Your solo travel checklist
Pick your trip in five taps and get a packing and safety list that fits it, plus a check-in message for someone at home. Tick things off as you pack; your list stays in this browser.
Your check-in message
Fill in what you know; every field is optional. Send it to one person before you leave, then message them each day by the time you agreed.
Your message
What you type here stays on this page. It is not saved, and it only leaves your phone when you copy or send it.
Your list and ticks are saved only in this browser.
How to use the list
Make your list a few days before you leave, not the night before. That leaves time to buy a padlock, download a map or find the charger that went missing. Pick the length of the trip, what kind of trip it is, where you are staying, your luggage and whether you are going abroad. The list changes with your answers, so a weekend in a city hotel gets a shorter list than two weeks of hiking and hostels.
Tick things off as you pack. Your ticks are saved in this browser, so you can close the page and come back to it on the same phone. If your plans change, choose again and press Update my list: ticks for things still on the list stay ticked.
Before you leave, fill in the check-in message and send it to one person at home. It says where you are going, where you are staying and when you will message them each day, and what they should do if they do not hear from you.
Safety without the worry
Travelling alone goes best with a few calm habits rather than a long list of fears. None of them takes long, and together they mean small problems stay small.
- One person knows your plan. Where you are going, where you are staying and when you will check in. That is what the check-in message is for.
- Arrive in daylight if you can. Finding a new place is easier when you can see it, and you have time to sort things out if a bus is late.
- Keep things in two places. A second card apart from the first, a bit of cash apart from both, and a copy of your passport or ID somewhere other than the original.
- Save the essentials offline. The address of where you stay, a map of the area and your bookings, so no signal is only an inconvenience. The address on paper too covers a flat battery.
- Look up the local emergency number before you go. Save it in your phone, then forget about it.
- Listen to your own sense of a place. If somewhere feels wrong, leave. You do not need a reason, and nobody is waiting for you to explain.
What to pack for a solo trip
Pack lighter than you would with company. There is nobody to watch your bag while you buy a ticket or to carry half of the shared things, so one bag you can manage on stairs is worth more than options. The basics are the same for every trip: documents, clothes for the number of days, any medicine you take in your hand luggage, and a charged phone with a battery pack. The list adds the rest for your kind of trip and the place you are staying.
Questions about the solo travel checklist
What should I pack for my first solo trip?
Start with what you cannot easily replace: your ID or passport, your cards, any medicine you take and your phone with a charger. Then clothes for the length of the trip and a warm layer. Choose your trip above and the list fills in the rest.
How do I stay safe when I travel alone?
With a few habits: tell one person your plan, arrive in daylight when you can, keep your cards and copies of your documents in different places, and save your address and a map offline. Then enjoy the trip; the habits do their work in the background.
What should a check-in message say?
Where you are going, when, where you are staying, the time you will message each day, and what to do if you do not. The check-in card on this page writes it for you; copy it or send it straight from your phone.
Where is my list saved?
Only in this browser, on this device. Nothing is uploaded and there is no account. Clearing your browsing data removes the list. The check-in message is never saved at all.
Am I ready to travel alone?
If you are not sure, take the solo travel quiz. It finds where you are on a five-step ladder, from a bus to the next town to a trip abroad, so your first trip can be one you are ready for.