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Although we love traveling as a family, I (Caz) have been traveling around the world on my own for over two decades. Although I love my family and my kids, sometimes I want to travel alone – as a woman, traveling alone can feel empowering, brave, cathartic, and healing.
Solo female travel has offered me years of beautiful moments, major screw-ups, and everything in between.
Many years of experience has taught me how to stay safe as a solo female traveler on the road, no matter what country you visit. I learned more through experience than you could ever learn in a guide book, but I will do my best to share as many of my tips on staying safe as a solo female traveler as I can.
Many people ask me whether it’s safe to travel alone as a woman and the truth is it depends on where you are traveling to, and how wise you are to the dangers. I believe the world is safer than the media portray it to be, you just need to be savvy and smart, and avoid the no-go areas.
As long as you follow my advice below, you’ll be able to stay safe no matter where you go (obviously, war-torn countries aside, let’s be sensible here).
1. Dress like a local
Dressing like a local in some ways battles with my belief that women should be able to dress how they like wherever they go, but that is just not realistic when you travel. For starters, some countries have a more conservative outlook, and your booty shorts may cause offence, as well as brand you as a tourist.
One of the best lessons I learned traveling alone over the years is how to blend in. Blending in means you are not advertising you’re a traveler. Walking around with your huge 80L backpack, Thai elephant pants, and carrying a map, is like walking around with a neon sign above your head saying “look at me I’m not from here and I’m easy pickings!”
So in some places, dressing like a local is necessary.
Before you visit a country, you should always look up the dress code and whether that applies to tourists. If the local women cover their hair, it doesn’t mean you have to cover your hair all the time, but you should pack a scarf to wear in temples.
If the locals wear long sleeves or loose clothes, etc, be sure to pack some too. It’s important to read up on what the local customs are.
Ultimately, if you don’t draw attention to yourself on the road, you will be left alone.
2. Don’t get wasted
You may find yourself meeting some other travelers in a hostel, and they all want to go out and explore the nightlife.
While it’s always fun to go out with new friends and enjoy a few drinks, dance in a club and mingle with the locals in a bar setting, make sure you know your limits.
Getting blitzed drunk while traveling alone is never a good idea – you open yourself up to all kinds of problems.
You can read about my solo trip to the Peloponnese and Nafplio where I limited my alcohol intake to maintain safety!
3. Don’t tell people where you’re staying
This may sound like common sense, but is something women can easily fall prey to – don’t go telling someone where you’re staying. Typically if you hire a tour guide, or book a taxi, the guides and taxi drivers may ask you for your hotel so they can pick you up or drop you off.
I highly recommend booking tours online via reputable platforms like Get Your Guide, Viator, or Klook, so you can put in your hotel pick up address and know they have vetted the tour company, but other than that, have them drop you off/pick you up from a block or two away.
Anytime you meet people, don’t mention where you are staying, especially if you feel uncomfortable.
No one really needs to know the name of your hotel, and if you make plans to meet someone, meet at a local landmark or point instead.
The majority of the time, nothing will happen, but a little self-preservation never went amiss.
Another top tip: Also, when we share our travels on social media, I never share hotel details until I have left the property and destination. I also make sure I delay my sharing by at least a day so no one knows where I truly am in the moment.
4. If you feel uncomfortable alone, join a day tour
I went to Turkey alone back in 2013, right after the murder of an American woman traveling alone, and I was met with so much skepticism and fear mongering I almost canceled my flights.
Luckily I’m stubborn and decided I needed to see for myself everything that was going on. Still I was nervous walking around Istanbul alone so I decided to join some tours to get to know the city.
I went on a market and spice tour with Turkish Flavours and also went on some cooking classes. It was the perfect introduction to Turkey and helped me get comfortable being there alone later on.
You can also join the free walking tours, which are a great way to learn about the city’s history and culture, and meet other travelers too.
5. Avoid being “forward” when necessary
It’s really important to remember that in many cultures around the world, women who are very outgoing can be seen as being “forward.”
This means anything from making eye contact with men walking down the street to being super chatty with people in shops to dressing in tight clothes.
