12 Helpful Tips For Female Solo Travelers — From A Girl Who Has Traveled To Over 40 Countries Solo

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I always rave about how fun it is to travel solo and especially as a woman. I have been traveling the world solo way before I ever started my travel blog. The first time I flew an international flight solo was when I was 11 years old. My first solo trip in the US was when I was 16 and my first international country I visited solo was Italy on my 25th birthday.

Traveling solo is kind of like riding a bike, the first few times you might be a little afraid, maybe even worried. Worried that something might not go right, worried of being lonely, worried about your safety or the language barrier, but after a few times, you just get so good at it! I’m at a point in my life where I only want to travel solo because I love it so much! The thought of traveling with others now stresses me out way more than if I was traveling alone.

That amazing feeling of knowing you can do what you want, whenever you want is so exhilarating, fun and exciting. I think that being a female solo traveler is empowering! It gives you confidence and teaches you so much about yourself and the world we live in. It definitely changes your outlook on life and the magical world we live in.

In the past 3 years of having this blog, I have traveled to over 40 countries alone! Some of these countries are Cuba, Mexico, Iceland, Japan, England, France, Spain, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Dominican Republic, Finland, Sweden, The Netherlands, Austria, Israel, Turkey, Norway, Greece, Italy, Czech Republic, Hungary and more! So I guess you can say, I know a thing or two when it comes to solo traveling.

So here are some helpful tips to make your female solo traveling easier, safer and fun.

1. Research Your Destination

There are clearly safer countries than others, do your research. If this is your first solo trip, maybe start off in a country that you know is 100% safe, perhaps a country with a very low crime rate just to help you be a little less stressed out. For example, Iceland is known for being the #1 safest country in the world and from personal experience, I would have to agree. Other great options are Denmark, New Zealand, Japan, Canada, Finland, Ireland and Singapore.

If there is a country I’m curious about visiting, I normally google the country’s name and research its safety level and what I should watch out for. I also check up on vaccination, visa requirement, if people speak my language there, what the currency exchange is, if it’s an expensive country to visit and more. Get as much information as you possibly can before you go so you’re stress-free and don’t come across shocking facts when you get there.

2. Hotels & Hostels

When traveling solo, I personally think that investing money into a nicer hotel is so well worth it. Yes, it can be expensive but it also gives you a sense of security. It’s very important to always know you’re staying at a safe hotel, that’s nice and clean and close to the city center. It makes your trip far more enjoyable.

Another option is staying at a hostel, a very popular option for solo travelers and a great place to meet new people. I’m personally not the biggest fan of staying at hostels, however, if I’m on a tight budget and really want to visit a country or hotel prices are through the roof and I found I nice hostel, I’ll stay there. For example, 2 years ago I did a Euro-Trip that consisted of visiting 9 countries in 3 weeks. I really wanted to visit Iceland, but Iceland is known for being one of the most expensive countries in the world. I still believe to this date, that Iceland, Sweden and England were the most expensive countries I’ve visited. So I ended up finding a really nice hostel in Iceland called LOFT, located in the city center, literally the perfect location. The hostel was beautiful, renovated and clean, I’d almost like to consider it as a luxury hostel. It ended up being even greater than I thought and I ended up meeting great people who are still my friends today.

Do your research, look at photos, read reviews, check to see how many people are staying in the room with you, if there is a safe place to store your luggage, you might score a really nice place and save some money.

3. Travel During The Day

One of my personal rules for traveling solo is to always explore during the day and never past dark. This all depends on the country you’re visiting as well and I make very little exceptions to this rule. Normally the only time I will travel/explore during the night is when I’ve made friends on my trip. I have had my share fair of getting lost at night in not the greatest areas and stuck with no WiFi. I also personally think that after a long day of exploring we all need our beauty sleep and time to chill out. I’ll normally have dinner at my hotel at night, take a bath, go through my photos and take this time to connect with my family and friends.

4. Learn Your Surroundings

Knowing your surrounding is important. I have a very photographic memory and use it to my advantage when traveling solo. I always like to know as much as I can about the city I travel to, just in case I get lost or if I want to travel by foot.

Before I travel and pick my hotel, I like to get to know the city I’m traveling to as much as possible. I normally research how far the airport is from the city center, how far my hotel is from the city center and the areas I want to explore. Then when I finally get to my destination I like to always book (if available) a hop-on hop-off city tour bus. This is a great way to save money and learn about the city that you’re traveling to. It gives you a great idea of your surroundings and places to explore.

