Solo Travel 101 - Part 3: Book It Baby! (When & How to Book)

_{This is part three of our 6 part “Solo Travel Planning 101: A Step-by-Step Guide”.} 

_{In this series, you’ll learn how to pick the perfect destination, apps that will help you travel easier and safer, how to pack smart, prep mentally and emotionally, and create a flexible itinerary that leaves room for adventure. Whether you're a planner or a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-backpack kind of person, you’ll walk away with everything you need to feel ready—and excited—for your first solo trip.}

_{If you missed it - Part one “ Choose the Right Destination” is the best place to start.}

Book it Baby! (and why earlier is better for solo travel)

Spontaneity is fun when it comes to picking out gelato flavors or deciding which museum to accidentally skip—but when it comes to flights and beds to sleep in, trust me: earlier is better. You will love your future planning self for having your travel ducks in a row. (Especially when those ducks are affordable and include a private bathroom.)

1. Flights, Accommodation, Insurance

Let’s start with the holy trinity of trip logistics: Flights, Accommodation, and Insurance—aka the “FAI” of smart travel. Book these early and your life will be 72% less chaotic (rough estimate, but you get the vibe).

• Flights: Flight prices are like cats—unpredictable, a little dramatic, and tend to vanish when you get too close. Use tools like Google Flights or Skyscanner to compare and set alerts. Book at least 6–8 weeks ahead for international trips if you want decent prices and a seat that’s not wedged next to the airplane bathroom.  Want to get smarter about sales? Sign up for airline newsletters and start noticing the patterns—yes, your inbox might groan, but your wallet will thank you. One hot tip: the last week of November is almost always one of the cheapest times of year to book flights (not travel, book). Set a reminder. Light a candle. Manifest cheap airfare. 

• Accommodation: Whether you’re after a hostel dorm, boutique hotel, or a treehouse in Bali (because why not), good places do fill up—especially in high season. Early booking = better choices, better prices, and less chance of ending up at a questionable motel with “character.”
  
  
• Travel Insurance: Look, I know it’s not glamorous. But neither is losing your luggage or breaking your ankle in the Alps. Insurance isn’t just for the paranoid—it’s for the practical. Get a policy that covers medical emergencies, cancellations, and lost belongings. It’s like packing a safety net, only less bulky.
  
   

2. Use Trusted Platforms (No Sketchy Craigslist Rooms, Please)

The internet is a magical place full of options—and unfortunately, some scams. Stick with trusted booking platforms and save yourself the stress (and possibly your credit card info).  

Pro Tip: Book Direct When You Can
No matter where I find that dreamy hotel during my internet rabbit hole search, I always take a minute to check the hotel’s official website. If it looks legit, I book directly. Why? Because hotels are usually way more flexible with cancellations, changes, and even upgrades when you skip the middleman—and the rate is often the same or better.

Same goes for flights. If you’ve ever booked through a third-party site and then tried to change seats or rebook after a delay… you already know the pain. Booking directly with the airline means fewer headaches and better customer service when things go sideways

Some reliable MVPs of the solo travel world:

• Airbnb and VRBO– Great for unique stays and feeling like a “local” (or at least pretending to be one).
  
  
• Booking.com – Offers everything from hostels to fancy hotels with infinity pools you’ll definitely Instagram.
  
  
• Hostelworld – Your go-to for hostel bookings, complete with helpful reviews and the occasional spicy comment section.
  
  
• Skyscanner, Hopper, Google Flights – Solid tools for comparing flight prices and playing the “how cheap can I get to Europe” game.
  
  
• Rome2Rio – Not for booking, but AMAZING for figuring out how to get from A to B (plane? train? donkey? It tells you).
  
  

Bottom line: if the website looks like it hasn’t been updated since 2004 and has pop-ups offering “free iPads”—maybe don’t book your lodging there.

3. Safety-Focused Booking Tips

Safety might not be the most thrilling part of planning, but it is the reason you can relax and enjoy your trip instead of sleeping with one eye open.

Here’s how to book smart and stay safe:

• Read the reviews. No, seriously—read them. ALL of them. Look for mentions of cleanliness, location, and anything that sounds like “I feared for my life.” That’s a red flag, friend.
  
  
• Location, Location… Wait, Where Are We?
  A bargain hotel isn’t a deal if it’s 40 minutes from anything you actually want to see—or tucked in a sketchy part of town better known for pickpockets than pastries. Always check the location before you book. Use Google Maps to see how close it is to public transit, and read reviews for clues about safety and convenience.  

• My go-to move? Google Street View. I do a little virtual stroll around the neighborhood and even “walk” the route to places I plan to visit. It gives a way better feel for the area—like whether the streets are well-lit, pedestrian-friendly, or weirdly deserted. Bonus: it can help you avoid surprises like staircases, construction zones, or random alleys that don’t show up on a basic map.
  
  
• Consider female-only dorms. Many hostels offer them, and they’re often cleaner, quieter, and smell less like gym socks. Just saying.
  
  
• Look for places with 24-hour reception or check-in. Because your flight will get delayed, and nothing says “panic” like landing at midnight and realizing you can’t get into your hotel.
  
  
• Avoid listings with zero reviews. Unless you enjoy gambling, which is fine, but maybe stick to poker and not your sleep situation in a foreign country.
  
  

Booking the basics early doesn’t mean your trip has to be rigid—it means you’ve taken care of the essentials so you can actually enjoy the spontaneous stuff. Like booking a last-minute sunset sail, getting lost in a cobblestoned alley, or deciding to stay another night because the city’s charm (or that cute barista) won you over.

Next up: Part four of the series is “Planning your Solo Travel Itinerary - Keep it Light” 

Planning is great. Overplanning is... less great. Keep it flexible, keep it fun, and remember: you're the boss of this trip. The only schedule you need to follow is your own.