The Ultimate First Time Solo Travelers Guide to Airports and Long Flights
Let’s be real, the anxieties that come with traveling alone is not just originating from foreign cultures and unfamiliar terrain, it can also come from some place as simple as the airport.
Airports and surviving long haul flights is a nightmare to most. It doesn’t make it any easier that traveling is different each time, as the airport, airline, country, flight experience, might change every time you go somewhere new.
And with being a first time solo traveler, you’ll learn it’s a completely different ordeal compared to traveling with friends and family. You are responsible for everything of course, so you need to be on top of things when it comes to organization and having the confidence to navigate the airport on your own.
This is all based on my own knowledge, as I am no expert when it comes to airports. This is simply my own advice for navigating airports and long flights. Every airport is different and will therefore have different requirements. Do your research and know before you go.
So without further ado, here is the ultimate guide tailored particularly for first time solo travelers navigating airports and long flights.
Plan in advance
If you plan on finding the most comfort while flying, know where you want to sit before such a long flight. Depending on the airline you may get to chose your seat ahead of time without a cost. Free seat selection is sometimes available when you check in a day before you flight. Aisle seats are your best bet, as it’s easy access for walking around and getting to the restroom. Sacrifice your perfect window seat view for the comforts that come with an aisle seat. Afterall trying to wake a sleeping seatmate that just doesn’t seem to want to budge, is something way more frustrating to deal with.
Along with picking an aisle seat, you should also take initiative and choose your meals offered on the airline ahead of time, if that is an option for you. For those of you who have a specific diet, depending on the airline you chose, you can find the right meal plan for you. Panning your meals might give you more comfort for the flight.
If you’re as obsessed with knowing everything before the flight like I am, take advantage of google maps or the airport’s website to find a layout of the airport. This way you’ll know what restaurants or shops are in your terminal, as well as just feeling more comfortable with navigating the airport.
As a first time solo traveler, you need to know how to stay on top of things. Make sure before your flight that you check in online. You should also maintain a well organized carry on and check in baggage. Create a mental list of essential items you’ll need to triple check for every once in a while when getting through the airport (such as passport/wallet/phone).
You also should absolutely have your transportation planned out for when you leave the airport upon arrival at your destination. Don’t be caught stranded at the airport surrounded by overpriced taxis because you haven’t prearranged your own transportation.
Be at your healthiest
Just like if you’re ever trying to donate blood or planning for anything athletic, you know what to do. Staying hydrated is crucial for surviving long flights as a first time solo traveler. Drink plenty of water the week before, and avoid foods that make you feel bloated.
Find Comfort for the flight
Pack your own comfort foods
Pack foods that you’re allowed to have on the flight. Check the airport’s website, but generally you can’t bring liquids and the food must be packed well. Check the rules for the airport for prohibited items, as well as the airline’s restrictions. For the most part, you’ll likely be able to pack a small sandwich and a few snacks for the flight.
Just in case, be prepared for your packed food items to be thrown out by security if by chance they do not allow it. Most grab something from the airport anyway, but to avoid the expensive prices and to feel confident that you have your own personal choice of foods for a long flight, you’re best off packing food from home.
Buy comfort foods
If you do end up buying food from the airport, be careful with what you chose. Find food that is light on your stomach. Nothing too salty. I recommend mostly just buying liquids such as juice and water for the flight. Orange juice is my go-to for getting energy for the entire flight.
Wear comfortable clothes
I grew up being told that it’s important to dress up when traveling from airport to airport. Back in the day, travel was a luxury, and it still is of course. But back then, people used to treat it like how it was, a luxury.
But I believe we’re well past the age of impressing people. Unless you’re hoping for that meet-cute at the airport. I’m not really sure what the success rates are for those kinds of relationships. But if you want to dress up, by all means, dress up. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being the best dressed for travel.
However, I believe that dressing comfortably is the most important factor in surviving long flights. Decide in advance what you want to wear so that you do have the most comfortable clothes for such a long trip. I also recommend bringing an extra outfit in your carry-on in case you want to change on the airplane or for when you land.
The temperature on an airplane can vary. Sometimes it’s freezing, other times it’s really warm, but you should plan for both. In that case, wear layers. I also recommend that you have compression socks for traveling long periods on an airplane.
Navigating the airport as a first time solo traveler
Navigating any airport might seem intimidating as a first time solo traveler. But there’s no reason to worry. Signs are your best friends in airports. In most cases you shouldn’t even have to ask anyone when you’re lost. Language shouldn’t be too much of a problem either, as English is provided on most signs in airports around the world anyway.
It’s still always good to prepare yourself for every part of the airport , so here are some tips to navigating any airport for first time solo travelers.
