If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you’re either considering solo female travel, have traveled alone and had a bad experience, or are simply trying to ease your mind/the minds of those worried about you traveling solo.
I’m also guessing that I’m not the only one who, at the mention of solo travel, is overwhelmed with questions and concerns from her friends and family.
Luckily, my loved ones have calmed down a bit over the years now that I’ve done this so many times, but I remember how nerve-wracking it was when I first decided to travel alone. They immediately started dumping all of their fears and concerns onto me.
If you’ve experienced the same thing, first off, just remember that those comments are coming from 1) a place of love and protectiveness and 2) their own fears. Odds are, many of the people who are most concerned are the ones who have never actually tried it themselves and have no concept of how dangerous it is or isn’t.
Instead, they’ve heard stories from friends and friends of friends, so they go around spreading those stories like wildfire. Each worst-case scenario they’ve ever heard will be presented to you as if it happened all the time.
My first experience with solo female travel:
I still remember the first time I traveled alone, which was in central Europe (in pretty safe places, I might add).
“You want to do what?!”
“But you’re only 19!”
“I’m just like, worried you’re going to get kidnapped or something.”
“You know, my friend travels alone a lot and she gave me this list of dangerous things you should avoid,” (a list so extensive it basically implied I shouldn’t go anywhere or do anything at all).
And then, my family was so worried about me traveling alone, that my mom and aunt even flew out from the states to meet up with me in Switzerland and accompany me down to my next destination in Italy.
(Though I’m still not 100% sure it was just for me…it very possibly could have been for the Swiss chocolate and Italian wine ).
But, low and behold, everything turned out just fine! I made it home in one piece after having one of the most memorable summers of my entire life.
And on top of that, at just 19, I was able to teach English in Spain, do a medical internship in Germany, and do bioinformatics research in Switzerland. That was also the summer that I street-performed for the first time as a ukulele-player and singer in order to raise money for a homeless man (though that’s a crazy story in it of itself for another time).
All this is just to say that, if you’re considering solo female travel, GO FOR IT! It’s absolutely worth it.
But, in order to ease your mind and the minds of your loved ones, there are several practical little things you can do to stay safe.
And, no, I’m not gonna give you the same old tips everyone does like lying about meeting up with someone even when you’re not or not going out alone after dark…because those are just common sense and, sadly, a given part of life as a woman. Should walking alone after dark need to be a constant concern? Definitely not.
But alas, here we are.
Instead, I’m going to give you some real, practical tips that have helped me feel safer during solo female travel.
Are they 100% fool-proof? Probably not. But hey, I’m alive and well and I’ve been to nearly 4o countries so — so far so good!
Personally, I’ve only had one “bad” experience while traveling. And honestly, it wasn’t that big of a deal and could’ve happened anywhere.
Basically, some creepy random guy started walking with me, asking to take a photo together, trying to hold my hand, telling me to walk in a secluded park with him, and eventually he even tried to grab me and kiss me.
Since this happened in broad daylight with plenty of people around, I took advantage of that and started yelling like a madwoman to get their attention and pushed him away from me. But, like I said, that could happen just about anywhere and at least I wasn’t physically harmed.
It was a good lesson though where tip #6 might have come in handy had I used it sooner.
The fact that it could’ve happened anywhere is something I wanted to point out to say that just because you’re traveling, it doesn’t mean that you’re in any more or less danger than you might be at home.
(Saying this because I’m actually a little tired of people telling me I’m brave for traveling alone. I promise you’re brave enough to do it too and it’s nowhere near as scary as you might think!)
Anyway, I’m going to quit blabbing so we can get to the actual tips! I really hope these come in handy and help you feel safer during solo female travel (or solo male travel; these are good safety tips for anyone to put to use but will mostly be with the ladies in mind).
Now, let’s get started.
1) Have your route planned out ahead of time.
I don’t know how many times while traveling I’ve seen a person or group of people stopped in the middle of the sidewalk with a map out, searching for their destination.
