Journey only abroad can be a very necessary break from daily social obligations, the opportunity to explore independently and to participate in local communities in no time, but in your own.
“One of the enormous benefits of travel alone is that you have the opportunity to get in touch with yourself and have a deeper experience in any culture you visit,” said Sasha Landauer, 27, who works in the publication in the New York. Her first solo – during a year -long gap before college – was in Nepal. Since then she has gone to Tanzania and Kenya alone.
The journey only as a woman, however, has some estimates, especially in a country where language and culture can be unknown.
Here are some tips for women on how to stay safe and enjoy their travels while going on your own.
By choosing a destination
Inspiration, drivers and others online resources abound for individual women travelers.
Wanderful is a network based on members ($ 9 per month) with 50 knots, including London, San Francisco and Brussels, as well as an online community. Unearth Women offers online “city guides”, with hotel and dining recommendations.
It is best to choose a destination that is established but not overcrowded, advises Elise Fitzsimmons, a Wanderss co-author, a women’s driver for “Smart, Safe and Solo” traveling. “I always have a better moment in the countries where the tourism industry is present, but it’s not at the point of excess,” he said.
Overall, smaller, wandering cities or cities are solid travelers, as well as destinations with reliable train systems. “Carthage is an incredibly wandering city. It has a lot of culture, so it’s a great solo travel destination. It is accessible,” said Nikki Vargas, co-founder of Unearth Women and Wanderss co-author, who also constitutes Madrid, Barceloni , Paris and Burgundy in France.
Locations like hoodmaps provide information on where to stay, which neighborhoods are fun to explore and the zones that are potentially safer to avoid.
“I like to stay close to the city center, staying close to the beaten path when it comes to my accommodation,” said Ms. Vargas, who also recommends the search for critics written by solo women.
When traveling abroad, register with the US Foreign Ministry’s smart travelers registration program for emergency alerts from the nearby US embassies.
For people who love hiking or trail, the Dolomite mountains in Italy and the Tour Du Mont Blanc loop in France are ideal for solo travelers. The trails are well-populated-including other solo solo-and many of the huts have communal meals.
Before you leave
It is best to plan the first few days, including accommodation, to have a rough itinerary and know in detail how to get from the airport or train station to your first stop. (Remember, taxis may be expensive when you are alone.)
Before traveling, give your route to friends and family and send updates if something changes. You can also share your phone location with your family or friends through apps such as Apple Find My Friends or Life 360 ​​for Android devices. Think about buying an international telephone plan with data. Or you can download an esim – a digital SIM card that activates a phone without a natural SIM card – before leaving home so you have service as soon as you land. Also, download Google Maps for your destination so that you do not depend on the device connectivity for navigation.
Know local customs, including those related to modesty and clothing options. Reddit, Facebook groups especially for solo women, and drivers like Lonely Planet are useful starting points. Mrs Fitzsimmons recommends imagining yourself as a “observer”.
“Observe if there is a sex difference, if there is a age difference, if there is a difference of autopsy and ask. People are happy to talk to you what is happening in their country,” he said.
Try to pack as lightweight as possible. It is important to be self -sufficient and you can feel more vulnerable when you carry a lot of luggage around.
When you get to
“Talk to the locals and talk to people running your hotel or hostel and see what their experience is when you are on the ground,” Fitzsimmons said.
In public places, be smart on the road – keep awareness of your environment of all time and avoid looking at your phone or using headphones. There are some cities and neighborhoods that feel quite safe, even after darkness, but they always know exactly where you go. Many women also avoid consuming alcohol when traveling on their own.
If you have a lot of bank accounts, Mrs Fitzsimmons recommends only take one card with you when you leave your accommodation and keep the rest in your room. Divide any cash into separate pockets.
Apple Pay can also be a option: If you have an iPhone, payment with your phone prevents you from sorting with different cards. Mrs Fitzsimmons also suggests the use of a cord attached to your phone.
“You can have it as crossbody in your pocket and then you can whip it, and it remains much safer, closer to your face, so someone can’t grab it out of your hand,” he said.
Having an emergency credit card or cash on hand is useful if you need to change plans or move to a different hotel. Save emergency funds in a separate pocket or bag from your wallet and other documents.
It may be smart to avoid posting anything in social media until you come back from a trip to avoid transmitting your location.
Meeting with individuals
Solo trip does not mean that he is alone all the time. Nomadher is a free app specially designed for solo female travelers to help them find travel partners, welcoming accommodation and travel tips.
Sarah Radzihovsky, 28, working for a technology company, recommends Selina Hostels, either to stay or work remotely. “He is a super social collaborator and co-life guesthouse around the world,” he said. “Even if I don’t stay in Selina, I know I could go hang out with people there,” he said.
Sara Callon, 34, head of the Paris -based staff for an energy company, recommends to take a walk on the first day of a travel solo. In Rome, Ms Callon met with two other solo female travelers through the Rome Free Walking Tour and three of them met for drinks every night.
“It made fun of having some social time when it was darkened after Solo’s exploration all day,” he said.
Group excursions, online forums and local events can be easy ways to meet people with similar interests. In Hawaii, Vietnam and Mexico, Ms Radzihovsky used teams on Facebook to find hiking groups and pick-up games that met weekly.
“Playing Pickup football, beach volleyball, surfing are really good ways to meet people because one, a linguistic obstacle is not an obstacle, and two, it’s a really healthy link,” said Radzihovsky.
