If you’ve taken the plunge and are going to be flying solo on your adventures, it’s natural to feel a bit jittery – it’s totally normal to be asking yourself things like “Will I meet people to hang out with?”, “Will I be safe?” or even “Will I be eaten by wild animals after wandering off by myself?” Well, we’ve got good news if you're travelling with i-to-i: while we won’t be there to hold your hand every step of the way (would you want us to?!), you’ll have dedicated, 24/7 emergency support whenever you’re travelling with us and a friendly in-country coordinator to help you get settled in. Plus, as 70% of i-to-i volunteers go it alone, you’re bound to meet lots of lovely like-minded travellers to hang out with.

So, to make sure you’re raring to go, the seasoned solo travellers in our customer support team have agreed to share their top tips for going it alone:

Alison ( http://www.i-to-i.com/campfire/Irish1 ) reckons you should “keep an open mind and try new things. Embrace the local culture and explore. Travelling by yourself is one of the best ways to make new friends!”

Katie ( http://www.i-to-i.com/campfire/Mozzarella ) said: “Keep a travel blog for those left at home to log on to, so they know you are safe without you having to send lots of individual emails in shabby internet cafes – try making your own at www.i-to-i.com/campfire.”

Ele ( http://www.i-to-i.com/campfire/ele ) advises: “Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with anyone you bump into! You’ll be surprised how many genuine, friendly people there are out there!”

Jo ( http://www.i-to-i.com/campfire/beary ) said: “Take every opportunity that comes up. It might feel a bit weird and out of your comfort zone at first but when you put yourself out there, talk to people and take them up on invitations you end up having some of the best experiences of your trip! When you’ve had enough of being with others it’s very easy to chill out by yourself without upsetting anyone too.”

Stoewie ( http://www.i-to-i.com/campfire/Stoewie ) advises: “Before you travel make sure you learn common sentences in the language of your country/ area where you go to! This helps to start a conversation with the locals…and they love it! Don’t worry if you don’t say it 100% correctly, they might laugh at you but will start a conversation and talking basic words, with your hands or even by drawing can bring up the most fun conversations!”

Dinh ( http://www.i-to-i.com/campfire/DigDeep ) said: “When you’re travelling on your own you’ll be the guardian of your own time. You have the flexibility to go and do whatever you wish.”

Remember, if you’ve ever got any questions about travelling alone or your i-to-i trip in general you can get in touch with our lovely customer support team. Ask your question on the Customer Support group on Campfire ( http://www.i-to-i.com/campfire/groups/317-Customer-Support- ), send them an email (support@i-to-i.com) or pick up the phone to give them a call on:

UK: 0113 205 0070
Ireland: 058 248 33
Australia: 1300 556997
US: 800-352-1794

Plus, you can always check out the great range of travel guides here on Campfire ( http://www.i-to-i.com/campfire/travel-guides ) for tips and advice about your trip or take a look at this blog dedicated to solo travel for even more pointers: http://solotravelerblog.com/

If you're going to be travelling solo, what are you looking forward to about your trip? And what are you apprehensive about?

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