Everything You Need to Know about Female Solo Travel

By Lauren Petermeyer | June 28, 2017

Ever wanted to travel alone, but not sure where to start? Surprisingly, lots of women have been in this exact position. Traveling alone as a woman can be intimidating, but it’s totally possible. Actually, it can be an extremely liberating experience. We’ve got everything you need to know before making the big decision to go abroad alone.

Just go

Breaking news: there is never a “right time” to travel. If you sit around waiting for the time to feel right with your soul, you will never go. Don’t wait for other people to join you, don’t try to plan a date for next year, just go. Be realistic about your decision, but don’t hesitate too much or it won’t happen!

Plan ahead

With that being said, you still need to plan ahead quite a bit before you head out across the world all alone. There are a few obvious things you need to take into consideration: finances, relationships, passports, etc. Get the essentials in line, and make sure you won’t get to your destination missing important documents or items.

One thing to consider doing before you go is taking a self defense course. Traveling alone can be completely safe, but it’s always a good idea to be prepared in case the worst happens. Just as anything could happen while you’re walking down the street outside your apartment or home, the same could happen while you’re abroad, especially if it’s in a more undeveloped country. Plus, it might give you peace of mind to know you can defend yourself.

Staying safe while abroad

There are a few things you can do to make sure you’re being safe and respectful, no matter where you’re traveling to.

Talk to the locals

When you’re alone, the best people to befriend are the people who know the place you’re in like the back of their hand. Not only will they be able to tell you the best places to be, they will likely take you under their wing. Locals know the ins and the outs of whatever city you’re in, and they are your best bet for making sure you’re being safe and respectful.

Pay attention to your wardrobe

Your daily dress in the U.S. isn’t always going to cut it when you’re in a foreign country. For example, in some places, women are typically covered to their ankles and wrists at all times, and you could really be risking your safety if you don’t follow these cultural rules. Check here for a more comprehensive list of ways to dress around the world.

General cultural etiquette

Aside from dress, the way you speak, carry yourself, and interact with people in other countries really matters. It might be rude not to finish your meal at a restaurant, or impolite to wave. Check here for some more information about the general rules you should look into before you go to certain countries.

Trust your gut

Your gut is pretty much always right, especially when it comes to you being potentially in danger. If you get a bad vibe from a person or place, remove yourself from that situation as soon as you can, and take note of it. Be aware of your surroundings and just be smart about where you’re going.

Use a dummy wallet

A dummy wallet is one that has fake credit cards and a small amount of cash. That way, if someone tries to steal it or mug you, you can gladly hand it over and get out of the situation before something worse happens.

Things to pack

You are the only one who truly knows how to pack for yourself. However, there are a few things you need to remember, because not every country is the same. At all.

Number one: bring at least one small towel. You never know if a hotel, crash spot, tent you stay in will have a towel or not.

Number two: don’t bring too much jewelry either. People abroad who might not have the best intentions will see that you’re wearing lots of nice jewelry and take more notice to you than they should. You’re basically setting yourself up to get stolen from, or even mugged.

Number three: tampons. Apparently not everywhere has them. Nothing would be worse than being caught in a foreign country unable to find tampons.