Check-in
Organization is key for getting through every section of the airport. You must have your boarding pass or check in confirmation with you, your passport, and any visas or returning/ongoing tickets with you. It’s common for the airline check-in to ask you about your final destination, any visas that you will need, and if you have a confirmed onward ticket before the end date of your visa. Once you have your bags checked in and your boarding pass ready, head towards security for departures.
Security
You always need to prepare yourself for airport security before you get to the airport. Like I said before, getting through the airport is fairly simple if you have good organization skills. Depending on the airport, there might be several security checkpoints which you should prepare for. A big piece of advice I have is to take pictures of what’s inside each luggage and carry-on so that you know where to find things quickly and smoothly. This is especially important for your carry-on. Organize your carry-on in a way that you can easily repack it again if you end up having to dump everything out in security lines. You also want to leave some room for if you plan on purchasing anything after security.
Depending on the airport, security will be handled differently. Just be on the lookout, observe how they are instructing the people in front of you and follow along. Remind yourself that everyone else is just as lost as you and no one cares that you look like you don’t know what you’re doing because everyone else feels like a herd of sheep too.
Personally speaking, almost every time I go through airport security, my carry-on has to be checked again. It’s not always because there’s something wrong with it. It doesn’t matter if you’re a first time solo traveler of a regular backpacker, There’s no reason to panic if you know you followed the rules on the airport’s website. Just wait for them to check your bag again, and have patience. You’ll get your bags back eventually with hopefully nothing thrown out in the process.
Departures
After security, always double or triple check that you have everything. Remember that mental list you’ve created for yourself. Security is the easiest place to lose anything really.
Find a place to grab a snack and a drink for the flight. As I said earlier, it would definitely be worthwhile to purchase juice and water before a long flight. Find your comfort foods, but make sure that you don’t overdo it. If you buy too many drinks while knowing you have a connecting flight. You’ll have to finish it all on the first flight as you’ll toss it all before going through security again.
As a first time solo traveler, time will be your biggest anxiety. Know when your boarding time is (don’t mistake it for departure time), and be at your gate at least 15 minutes before that time. Take this time to go to the restrooms and walk around, before you’ll be sitting for hours on end.
Connecting flights
If you’re trying to catch a connecting flight and you don’t have to check your bags in again, then you follow the signs for transfer. However, if you do need to collect your bags and check them in again, which typically happens when you choose a different airline or you’re switching from international to domestic, you’ll most likely have to go through arrivals and begin the process all over.
When you have the boarding passes for both flights, you most likely won’t need to check your bags in again, but that is not always the case. Always make sure you know which kind of transfer you’ll need to do, before you lose all your bags in an airport halfway to your final destination. Ask the airline when you check in the first time whether or not you’ll need to check your bags in again.
How to survive the flight
How to distract yourself on long flights as a solo traveler
Entertaining your mind is what will make or break your long flight as a first time solo traveler. Some people can watch the entire Harry Potter series in one go, while others will just listen to All too Well by Taylor Swift on a loop and the time will fly by, literally. Know how to distract yourself on a long flight. Or if simply sleeping is all that you need, that’s probably the best distraction out there.
Download movies, music, and shows on your phone or computer. Try not to look at the map airlines sometimes provide on the screen in front of you, as you’ll be constantly checking how far you’ve traveled and the time will slow to a crawl. The whole “are we almost there yet?” scenario will be your biggest problem, so don’t do it no matter how tempting it is. Something I like to do is check the map only after completing a movie or a long show, as I know for sure some time has passed.
Keep your health up
You really need to get up every once in a while for your own health and sanity. It’s not safe to sit the entire flight. Whether you’re getting up to go to the bathroom or just to stretch your legs, it is recommended that you do that whenever you can on a long flight.
Keep drinking water or juice throughout the flight and stay hydrated. Be careful with airplane food. If it’s only going to make you feel unwell, just don’t bother with it. That’s why packing some comfort foods of your own is so important.
Final Thoughts
No matter how much you prepare or how much comfort you indulge on your journey through airports and long flights, it will be a tiring experience because you are doing it all on your own. Don’t make it such a bad experience that you lose interest in traveling solo all together and learn how to travel your own way.
I hope you enjoyed my travel guide for navigating airports and long flights for first time solo travelers. I’d love to hear what works for you for long flights in the comments. There’s always a need for learning more tips and tricks to survive long haul flights. Safe travels!
Maeve
Ram ram!
We’re Maeve & Kart – an introverted American girl with a love for letters, flowers, and chai on one side, and an introverted extrovert nature enthusiast Indian boy with a sweet tooth on the other.
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We are Maeve and Kart – a long distance married couple from America and India.
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