The Solo Traveller
Your independence, passion, and lifelong memories.
Fellow Travellers
Taking to the skies.
Louisa Guise
Travelling solo has taught Louisa how to blend in, budget, and manage a rucksack. During her first solo trip, Louisa dragged 22 kilos with her (we’ve all done it!), which taught her to be a lot more savvy about what she actually needed to take on her travels. “I have learnt buckets about other cultures and the people who make them what they are, to have patience, and how to judge when to call it quits, because some things are just not worth the extra stress.”
Where is home, Louisa?
Reading, near London.
What can you share with us about the first time your travelled solo?
I undertook an Erasmus exchange year in 2007 at the Leuphana University of Luneburg in Germany during the second year of my Bachelor. It was amazing because I met people from over 50 different countries, and everyone was travelling – together and solo. I’d never even considered that solo travelling was a thing before this, and inspired by my new friends, I returned to Cardiff (where I am from), by train, heading north from Germany to Copenhagen (where I later studied for three years), and back down south via the Netherlands and Belgium. During my time in Germany, I’d already gotten used to settling into a new place, and it was amazing to realise that I could just take off and wake up somewhere new.
What kind of research did you do before your first trip?
It was only a short trip, and I bought an Interrail pass, so I didn’t do a lot of research. As I was still a student, I wanted a cheap place to stay, so I looked for affordable hostels. Returning to the Netherlands, I tried to find a lesser visited city, so I chose to base myself in Arnhem, which isn’t an exciting place, but the country is so small and well connected that this wasn’t an issue. In Belgium I visited Antwerp, which back then was quite cheap, so I had the luxury of a hotel room to myself for about €30 a night. I did look up the places to try and find accommodation that was also as centrally located as possible as well.
What do you love the most about travelling solo?
Travelling solo allows me to be at peace. I love that I can call the shorts, deciding when to wake, when to venture out, and what to see and to eat. If something doesn’t go to plan, there’s no one else to be frustrated with me. I can do everything at my own pace, and travelling solo has also allowed me to travel a lot more because not many people travel as much as I do. If I want to travel – I just go.
What lessons have you learned about life by travelling solo?
I have learnt how to travel, how to blend in, budget, and manage a rucksack. During my first solo trip after my Erasmus year, I dragged 22 kilos with me, which taught me to be a lot more savvy about what I actually need. I have learnt buckets about other cultures and the people who make them what they are, to have patience, and how to judge when to call it quits – some things are just not worth the extra stress.
Is there a destination you keep returning to, and why?
I’ll be honest, the destinations I’ll keep returning to are the easier ones. Places like France, Spain, Portugal and Italy that are comfortable and easy to get around but also a short hop from England (where I live currently). It’s easy for me to visit these countries for a long weekend without breaking the bank and not a lot of planning is required.
When I do return to repeat destinations, I attempt to visit places within these countries that I haven’t visited before. The USA is also one of my repeat destinations because I have an aunt and uncle and many friends living there, and Denmark and Germany are repeat destinations due to visiting friends. I hope to visit as many countries as possible.
I recently spent two weeks travelling around Northern India and it did me so much good to visit a county that was so different from my own – one that has such a rich culture but also took me out of my comfort zone.
Did you make friends while travelling solo that are still in your life?
Not quite from travelling solo, but I have friends around the world after studying abroad in Germany and Denmark. My life is much richer for knowing them.
Louisa with Padma the Elephant in India.
Who inspires you?
Anyone who tries to make the world a better place.
What is on your ‘Bucket List’?
Japan was on my bucket list for a long time, and having visited a couple of years ago, I’d love to go back. I have seven countries left to visit in Europe, and to visit every country on a continent would be amazing! I also haven’t been to South America yet.
What is the single greatest life lesson you learned from travelling solo?
That fundamentally we’re all the same, and people are not their governments.
What causes are you passionate about, and why?
Anything that makes the world a better place.
What are your top 3 tips for success?
1. Put your phone away and live in the real world.
2. Have a plan.
3. Go for it.
Louisa is an experienced solo traveller and author of How to Leave a Group Chat – a book about how to balance your relationship with your smartphone. If you want to get more out of your trips, Louisa recommends experiencing life in the moment and not through a lens.
