When traveling alone, I like to be able to choose how to move, what to see, and when. Of course, this is also the most difficult way to travel because you have to take on all the difficulties of the organization and the unknowns.
I thought about this guide taking a cue from the questions and fears I had before leaving, but above all from the experiences and mistakes I made while traveling alone.
10 Easy Tips For Safely Traveling Alone As A Woman
Why travel alone?
The reasons are the most varied. A myth, however, should be debunked immediately: those who leave alone do not do it because they have no one to leave with!
Friends, partners, family, the neighbourhood baker and blogs to look for travel companions: finding people to travel with has become, also thanks to social media, very simple. Solo travellers are simply looking for something else.
Tips for Traveling Alone as a Woman
For solo traveling of women, you can check the flights from WizzAirlines.
To find herself again
Do you know Julia Roberts in Eat, Pray, Love? The journey shakes, regenerates, rebalances. The journey is a response to an inner journey. In this case, those who set out to find themselves do so to search for something within themselves that they may have lost or that has never come to light.
I personally have never fully understood this expression and I do not fully recognize myself in it. It will be because I believe that to “find myself” it is better to first look inside myself and, only then, explore what surrounds me by traveling.
However it is one of the most common expressions among women who travel alone, maybe someone will explain it to me well. I understand that traveling can be a good excuse to switch off, to shake up your life and also, why not, to improve yourself as a person.
To meet new people
Traveling alone I have certainly met many more people than I would have met traveling with a company. The motivation is that you are simply more attentive and more receptive to stimuli that come from outside: and other people feel it too.
However, know that if you are traveling alone with the sole aim of making new friends you could be very disappointed. In fact, it is not obvious to be able to find like-minded people to share the journey with.
Often the solitary travelers who meet have pleasure in exchanging a chat, a beer or a day, but then almost always inevitably the paths diverge and everyone goes on his own.
To feel strong
Know what total independence means, challenge yourself, be completely autonomous. This aspect is undeniable: traveling alone requires courage, resourcefulness, shrewdness and even a pinch of cunning.
The courage to fully get involved, the escape from the obligation of necessarily having to be with someone. Feeling that you are a strong woman and in control of situations is one of the most rewarding things that exist.
In short, let’s take the great classics as a reference, from the Odyssey to the Aeneid: traveling means going in search of a new border, moving your limit a little further.
Because it is beautiful
And finally, there is me, and many women like me, who do it because it is simply a beautiful way to travel!
And it is the truest: it is I who decide, I who curse myself, I who get lazy in bed, I who climb a mountain … always me.
Traveling is one of the things I love most in the world and there are very few people with whom I feel I can do it freely. Rhythms, interests, vision of the world, curiosity: I cannot ask someone to adapt to all this and, at the same time, I would not be willing to travel in a different way from mine.
This is the reason that has pushed me on more than one occasion to travel alone. The longest experience was certainly the trip I took for my degree: a month alone in Vietnam. I graduated in March, and Davide had no chance to take a vacation.
There were two options: leave immediately or wait, hoping not to find a job in the meantime that would prevent me from traveling. I didn’t think twice and bought the tickets.
Which country to choose to travel to alone?
If you have decided to travel alone, the first question you are probably asking yourself is: where am I going now?
The Wonder Women Index (an online ranking) takes as a reference parameters such as the degree of women’s rights, the culture of the place, and the stagnation of the destination.
According to this research, the best destinations for women traveling alone are Japan, France and Spain. Italy is in 6th place in the ranking.
But are we sure that the number of trending #hashtags you can use identifies the place that’s really right for you?
Personally, it makes me a little sad.
The Global Peace Index, on the other hand, annually compiles the list of the most peaceful countries in the world. Countries where the crime rate is among the lowest in the world, taking into consideration political stability and the number of internal crimes.
It already seems to me a much more reliable basis from which to start. In my opinion, there is an even better way to give you advice. It starts from the analysis of the type of trip you have already undertaken and your preparation.
If you’ve never left home, you could start with a long weekend away. If you are unfamiliar with languages, perhaps you would be more comfortable in any country. If you are wary of cultures that are too different from yours, it is better to prefer good old Europe.
Choose your destination carefully also based on your mood.
In Europe
The most popular destinations are undoubtedly the European capitals: generally safe, beautiful and varied, they offer everything (or almost) what you could want from a trip.
Among the quietest are those of the countries of Northern Europe – Stockholm and Amsterdam in the first place – followed by Zurich, Barcelona, London and Frankfurt.
Here too the rules of common sense still apply: before leaving, find out which areas to avoid. Each city has its own (unfortunately).
Or America
Among the recommended overseas trips, Canada and the United States are in the lead, famous destinations above all for their safety. With a good knowledge of English, it will also be very easy for you to get around.
As for South America, the level of security for urban women is high: you will hardly find anyone pestering you on the street, especially in Peru or Chile. However, I advise you to check the political situation of the country you are planning to go to because strong internal shocks can occur.
Latin America has always been a politically unstable land. The risk is that of finding oneself in the midst of a major protest, a prolonged strike or some more or less peaceful revolt. Just as it recently happened in Chile or Bolivia.
