# First solo trip checklist: before you go, travel day and the first night

> Passports, health cover, border rules, money, the first night and a plan B. What a first solo trip actually needs, with the official links for UK and US travellers.

- Page: https://viaggisingle.it/en/blog/first-solo-trip-checklist/
- Language: en
- Updated: 2026-10-27
- Status: in editorial review: checked against sources, not yet signed off by an editor
- Publisher: ViaggiSingle (https://viaggisingle.it)
- Citation: credit “ViaggiSingle” with a link to the page

Nothing on a first solo trip is harder than on any other trip. The difference is that nobody else is holding the second copy of the plan. This checklist is that second copy. It runs in three stages: the weeks before, travel day, and the first evening, which is usually when the doubts arrive.

One suggestion before the list. For a first time, choose a city you can walk, with no tricky connections on arrival. That isn't about courage. It's about spending your energy on the place rather than on a ticket machine.

## Three to four weeks out

**Documents and border rules**

- Check your passport's expiry date against the entry rules for your destination. The FCDO's foreign travel advice has an entry requirements page for each of 226 countries and territories. ([source](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice)) US travellers should check the State Department's country pages.
- If you're heading to Europe on a UK or US passport, you're a non-EU national for border purposes. The EU's Entry/Exit System has been fully operational since 10 April 2026: on your first entry it records your name, passport details, fingerprints and a facial image. ([source](https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/smart-borders/entry-exit-system_en)) Allow extra time at the border the first time.
- ETIAS, the EU's travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, is a separate step. Check its status on the official EU site before you book, and only ever apply there. ([source](https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en))
- Photograph your passport and store a copy somewhere you can reach without your phone.

**Health**

- UK residents: get a free UK Global Health Insurance Card from the NHS website. It lasts up to five years and gives access to necessary state healthcare in the EEA and some other countries on local terms. The NHS is clear that it's no replacement for travel insurance and doesn't cover medical repatriation. ([source](https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/apply-for-a-free-uk-global-health-insurance-card-ghic))
- US travellers: check what your health plan covers abroad. If it doesn't, look at separate travel medical cover before you go.
- Keep any medication in your hand luggage, in its original packaging.

**Registration and alerts**

- UK: sign up for FCDO email alerts on your destination's page, so changes to the advice reach you. ([source](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice))
- US: enrol in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) on the State Department site. ([source](https://mytravel.state.gov/s/step))

## The week before

**Your first night**

Book the first night, even if you plan to wing the rest. Arriving with a fixed address takes half the stress out of the day. Pick the location before the price: near a metro stop or the station, on a street that's busy in the evening.

If you're choosing a hostel, read reviews from people who stayed alone. In Hostelworld's 2026 solo travel survey, 58.8% said reviews from other solo guests influence their booking, and 34.4% said a women-only or same-gender dorm makes them more likely to book. Among women, that figure was 54.5%. ([source](https://www.hostelworld.com/state-of-solo-travel))

**Phone**

- Check your roaming terms. UK networks no longer fall under the EU's roam-like-at-home rules, so the price depends on your contract. ([source](https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/internet-telecoms/mobile-roaming-costs/index_en.htm))
- Download offline maps and the local transport app.
- Save 112, the emergency number that works across the EU. ([source](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/112))

**Money**

- Carry two payment cards and keep them apart: one in your wallet, one in your bag.
- Tell your bank you're travelling if your card tends to block foreign payments.
- A little local cash for the first bus or train saves a cash machine hunt in arrivals.

## Travel day

- Send one trusted person your accommodation name and address, your flight or train number and arrival time. They don't need the full itinerary.
- Charge your phone and pack a power bank in your hand luggage.
- Plan one thing for arrival day. Just one. A meal, a walk, a museum.

## The first night

This is when first-timers wonder why they did this. It happens, and it passes. Three things help.

1. **Go out before dark.** Walk the streets around your bed while it's light, so you know where you are later.
2. **Eat somewhere easy.** A food hall, or a bar with a counter. We wrote a whole guide to the [counter method](/en/blog/eating-alone-the-counter-method/).
3. **Book something for the next morning.** A free walking tour, a class, a guided visit. Having somewhere to be tomorrow changes how tonight feels, and in a group, conversation starts on its own.

## Plan B, on paper

Write down four things on paper, not just in your phone: your accommodation address, a number at home, 112, and your bank's card-blocking number. If your phone goes missing, that sheet beats any app.

If your passport is stolen, report it to local police first, then contact your embassy or consulate. The FCDO country pages list what UK nationals can and can't get help with. ([source](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice))

## What not to pack

First-timers tend to overpack because there's nobody to share the load with. Everything you carry, you carry alone: up stairs, onto trains, across cobbles. Pack for five days even on a ten-day trip and plan one laundry stop. Leave the "just in case" outfit at home. A small daypack you can keep in front of you on public transport is worth more than a second pair of shoes.

## Where to go first

Our [Solo Score](/en/data/solo-score/) first-timer profile gives the most weight to safety (25 out of 100) and ease (25 out of 100): transport, walkability, how widely English is spoken. From the UK, [Dublin](/en/destinations/europe/ireland/dublin/) is the gentlest possible start, with no language switch. [Lisbon](/en/destinations/europe/portugal/lisbon/) and [Porto](/en/destinations/europe/portugal/porto/) are a short flight away and built for walking, and [Bologna](/en/destinations/europe/italy/bologna/) is compact enough to learn in a day.


## Frequently asked questions

### Where should I go on my first solo trip?

Somewhere short-haul, walkable, with simple public transport and easy ways to meet people. Our Solo Score's first-timer profile weights safety and ease most heavily and ranks cities on that basis.

### Does a UK GHIC replace travel insurance?

No. The NHS says the GHIC gives access to necessary state healthcare in the EEA and some other countries on the same terms as residents, but it is not a replacement for travel insurance and doesn't cover things like medical repatriation.

### What is the EU Entry/Exit System?

A digital border system for non-EU nationals on short stays in the Schengen area. It became fully operational on 10 April 2026 and records your name, travel document, fingerprints and facial image at the border.

### Should I register my trip with my government?

It's optional. US citizens can enrol in the State Department's STEP programme. UK travellers can sign up for FCDO email alerts for their destination.

## Sources

- [Foreign travel advice](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice), Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK) (official, accessed 2026-10-27)
- [The 2026 State of Solo Travel Report](https://www.hostelworld.com/state-of-solo-travel), Hostelworld (study, accessed 2026-10-27)
- [Apply for a free UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)](https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/apply-for-a-free-uk-global-health-insurance-card-ghic), NHS (official, accessed 2026-10-27)
- [112, the European emergency number](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/112), European Commission (official, accessed 2026-10-27)
- [Entry/Exit System (EES)](https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen/smart-borders/entry-exit-system_en), European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs (official, accessed 2026-10-27)
- [ETIAS, European Travel Information and Authorisation System](https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en), European Union (official, accessed 2026-10-27)
- [Mobile roaming costs](https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/internet-telecoms/mobile-roaming-costs/index_en.htm), Your Europe (European Union) (official, accessed 2026-10-27)
- [Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)](https://mytravel.state.gov/s/step), U.S. Department of State (official, accessed 2026-10-27)