Best Tips on Traveling Alone as a Woman on Domestic and International Trips

Traveling solo can be an incredible journey in self discovery and personal growth, but it also comes with a lot of worries. Without a posse, you’re inherently more of a target, especially if you’re a woman. Plus, once you add on perusing a new place at night, things can get a bit risky. There are some self-explanatory ways to stay alert, like never walking around with headphones in and asserting confidence, even if it’s a fake-it-till-you-make-it situation. But what about the social aspect? Is it possible for a woman to socialize without inviting harassment when flying solo in a new environment?

A few days ago, one Reddit user, a 40-year-old woman looking to take advantage of her new financial ability to solo travel, asked the internet for advice on this predicament on the subreddit r/solotravel. We went through the comments and compiled a list of the best travel advice for women looking to foray into solo travel.

Start with traveling domestic

A common piece of advice was centered around the idea of practice. Like any skill or new hobby, you won’t be an expert overnight.

“I’m in my 40s, woman, [I’ve] done a lot of traveling alone. My suggestion would be to start small: go to Chicago for a weekend or NYC or some other big city with lots to do. Go for 2–3 nights and see how you feel. Do that a few times before embarking on a longer trip,” read one reply, “There’s a real joy and peace that comes with being a woman who’s able to travel alone!”

Make small talk

Avoiding small talk at all costs in search of only deep and meaningful connections sounds like a reasonable idea on paper, but, according to our Redditors, it might actually cut you off from making friends while traveling who just need a minute to open up.

“I am on the same boat with you as I have a really hard time dealing with small talk. I will say, with all those surface level connections, you might also be lucky enough to meet someone who you have a great connection with! Out of my year abroad, I met 4 people who I still keep in contact with, which isn’t many at all out of all the people I met, but I love them dearly!” wrote one respondent. The same user recommended attempting to strike up conversations with other folks who seemed like solo travelers so you’ll at least have a baseline thing in common.

Lower your expectations

While there’s a romantic notion of going on a solo trip and meeting a group of instant best friends who share your love for traveling to new, uncharted lands, it doesn’t always happen. One woman, a 73-year-old solo traveler with decades of practice, gave some advice to that effect.

“Why do you travel? What are YOUR interests? Art? What types? Which periods? Architecture? Which centuries, periods, or millenia? Music? What types? Concentrate on YOUR interests and you’ll have fabulous trips. Every day will be filled with wonderful sites and experiences. Even rest days, sitting in parks, watching children learn [to] ride bikes is worthwhile. (I’ve seen the most fascinating children’s play equipment just by being observant).

Don’t expect to meet people. If you do, great. If not, it’s OK because you have a long list of things to see and do that are really interesting to you,” she wrote.

In the same vein, another wise Redditor recommended planning itineraries ahead of time that align directly with your own interests as opposed to sitting around at a coffee shop until someone approaches you.

“Go somewhere that’s interesting to you. For example, if you like outdoors/nature: go to Banff for [a] few days. Banff is extremely safe. Book a guided tour to see their parks, book activities that’s interesting to you. Booking guided tours/day trips /food tours are great in my opinion when you’re traveling solo. It’s also a great way to meet people with similar interests,” the user replied.

Use the internet to your advantage

While the internet often feels like it’s an open pit of vipers, snakes, and climate doomsdayers, it can also bring us together. Another piece of advice from Reddit includes joining online communities to find like-minded people you might hit it off with.

“Join local Facebook groups (e.g. stuff like Madrid, Madrid Digital Nomads, Madrid Expats), post about an activity I want to do (e.g. visit a particular museum) and invite others to join me (note: if booking is required, everyone books/pays for themselves). This way I’ve had plenty of good company when I was low on energy or unmotivated to go sightseeing solo, had lots [of] interesting conversations and discovered new places or things to do from others,” wrote one user.

She specifically recommended the group Host A Sister where women can arrange meetups or stays with other women around the globe. The user herself met a lifelong friend through a similar program.

Safety first

While the beauty of travel is meeting people, hearing stories, and experiencing places that are far from the quotidian rhythm of your life, it’s essential as a female solo traveler to also stay safe. One commenter recommended taking a self-defense class prior to booking your first solo trip.

“I hate to be saying this but take some self-defense classes. Pack a knife or a bear spray/pepper spray. Hopefully you will never need to use it but it’s always a great insurance to have. I heard somewhere: don’t be safe, be smart. It became my motto,” the user wrote.

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