Female solo travel is becoming far more popular and common from a much younger age. My first time travelling solo was when I was 18. I had an internship in Mauritius for three months. Within a few weeks of returning home, I had booked my first solo backpacking trip to Sri Lanka: It was official – I had caught the travel bug!
This article shares essential solo female travel tips drawn from personal experience, offering insights I wish I had known before my first solo backpacking trip.
If you are like me, you grew up with small snide comments about things you couldn’t do because of your age and gender ‘You are too young’, ‘people will take advantage of you’, ‘It’s not safe for a woman’ ‘don’t do that, it’s unladylike’. Let me tell you this – I was tired of hearing it! Despite all the people telling me it was a bad idea to travel solo, I sat in my room one night at 2 am and just booked that flight! I have never felt such empowerment run through me!
You learn so much from travelling alone. You discover parts of yourself that you never thought existed. You develop a newfound sense of self-confidence (a confidence no man could ever give you). You learn how independent you can be. Your whole attitude towards life starts to change: The world seems much wider than it did before. You become a more accepting, compassionate individual. Travelling taught me there was more to life than sitting in an office 9-5!
Do it for the empowerment, for the sense of purpose and for your self-belief. More importantly, do it because YOU want to!
As long as you follow these solo female travel tips and trust your gut, you won’t regret backpacking alone.
Is It Safe To Travel Solo As A Woman? An Honest Answer
As much as I want to scream YES, part of me is hesitant. Even with street smarts, great intuition and all the research in the world, things can go wrong. As women, when our safety comes into question, it is often not due to our actions, but the actions of others.
Unfortunately travelling solo opens you up to being a prime target of harassment and assault. There is no denying that. But look at the stats. Is travelling alone any less safe than being in your home country? Both the UK and the USA are ranked in the top 5 globally for sexual assault. Crime often happens on our doorstep, but the media only reports it happening to solo female travellers as it is a better story for them. If anything, my guards are up more when I am backpacking than when I am out partying in my own country.
Is Solo Travel lonely?
Yes and no – I think the first part is often the loneliest. The long flight from your hometown into a foreign country. The first taxi to your hostel. Moving from one spot to another. But once you get into the swing of solo travelling, you meet so many people. That’s what I loved when I travelled alone. I met people from all cultures, all walks of life and all different backgrounds. I made friends with anyone and everyone. People standing next to me in line, individuals staying in my dorm, and even the local street vendors. Some of those friendships only last a day or two, but some are still going on years later. You never know who you might meet.
You may find yourself wondering? How do I even make friends while travelling? It can seem scary at first, approaching a stranger, especially if you are introverted. If you stay in hostels, you are bound to meet other like-minded backpackers. Join a tour, do a day trip, or simply say hi to your new dorm mate. Most of the time you make an instant connection with people in the dorms and you end up doing activities together. Invite them out for dinner or ask them what they are doing tomorrow. Your whole trip might change from one simple unexpected friendship!
Essential Solo Female Travel Tips
If you’re short on time and can’t read the whole article, here are my best solo female travel tips in a handy photo!
Practical Solo Female Travel Tips
Trust your gut (it's the best defence you have)
- If you are reading reviews about the hostel owner being ‘overly friendly’ take it as a red flag and find somewhere else to stay.
- If you are staying somewhere that makes you feel uncomfortable, just leave! Money is less important than your safety and well-being.
- If something feels like a scam, it probably is a scam.
Learn a little white lie is a great way to keep you safe:
- ‘Do you have a boyfriend?’ – Hell yeah you do! You have a tall muscular husband who you are off to meet now!
- ‘Where are you going?’ – You are meeting your friends who are nearby.
- ‘What are you doing today?’ – You are meeting your friends at an unidentified location!
NEVER give out too many details on where you are staying, if you are alone or where you are going.
Your phone will be your most valued possession to keep you safe:
- Share your location with someone who cares about you back home.
- Use it to book Grab instead of taking taxis.
- Use it to connect to other travellers.
- Keep people updated with your itineraries.
- Keep emergency local contacts.
On the flip side of that don’t make this common mistake:
- Don’t post photos online of where you are until you’ve left the area.
Get an ESim to ensure you always have mobile data and calls on your phone:
Bring these items:
There are many expensive gadgets and ‘necessities’ being sold to solo female travellers. Remember that most ‘weapons’, as such, are illegal and you won’t be able to carry them on the plane.
Instead, stick to these basics:
- Combination padlock - an essential item to keep your stuff safe in hostels as the lockers normally don’t have locks provided.
- Powerbank – a power bank is essential. You need your phone for GPS and translations.
- Cheap ring – if I’m approached by a man asking too many questions and his English isn’t great, I can point to the ring to tell him I’m married.
Know the local customs:
Certain countries may have much more conservative laws and customs due to religious reasons. When you are in the ‘touristy parts’ you may be ok, but in culturally sensitive areas, wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees if you can – I know it’s hot! but it is better not to attract unwanted attention.
Stay in Hostels
Surround yourself with other solo travellers and you will feel much safer once you realise plenty of women are travelling alone.
Some hostels offer ‘female-only dorms‘. You can choose to stay in here, but often enough you may be the only person in the room (which can be pretty lonely sometimes). I have never felt unsafe or uncomfortable in a mixed dorm.
Alcohol
This is a tricky topic. Obviously, you want to enjoy your vacation, and if you are a party person, alcohol is bound to become a fundamental part of your trip. The number one piece of advice I can give you is: Party away, but don’t drink so much you lose your wits. Alcohol is often the quickest way into unwelcome situations!
- Never leave your drink unattended.
- If you go drinking with people from the hostel, remember they don’t know you that well, don’t expect them to look after you if you are drunk.
- Know your limits! Party, enjoy, get tipsy, but do not get yourself into an unsafe state.
Travel Insurance
Even if you’ve extensively researched and followed all the solo female travel tips online, remember that things can still go wrong! As a solo female traveller, you may face unexpected challenges such as medical emergencies, trip cancellations, or lost belongings.
Travel insurance provides peace of mind by covering these unpredictable situations, ensuring you’re not left to deal with them alone. It can cover costly medical bills, flight changes, or even help in the case of theft.
Ultimately, travel insurance is a crucial safety net, offering financial protection and allowing you to enjoy your adventure with confidence, knowing you’re covered.
While this is not an extensive list of solo female travel tips, it does contain the most important and useful ones that have never failed me.
Life is simply too short to waste it daydreaming and never reaching for your goals. Live the life you want to live. Make opportunities happen for yourself. It may seem scary at first, and people might not understand it, but if it makes you happy, do it!
More Backpacker Advice & Solo Female Travel Tips
Ready to book that first trip? Check out these helpful articles on backpacking:
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We are Em & Yul – An English & Filipino Travel Couple. Now based in Cebu, we frequently explore the best destinations, hidden gems and cultural attractions across the Philippines.
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