9. July Carry All Weekender Bag

Oh I love this bag so much! It’s spenny at £195, but the quality is unmatched. I can fit all the above into this bag and somehow, it still remains pretty lightweight. The straps are comfortable around my shoulders, and you can also slip it over your suitcase handles for easy travel. You can monogram the bag with your initials too, and it has a 16″ laptop sleeve built inside the bag, as well as two front pockets to store passports, keys and such.

10. Travel Pack List

If you’re a frequent solo traveller, you may find this helpful! I started using these when I first started travelling, and found it incredibly useful, especially as I’m more of a fan of physically writing things down as opposed to digitally. It tells you absolutely everything you’d probably need to pack before going away. For the organised among us!

11. A Roomy Bum Bag

One of my absolute faves (and can be seen in one of my latest style reels). When I travel solo, I always prefer comfort and productivity over fashion. This bumbag is EXCELLENT. It fits around my size 24 body, and it can fit a surprising amount of gear, including a portable fan, perfume, my phone, lipstick, my keys, makeup brush, hand gel, hand cream and my passport.

12. Door Wedge Alarm

I love this alarm, but my is it LOUD. Which is great, tbh. Similar to the door lock, you wedge this under the door when you’re ready to go to sleep, and if someone tries to enter the room, it makes a blood-curdling WAIL of a sound. Whew! It’s super effective. A great buy!

13. Megababe Anti-Chafing Balm

I’ll be honest. I’ve tried a *lot* of anti-chafing balms when it comes to my thighs. A lot of them don’t work, bar this one. I love this. So much. Because it actually works, and doesn’t start to rub off after several hours. Big thighed girls unite!

14. A Portable Steamer

Because we need GOWNS for the evening honey! Haha I kid, but for those who are into their linens and woken fabrics, creases will not be your friend. I have this specific steamer and it’s tiny and effective. We love it!

15. Handheld Fan with Mist Spray

Buy it. Buy it before it sells out. BAYBEEEE? This fan was a Godsend during the mini-heatwave in Vienna last month. On the days where I wasn’t wearing makeup, the combination of the water mist and the fan had me feeling so cooled and refreshed during the day. If you’re travelling somewhere hot, you’ll definitely need this. An absolute GENIUS invention. I replaced the water in the water tank with my favourite face mist from The Body Shop and it was a gamechanger.

16. Cable Organiser Bag

I take a lot of technology with me when I travel, meaning I have cables coming out of my arse. Phone charger, laptop charger, handheld fan charger, multiple memory cards, portable phone charger cable, Nintendo Switch charger, memory card phone and laptop adapters, Selfie light charging cable lmao, all the things! I bought this bag a couple of years ago, and it’s done an amazing job of keeping everything neat and seperate, while remaining compact.

I hope this list helps you in some way! I can vouch for every product, and if you want more info on how any item works, please don’t hesitate to comment or message me on socials!