Solo female travelling. The 5 must know top tips!
The first quarter of 2023 is about to come to an end and it’s time for new experiences! My suggestion? Why not start with a great solo trip to a place you have been waiting to visit for a very long time.
Booking that first solo trip might not be easy and thousands of ‘what ifs’ will start crossing your mind (yes, mostly bad thoughts, about things that have a 0.1% likelihood of happening by the way). Dear ladies, if you are concerned about going on a solo trip, then rest assured that wherever in the world you will be going there is really not much to worry about. Of course, some countries require more effort to visit than others but again, it is all a matter of preparing yourself, knowing what to expect and learning as much as possible about the country you are visiting.
Travelling solo as a female is in my opinion one of the most fulfilling experiences you can have and the best gift you can ‘buy’ for yourself to boost your self-esteem and confidence. It is an experience that every girl out there should do at least once in life. Therefore, I want to help you out with 5 must know top tips that are in my opinion essential when travelling solo. However, we need to talk about a very important factor first… FEAR!
DON’T BE SCARED of going by yourself!
Fear is of course a human emotion that we might not be able to control. However, when it comes to travelling solo, everyone might get a little concerned (let’s say I was like 60% sure when I went on my first solo trip😅). You start asking yourself tons of questions such as: What am I going to do if something bad happens to me, what if I feel sick, what if someone robs me, what if I lose my phone and I can’t contact anyone? Well girls, there is a solution for everything out there, no matter where you are in the world. The world is a much better place than the one portrait in the media. There are people living their lives all around our beautiful planet just like you do in your own city or town. Bad and good things just happen everywhere. The more you travel the more you will realize how wrong you were when asking yourself those questions and you will start to fully enjoy the time away by yourself.
As Jack Canfield said: “Everything you want is on the other side of fear.”
Now, that said, let’s get into those 5 tips I was telling you about…
1.Choosing your destination
Go on a short European city break first (or US city break if you live in that side of the world) and then, once you feel confident enough and discover just how capable you are all by yourself, book a longer trip in a faraway destination and embrace what I call ‘Phase 2’ of solo travelling! Personally, my very first solo trip was meant to be Santorini, but it ended up being Ukraine (meant to go with a friend but she felt sick last minute 😢). Ukraine was a great trip. I visited Kyiv and Chernobyl Town, met some people along the way and built some amazing memories. One month after, my second solo trip, Santorini, where I ended up meeting some amazing new friends with whom I’m still in touch today, and finally my ‘Phase 2’ trip arrived. Two weeks in the UAE visiting Dubai and a bit of Abu Dhabi (full itinerary here by the way), one of the most epic solo trips ever. Let me know where you are planning to go first!
2.How long should you go for
I believe that the perfect time for your first solo trip is about 4 to 5 days (by the way, have a look at my itineraries and see if you can find your next solo destination there). It is neither a very short or a very long time away and it will give you enough time to find out if solo travelling is for you or not. Going on a two-week trip if you are not 100% sure about whether you like being alone or not on holiday is not ideal and I definitely do not recommend it.
3.Do some good research
Doing extensive research on the place you want to visit is key for any inconvenience that might happen during your trip. Read as many blogs as you can to find out how it is like to be there in person, how safe the place is, what is the best and safest location to stay, where and which SIM card to buy if you won’t have internet access and of course don’t forget to take notes on all the beautiful things to see and do at your destination too!
4.Hotel or Hostel
First of all, it totally depends on your budget. Personally, I do like having my personal space, so I usually opt for hostels with private rooms or maybe pods, or I simply go for cheap hotels. Hostels are a great place for making new friends and talking to other likeminded travelers, but let’s be honest sometimes you might not get so lucky with your roommates. I was in a hostel in Dubai for 3 nights and my 3 roommates were barely talking. I tried starting a conversation with them a few times, they simply answered my question and that was it. Also, if you look properly, you might find some very convenient hotel rooms which might end up costing you as much as a hostel.
5.Don’t get yourself in trouble
Be always aware of your surroundings and ALWAYS, I mean ALWAYS, trust your instincts. If something tells you that it doesn’t look right, then just give up and move away from wherever you are. Avoid going clubbing or in areas where there is generally lots of alcohol around, people don’t know what they are doing when drunk and unfortunately as a female, they might try to approach you and might get some stupid and unwanted comments and attitude. I usually don’t go to clubs or pubs so it's not an issue for me to avoid them, especially when on holiday. Yet, I understand that for many it is a way of having fun and I respect that, but just keep that for when you are home and switch to explorer mode while on holiday by yourself.
Now that you have 5 of the most important things you should consider while booking your solo trip, make sure you start saving a little and go book that flight!
However, if you're still unsure about going on that trip by yourself then I would suggest you play a little game. Ask yourself the reasons why you are not 100% sure yet, write them down on a piece of paper and for each of your worries, write down a solution. I’m sure you will soon realize that everything can be resolved even if you are by yourself in a foreign country.
If you want to know more about solo travelling, then also check out my related blog post where I talk about some pros and cons of solo travelling for some more guidance.
Happy travel ladies!
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