When you’re approaching a trip, there’s always the matter of money to keep in mind, whether you’re going solo or otherwise. It doesn’t matter where you’re going, you can prepare by keeping several buckets in mind for your spending.

That said, when you’re heading off on your own, the costs are going to be a little different in a fairly obvious way — you, yourself, and yours truly are going to be the only one footing the bill. That makes it even more important to plan your trips and make sure that you’re not going to shortchange yourself and will still get to experience everything you’d hoped to.

So, let’s begin. You picked a destination. Now what do you need to keep in mind?

Flights

Often the largest expense, flights are going to take a big chunk out of your budget, so be mindful of when you’re booking and how. If you’ve searched for a flight a few times, make sure to delete your cookies/clear your cache or use an incognito browser to avoid seeing the flight prices creep higher because your pattern has shown your interest. Secondly, if you have a loyalty program with an airline component, check and see if your points will net you a free flight.

Tour

This could apply to whether your entire trip is a tour (ie: Contiki, Globus, Trafalgar, Insight, etc.) or day tours that you join with a new group. You might want to simply go with the flow, but if there’s a must do experience that you’d regret not taking, make sure you do your research and find one that suits your travel preference, along with your budget. Make sure to read the fine print to see what’s included!

Hotel

Finding a hotel nowadays is one of the easier things to do thanks to websites like Expedia, Booking.com, and more, which allow you to find hotels based on the filters that are most important to you. Two key factors are cost and location. Don’t forget that as a solo traveller, you’re going to end up taking this on yourself versus splitting it down the middle.

One thing you’ll want to be aware of as well is the type of room you’re getting. Often as a single traveller, you might get a single room which can often be really small. If you’re looking for the best budget option, this might be right for you. However, you might want to budget a little more for the comfort of a larger room (and typically a larger bed).

Food

This budget expense will vary depending on your travel style. You could save a lot of money if you decide to get a hotel that has a kitchen, or you decide to simply eat quick service meals, or grab something from grocery stores to consume. Or, maybe, you’re a foodie and you’re going to want to dine at a fancy establishment every night. When you’re making a budget, keep that in mind and budget for all your meals and snacks, keeping in mind the local tipping custom, as well as the taxes. If you really want to prepare, plug in the menu items, tax rates, and tipping rates into an Excel spreadsheet and build some formulas to give you a rough estimation of what to expect.

Excursions

This one is a slight subset of the day tour, but shorter. If you’re just wanting to grab an excursion that takes an hour or two, make sure you keep that in your budget. Don’t know if there’s anything you’re interested in doing? Here’s a couple websites below that operate in multiple cities to give you a good start, but don’t overlook searching “Best [Tourist Activity Here] in [City]” in a search engine of your choice.

• Viator
• Get Your Guide
• City Experiences
• Trip Advisor
• …and many more

Keep an eye on these sights in the lead-up to your trip. Often, they’ll run discounts on booking that will net you 10-20% discounts. As well, some excursions can be reserved and paid closer to the date, which can help with budgeting!

Tickets

Maybe you’re going somewhere that’s known for Arts & Culture, maybe it’s more natural adventures, or maybe there’s a concert in town. On top of the excursions in your budget, set aside funds for museum tickets, national park entries, entertainment, and everything in between to avoid getting caught off guard.

Souvenirs

Similar to food, this one will vary depending on your tastes. Maybe you like to collect cheap souvenirs like magnets and postcards (though, don’t get me wrong, even those have started to creep up in recent days with prices being ridiculous). Maybe you want something a little more expensive. Whatever your tastes run towards, just make sure that you’ve included it in your budget for each of your stops.

Want some ideas for souvenirs that won’t break your budget? Check out Souvenirs That Won’t Break Your Bank (Or Suitcase Weight Limits)

Transportation/Parking

If you’re flying, you might be parking your car at the airport. Once you’re there, maybe you’ll be renting a car. Maybe you’re taking Uber or Lyft or another rideshare service. Maybe you’re going with public transportation to get around. Either way, all these things are going to add costs to your bottom line, so it’s important not to let them slip.

Keep the transport numbers in mind and add in a buffer — after all, as your trip progresses, destinations you thought were walkable may no longer be as you begin to feel trip fatigue set in.

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Other Tips To Keep In Mind

• Don’t forget that you’re going to want to budget for tipping – not only in your food budget for restaurants, your hotel budget for housekeeping and porterage (if you use it), for tour guides, and for any other circumstance where you feel the service merits some monetary recognition. The percentage you tip is up to you, but you’ll want to make sure you plan for it ahead of time.
  
• In terms of cash versus plastic (credit or debit), you’ll run into an interesting mix depending on where you are. There are places now that won’t accept cash. You might also run into a situation where credit/debit won’t work. Or, worse, you’ve been compromised and won’t be able to use them. It’s also handy having that cash on hand for tips!
  
• The old rule about packing less than you need and bringing more cash than you expect is a handy one — provided that it’s still in your budget.
  
• If you’re travelling somewhere that has a currency that’s more difficult to get, make sure to pre-order ahead of time at a bank or other institution to avoid fees at locations like the airport. Or, make sure that your card is ready for use and then use a local ATM.
  
• Use a program like Excel to keep your budget handy — and to make use of formulas, which can come in handy if you need to work in conversion rates. Need a starting point? Download the file below and plug in your numbers to see what you might need.

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No matter where you’re heading, don’t get caught off-guard and end up with buyer’s remorse. Make a budget you’re comfortable with and then enjoy the vacation, knowing that you’ve taken it all into account!