Why should a woman be restricted to staying in her hometown? Why can’t a woman book a flight and leave the next day? Why shouldn’t a woman take advantage of everything the world has to offer?
Realistically, solo travel will never be entirely safe. Being a woman in a foreign country, alone, is quite a daunting prospect. You’re at risk for everything a woman risks to begin with, but add a language barrier, a phone with a dead battery, and a badly located Airbnb, and you’re definitely not in the best position.
There are a lot of things to consider when deciding to travel on your own, so here’s a quick list:
Security
The first thing you need to think about is your safety. Learn the country’s emergency numbers, make sure you always have enough money for a taxi and, if possible, turn on your phone location and let family or friends know where you plan to go . There are many women’s groups on social media where it is possible to make new connections in new cities. Just beware of meetings and always do it in public places.
It is your responsibility to be aware of the local culture and rules of the place you are visiting. Although the country has no official law on what to wear or how to behave, it is best to familiarize yourself with a region’s “do’s and don’ts”.
In 2019, Asher and Lyric Fergusson created the “Women’s Danger Index”, which documents the “50 Worst (and Safest) Countries for Women’s Solo Travel”. The “worst” country for women to visit was South Africa, with women unable to walk alone at night, fearing intentional homicides and “non-marital sexual violence”. The “safest” country was Spain, with a lack of violent attitudes towards women or legal discrimination against women. Notably, the United States came in at number 19 on the list, making it the most dangerous Western country to visit.
Many quantifiable criteria used in the “Women’s Danger Index” are not the responsibility of women. Women are not responsible for being targeted or harassed. Your trip should be fun. My main recommendation is to choose wisely where you want to visit and plan accordingly. The scenic route is usually a good place to start, slowly building up to more off-the-beaten-track places when you’ve gained your confidence traveling alone.
Lodging
I learned the hard way that the most “instagrammable” place might not be the safest. I booked an Airbnb in a more residential part of Florence and spent every night climbing the doors and checking the windows three times, despite Florence being a relatively safe place and very popular with tourists.
You don’t have to spend a fortune on more expensive hotels to feel safe. Websites like lastminute.com and agoda offer more affordable prices, but Booking.com helps keep the
full details of your planned accommodation and sometimes offers 10% off for “Genius” members.
The Safer Tourism Foundation lists information on safety in your accommodation. You must indicate that your room is occupied even when you are away, make sure all windows and doors are locked, and be careful who might know you are traveling alone when checking in.
Transportation
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office website gives specific advice for ‘women traveling and living abroad’, including arranging airport transfers before you arrive and only using official, licensed and reputable taxis. All advice on this page is gender specific but gives a daunting impression of traveling alone. Personally, I’ve never had major problems using public transport or taxis in the countries I’ve traveled to, but it’s important to be aware of your surroundings and especially the behavior of others.
If your trip involves multiple cities (especially in Europe), pre-booking your trains through Trainline is a must. The UK Trainline app works for trains in Europe and you can book a seat, buy an upgrade or even track your train.
Uber/Lyft don’t operate in every city, even the major ones where it’s easy to assume they would. It’s always useful to have the numbers of a few local taxi companies stored on your phone.
Renting a car is a riskier transportation choice, but it is an option. Don’t forget to check if the car is manual or automatic, read a bit of the traffic laws of the place you are going to and take a full video of the exterior and interior of the car so that when you drop it off with the rental office, they cannot fine you for pre-existing damage. My most important tip here is to understand your rental agreement: do they want a credit card to charge a deposit? How much is the deposit? Don’t get caught out on vacation with a four-figure deposit on a car you’ll then be afraid to drive (from experience).
Have a fun trip
Now the fun can begin! Having a good plan for your trip is essential, but you also need to be impatient and not look over your shoulder. Mistrust is a good thing, although it shouldn’t overshadow your journey. Those nerves will dissipate! You can go there alone! After all, there’s a reason you’re considering this solo trip.
Women are not defined by what prohibits us, we are defined by the decisions we make and the risks we take. Book that plane, that hotel, that experience – and tell me all about it when you get back. Women are more likely to travel alone than men, even with additional considerations. The normalization of solo female travel is one of the best things to come in recent years and over time, I’m sure we female solo travelers will see even more of our travel dreams come true.
See you on the road!
Sources cited:
“Advice for Women Traveling Abroad”, (2012) Gov.uk, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/advice-for-women-travelling-abroad.
Agoda, https://www.agoda.com/en-gb/.
Booking.com, https://www.booking.com/.
“Female Travelers”, Safer Tourism Foundation (2018), https://safertourism.org.uk/travel-tips/female-travellers/.
Fergusson, Asher and Lyric Fergusson, “The 50 Worst (and Safest) Countries for Solo Female Travel”, Asher & Lyric (2019), https://www.asherfergusson.com/solo-female-travel- safety/.
Lastminute.com, https://www.lastminute.com.
Williams, Bradley, ’40+ Female Travel Statistics (2022!)’, Dream Big, Travel Far (2022), https://www.dreambigtravelfarblog.com/blog/female-travel-statistics.
Written by: Emily Gee
Edited by: Daisy Jeffs
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