While this may have become less common due to the fact that we have maps on our phones, many hotels and hostels still hand out maps with their recommendations of where to go.
And just about nothing screams “tourist” more than taking out a map in public places. What’s worse than it drawing attention to you as a tourist, is the fact that it also draws attention to you in general as easy pickings.
Please, please don’t make it that easy for pick-pockets and other predators to spot you!
Since I personally don’t have an international plan on my phone, I always make sure to have my route planned out ahead of time whenever I’m going somewhere to avoid the whole map fiasco.
I do this in a few ways.
Before you’ve left while you’re at your AirBnB/hostel/hotel, be sure to:
- Download an offline map onto your phone like through Google Maps or the maps.me app. Look up where you’re going and save the route for you to follow after you’ve left.
OR write down the directions on your phone or in a journal or something else that you carry with you when you’re out and about.
That way, when you need directions, you can just pull out your phone instead. This is much more inconspicuous and won’t draw attention to you!
And if you have an international phone plan, then you’re all set. Take advantage of that instead of using a map. Though I know there’s often a limit to data with international plans, so those two suggestions might still be a better option.
If you’re in an area where it’s unsafe to have your phone out in public, be sure to write everything down somewhere like I mentioned in the second point above.
- Save the address of where your staying in your map or write it down somewhere.
Maybe you just want to go explore and do some sight-seeing, so you don’t have a particular route in mind.
That’s fine! You don’t need to have it all planned out and you shouldn’t…that’s the fun of travel. But make sure to remember your address and save it in your map to use later.
No matter how hard we try to find places on our own though, sometimes it’s inevitable that we get lost and need to ask for directions. This leads me to my second tip for solo female travel.
2) Ask the right person for directions.
By “right person,” I don’t mean that there’s any one specific person to ask for directions.
However, my advice is to never ask a random person on the street for directions. And in my experience, there are always creepy men ready to “help out.”
It’s like they have a radar or something for women who are lost or even women who aren’t but that they’re trying to start a conversation with.
“Can I help you find something?” and “are you lost?” quickly turn into “what’s a beautiful girl like you doing by herself?” or “I know where you need to go. Come with me, I’ll show you,” with these kinds of men.
Ladies, I’m sure you know the type.
To avoid that, whenever I do get lost, I ask someone more trustworthy for directions.
For example, you can go into a store or a restaurant and ask someone who’s working. A museum or gallery would be other good places to go. Basically, you can go anywhere nearby that looks like a safe place to enter.
Not only will the employees live in that area and know it well enough to be able to help, but they’re also working! Meaning they won’t be able to leave and “show you” where to go (i.e. follow you).
3) Always have a way to get in touch with people.
Even if you, like me, don’t have an international phone plan, it’s important that you still have a way to get in touch with people in case of an emergency.
Personally, I’ve never had to use my emergency back-up plan yet *knock on wood,* but I’m not waiting until I need it to get something figured out. And you shouldn’t either.
Instead, try one of the following options:
- See if your cell phone provider offers some kind of short-term international plan or emergency data option.
At Verizon, for example, I know that you can sign up for TravelPass ahead of time. That way, if something happens and you need to make a call or use data, you can just switch your phone off of airplane mode to use it. - If you’re staying in your destination for a considerable amount of time (or even if just for a couple weeks), it might be worth getting a SIM card there.
- And, if you’re staying for many months at a time, it might be a good option to get a cheap second phone from there. All you’ll need is something to make a call with in case of an emergency.
4) Learn a bit of the language.
I’m sure you’ve heard this tip before, but it’s especially important for solo female travelers.
I’ve found that, in general, I’m taken advantage of much less often when I speak (or at least pretend to be able to speak) the language.
From something as small as a cab driver not hustling you to dealing with some creep who’s trying out his English on you, this will help. (Although I will admit that it sometimes backfires and those creeps get even more excited about the fact that you speak their language. But on the whole, I still think it makes you less of a target.)
