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Tips for a Solo Female Traveler

Traveling Muggles

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Be confident.

You’re scared. I get it. Traveling alone can be daunting, even for an experienced traveler. Some of the best advice I can give you is to go into your adventure with full confidence in yourself and an expectation that anything can happen. You won’t get very far if you’re narrow minded and lacking confidence. Don’t forget to walk with a purpose! I can’t tell you the amount of people that have asked me for directions in other countries just because I looked like I knew where I was going (even when I didn’t). If you don’t have confidence in yourself that you can do it, then who will?

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Blend in.

I’m going to be blunt; don’t look like a tourist. Leave your fanny packs, gigantic cameras and obvious maps at home. Your goal should be to resemble a local as best as possible. Do research on your destination prior to your trip. Figure out how the locals dress, specific customs they may have and how to respect them. You will be less of a target to greedy pickpockets or sleazy men if you don’t stick out like a sore thumb. Don’t be the girl that stops in the middle of a busy city street to pull out a map or the girl trying to get into the Vatican in a tube top.

Use common sense.

Don’t put yourself in a bad situation. If you are mature enough to travel solo, I am hoping you have enough common sense to keep yourself safe. Try to avoid walking long distances and taking public transportation during the night, especially if there is a chance you will get lost. Do not, and I repeat, do not get drunk. You are setting yourself up to be taken advantage of. A drunk, female tourist has a big fat target on her back. I’m not saying not to indulge in that delicious glass of Italian wine at dinner, just don’t drink the whole bottle.

Embrace the unknown.

Eat like a local. Drink like a local. Act like a local. Personally, I believe traveling is about completely immersing yourself in the culture. The unknown is the most exciting part of discovering a new place. This is your chance to try new things and face your fears without judgment. I promise that if you dig deep enough, you will uncover your true self. Go all in.

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Ignore the negativity.

Unfortunately, if you are a solo female traveler, you will probably face negativity now and again. There is a good chance the people you are close to will try to talk you out of your adventures. Don’t let them! Traveling solo is a life changing experience. You will learn so much about yourself and surprise yourself each and every day you are going at it alone. Don’t let your bucket list go unchecked and end up with a bunch of regrets.

And for my fellow wanderlust moms out there…you will face even more negativity when you tell people you are traveling solo with your children. I sure have, but I sure as heck am not letting it stop me from showing my daughter the world. Read why I believe you should travel with your kids here. Need help getting started planning your trip? Read this.

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Traveling solo is the greatest gift you can give to yourself.

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Are you a solo female traveler? Share your advice below!

50 thoughts on “Tips for a Solo Female Traveler”

  1. I agree with all your tips! Traveling solo is a chance to also do things your own way without having to compromise with travel companions on activities. I like traveling solo and I like travel with companions for different reasons.

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  5. “Eat like a local. Drink like a local. Act like a local”- the most important tip I’ve learned from 10 years of solo travel. Being able to blend is so valuable.

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  7. While I agree it’s excellent to blend in and experience a place like a local, sometimes it’s hard to “blend in” as you say. For instance, I’m caucasion… No matter what I do, I can’t blend into places in Asia, Africa, and Central / South America. I just don’t look like that. In which case, I think we ought to embrace it. I’ve been to plenty of out of the way places through Asia (Vietnam in particular) and it was a great experience to chat with the locals, and tell them about my life at home while I was experiencing their country.

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    1. Yes I completely agree! Appearance wise, it would definitely be difficult to blend in some places. By “blending in”, I also just mean respecting their culture and customs. If you can’t physically blend in, you can act like a local by following their certain customs and lifestyle 🙂

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  9. I travel almost only solo and independently for more than 10 years now. For me the first thing is to choose a safe destination. Also I can’t imagine to travel without a camera. Only I prefer lesser known brands not Canon or Nikon. Thanks for sharing!

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  12. My advice is always to trust your gut. Never do anything and don’t go anywhere that doesn’t feel right. If your gut tells you that it might be something wrong, don’t do it. You should always keep safe, it’s the most important thing.

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  13. Some very good points! Most of them are obvious yet people still don;t use their common sense for example. Of course, it will be great if we live in a perfect world but some common sense will definitely help out in avoiding some troubles on the road.

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  15. I agree! Especially that you’re not letting nay-sayers stop you from showing the world to your daughter. As long as you travel safe and take care of your kid, nothing’s wrong with that. 🙂

    I plan to school my future kids on the road, too. These are helpful tips. Will pin for later. 🙂

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    1. Thank you so much! I actually saw yesterday and have shared on my social media accounts! I really appreciate you sharing my blog! I love reading yours as well. Looking forward to collaborating in the future! 🙂

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  20. I haven’t travelled completely alone in years. Not that I have any particular reason not to, it just didn’t happen. The more I think of it, the more exciting it sounds! I think solo traveling gives you quite some advantages and with your tips here I even see myself actually doing it one day again. Thanks, Erica – really great advice!

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    1. Thank you so much! I am so happy that I could have potentially inspired you to travel solo one day! It truly is one of the best experiences and you learn so much about yourself along the way! Looking forward to following your future adventures!

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  21. Totally agree with your points. Like you I’m always asked for directions! I just find it bewildering how many people seem amazed that I am travelling the world alone- but it’s such a liberating and exhilarating experience.

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  22. Do you prefer traveling alone or with friends? I’ve done both and find that I like traveling alone sometimes, but I always try to make new friends so I’m not alone for long. Although I do have some amazing memories from making trips totally on my own too. What’s your preference?

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    1. Alone. Without a doubt. I love fully immersing myself in a new place and for some reason feel I can do this better alone. I’ll be the first to say that solo travel isn’t for everyone, but if you are one of the people willing to try it is truly a life changing experience. I’m glad you have had amazing solo travel experiences!

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  24. As a woman who has traveled many places in the world alone, I love this post. Embracing the unknown has brought me far. I found people were more helpful than expected. Great post. Check out our blog if you’d like.

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  26. I love that you travel with your kids! I do not yet have kids and I’ve done quite a bit of solo travel and although I want kids I also sometimes worry that travel and adventures will get much more difficult to pull off when the kids come. Glad to hear that doesn’t have to be the case!

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  32. That is pretty awesome, I think nothing opens your mind more than travel and I am really happy when I see other travel enthusiasts experiencing foreign culture even if it is through beaches, night clubs, food, museums etc. Great blog post!

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