Solo Travellers
Don’t avoid romantic destinations: 15 solo travel tips from Lonely Planet’s women writers | Travel
Learning to get comfortable being by yourself can be challenging. Here, the Lonely Planet team share their advice for women traveling solo. Covering everything from making friends to personal safety to crying in public, most of these tips work well for anyone who finds themselves adventuring unescorted.
1. Ease into it, even for an afternoon
Doing activities alone can feel intimidating at first. It’s a muscle you build over time. Start with a solo day trip close to home or an afternoon wandering a museum you’ve always wanted to visit but didn’t know who to go with. When I backpacked through Australia and New Zealand/Aotearoa, I tacked on extra days at the end of group tours so I had solo time to explore (and decompress!) after nonstop socialising and being “on”. I’d already acclimatised to the new-to-me destination while travelling with the group, which meant I had more confidence and knowledge to navigate the streets on my own. – Deepa Lakshmin
I’m not quite 100% to the point where I’m ready to dive into a solo trip, so I like to carve out a day or an afternoon of “Rachy Adventures” when I’m travelling with friends or my wife. Said adventure often involves a croissant and an overpriced latte. Some of my absolute favourite parts of a trip have been a rainy afternoon spent wandering alone in Boston, or sitting alone with a good book on a largely empty beach, taking in the waves. – Rachel Lewis
2. Consider staying in hostels
Hostels are a great way to meet people, especially fellow solo female travellers. I truly believe you’re never too old for hostels. Many cater to people of various age groups and backgrounds, and offer private rooms for added comfort and privacy. I find it’s easier to meet like-minded people in communal settings – the kind of people who are eager to exchange travel tips and stories with you and who genuinely want you to have a good time. I’ve made lifelong connections with people I’ve met in hostels. – Sasha Brady
3. Book group activities – for a trip or just a meal
If you’re feeling apprehensive about taking a big solo trip, arrange a tour or activity for each day. This way your days will be organised around a preplanned group event. I made connections from all over the world on a solo trip to Australia in my early 20s – and 20 years on I am still in regular touch with a Swedish woman I met on a boat trip to the Great Barrier Reef. – Fionnuala McCarthy
One thing that makes a lot of solo travellers apprehensive is the thought of eating alone. If you join a food tour, you’ll have dining companions for the evening and the opportunity to try out a bunch of new restaurants – all while learning about the local culture. I joined a food tour of Rome neighbourhood Trastevere while travelling solo: not only did I get to meet fellow travellers, but the tour included a mix of casual street-food spots and restaurants. After you check these places out in a group, you may feel more relaxed coming back on your own. – Alex Butler
For me, travelling solo can be a great way to meet new, like-minded people. Join a tour group like G Adventures or Intrepid for an entire trip or find a tour or class for something you’re passionate about such as art or cooking. – Melissa Yeager
4. Seek out female hosts (pets a bonus)
If I’m booking accommodation online, I tend to opt for women owners – preferably with pets in their host photos! This is partly psychological – but I’ve also found that women tend to think about things like where to go to avoid crowds, or safer alternatives to more touristy places. It’s nice how protective women are of each other, especially when we’re travelling alone. – Akanksha Singh
5. Hop on a bus or boat
I get my bearings by taking either a hop-on, hop-off bus tour or a boat tour. On my first solo trip to Paris, I decided to take a cruise down the Seine – during which I wrote out my plans for the trip and got to know people by offering to snap their photograph. – Brekke Fletcher
6. Bring a book – and shop for more
I’ve cycled and hiked and taken trains all over the world by myself, and I never did any of it without a book on hand. Waiting on delayed trains, sitting down to meals, relaxing in a bar at the end of the day: all of these situations are improved with a book. Reading can also be a useful way to put off any potential unwanted conversation. A woman on her own can be a magnet for chatterers, and I’m not always in the mood to talk to strangers when travelling. – Amy Lynch
I find spending time in local bookstores to be a great way to immerse myself in the destination, as well as meet fellow travellers and locals who seem very happy to help and offer tips and advice. – Brekke Fletcher
7. Make new friends – or don’t
One of my favourite things about solo travel is that I can spend as much time as I want by myself, choosing whatever I want to do. I’m a total introvert and I love spending time alone, but I’ve also found it’s pretty easy to start a conversation if I’m tired of being by myself. I can turn to the person next to me at a restaurant, at a museum, on transportation or anywhere else and just ask a question: What do they recommend on the menu? Do they like what they ordered? What are they reading? Do they know the neighbourhood the bus is heading to? This usually leads to a conversation and possibly a new friend. Or, if I’m not feeling it after all, I can just open my book, pick up my phone or leave, and I’m back to being on my own. – Caroline Trefler
While you travel, research some of the digital-nomad meetups or find a bar where they show the games of your favourite team. There are lots of ways to forge new friendships on the road. – Melissa Yeager
Dining alone can be the best kind of mini adventure. You can chat with the bartender – often a wealth of local knowledge – or other patrons. You can play at being an international woman of mystery and hunker down with a book or a notebook and pen. And if you’ve had a long day of sightseeing, sometimes it feels good to just sit at a quiet table and fiddle with your phone. The best part? Solo diners can often glide right to the front of the line at popular and award-winning restaurants, even without a reservation. – Laura Motta
