Don’t let unmet expectations steal your travel joy! If you find yourself saying, “That wasn’t worth it” Astrid Clements, your solo travel advisor, has some tips and coaching for you can have a positive travel mindset and manage your expectations no matter what your travel experience. Astrid has a lot of experience turning so-so experiences into winning trips. Get past over-hyped sights and supposed “must-dos” that don’t deliver and get into serendipity, openness, and hassle-free happy expectat

Oh, sweet irony—you leave your home to see new things only to be greeted by crowds, lines, and people wherever you go! Over tourism, lines, uncomfortable crowding—all of these factors can make it seem like it’s not worth it to go anywhere. Astrid Clements doesn’t like crowds either and has some tips for managing crowds, lines, and overstuffed destinations. Listen to this episode of Solo Travel Talk, the Hassle-Free Travel Series if you want some tips about managing the hassle of crowds on...

No fooling around: we’re diving into the dark heart of travel hassle in this episode of Solo Travel Talk. When people gripe about travel hassle, are they really just saying flying is a hassle? We used to get dressed up to fly, but these days the flying game is all about managing the misery. Your solo travel advisor Astrid Clements has filled this episode with tips for preparing for and managing the flight portion of your travels. This episode is part of Astrid’s series on Hassle-Free Travel.

Is hassle blocking you from pursuing the travel you want to experience? Do you get filled with a mild (to severe) sense of dread when thinking about hitting the road? Astrid Clements, founder of Astrid Solo Travel Advisor and The AstridTravel Club, brings you the new Solo Travel Talk podcast series—The Hassle-Free Travel Series. On this inaugural episode of the series, Astrid shares the key elements of making travel hassle-free plus introduces what’s coming up in the series.

BONUS: The AstridTravel Club has an amazing slate of trips planned for 2020! Astrid shares the inspiration for the club, what the club offers, and how to know if membership is right for you. We also speak to Madeline Freret, who is a trip facilitator and the force working behind the scenes to make the ATC member experience wonderful. Affordable luxury, mindful travel, time for reflection—all of these qualities come together in the AstridTravel Club, with the Astrid Clements flair (of course.)

It has happened again: Astrid is flexing her superpower of hotel selection, even in Japan. The Hotel New Otani is elegant, with traditional gardens, onsen, restaurants, concierge, beauty and thoughtful touches throughout. Your solo travel advisor Astrid Clements is famous for getting a high-quality hotel for her travels. On this final episode of the Japan Series, Solo Travel Talk let us sweep you away to Japan and the elegance of Hotel New Otani.

Japan is famously not “religious” yet there is a sense of spirituality that permeates throughout. From cultural touchstones, to shrines and temples, talismans, even manners and customs all seem to carry a piece of the spiritual life of Japan. Our solo travel advisor Astrid Clements sensed it on her recent trip to Japan and trust us when we say the spiritual energy had its impact.

Japan seems to be a country and a culture that appreciates reflection and beauty. These values come together in a unique way when it comes to the gardens of Japan. Your solo travel advisor Astrid Clements loves exploring gardens on her adventures, and what a treat were the gardens she viewed in Japan. One part aesthetics; one part philosophical ideals, Astrid is going to transport us, through the magic of podcasting, to the spectacular gardens of Japan.

Japan may seem so different to Westerners, and there are lots of tropes and maybe even stereotypes about Japanese culture and the potential to clumsily cause offense. Your solo travel advisor Astrid Clements is astute at acclimating herself to a culture before she travels, and her recent trip to Japan was no different. I’m producer Catherine O’Brien. What should you do? What is taboo? Astrid shares all as we explore Cultural Do’s and Don’ts – Japan.

If you have been following your solo travel advisor Astrid Clements’ podcast series on Japan, you know how much Astrid enjoyed exploring the country; seeing all the natural beauty; learning more about the culture. But—Astrid has also mentioned that Japan solo travel has some challenges, too. Thankfully Astrid is here with all her notes about how to navigate some of the challenges of solo travel in Japan plus Astrid has a whole batch of tips that will make Japan as wonderful for you as it was...

We love food tours, yes we do… and your solo travel advisor Astrid Clements had a fabulous foodie time on her trip to Japan. Astrid’s take was that Japan is a serious about their food as the French (the apex of food appreciation in Astrid’s opinion.) Astrid shares what she learned dining in Japan, plus gets specific about some recommended food tours and restaurants. Our food episode warning is in place for this edition of our solo travel podcast: do not listen hungry!

