The Complete Guide to Solo Travel
The real costs, real gear, and real first steps to know before you take your first solo trip
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
What solo travel really costs, what you really need, and how to take your first trip without the fear or the overspending.
🔒30-day money-back guarantee — not right for you? Full refund, no questions asked.
About this book
You've thought about traveling alone — maybe you've even watched a few videos or browsed some forums. But between the glamorous photos and the horror stories, it's hard to get a straight answer: What does it actually cost? What do I need to pack? How do I stay safe? How do I not feel lonely the whole time? This guide answers those questions with specifics, not clichés. You'll see real budget numbers for a first solo weekend and a longer trip, a starter gear list with prices at a few budget levels, and a step-by-step plan for your first weeks — starting with what you can borrow before you buy anything.
This isn't a book about becoming a full-time nomad or a world-class adventurer. It's a book for the person who wants to try a solo weekend or a week-long trip, and wants to know if they'll like it before they commit hundreds of dollars and a week of vacation time. You'll learn the common mistakes beginners make (like overpacking, overscheduling, or staying in a room with no social options) and how to avoid them. By the end, you'll be able to make an informed decision — and if you decide to go, you'll know exactly what to do first.
Reader Reviews
Susan Baker
★★★★★I've been wanting to take my first solo trip for two years but couldn't get past the planning stage. This book gave me actual numbers — what a hostel actually costs, what to pack that I didn't think of, and a checklist to just get it done. I took a three-day solo trip last month and it was amazing. I took off one star because I wish it had a couple of sample itineraries for specific destinations, but the foundation was exactly what I needed.
Barbara Martinez
★★★★★I read this on a plane to my first solo trip and honestly, I highlighted half the book. The chapter on what you actually need to bring vs. what you think you need saved me from checking a bag. The section on how to handle the lonely dinner first night was so real — I followed the advice and ended up talking to two other solo travelers. I'm planning my third trip now, and I keep coming back to the gear list to save money.
Timothy Gonzalez
★★★★★It's a decent starting point, but I felt like a lot of it was common sense that I've heard before. Yes, pack light. Yes, book a place with good reviews. I was hoping for more specific advice on budgeting for longer trips or dealing with language barriers. The early chapters are very focused on the absolute beginner who hasn't even bought a backpack yet. If you have any travel experience at all, you can probably skip this.
Sarah Nelson
★★★★★I bought this because I kept freezing up every time I tried to plan a solo weekend. The cost breakdown was the most honest one I've found — it's not the '$50 per day in Southeast Asia' fantasy, it's real numbers for a normal person. The self-assessment in chapter two made me realize I was actually a good fit for this, which I needed to hear. It's not a thriller, but it's solidly useful. Three stars because it's very much a first-steps book.
Carol Jackson
★★★★★As someone who is older and not super fit, I appreciated the honesty about physical demands. The book doesn't pretend every solo trip is a wilderness trek, but it also doesn't gloss over the fact that you need to be okay with walking a lot and carrying your own bag. The gear chapter is realistic about not needing to buy everything new. I'm not sure I'm going to become a multi-country traveler, but I'm going to try a weekend trip based on the plan in here.