Traveling solo can be scary, especially being a female. I have done a few trips by myself and although some were more intense than others, I wanted to share some tips for those of you who are interested in traveling yourself in the future. Here are some tips that I hope will get you thinking of your next trip!
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Start Small – Before I go anywhere, I plan a small weekend trip by myself. There’s no rule that states you have to wander through Asia on your own with a backpack for six months to qualify as a solo traveler. A weekend alone in a city you’d like to see is also a solo trip. By going away for the weekend you probably don’t have time to get homesick. But you still have to make a few decisions for yourself and get used to the feeling of independence that comes with it. It can take some adjustment to get used to of course.
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Choose a place where you feel comfortable – You don’t have to travel the world to take a solo trip. Sometimes just exploring a city nearby your home is just as exciting. My first solo trip was a town only a few miles away from mine that was safe, clean and had a bit of culture to it. It gave me a strong and satisfied feeling to try for my first time.
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Make a plan -Nothing can ruin your trip as much as arriving in a city and then being bored to death. There is little chance that this will happen if you check in advance what you would like to see. You can craft a plan around it, so you always have something fun to do. But the good thing is that you can let this plan go if you make new friends, with whom you want to hang out. The plan can either be your guide or your backup, whichever you want.
- Make contact – If people don’t come to you, muster up the courage and talk to people yourself. People in hotels are open to contact, they like it. Ask the standard questions and you’re guaranteed of having a conversation: Where are you from? How long have you been here? Where are you going? And if no one wants to talk to you (I doubt it!), then you can always go out for dinner by yourself and read a book in the evening. Also not bad, right? (Seriously: don’t be afraid to ask a group if you can join them for dinner. The chance that they say yes is very big.)
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Stay in touch with the people at home – Your parents and friends may be worried about you traveling alone so make a plan to try and keep them informed about how you are doing. My parents are always so sweet to help watch my cats and keep my house clean while I’m gone. For instance, I hate when my kitchen counters are dirty so they stop by to keep them looking shiny and sparkly while I’m out. My counters are from Premier Surfaces Chattanooga, a great countertop company that specializes in custom counters for your kitchen, bathroom or outdoor spaces! They have everything from granite, limestone or marble to choose from!
Image: Premier Surfaces Chattanooga -
Trust your feelings and gut – Traveling alone is not dangerous. Of course, you have to pay attention. And yes, there is always a chance that you’re unlucky. But if you trust your feelings and intellect, you probably won’t have any problems. Always pay attention to your belongings. Don’t tell strangers where you sleep (why would you?) and don’t walk alone at the streets at night. If you get a bad feeling from someone, don’t feel obligated to continue talking to that person.
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Enjoy – And that’s the beauty of solo traveling. You get to know yourself very well. You will learn exactly what you want and don’t want. I learned that I’m an introvert at night but an extrovert during the day when I’m exploring. You’ll learn so much about what yourself that soon, it’ll become second nature and you’ll enjoy the experience and the adventure that awaits each trip!
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33 thoughts on “7 Tips For the Solo Female Traveler”
I have never traveled by myself so I applaud you for being brave and doing so. It’s true that we need to be careful as women when traveling by ourselves and you give good tips to make sure that you are being cautious while enjoying yourself!
aw thank you friend 🙂
I would never travel alone, but my sister goes all over the world by herself. It’s not always easy to stay in touch with people at home, but so important to do so.
I have been a solo traveler for just over 2 years and I love it, its terrifying every single time but the exhilarating feeling makes me do it more and more. I always inform my loved ones of my plans so they know where I am off to and always update my facebook as I travel
those are great tips Miranda!
Just because a person is single doesn’t mean she can’t travel and enjoy herself. Wonderful tips for traveling by oneself. Now get out there and travel.
Raises hand!! I’m a solo female traveler and I love it! I’m starting to work on going to bigger and bigger places but I definitely agree with starting small!
hey girl hey!! so awesome 🙂 let me know your next adventure!
These sound like some great tips, I am sure it is a really amazing experience to travel alone, although perhaps a little scary at times.
I’ve traveled alone for business and personal and I love it! Tip #6 speaks to me. So many of my friends are like “OMG, you’re going alone?” Yes. I avoid dark places, walk in well lit and populated places and make sure I’m aware of my surroundings. My safety is a major concern.
My first solo trip was to Japan, which in retrospect was not a very wise choice lol! Few people understood me and all the signs were in Japanese! It was fun though and people were very helpful. I think just being street smart and trusting your gut go a long way.
I have not traveled too much on my own. Guess I don’t have the confidence and now I have a family of 5.
This is great advice! When I started travelling solo I only went to places where I could speak the language. This helped me get used to navigating unfamiliar surroundings on my own and made me feel safer since I could communicate easily. Now that I’m used to travelling solo I feel comfortable enough to go to more exotic locations
Great advice! I love those strong enough to travel alone. I had my first experience a few weeks ago and it is so empowering.
I have never traveled alone but after reading your post I can imagine that it would be liberating and exciting to make my own plans and go where I want to.
I travel solo a lot. It’s great not to be tied to anyone else’s restrictions or schedule. Definitely important to check in with those back home.
This is helpful advice! I’ve done quite a few solo trips that were relatively close to home but I’d love to start going to other countries.
These are great tips for many travelers! I am not much of a traveler but will keep these in mind, and send along to a few friends of mine who go many places!
I have never traveled by myself, but I do do a lot of traveling with just me and my kiddos. Your tips are totally applicable in many cases for me too!
I don’t have an interest in traveling alone, I’d much rather it be with someone. My Mom is retired and does travel alone and loves it.
These are such great travel tips. It can be intimidating to travel alone as a woman and these tips are a great way to empower women to see the world.
I am all about making a solid plan before traveling. Everyone kids me about how well I plan but it always ends up being a perfect trip so that is my most important tool!
Oh, I would be afraid to travel alone. I know not all women are like me, so these tips are perfect for staying and feeling safer while traveling alone.
This is on my bucket list. I’ve never traveled anywhere on my own. I would start out with a day trip and go from there.
I do short day trips, but really don’t make trips by myself. My hubby and I enjoy road trips together too much. Maybe if I was younger.
These are great tips! I have never traveled alone but I think starting with a weekend away is the best way to begin traveling alone. Also, when traveling, alone or with others to stay in contact with people from home is always a good idea.
These are such great tips! I love the idea of picking a place that you’re comfortable with first. I’ve never traveled alone, but I’ve always considered it, and I would definitely pick Italy. I go every year, and I speak Italian fluently AND have a ton of family there, so if I do decide to go solo that’ll be #1!
These are all great tips! I have never really traveled much by myself but I use a lot of these tips when I travel with my family as well.
These tips make it sound less scary. I have never traveled alone and I’m not sure I could.
I wish I had done this when I was young! I guess I was just used to traveling as a family and being alone in a new place scares me. These are great tips you listed. I will send you link over to my friend. She is always flying off to somewhere.
Yeah, I have a bet with my husband and if I win I’m going on a trip all alone. I think that sounds like the ultimate relaxation.
These are good ideas, and I never really gave solo travel much thought. There are places I’d like to see, wintertime is a good time to plan a vacation – why not a solo!
Great tips! You know there are some people that can not sit down in a restaurant and eat a meal alone. So for them starting small would be very important