5. Connect With Other Female Solo Travelers via Tourlina app

If you’re really looking for a new way to connect with other female solo travelers try the app Tourlina.

Tourlina is an app that was created for all of us female solo traveler to meet travellers! It’s aimed for solo female travelers to connect with other female solo travelers based on their travel itineraries. Tourlina manually verifies each new user to check that each user is a woman and not a man or a fake so that you can be safe. This means that Tourlina is able to provide you with a much safer international female travel buddy experience. This also gives you the opportunity to meet local women who are just as curious about the place you from as you are theirs. Your other option is to meet other international female travelers. Definitely worth a try!

6. Learn Some Basic Words

Learning a few basic words in the country that you’re going to travel to so helpful, important and the locals will always appreciate you for trying. Learn how you say hi, thank you, bathroom, excuse me, how much and how are you. This will all come in handy at some point. You can always download apps to help as well.

7. Be Cautious With Your Possessions

I’m always aware of my purse, camera, phone, money and passport when I travel and you always should be, but when I travel alone, I’m even more cautious about it. I normally like to travel without my brand name purses and normally carry a purse that goes across my chest. I also like to hide some of my cash in my bra for safe keeping and just in case of emergency.

Always make sure your purse is closed and that you have everything that you need. Almost every country has pickpocketers, especially in crowded touristy places, so be extra cautious in these areas.

8. Always Try To Blend In

A very important thing that I always stand by is blending in the crowd when I travel solo. You never want to attract too much attention to yourself when you travel alone. There have been times where I dressed down my normal look or makeup to not stand out. At the same time, I also think it’s fun to dress up in the theme of the country that you’re visiting. Try to find a perfect middle ground and not look too touristy.

9. Go on Excursions & Tours

I LOVE traveling alone and taking an excursion, it’s a must in my world! It keeps you busy, saves you money, helps you meet awesome people and you can always count on someone to take your photos!

10. Always Have a Plan B, C, D, G, Z

When traveling solo many things can go wrong and it’s fine, it’s normal, don’t stress out about it, just always make sure to have a plan B, C, D, etc. Anything can really happen in the world of traveling and especially when you travel alone. I’ve missed flights, been stuck with no money because a hotel accidentally charged me the same amount 4 times, I’ve had rain on what was supposed to be an exotic vacation and so much more. Always make sure you plan for anything. Carry extra cash, bring a jacket even though it says it’s going to be 95’F degrees your entire stay, BE PREPARED! I literally can write a book about all the things that have gone wrong during my trips. Most importantly try not to stress about it too much, you don’t want to ruin your vacation.

11. Use Social Media To Connect With Family & Friends

As a female solo traveler, I think it’s always important to be connected with your loved ones so that they know where you’re at and that you’re safe. I normally talk to my mom and best friend every day on Whatsapp, when I’m on the road.

However, don’t give out too much detail on your social media that’s posted to the public. I normally don’t post the name of the hotel I’m staying at until I have left, just for safety reasons.

12. You’re Never Really Alone

A question I get asked all the time about traveling solo is, aren’t you feel lonely? The answer is no, never. I think that when you traveling you have a higher chance of meeting people and making friends. I literally make friends EVERYWHERE, on tours/excursions, waiting for the bus, on a city tour bus, at the airport, on the plane, at hotel lobbies, at hostels, at attractions and more. You’d be surprised but ALOT of people travel solo and many times people will strike a conversation with you. Sometimes a simple question can lead to a long conversation. This has happened to me everywhere in the world sometimes in the strangest places. I also think that when we travel with others we are more likely to stick to our friends or our group of people. When you travel alone you’re more open to meeting people and making friends with locals or other tourists.

Enjoy your travels ladies! Have fun! If you have any question please feel free to comment below! 

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One Response to 12 Helpful Tips For Female Solo Travelers — From A Girl Who Has Traveled To Over 40 Countries Solo

  1. I did a lot of solo traveling when I was younger. Back in the olden days before the Internet! Though not as many countries alone as you have. Wow! Now that I’m single again, I’ll be back to solo travel. As you pointed out there’s many advantages to it, mainly not getting stuck doing something you don’t want to do but that your companion wants to visit. Good advice, especially not going out alone at night. If I had my own car or a rental, I might drive somewhere for dinner, but I wouldn’t just head out for a midnight stroll. I’d also join a group bus tour in the evening. But yes, night would be boring old me reading a book or watching TV in a hotel room. Safety first.

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