We interrupt this Solo Travel Talk Japan Series to bring you some exciting news: your solo travel advisor Astrid Clements has launched The AstridTravel Club. The AstridTravel Club brings together several elements that Solo Travel Talk listeners will appreciate. Affordable luxury, mindful travel, reconnecting, cultural appreciation, arts, gardens, time for reflection—all of these qualities come together in the AstridTravel Club, with the Astrid Clements flair (of course.)

Japan offers so much culture, natural beauty, amazing cuisine, architecture, and much more. Host Astrid Clements visited major metropolitan areas, some more traditional cities, and made sure to include Hiroshima as a destination. Since this was such a fabulous trip, Astrid had a tough time narrowing things down to a Top 10, but she did! And for our listeners who love how-to’s, we have a tip in the middle of the show about itinerary building for solo travelers.

Solo Travel Talk returns!! (With a twist….) Your solo travel advisor Astrid Clements spent several weeks in Japan and came back with a passion to persuade everyone to put Japan on their MUST visit list! Perhaps you haven’t considered Japan as a destination—too expensive, too hard, too far—whatever your reasons, Astrid is here to explain how Japan is more accessible than ever. This trip had quite an impact on Astrid, and she’s here to share all her insights and new affection for the Land of...

The travel industry is always trying to improve and solo travelers especially can benefit from some of the trends shaping up to take hold in 2019. Your solo travel advisor Astrid Clements has a keen eye for what solo travelers should know, what they should ignore, and what to get in on right away! This version of “Astrid’s Solo Travel Trend Watch” is sure to get you prepared for the year ahead.

Savvy solo travelers are all about maximizing their experiences, and knowing how to use stopovers can be a seriously powerful tool at your disposal. Who better than your solo travel advisor Astrid Clements to explain it all! What a stopover is, how to use it, who offers them—all that and more on this episode of Solo Travel Talk.

Astrid Clements has revealed in many (MANY!) of her podcast episodes that one of her super powers is picking hotels. On Astrid's recent trip to Paris, this super power was on display! The Hotel Raphael, located in the 16th Arrondissement of Paris is the utmost in refinement and elegance-- all while meeting Astrid's "affordable luxury" standard! Escape to the beauty and class of this boutique hotel plus hear some of Astrid's tips for finding your gem of a hotel on your next solo travel journey.

Solo travel has been evolving quickly in the last few years. As more and more people are becoming aware of all the possibilities that await the solo traveler, some of that attention can make it appear that solo travel is merely “having a moment,” making it a fad instead of a true shift in how we experience the world. On this 100th episode of Solo Travel Talk, Astrid Clements is going to show how solo travel is where it’s at, coming into its own.

Zoom in on a map of Paris and you will notice a spiral configuration of lines dividing up the city. The Arrondissement system of neighborhoods is one of the defining elements of the character of Paris. Your solo travel advisor Astrid Clements spent time in the 16th Arrondissement and has some advice, some stories, some recommendations… the full Astrid report.

For many of us, getting a stash of small bills is part of the pre-trip planning routine since we will be tipping all the various helpers that we encounter on our travels. However, tipping is NOT universal. Your solo travel advisor Astrid Clements has some tips and advice on how to handle gratuity with grace no matter where your solo travels may take you. How much? To whom? Where?? When to say “keep the change” and more on this episode of Solo Travel Talk.

The whole point of traveling somewhere is to do activities that are fun or interesting or enriching or otherwise give you the experience of your destination when you get there. The queen of pre-trip planning Astrid Clements has some thoughts and recommendations about setting an itinerary. This episode has a lot of focus on timing, such as when to start planning; how to organize your travel time effectively. Solo travel procrastinators, don't worry: Astrid has some suggestions for you, too.

We like debunking preconceived ideas about solo travel here on Solo Travel Talk, and your solo travel advisor Astrid Clements is just the person to do it. True? False? Somewhere in the middle? Let's get Astrid's take on some common thoughts about what it's really like to travel by yourself as we play a game we're calling True False Solo Travel.

Your solo travel advisor Astrid Clements loves to talk lodging! Hotels are a top topic for Astrid because she regards her hotel as her home away from home while on her solo adventures. On this solo travel podcast episode, Astrid shares her tips about when to book your hotel, how to book your hotel, and even how to find the hotel you are going to book! If you like lodging, this Solo Travel Talk episode is for you.

Your solo travel advisor Astrid Clements is a big proponent of familiarizing yourself with a culture before you visit a destination. How does this advice come into play for one of her very favorite places, Paris? For years, visitors to France seemingly have endless tales about so-called rudeness or other cultural faux pas. Astrid has some thoughts on this trope: first off, attitudes are a-changing plus, with a few helpful do’s/don’ts you can easily have a tres bien solo Paris adventure.