I am a very friendly person and I love talking with strangers and meeting locals on the road, but over the years I have learned to lean on the side of caution after I have had one too many men think I was trying to hook up with them or go out when in fact, I was just being kind, curious about people, and myself.
Be careful of having your photo taken with men, as they could interpret that the wrong way. The photo above is of me with a bagpipe player in Jerash, Jordan. It was a touristy thing to have your photo with them (for a tip!)! Otherwise, I wouldn’t take a photo with a random stranger.
6. Learn to read situations and follow your gut
It’s really important as a solo female travel to learn to read situations and if you feel in anyway uncomfortable or nervous, get the hell out of there.
Don’t worry about offending people or being rude, self-preservation is the most important thing and to stay safe.
Your gut instinct will tell you a lot about a situation. Intuition goes a long way. Follow your instincts no matter what, as your gut instinct is a feeling your body has when it recognises danger from a past experience, which has been embedded in your subconscious. You may not know there’s danger, but past experience does.
Over time, you will learn to develop good instincts on the road, which will really help you as a solo traveler.
I am a big advocate of building experience on the road.
Obviously, people have different instincts and learn different ways, so what works for me can be totally different than what works for you, but at the end of the day, my best piece of advice is learn to trust those instincts!
7. Book a few things in advance
One of the situations I hate being in the most while traveling is showing up in a new city or place at night with nothing booked.
I am one of those travelers who prefers to “wing it” but I am careful about booking things for when I arrive straight off the plane in a new place or if I know I will be arriving somewhere at night, just to avoid any unwanted scenarios.
8. Carry a doorstop
One of my best tips for solo female travelers is to carry a little plastic doorstop.
It takes up no space and is great to have to shove under flimsy hotel room doors at night just in case of someone trying to come in.
You can also get door alarms these days, but it all comes down to your personal preference.
9. Carry a whistle
You never know when you’re going to need a travel safety whistle. Many great backpacks have built-in whistles in the straps.
10. Travel to well-known safe destinations
For your first solo trip, maybe head to a place that’s considered an easier destination and safe for solo women, where they speak the same language, have a small population, or are very tourist-friendly.
Some of the best places to visit for solo female travelers are Iceland or New Zealand, and then when you feel comfortable, work up to places that can be more challenging, like India or Egypt.
In Southeast Asia, the safest country is Thailand without a doubt. It’s called the Land of Smiles for a reason!
Check on Facebook groups to find out other traveler’s experiences if you’re not sure a destination is safe. The Solo Female Traveler Network is very active and will be a great resource to find specific safety tips for a place.
11. Share on social media
While it’s always nice to switch off, social media can be a useful tool for letting people know where you are and what you are doing.
Tell your friends and family how often you intend to post, so that they know if you don’t update your Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, they should alert the authorities.
12. Get Uber or other rideshares instead of taxis
Uber, and other ride-sharing apps like Grab and Bolt, can be a much safer way to get from A to B than licensed taxis.
They allow you to follow your journey in real time and share your journey with others.
Make sure you verify the driver’s identity and check the license plate number matches before you get in, and if you are really nervous, share your trip with a family member.
Have Google Maps up while you’re in the taxi and follow where your driver is taking you. If it looks like you’re going the wrong way, get outta there.
13. Keep batteries and devices charged
Sometimes we forget to charge our phones and they die on us when we’re out hiking. When you travel, you cannot be flexible about this.
If your phone runs out of juice, then it can be a huge problem for you. Not only does it mean you can’t call for help if you need it, but you also can’t see where you are.
Keep your batteries charged at all time.
14. Stay in hostels, but check reviews first
Hostels are a great place for introverts and people who are worried about loneliness, and there’s also something about staying with other people – safety in numbers, and all that.
Hostels allow you to meet other people, and break out of your comfort zone, as well as be the cheapest form of accommodation for solo travelers (most of the time).
Choose a hostel with a female only dorm room, or with private rooms, but check the reviews first to see what other travelers are saying about their experiences.
We like platforms like Booking.com and Hostelworld.com, which have vetted reviews from previous guests. We usually look for hostels than have over 100 reviews, and a overall review score of 8+.
Also make sure the reviews are from international travelers, as sometimes hostels can attract more locals than travelers. While there’s nothing wrong with staying in a local hostel, it’s nice to mingle with other travelers so you can swap stories and meet travel buddies.
