Intro
Are you going to make your first solo trip through Latin America? Maybe you start your travels with a Spanish course in Latin America. But how is it to be a solo traveler? We know that a big adventure or gap year in Latin America can be very exciting. But you will soon find out that you will develop and improve several skills while traveling. These skills you will carry with you for the rest of your lifetime and you will have a big advantage from it. But before that happens, you will discover your true self. In this article, you can read our golden practical tips that will help you to get through Latin America as a solo traveler!
1. Don’t feel lonely as a solo traveler
Yes, traveling is awesome and you will have the time of my life. But sometimes it can be challenging too and you might feel a little bit lonely. But just remember that you are never really lonely in the world. There is always someone in your situation who is dealing with the same challenge or even worse. Be thankful you have the opportunity to meet so many nice people on your backpacking trip. All sorts of friendships grow from there. It can also be hard to say constantly goodbye to those people during your travels. That is the worse part and not always you can’t get used to it. But try to deal with it because it is part of solo traveling. Trust us, in the end, you will be rewarded again with meeting other great travelers, new exciting experiences and visiting other gorgeous places.
2. Be open-minded
What’s so great about traveling is that every day is different. You have a lot of variety and you live a big adventure. While traveling alone in Latin America you also come into contact with a lot of people. You will meet a lot of locals and your experience will be enriched by them. If you are open-minded, you will find out that people try to start conversations with you even on the street. Latin people are very laid-back and they show interest in you. From them and lots of other people during your trip, you could learn a lot. As a solo traveler you will become more open-minded and you learn a lot from cultural experiences. Of course, you should not be naive but if you open up to new contacts and experiences. Then you will experience a very liberating feeling and it will automatically open your mind to new things. Traveling is a great learning experience!
3. Avoid making too many plans
It is very nice to have the first things arranged when you arrive in a new country and culture, like your Spanish language course in Latin America. But if you start as a solo traveler, you might make a lot of travel plans in the beginning. You will soon find out that it is not always necessary. You will experience many beautiful moments when you travel spontaneously and throw your plan out of the window! If you sometimes do something completely different it often results in something more beautiful! You will also find out that you easily make contact with other travelers and that you join together parts of each other travel plans. So your itinerary changes continuously. Don`t over plan and be flexible in your travels. The feeling of freedom is one of the things that makes traveling so beautiful.
4. Go local and take your time!
Travel and eat like the locals. Shop where the locals shop and take in local events. The best way to save money on your solo backpacking trip in Latin America is to become a local and take your time. We recommend to travel slowly and do it the way the locals do it. As a solo traveler, it’s always best to be well informed by your hostel, fellow travelers or the local people that you meet. They know exactly how to get from A to B. Or they can help you find the cheapest and most delicious restaurants etc. In Latin America, you can easily find places where many local people are eating at a market for example. And usually, you can easily buy a ticket for transportation at the bus station. It always pays off to figure out the best way to travel by public transport and to ask around. Just like it is also worthwhile to walk around a little bit in town and see what the prices are for the tour/activities.
Conclusion
As a solo traveler you are sort of a project manager. You will learn to know how to arrange many things better and better. Because of continuous traveling you are also always busy with plans and budget. And it is necessary to deal with stressful situations. For example, if you’ve experienced a delayed bus several times, over time you won’t worry about it anymore. You learn to be patient. Just go with the flow! Another thing that you will realise is that standard tasks such as searching for hostels will go very smooth. You scan automatically the ratings and location. Such things happen on autopilot and you become very accurate at it. And what about your social skills? When you are traveling alone in Latin America, you do need to connect with people. You will find it easier to make new friends and make contacts with the locals! Of course, it helps tremendously if you speak a little bit of Spanish.
Would you like 100% free help and honest advice with arranging your Spanish lessons in Latin America? Then contact us today and we will be happy to help you. Take advantage of many exclusive discounts our travel tips.