I took my first solo trip when I was a senior in college, to Los Angeles, California.
Truthfully, I didn’t necessarily want to go by myself, but I’d always wanted to visit L.A. none of my friends could go. So I went by myself!
It was a little scary at times, but I had a great time, which gave me the confidence to keep doing it.
I never thought much of my solo travels until friends asked me about them and told me they wished they could do them, too. Well, you can!
So, I gathered up all of my tips and am sharing them here. Let’s do this!
Why travel alone as a female?
I’m sure everyone has their own reasons for traveling alone, but there are several reasons why I’ve done it:
It’s freeing. Going on a trip and spending quality time alone is a great reminder that you’re a badass and life is yours to create.
It boosts my confidence. I struggle with confidence, especially in social situations. But when I travel solo, I feel like I can do almost anything!
I can do whatever I want, whenever and however. You can go wherever you want, pick the flight you want, stay where you want, work with your budget, and make the plans you want!
It’s inspiring and boosts creativity. I focus more on things when I’m alone and take it all in. I typically leave a solo trip feeling refreshed and creative.
Tip 1: Choose a place you really want to visit
Start the planning by selecting a place you really want to see! If you’re excited about the place you’re going, it will help squash your fears about going alone.
So far, I’ve gone to L.A. (twice), NYC (x3), Denver, San Francisco (x4), Marfa, and Nashville by myself. I wanted to visit all of them, and I knew that if I waited for people to make plans with me, I might never see them.
Tip 2: Make exciting plans
Once you pick where you’re going, and the time of year you want to go, then you can start making plans. What do you like to do? I’m a music junkie, so I typically plan my trips around a concert I want to see (yes, you can go to concerts by yourself!).
One of my New York trips was near the holidays, so I got tickets to see The Rockettes and made time to see the tree in Rockefeller Center.
If you want a more relaxing trip, plan how you’ll relax. Will it be a spa day or an afternoon at an outdoor cafe with a book?
Tip 3: Come prepared
When you travel alone, you can only rely on yourself. This means you gotta pack everything you’ll need. Do your research; will you need anything specific for your trip? Also, know yourself; what things will you need during your time away?
I make it a point to pack comfort items (my entire packing list is here), including my softest pajamas, favorite skincare, and minty CBD body lotion.
Tip 4: Don’t forget about safety
Unfortunately, we can’t talk about solo female travel without discussing safety. I’m a pretty big scaredy cat in my daily life, and when I travel, I try to find a balance between being smart and aware and also having fun.
To help keep tabs on my location, I’ve worn a Flare bracelet for years (there’s an entire blog post on it here). This bracelet contacts designated people in my life should I need it to, or it sends my location to police.
I did a ton of research on personal safety devices and settled on the Flare bracelet for two main reasons: 1. it can’t be used against me (in the way a knife or mace could), and 2. I can wear it to concerts, plays, etc.
I also changed the settings in my Lyft app to share the driver’s information and my location with my mom. You can do it in various ways (here’s instructions), but I’ve got mine set to automatically text my mom my driver’s information and other details about my ride.
Some other things I do to stay safe while traveling include:
Stay in a hotel, not an Airbnb. This might be a hot take, but I prefer a front desk that will see me come and go instead of a random house. For extra safety, jam your hotel door shut.
Walk with purpose. If you don’t know where you’re going, act like you do. Don’t wear headphones or wander aimlessly. Try not to be out late. When I’ve gone to concerts that get out late, I walk with the crowd for as long as possible.
Be aware (and drink less). Always be mindful of your surroundings. For me, it helps to drink less alcohol (if any). This way, I keep my guard up.
Be smart about your purse. This may sound scary, but I plan to be robbed. Pack your purse with your ID and the card you want to use. But I also leave my passport (secondary ID) and another credit card in my suitcase. If something happens, I still have a way to finish my trip and get home.
Tip 5: Know your limits
There’s a difference between putting yourself out of your comfort zone and making yourself completely miserable. If it’s really a stretch for you to travel across the country (or the world) alone, consider starting smaller — maybe stay in-state.
Also, consider how long you’ll want to be away alone. I live alone and even get sick of myself on a trip — ha! I typically don’t travel alone for longer than three days.
Another idea would be to meet someone at your destination. Spend a day alone and spend a day meeting up, or something similar.
Tip 6: Be proud of yourself!
I used to feel embarrassed to do things alone; worried that people would think I was a loser or had no friends. But truthfully, everyone is too busy thinking about themselves!
I’ve met so many people during my solo travels, and they are always impressed that I’m doing something on my own. Many of them say they wish they could do it, too.
So be proud of yourself, and have fun!
If you’ve traveled alone, what are some of your tips?
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