15. Get travel insurance
You never need it, unless you don’t have it. Travel insurance protects you from anything that could go wrong, from being robbed, to having an accident.
A $50 annual plan for travel insurance is much better than the $50,000 medical bill you receive if you get into an accident. Here is a post on the benefits of an annual travel insurance plan.
16. Be aware of your surroundings
It’s always a good idea to research the cities you are visiting and learn the “no go” neighborhoods. This allows you to be more aware of your surroundings and know what to expect.
If you hear running for example, keep an eye on the person behind you. It could be a harmless jogger or it could be someone looking to cause harm.
17. Know where your embassy is
It’s always a good idea to know where your embassy is so you know where to go if there’s a problem.
Your embassy can help you if you have lost your passport, and work with the police should anything bad happen.
18. Lock your valuables up
If you’re staying in a hotel or hostel, they will usually provide a safe or locker where you can lock up your valuables.
Keep jewelry, laptops, cameras, and other important items locked in the safe while you’re out and about.
If there’s no locker or safe, at least carry a padlock so you can lock your bag or suitcase and leave it in a safe place in your room.
19. Get a local sim card
This not only allows you to have data at all times, but calls and texts so you can call for help if you need to.
The best option if you have an unlocked phone, is to purchase an eSim. It’s easy, and automatic, and you don’t need to run around the destination trying to find a sim and then understand how it works. Airalo is our preferred esim provider.
20. Be aware of cultural norms
The easiest way to feel safe in a foreign country is to understand the culture and traditions.
If you are traveling to the Middle East, know that they dress conservatively, and you should do the same.
Some of the biggest problems you receive on the road is causing offense to others because you haven’t looked up the cultural norms.
21. Carry pepper spray or a personal safety alarm
This is going to sound like scare mongering, and it really depends where you travel to where you might need these things.
If you’re visiting somewhere known to be dangerous, such as South Africa, carry a personal alarm, also known as a rape alarm, in case you need to use them.
Some countries don’t allow pepper spray as they are considered a weapon, so you might need to put them in your hold luggage or check with the TSA if they are banned completely.
If you’re just visiting somewhere in Europe, you probably won’t need this level of protection, but if you’re concerned it doesn’t hurt to have protection.
22. Don’t feed into harassment
If someone approaches you, and you think they are trying to do you harm, don’t feed into their approach.
This means don’t talk back to them, keep calm and avoid eye contact, try to walk on and don’t engage with them.
They will usually give up and move on when they see you’re not feeding into them.
23. Carry valuables in front pockets, not bags
If you don’t need a bag, and you only carry your wallet, keys and phone, then keep your belongings in a front pocket rather than in a bag.
Most robberies are bag snatchers, so if you avoid putting things of importance into your bag, then your valuables will be much safer.
24. Bring all medication from home
Bring all the medication you need from home, plus some preventative ones. Bring paracetamol, diarrhoea tablets, and other sickness pills you might need with you.
You should avoid buying medicine from local pharmacies as they may either not work, or not be what they say they are. Here is our medical packing list.
25. Carry a first aid kit
Having a basic first aid kit on you is not a bad idea. Carry band aids, gauze, tape, and antiseptic spray, so you can fix yourself up if you have an accident.
You want to try to avoid hospitals at all costs, as the hygiene may not be up to your standards – this of course is dependent on where you are going.
26. Send a copy of your itinerary to someone
If it’s your first trip, I highly recommend you send a copy of your itinerary to someone back home. It helps to have a backup plan as well in case your itinerary changes, and if you do change plans, be sure to tell that person.
Final thoughts
I know that these tips may be overwhelming, or frightening even, but do know that it’s very unlikely you will run into any issues when on your solo adventure.
As long as you stick to the tourist trails, and follow this advice, you are about to walk into some life-changing solo travel experiences that are only going to leave positive impressions on you.
It’s easy to get caught up in the negatives, and so many people will try to scare monger you into not going alone, but remember that each person has their own perspective of the world.
The true world is out there, waiting for you to explore it.
More Solo Female Travel Tips
Need more inspiration for solo female travel? Here are some other useful resources…
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