Is solo travel something you should try? Worried something might happen? Not sure where to begin? In reality, more and more women travel alone today and they love it. Don’t get us wrong, hitting the road with a bunch of best friends has its charm too, but solo travels just give you that special feeling of liberation and freedom.
However, solo travel especially for women can be a bit of a challenge if you haven’t done it before. That’s why we’ve talked to some of our favorite female solo travelers and asked them to share their tips, tricks, and advice on how to crush your first solo female travel adventure. Whatever the reasons you might have for wanting to travel on your own, embrace them, and get inspired by the following female solo travelers who travel the world on a daily basis.
1. Amalia, My Passport Abroad
“The world is not a scary place and I have been positively surprised by the kindness and generosity of strangers even when language is a barrier.”
Traveling solo as a woman was one of the best times of my life and an investment for my current personality making me more adventurous and independent. Traveling alone gives you all the possibilities, I always felt that I could literally do anything I wanted to do. Over the years I became more relaxed and confident exploring unknown places following advice from other female travel bloggers. I really encourage anyone to try it, even just one time as a challenge!’
2. Lucy, Absolutely Lucy
“Don’t think of solo female travel as putting you at a disadvantage.”
So often it is represented in the media as risky and unsafe for vulnerable women. The truth is solo female travelers are badass adventurers – even if you don’t feel like one just yet. Change your own perceptions of solo female travel and you change your experience. If you’re constantly on edge and worried, you are more likely to attract trouble. More often strangers jump at the opportunity to help, or to meet and make friends with solo female travelers. Walk with your head held high and be confident and friendly – it goes a long way!
3. Kate, Adventurous Kate
“One of my favorite tips for solo female travelers is to make a fake phone call”
Pretend to call someone when getting in a cab or Uber, walk to the back, and make a big show of reading the license plate out loud. The driver will know that you have someone waiting for you, and he’ll be all the more determined to deliver you safely. This particularly came in handy when my bus from Fier to Berat in Albania turned out to be a random dude in an unmarked white van! That time, I even took his photo.
4. Joanna, Lose the Map
“I usually like to learn some language basics on Duolingo and practice a few times conversationally with a local before visiting a country.”
I find that strangely enough, traveling alone usually leads to one of the most connected experiences you can have on the road. Because you don’t have the comfort zone of your friends or family to fall back on, you are more likely to strike up a conversation with locals and learn something about the place you are visiting, as well as get incredible recommendations on the bars, hangouts, and restaurants locals actually frequent.
I usually like to learn some language basics on Duolingo and practice a few times conversationally with a local on Italki.com before visiting a country. Even knowing a few phrases helps open up the dialogue much faster, and most locals are extra friendly towards visitors who went to the trouble to learn a little of the local language. There are plenty of websites like Meetup.com, as well as sites like ShowAround and ToursbyLocals that help link you up with locals with similar interests so you can get a little personalized tour of the city!
5. Vicky, Vicky Flip Flop Travels
“I was often asked if I was lonely on my adventure. I can honestly say it never got to that.”
Recently I traveled through Asia and North America for three years solo and I was often asked if I was lonely on my adventure. I can honestly say it never got to that. During my travels I met so many fun people along the way and actually enjoyed the moments by myself. There was only one point where I remember I thought it’d be a good time to have a group of friends, and so I signed up for a sailing trip in the Philippines. It was great to travel with the same people for a week and we became good friends. I was never lonely on my travels, but if ever I thought I needed company – I’d just do a tour.
3, 2, 1… Take-Off!
Wherever you’re traveling solo or your reason for going there, we hope these ideas will help you enjoy and plan a safe solo travel adventure. The truth is, traveling solo can change your life and we believe it can be empowering, enjoyable, and a wonderful experience. And remember, if you ever feel like using a company on your solo adventure, we have dozens of exciting experiences you can book anywhere in the world and make some friends along the way. So, what are you waiting for? Start planning your solo trip today.
Are you looking for some more travel inspiration? Check out these 35 Travel Accounts You Should Follow on Instagram in 2020.