8. Download a great playlist
When I’m travelling solo, I like to listen to music to really set the scene while I’m exploring. And, if you’re like me, I like to have my headphones in so that no one approaches me (hello, introvert!), even with no music playing. Obviously, be careful and don’t have your noise-cancelling on so you can hear your surroundings. Oftentimes, music is a great way to block out all the noise (like in a museum) and any anxiety you might feel. Plus, when you get back home, you’ll have a nice memory from listening to a specific song from your trip. – Serina Patel
9. Plan rest days
On longer trips, for every seven to 10 days of travel, set aside a day to breathe. Sleep in, treat yourself to a nice meal or just give your legs a break. If you can resist the pressure to program every moment of your trip, you won’t feel like you’re “wasting” your time. This is especially true when you’re travelling solo and not on anyone else’s schedule. – Ann Douglas Lott
10. Use your headphones for direction
When navigating a new city on foot, plug your destination into a maps app, then listen to the walking directions through headphones. This allows you to avoid pulling out a map – which is equivalent to waving a flag printed with “tourist”! Most importantly, when you’re making your plans, try to resist fear – language and cultural barriers can raise discomfort, which will make you hyper-aware of your surroundings. But that doesn’t mean said surroundings are unsafe. – Jessica Lockhart
11. Travel with a power bank
Travelling alone, you will most likely be using your phone more than usual to take photos and videos, and for navigating. Even if your phone has a reliable battery, it’s always good to know you have a backup, especially if you’re on your own. There are plenty of small and lightweight power banks that you can purchase to slot into your bag when on the road.
12. Share your location with friends – not the world
To ensure peace of mind, I make it a habit to inform at least one person back home of my whereabouts using the Find My Friends app, which allows them to track my location in real time. While it can be reassuring for safety reasons, what I appreciate the most is the tangible sense of connection it provides. My family, in particular, loves that they can place me on a map and accompany me virtually on my explorations. – Sasha Brady
The temptation to share your entire trip via social media can be overwhelming – especially if you’re having a fantastic time. But for safety reasons, it’s best to avoid sharing every movement with every follower until you return home. Not only do real-time posts alert people to where you are during every part of your trip, they also let folks know you’re not home. Consider sharing your photos and videos from the road only with close friends, or wait until your trip is over to flood your social media. – Alicia Johnson
13. Don’t avoid romantic destinations
I’ve travelled solo to places like Hawaii, Italy’s Amalfi Coast and the Dominican Republic. When I tell these stories, someone will occasionally say something to me like, “I want to go there on my honeymoon, so I’m waiting to take that trip.” My advice? Don’t wait. If you want to go somewhere, even a place with a romantic reputation, go anyway. There are so many ways to enjoy a destination and make your own memories, with or without another person. If resorts or entire destinations cater specifically to couples, you will see a different – and sometimes more interesting – side by going solo. – Laura Motta
14. Cry if you want to
It’s normal to feel homesick and miss the people, places and routines that feel familiar to you. Especially if you’re travelling alone for the first time. Especially if you’re far away from everything you’ve ever known. Especially if you feel confused or lonely or out of place. I’ve shed tears in more airports than I care to admit. You’re outside your comfort zone, and that’s scary! But you probably embarked on a solo adventure because some part of you craves something new – and any change requires getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, at least for a little bit. It’s OK to go through it. – Deepa Lakshmin
15. Be present
Travelling by yourself is a great opportunity to be mindful. With no need to rush or please anyone else, I find myself doing a lot of thinking and reflecting. I try to limit interaction with my phone as well, to really enjoy the quiet. I find some of my most vivid travelling memories have come from solo trips. – AnneMarie McCarthy
Solo Travellers
Travel Tips: ‘Takes me right back’ The holiday souvenir ritual travel writer never skips | Exclusive
Every week, 9Travel shares a top travel tip from our readers or our writers. Have something to share? Email us at travel@nine.com.au for a chance to be featured in an upcoming story.
I can still recall the anticipation of dropping it off, waiting around a week, and returning to the shop, clutching my paper ticket.
It was something I did after every holiday, whether I’d been to the Costa Del Sol, Tenerife or Corfu (all popular beach spots for Brits in the 1990s).
I am, of course, talking about getting my photos developed.
For those born after 2000, let me explain. Before mobile phones were invented, you’d take a camera on holiday. One of those old ones you might have seen on the Antiques Roadshow, which used film.
Sometimes you’d buy a “disposable” one, which could only be used once so you didn’t ruin your real camera by spilling cocktails on it, or the like.
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And you’d gleefully spend your week snapping photos…. but only 24, because that’s how many one reel of film allowed.
The camera had a tiny viewfinder you had to squint through. And after you got home, you took that film to a shop to be developed.
