Solo Travel 101 - Part 4: Planning your Solo Itinerary

_{This is part four 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.}

Planning your Solo Travel Itinerary - Keep it Light

You’re finally going on that solo trip—no compromises, no arguments over where to eat, and no one dragging you to an 8 a.m. tour when your soul clearly needs to sleep in. But when it comes to planning your days? Let’s keep it breezy. Think “soft jazz” itinerary, not military drill.

1. Why Flexibility Is Your Best Friend

Here’s a secret: the best moments of solo travel are rarely the ones you planned down to the minute. It’s the random cafe with the perfect almond croissant. It’s chatting with a fellow traveller who convinces you to go to a festival you didn’t even know existed. It’s the unplanned detour that becomes your favorite memory.

A packed schedule might look productive on paper, but it leaves zero room for spontaneity—or naps. And naps are sacred.

Plus, when you're solo, you don’t need to negotiate plans with anyone. If you wake up and decide nope, today is a people-watching, iced-coffee-sipping kind of day instead of a climb-a-mountain one? Done. No guilt. No explanations. Just vibes.

2. Create a “Must-Do” List vs. Filler Days

Instead of planning every second, try this: make a short list of non-negotiables—your “must-dos.” These are the things you’ll regret not seeing or doing. The rest? Pure bonus.

Must-dos could be:

• Visiting that iconic temple/museum/castle you’ve dreamed about
  
  
• A cooking class you already booked (and paid for, so you’re going)
  
  
• That hike with the epic viewpoint everyone says is worth it
  
  

Filler days are your built-in breathing room. These are days where you can:

• Sleep in guilt-free
  
  
• Wander aimlessly (a top-tier travel activity)
  
  
• Follow a local’s recommendation on a whim
  
  
• Do absolutely nothing (it’s your trip, not a productivity contest)
  
  

Pro Tip: Ease Into It
Hold off on booking any of your “must-do” experiences for the first day or two after you arrive. If your flight gets delayed or you miss a connection (it happens!), you won’t be scrambling to reschedule bucket-list activities or worse—miss them entirely.

Plus, giving yourself a buffer day helps you ease into the new time zone, shake off the travel fatigue, and get your bearings without pressure. Think of it as a soft landing before the adventure really begins.

3. Using Google Maps and Offline Apps

Tech is your trusty travel sidekick—like Robin to your solo Batman. But Batman wouldn’t rely on Wi-Fi in a foreign city, and neither should you.

Here’s how to map your way without losing your sanity (or your signal):

• Google Maps: Before your trip, save places you want to go (restaurants, landmarks, random statues you read about at 2 a.m.). Use the “star” or “heart” icons to mark them on the map like a digital treasure hunt. Then download the city or region for offline use—so you can find your way even if you’re in a Wi-Fi dead zone (aka most train stations).
  
  
• Maps.me: A great backup app with detailed offline maps. Bonus: it shows hiking trails and walking paths your standard GPS might miss.
  
  
• Rome2Rio: Excellent for figuring out how to get from A to B (without having to decipher local transit websites in Croatian at midnight).
  
  
• TripIt: My Ride-or-Die Travel App
  I pay for the premium membership every year, and honestly, no travel app has won my heart like this one. (Not sponsored—though, hey TripIt, call me?) If you take more than one trip a year, it’s absolutely worth checking out.  

Here’s how it works: you forward your confirmation emails—flights, hotels, car rentals, dinner reservations—and TripIt magically organizes them into a master itinerary for each trip. At a glance, you’ve got every detail in one place, from your flight number and gate  to that cute little bistro you booked for dinner. Total game changer for staying organized on the go.

Planning lightly doesn’t mean being unprepared—it means being smart and giving yourself room to breathe, explore, and say yes to the unexpected. Because sometimes the best part of your trip isn’t the monument you had pinned—it’s the alley you turned down on a whim that led to the best meal of your life.

Next up: Part five of the series is “Pack Smart for Solo Travel” 

Packing for solo travel isn’t about bringing more—it’s about bringing better. Choose items that multitask, leave space for spontaneity (and snacks), and remember: you don’t need to impress anyone but yourself. Your perfectly curated, cleverly packed, solo-adventuring self.