I’m going to New York City for the first time! Big thanks to my friend Ivy for a great deal on my accommodations. I’m renting out her former apartment in Brooklyn for 6 nights in June, with 5 fully free days to explore the city. Of course that’s not enough to even scratch the surface of the city, but I’m pretty happy with the itinerary I’ve come up with. It’s a lot of walking, a lot of subway trains, and relatively budget-friendly. Doing this in an affordable way is important to me, since I’m saving up to move in with my boyfriend at the end of summer, and we all know how cheap moving is :)
I’m going to take you through the different stages of how I plan solo travel. It’s accessible, messy, and fun. I basically just throw a bunch of stuff on a Google Doc and organize it over a period of a few weeks. I’ve taken screenshots while planning my NYC trip so you can see my thought process. These docs are always a WIP until the day I leave, or even afterwards. This one is much less stringent than my Paris trip, both because I’m leaving room for spontaneity and because I want to honor my body’s limits.
Note: This post is geared towards those who are planning a trip/vacation by themselves. But if you’re travelling with other people, or even if you’re just dreaming of travel right now, it might be a helpful read. Leave me a comment or tap that heart button if you enjoy it!
Step #1: Research
Google everything. I searched “what to do first time in NYC,” “first-time tourist tips for NYC,” “ultimate NYC bucket list,” “best cheap food in *insert borough here*” etc. I read everything I could find and made a huge list of literally everything I might be interested in seeing at some point. It may not all happen on one trip, but it helps me figure out what to prioritize and gives me a feel for what a city offers.
I do this for every place I visit. Sometimes I even search for things to do and eat in Seattle despite living here. Copy the URLs, throw in images, make bullet lists. Throw everything on the doc at this point!
Step #2: Get specific
Get the exact itinerary dates lined up. I book my flight and my lodging as soon as possible, typically both on the same day. I always use Skyscanner and Google Flights to find flights. Get Google Maps open in another tab and figure out how you’ll get from the airport to your accommodations and vice versa. Keep the tab open, you’ll need it later.
Put your travel dates in a list format at the top of the doc. These are your beautiful baskets of potential. Write in your flight/transportation times, and any obligatory or planned-for events that you’re attending. If you’re traveling for a conference, a wedding, or something else that is the “big event,” write it down right now.
Basically, we’re figuring out how much free time we have, and where we can plug in all those fun, educational, and/or delicious things we compiled in Step #1. This can be as precise or loose as you want. I like to nail it down to the hour.
Step #3: Must-Do and Do-Later
Start narrowing down your bucket list for the city. What are the top things you want to do and see and eat? Choose one or two things per day that are of high importance to you. Not for anybody else – you! And if you want a more low-key trip, choose a couple must-dos per week instead of per day. Plug them into your growing itinerary under the chosen day, in chronological order.
Remember to check the opening hours for museums and restaurants, and reshuffle your itinerary as needed. You’re going to build your trip around your top checklist items. Don’t delete the discards, just move them into a “later” bucket or a different document.
Step #4: Spackle in some spontaneity
Ok, you should have a good itinerary going, but there will still be a lot of holes. Start spackling them in with other items from your bucket list. Don’t lose all your holes; those are the places where spontaneity and surprises happen!
Step #5: Cosplay as a Type-A
Double-check the business hours and opening times for everything, and make adjustments if needed. Don’t give yourself an early timeslot for something super important if you’re a late riser. Respect your natural body rhythms, your acceptable level of physical effort, and the places that your heart calls you to go.
Buy event tickets and make reservations in advance if you can; this will save you time and occasionally, money. I found $90 Broadway tickets (relatively affordable) for my friend and I, and decided that would be my main splurge for the trip. Broadway is a unique-to-NYC activity and one of my favorite singers is in the lead role at the show I’m going to! So it’s well worth it to me and will probably be the highlight of my trip.
Step #6: Get real with yourself
Look at your itinerary critically. If you’re like me, you’ve crammed it absolutely full of stuff and have no idea how close or far everything is, distance-wise. This is the time to flip back to your Google Maps tab and figure out distances and transportation options. Try to organize your days to save your feet as much as possible; you only have two and they will tire fast on an exciting vacation! I learned that from my Paris blisters.
Remember this trip is for you and nobody else. A day on vacation in a new city can never be wasted, if you listen to what your body and heart want.
Step #7: Pack carefully
Now that your itinerary is looking beautiful and shiny and filling you with joy, let’s figure out what to pack! If you’re like me, you’re just taking a carry-on and a personal item, so efficiency and economy is key. Research the weather in the place you’re going for the time you are there. Talk to a local if you know one, and ask what people typically wear at that time of year.
Always take a portable phone charger if you’ll be sightseeing away from your lodging for several hours at a time. And leave some extra room in your luggage for at least one souvenir that calls to you. You’re an adult, so I’m not going to tell you how to dress yourself, but I always find it helpful to take versatile pieces that I can make multiple outfits from.
Final Note
It’s a rough season for travel right now, so be timely and kind at the airport and the tourist traps (and everywhere else!). Check out this post from Travel with Meena for more info and tips on the current state of affairs in travel, especially the struggle of traveling to Europe right now.
Remember, you have total control over your trip. That’s the best part of solo travel! Stay safe and have so much fun. I know I’m planning to.