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About a week later (getting the 24-hour turnaround was always too expensive) you’d be handed a thick wallet of photos.
You’d also get the negatives, which you’d need to carefully go through, holding only the edges, to find any shots you wanted to ‘blow up’ for your bedroom wall.
Then, you’d get to relive your holiday all over again via the glossy prints.
Sometimes though, they would come back with stickers slapped on them saying they were “overexposed”, which I always found pretty rude.
I recently dug some of those old photos out. My favourite was one of my mum and I with a pelican (I’d never seen one, okay) in front of a random old car in Cyprus circa 1993.
I even recall taking my holiday pics in to show my school teachers (geek!).
But taking photos on holiday and actually getting them printed out has gone the way of the postcard. Hardly anybody does it anymore (except, perhaps, 9Travel editor Kristine).
We just snap, upload some on social media to show off where we are, and forget the rest.
What to do instead
A few years ago I decided to pull my holiday pics off the internet and into real life – so, after every trip, I now make a photo book.
I create it online and it’s mailed to me, so I don’t even need to leave the house. And I now have a hardback book filled with photos from each of our trips over the past five or so years.
Every so often I’ll look at them.
They take me back to that time we saw the six toed cats at Ernest Hemingway’s house, or decided to stop outside Barry Manilow’s house in Palm Springs.
I just received my latest, and flicking through it takes me right back to the South African plains, for a brief moment.
They’re also great if you want to force people to look at your holiday photos, and I don’t think you can get that scrolling on Instagram.
Drop us an email with all your wisdom to travel@nine.com.au, and your tip could be featured in an upcoming story on 9Travel.
Solo Travellers
Nat Locke: I’m here to dispel the myth that you have to be brave to do solo travel — you absolutely do not
Last week, I travelled around Turkey (after they finally issued me that eVisa) in the company of three English people. We were all doing a small group tour, and as it turned out, we were all solo travellers, thrown together in the back of a minibus.
One was a retired dentist from London who had already taken 46 trips with this particular tour company and has been to just about everywhere you can think of. His wife is not as keen on travelling, so stays home while he gallivants around. It works for them.
Another was an almost retired accountant from London who was also very well-travelled. He had a plethora of stories about tropical parasites (don’t google botfly larvae, whatever you do), and has planned a trip a month for the next year.
And then there was the nurse from the south of England who was on her first ever solo trip at the ripe old age of 48.
As a first-time solo traveller, she was a bit nervous about how she would go. Her main concerns seemed to be about whether she would get along with her fellow travellers (she did), and whether she would miss having a buddy to have a sneaky gin and tonic with in the evening or dinner with if there were no organised meals on a given night (she didn’t).
It turns out her fears were thoroughly unfounded. The four of us — unlikely friends on paper — got along famously. We laughed our way around Turkey, sipped G&T’s in the long evenings, went shopping together, signed up for hot air ballooning together and helped one another when someone fell over (the retired dentist, not me for once).
My new nursing friend is not the first person to be spooked by travelling on their own. Whenever I post about my trips on Instagram, I get private messages from people telling me how brave I am to go on solo adventures and suggesting that they can’t imagine feeling confident enough to do it themselves.
So, I’m here to dispel the myth that you have to be brave to do this. You absolutely do not. You just have to have a plan. And you have to be prepared to enjoy it more than you could imagine.
The joys of travelling on your own are that you can do exactly what you want to do at any given time.
If you want to sleep in one day, you can, without upsetting someone who wants to get up and about at sunrise. If you want to sit in a cafe watching the world go by for half the day, rather than traipse around a motorcycle museum, you absolutely can. If you want to eat baklava in bed instead of going out to dinner, oh boy, can you. You are utterly free to do whatever you want which is a very liberating feeling.
But similarly, if you are the sort of person who likes the company of other people, there are so many ways to achieve it, even when travelling solo. Small group tours have been an amazing way for me to connect with fellow like-minded people and have the safety of a tour leader with some inside knowledge, especially when I’m going to a place I’ve never been to before, or where there’s a significant language barrier.
When I’m not with a tour group, though, I like to seek out activities to keep me busy and to have the opportunity to meet and chat to other people. In Istanbul, I did a food tour where it turned out I was the only person on the tour, so I got a private experience where my guide took me to a bunch of her favourite spots and by the end of it, we felt like old friends. I also signed up for a perfume making workshop because, why not?
In Vietnam, I did a leatherwork class where I made my own coin purse, and a lantern making workshop. In a small town in Italy, I went on an ebike tour of the surrounding countryside.
In Florence, I learned how to appreciate aperitivo hour and in LA, I toured the Farmers Market with an enthusiastic woman named Jodie who loudly proclaimed to every vendor that “NATALIE’S ON THE RADIO” which was both mortifying and hilarious.
The reality is that if I was travelling with a group of friends, I never would have done any of these things because there’s no way we could have all agreed on any given activity.
Travelling solo forces you to try new things, to smile at strangers, to ask for directions, and to do whatever the hell you want. And I really, really like it.
Now excuse me, but I’m off to a Turkish bath house, because I can.
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