Travelling alone is nothing to be scared of. Some only consider the negatives that are associated with travelling alone such as being lonely, not having anyone to talk to or boredom but forget all of the positive aspects that go with travelling solo... like giving yourself a bit of ME TIME! Sometimes you need to let it happen. So I booked flights from Sydney to Melbourne, chose a hostel and probably spent some of the best days ever by myself in that vibrant city. So here's how to enjoy Melbourne, for those of you, who travel alone:
Pictures are memories
Someone once told me that a picture is only worth a memory if you are in it. Well, hard to put that into reality when you travel by yourself, right? But since Melbourne is not the Outback, where you face hundreds of acres of desert without a soul to be seen, you can easily make those photo memories happen. Simply ask someone to take a picture of you, anyone would be happy to help! Within those four days in Melbourne, I can confidently assume I asked about 30 different people to take a picture of me. Good conversation starter by the way 😉
Google Maps & You
Exploring a city has never been more easy in today's world. You don’t have to purchase expensive tourist guides, simply use Google Maps, which not only navigates you through a city, but also gives you information on sights, stores and public transport. In case your battery dies, make sure you always have a physical map in your backpack, which you can get for free at any hostel or hotel. If plan B doesn’t work because you haven’t thought about packing a map beforehand (sounds like me), ask people for directions. When I got lost near Brighton Beach in Melbourne, I ended up asking two British guys for directions, took the train to the city with them and probably had one of the best in-depth conversations about moving abroad in my life.
Enjoy your loneliness
Melbourne is famous for coffee and I have to admit, it beat my expectations. If you are not into coffee, they have a fantastic array of teas in all different flavours. Anyway, one of the things I liked most in Melbourne was sitting down and enjoying a cup while watching everything around me move on at a fast pace. I highly recommend taking a stroll to Yarra River, choosing a cafe and simply observing everything around you. My favourite place to watch the world go by with a cup of coffee was: BearBrass. Take your time, it really calms you down, I promise.
Book guided tours
When in Melbourne, don't miss out on the Great Ocean Road & 12 Apostles or Phillip Island. I went for the easy option and booked two guided tours, you get picked up, have an informative, fun tour and are dropped back at your accommodation at the end of the day. These tours consist of small groups of approximately 20 people giving you the opportunity to receive an intimate tour with a local explaining everything to you as well as having the freedom to do your own thing. And most of the time, you'll want to join others anyway! I met loads of new people throughout the day and got to explore some of the most beautiful spots in the country.
These are some of my key takeaways from my lonely travels to Melbourne and honestly, I couldn’t have had a better time. The city is amazing, Melbourne reflects a really cool and laid back vibe and you can easily cover everything within 3-4 days. By walking around (even up to 15km per day) I got the best impressions of the city, however, there is a free tram zone in the centre in case you are busy. Sometimes some Me-time is the best you can do for yourself, I managed to relax and recharge my battery for all my upcoming assignments. Try to turn off your guilty feelings about school or housework, that can wait until you are back home. Allow some time do what is right for YOU.
Cheers, Anna-Sophie
For more travel adventures and tips, follow my blog or Instagram.