So try to at least learn the basics before getting to each destination!
5) Find people to do things with.
Now, I know part of the point of solo female travel is to experience things on your own. So, I’m not saying to do this all the time.
However, I’ve found that some (actually now that I think about it, pretty much all) of my best and most memorable travel experiences have happened with friends I made along the way.
This often happens naturally when you’re out and about as a solo traveler, since people feel comfortable starting a conversation with someone who’s alone.
But there are also lots of great ways to make this happen.
And if you want to go out at night or do some fun activities, it can be nice to have some company by your side. Here are good ways to meet people while traveling solo:
- Stay in a hostel
Most people I know who haven’t traveled think hostels are super dangerous, especially when you’re alone.
But from my experience, that’s actually where you’ll meet some of the best people who can also become your travel companions.
- Use dating apps
This isn’t my way of saying that you should meet up with some stranger you met on a dating app in the middle of the night. Obviously, be as safe with dating apps abroad as you would be back home.
Nonetheless, they can be a great tool to meet people. And, it doesn’t even have to be in a romantic way!
Bumble, for example, has a friend version of the app so you can meet other cool women like yourself. This is something I’ve done before and I met some awesome people through it.
- Use Meetup or FB groups
These two websites/apps have all kinds of groups you can join that set up events all the time! If you want to join a fun group setting, check out what’s going through those.
6) Don't be afraid to be a b!tch.
If you’re someone who, like me, is perpetually way too nice to everyone, this might be a tough one.
I know plenty of women who have no trouble being blunt and what some might call “b!tchy,” especially considering how forward and forceful men can be sometimes.
To me, it seems like a trait that either you’re good at or you’re not. (Though I’m sure it just takes practice and is definitely something I need to work on).
Personally, I’m the type to carry on a nice conversation with anyone, no matter how creepy and annoying they might be.
I know I should learn to be more candid with that creepy at the gym who won’t let me just get to my dang workout, but I feel awful doing that. No matter how much they might deserve it and despite the fact that I have every right to.
Can you relate?
If so, this might be hard for you too. However, there’s one situation where you should NEVER feel bad for expressing yourself and making your needs 100% clear.
And that is any situation that makes you feel uncomfortable.
This is honestly applicable to general life, not just solo female travel, but it’s especially pertinent when you’re alone. Whenever you’re uncomfortable, please promise me that you’ll turn on b!tch mode.
Because your safety is the #1 priority and any person with good intentions will understand that. If they don’t, that’s even more reason to go full-on b!tch and get away ASAP.
7) Walk with CONFIDENCE!
This is honestly the best tip I have and is so underrated. No matter where I am and what I’m doing while traveling alone, I try to give off an air of confidence.
Even if I’m lost as heck, I march on with all the confidence in the world so no one suspects a thing.
If a random guy is bothering me, I confidently walk away as if I hadn’t heard or noticed anything.
It might not sound like anything groundbreaking, but this tip has definitely helped me in more situation than one. I can’t explain why, but people tend to leave me alone when I’m walking like I’m on a mission, making no eye contact, and can’t be stopped.
I swear, it really works!
So even if all else fails, just remember to do what you’re doing with confidence.
And those are my top solo female travel tips.
I really hope you found this helpful and put some of these tips to use! Sometimes, the best tips are simpler than you might think.
(So don’t think that you need to go become a black belt in karate before you go abroad. Though I suppose learning some basic self-defense also wouldn’t hurt.)
But no matter how nervous you might be, all I can say is that if you’re considering solo female travel, you really should go for it. I can promise you with complete certainty that you’ll never regret it.
Can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Be sure to check out my other travel tips and posts here. I’ve written about all sorts of things, including what you need to know about life as a digital nomad (for those of you considering it).
If you have any other safety tips that you want me to add to the list, feel free to comment below and let me know! I’m always updating these posts and would be happy to add to it. These were just the top 7 I could think of.
Anyway, enjoy your trip and be safe!!
Love,
Emily Stübing