Solo travel as a woman is hard. You can read every travel guide, peruse every travel blog. But at the end of the day, once you step off that train or plane, you're on your own.
If you've read my previous blog about solo travel, you'll know that I'm a huge proponent of it. I'm sure some of you came away from that post thinking, okay, I'm ready. But I don't know where to begin.
Never fear! Here's a list of the 10 things solo female travelers (and frankly any solo traveler) should do to guarantee the best possible travel experience:
1. Take tours. Ironically, one of the best parts of traveling alone is finding new friends to sightsee with. One of the first things I do whenever I arrive in a new city is sign up for a pay as you wish walking tour. Tours are also a great option for safely checking out the night life -- every major city has pub crawls, and they're often led by friendly locals.
2. Insure your phone and make sure tracking is on. Phones are a hot commodity wherever you go. And as a solo female tourist, you may end up being a prime target for pickpockets. I myself got my phone stolen in Brussels. So be sure to insure your phone and keep a tracking app on so you have options.
3. Stay somewhere owned by a woman or women. Obviously, if you're staying at a major chain like the Hilton, you don't have to worry about having a sketchy owner. But if you're not staying at a chain, be sure to stay at a hostel or Airbnb owned by a woman or women. Unfortunately, I've heard of several instances when male hosts hit on their female lodgers.
4. Bring a phrase book or install a translation app on your phone. English has largely become the common international language. However, not everyone speaks it, especially in smaller towns and more rural areas across the globe. I remember going to Tiberias and tugging at my black shorts because I didn't know how to ask the barista in Hebrew for "black tea." Having the Google translate app installed on my phone would've made my life much easier.
5. Memorize the phone number for emergency services. This goes for everyone, not just women. You never know when you'll need it.
6. Carry a shawl. In many countries, you need to be dressed modestly to enter holy sites. Think: the Vatican, the Kotel, and other houses of worship across the world. Most of the major sites will offer free pieces of fabric you can drape over yourself, but not all. That's why it's important to do your research -- Temple Mount, for instance, requires women to be covered everywhere except hands, neck, and head. Carrying a shawl will allow you to be more spontaneous on your adventures, especially when it's too hot to walk around covered up.
7. Familiarize yourself with local customs regarding gender. Unfortunately, the world is still gendered. While you can dress as you please in places like Iceland and England, there are parts of the world where you risk harassment if you show too much skin or wear fitted clothing. You also may not be welcomed into the same spaces as men, and behavior that would be seen as innocent in one place would (wrongly) be seen as flirty or insulting elsewhere, such as shaking hands or chatting with a man. It's unfortunate and not your fault. But a little research will save you from discomfort.
8. Learn about local transportation options. In most of Israel -- especially Jerusalem -- public transportation shuts down between Friday and Saturday nights. In Iceland, my friend and I almost got stranded when we had to take two buses back to Reykjavik that ran on sporadic, conflicting schedules. Not knowing how transportation works in the place you're visiting might literally leave you stranded.
9. Have a sense of humor. Unfortunately, as a solo traveler, you'll sometimes be a target for tourist traps. In many traveler communities, people like to brag about the great deals they got on tickets or accessories, and how they never fall for tourist traps. But guess what... at some point in your travel career, you'll fall into a tourist trap. Or get ripped off on a handbag. And when it happens, the best thing you can do is laugh. Really laugh. Congratulations! You've now joined the ranks of some of the most badass female travelers of all time!
10. Do whatever you want, whenever you want. As women, we're taught that every experience needs to be done socially. We're supposed to feel bad for the woman eating alone at the restaurant, the damsel who had to take herself to the theater. But guess what? These ladies are doing exactly what they want, when they want, without compromising. When I graduated college, I didn't know anyone else who could go on a three-month backpacking trip to Europe. So my choices were: go alone, or don't go at all. I only went to the restaurants, cities, and places I wanted. I made friends wherever I went. Every day I'd wake up, and my only question would be: What do I want to do today. This is a kind of freedom that women are generally discouraged from enjoying. It's amazing. And it makes everything else worth it.
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