This article was written by Laura Darch, published on 22nd December 2020.
Hi everyone, I’m Laura and on my year abroad I studied at UDLAP in Mexico and Aix Marseille in France. During my time in Mexico, I was lucky enough to do a lot of travelling so I managed to see a lot of the country and all its amazing places.
Most of my trips I did with friends, or with a travel company based in Cholula (Cholula Capital), however I did travel to Mérida on my own. If you can, I would really recommend travelling as much as you can on your year abroad; you can see so many amazing places even when on a budget! Here are some of my top tips for solo travelling that I learnt throughout my time in Mexico:
- Stay in a hostel
Staying in a hostel can be one of the best ways to meet likeminded people of a similar age. I booked a girls-only room and not only was it super cheap, I also met some people to go for food with in the evenings and to talk to, which definitely made it feel less alone. I also made sure it was in a central location to the town so I didn’t have to take too much public transport on my own. Hostel World is a really good website to find hostels and has lots of reviews.
2. Know how to get there and back
This might sound easy, but you need to know how to get to and from the airport or bus station either side. I pre-booked a transfer for when I arrived into Mérida and one for the way home, so I knew that when I got off the plane I didn’t have to stress about finding my way into the town centre or to the hostel! It is also useful to know if Uber works when you are travelling to or if there is a different reliable taxi service you can use.
3. Research the area
I think this was more important in Mexico than in France, because I wanted to make sure I would be safe there on my own. Before I went I made sure I knew what to expect and I also looked up anything I wanted to do whilst I was there. I wanted to go to Chichén Itzá so I booked a tour before I had left home, which meant I didn’t have to rely on the hostels internet to look things up!
4. Keep in contact
If you are going to be travelling solo, make sure your friends and family know where you are going to be. I gave the details of my hostel to friends in Mexico so if anything went wrong they knew where I was staying. Also make sure to have an emergency contact in an accessible place, I made mine favourites in my phone for the weekend so if I ever needed to call anyone, it was easy to do so!
5. Be prepared
Make sure that you don’t forget anything when you travel, because unlike if you are travelling with a friend, you can’t just borrow something. Important things include: passports (if you are flying), insurance documents, cash and bank cards, portable charger and cable and a padlock if you are in a hostel.
Most importantly have fun! Solo travelling can be daunting but also a really good chance to meet new people and see new places.
If you have any questions regarding travelling in general or Mexico, or anything year abroad related, don’t hesitate to leave a comment and I will get back to you!
Languages Year Abroad (Uni of York) 