Updated: April 2022
One of the biggest challenges of solo travel for women is actually making the decision to book your flight and pack your bag. There are so many preconceptions that people hold about solo trips but, the reality is very different from what most people imagine.
This is particularly true for women. I can’t tell you how many times people ask me,
“But aren’t you afraid?” or “Is it safe?”
The truth is, traveling solo changed my life and is the single greatest gift I’ve ever given myself. Like me, many women will find solo travel to be empowering, enjoyable, and a wonderful experience.
While some places are better for seasoned travelers, there are so many excellent solo travel destinations. Here’s my list of the 10 safest places to travel as a woman.
My goal is to encourage solo travel for women and shed light on how to make it possible, as I think it’s one of the best ways to learn about yourself and the world.
Here are just a few reasons why all women should travel solo!
The Freedom Is Wonderful
When you take a solo trip, what you eat, the activities you do, and how you spend your day are entirely up to you! Solo travel allows you to have endless options and this sense of freedom is a great thing to embrace.
Traveling with friends or family will often cause people to adapt to suit others in terms of what they do and where they visit. With solo travel, the ability to be selfish and do what you really want to do is wonderfully liberating.
Curious about solo travel destinations? Here are some of the best cities to travel alone!
The counter to this coin is that it does mean that there is no one else to blame if you end up on the wrong train or find yourself struggling with a menu in an unfamiliar restaurant!
Here are some of the top experiences to have as a solo female traveler.
Those moments are when we learn most about ourselves and rise up to overcome hurdles.
In my experience, this is the reason why you grow so much when you travel solo. You have to face challenges and obstacles, but in the end, you prove how strong you are.
Meeting New People
This might seem counterintuitive, but solo trips are actually a great way to meet new people!
The thought of solo travel may seem like a lonely one to many people but, it is amazing how often travelers will start conversations with solo female travelers.
There’s a curiosity around it and people are usually more inclined to lend a helping hand and play a part in your adventure. It’s happened to me time and time again around the world despite language barriers and cultural differences.
There are also many people who will want to find out more about you and will want to make sure you feel welcome in their city. This is the kind of experience that can really enrich your travels and restore your faith in people.
While you should be mindful of safety and surroundings, you can absolutely make friends on the road. Here’s how to meet people as a solo traveler!
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Confidence Boost
Solo travel for women is the ultimate challenge and, in turn, a confidence booster!
The hardest decision you will make with solo travel is to book a flight and pack a bag. Even that very first step of your solo trip is empowering. From there, the more you travel solo the more your confidence will grow.
While all of the organizing and hard work will fall on your shoulders, all of the pleasure that comes from a job well done when you have organized a life-changing trip will be yours to savor.
You are the one that made it happen, you are the one that figured out which terminal to go to, which train to board, and how to get to your accommodation. That’s huge!
When you take a solo trip, no matter the destination, you’ll realize just how capable you are of doing things.
On top of that, there’s this huge realization that you don’t have to wait for anyone – you can take yourself on a date to a restaurant and *gasp* eat alone! Once you realize that, there’s so much freedom.
It’s very empowering.
Here are fears you face while traveling solo (and might I add, conquer!).
On that note, I personally believe that travel is the best form of self-care!
Become The Master Of Your Destiny
Being able to do what you like when you like is something that is often underrated.
When it comes to solo travel, you can choose whether you want to sleep in, fill your day with activities or treat yourself to a day of getting lost in a beautiful city.
Solo travel is often associated with long-term travel and, if this is an option, being able to amend your route simply because you want to go somewhere on a whim is a great experience.
Do you absolutely love going on food tours? Want to indulge your inner child and spend all day geeking out over Harry Potter?
Whatever it is that you like to do, the choice is yours!
Learn To Be Resourceful
Until you are in over your head and desperately trying to figure out what to do next, you won’t really know how resourceful you really can be.
This is something that will sometimes happen when you travel, whether you miss a connection in a city you weren’t expecting to visit or you find yourself trying to arrange an activity that isn’t usually offered to tourists in an unusual destination.
Some of the most beautiful experiences come from the unexpected and even accidental. You will learn to loosen up and make the most of any situation.
No Compromises
Making compromises is a natural part of most trips, as you will have to choose a route to suit yourself and whoever you are traveling with. Finding experiences that suit everyone in your travel party means compromise is inevitable.
However, if you are traveling solo then these compromises are entirely up to you, whether you want a shorter holiday staying in hotels or if you prefer budget accommodation so that you can travel for longer.
Solo travel lets you prioritize what is most important for you.
Have you traveled solo? Let me know in the comments below!
The Ultimate Solo Female Travel Guide
Solo travel for women can be challenging — I’ve learned so much over the years (and I’m continually learning!). I put together this comprehensive guide to solo travel destinations and taking solo trips so you can better prepare for your next trip!
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I am graduating from university this year and wanted to plan a solo trip to Europe. None of my friends can/want to come, which I don’t really mind, but the solo aspect is really worrying my family.
I have had a number of conversations with my family which inevitably ended with me being told I was being stupid and dillusional, that I was showing a great lack of judgement by planning my dream trip alone. That I was taking an incredible risk. That it’s only in the movies that women can travel alone.
I am a smart, independent woman and will plan my trip adequately and familiarize myself with what to do in case of emergency prior to leaving. I have a fair amount of street smarts, don’t tend to go out after dark, and don’t divulge personal information or get too close to strangers.
I know that, since I am an adult, I don’t need my family’s approval to travel. But I would still like them to understand. I don’t want to spend the entire time between now and my potential trip fighting. Because if I leave and they still feel the way they do now, I will certainly not enjoy my trip and spend the entire time feeling guilty. Do you have any suggestions for alleviating their fears? Did your family feel the same way?
Thank you very much for your post. It gives me hope to see that solo travel really can be done.
Hi Hannah, Thank you so much for reaching out and for sharing your story! I went through a similar experience on my first long term trip abroad, mainly because I was leaving my job, and no one understood why I would leave such a great thing I had going for myself. But solo travel was the best thing I ever did for myself so I fully support you.
In regards to talking to family and alleviating fears, I wrote a post on it to help other solo female travelers going through the same thing: https://theblondeabroad.com/2015/05/19/how-to-talk-to-worried-parents-about-traveling-solo/
I hope it helps, and I hope you have an amazing, dream trip! xx
I unintentionaly traveled alone for the first time last summer when my friend I was traveling with decided she didn’t want to spend 3 months away from home about 2 weeks into our trip. As sad as I was to see her go, it was the BEST thing that could have happened! That may sound bad, but I met such amazing people and took the most awesome adventures that I would have missed out on had I not been traveling alone. If you’re afraid to travel alone as a female, don’t be. I never felt scared or uncomfortable at all through eastern Europe. The best places I found for solo travel were Budapest, Croatia, and Prague. HIGHLY RECOMMEND to all females!
What a great story, and outcome! Thanks for sharing! xx