Travelling Solo

This post is a little different than normal as I write about personal experiences with solo travelling. So far approximately 70% of enquiries are solo travellers and I want to give as much confidence as possible to all guests considering a tour with Coaster Breaks. 70% is a huge percent and one I am very proud to see. Coaster Breaks was designed around being just as accessible for solo travellers as it is for groups of 2 or 8.

Travelling solo for the first time especially can be a very nervous experience, but you will be amazed at how quick those nerves disappear once you get on your plane or train. I have never back packed around the world and have always appreciated the comfort of a good hotel, however I love to travel to new places to experience culture, history and architecture. So far to date I have visited 64 countries and below is three moments that have featured myself travelling as a solo.

Kazakhstan

So this may seem like a strange destination to choose as the first time I flew on my own, but Kazakhstan was a country that has always intrigued me with the very futuristic capital city and the amazing nature down south.

My friend was of on an adventure travelling around the world and I took a direct flight from Heathrow to meet him in the capital city.

I am a nervous flier which is ridiculous from the amount of flights I have done, but for some reason I was not nervous at all. I went through security, straight to the bar and sat down with a couple pints of Stella. I took a selfie with my beers and posted to Facebook on the off chance that something happens to me. Nothing did, end of story. This is not an exciting story and that is the point. We have this random fear of being on a plane on your own but when it comes down to it, there isn’t really any difference except not sharing a round of beers in the air with your friend. As Ryanair puts it, we are just a bus in the sky. Nothing is scary about taking a bus on your own and this is the same for flying.

UAE, India, Nepal, Oman

 So this was it, the first time I went completely solo for an adventure. With a couple weeks booked off work and nothing to do, I didn’t want this to go to waste. I thought about something I have always wanted to do and see the Taj Mahal was near the top of that list so, why not? If not now than when came to my mind.

This kind of grew to multiple countries due to the availability of flights and so the first stop was Dubai to meet a friend and of course go on Formula Rossa, the world’s fastest roller coaster.

This trip was booked within 4 weeks of departing and I kept it very quiet from friends. The excitement in the build-up was phenomenal and the nerves were very high, especially as I got on the shuttle bus from Heathrow long stay to the terminal. For some reason, now felt the time to start messaging friends and calling relatives as I tell them what I am doing. This was my strange way to cope with being solo and it felt like completing unfinished business, just in case.

Outside of Dubai, I mostly stayed local to my hotels with a hired driver to take me around the sites. A bargain £20 for 4 hours in India, this is how as a first time solo traveller I felt most comfortable and managed to see everything and more that I wanted.

Of course I picked some very intimidating countries to visit solo for the first time, but two weeks as with any holiday flew past. The worst part of going at it alone is always the build-up, when you are in the moment walking through the Taj Mahal, watching the monkeys create mayhem in Nepal or visiting the grand Mosque of Oman, the sensation of ultimate relaxation will fill you with joy and you know at that moment, you have no regrets in doing something you have always wanted to do.

Energylandia

Summer 2020, first time visit to Cedar Point, Steel Vengeance, here I come!

The pandemic has hit all of us in different ways and for lots, anxiety levels have been at an all-time high. This was true for myself. 2020 on furlough was a great time for some DIY, but a trip to click and collect at my local B&Q had me shaking in anticipation for what I was about to walk into. It was very strange that this brought on anxiety for something that I would regularly do without even thinking about.

July comes around and travel reopens, my missed trip to Cedar Point is what drew me to Poland and Energylandia for a chance to ride Zadra.

Booked on a Sunday to fly out on the Tuesday, I spent the whole weekend before questioning myself whether I should go before typing in my passport details. All day Monday, my nerves were at an all-time high, I have never had this much anxiety about going abroad. On the early morning drive to Stansted my heart was racing the whole time. I get to the ghost town of an airport and head straight through security and all of a sudden, I have never been more relaxed for a flight in my life. The second I got on the plane, my anxiety levels dropped to zero and has stayed that way ever since. It is amazing how something you are so used became a huge challenge throughout Covid, but we need to get back to what we know and love. When you take the leap and do something, you will always remember that it is not as big a deal as your head makes it out to be. Nerves are natural and no matter what anyone says, you will experience them, but they will also disappear quicker than they build.

I am an anxious flyer and will always be, but I will not let this stop me from doing what I love. The Energylandia cure took me out of lockdown one back to my usual self and I have been the same since then. Also in 2020, I went on what I like to call a research trip on my own to try out a couple hotels, or in other words I basically went to go ride F.L.Y. at Phantasialand.

I hope this article has helped and inspires you to get over the fence and book a solo trip, not necessarily for Coaster Breaks but for anything you love. If you are considering a solo adventure, do it! You will have the time of your life and most importantly, no regrets!

Marcus