How to Tour a Foreign Country as a Female Solo Traveller

There is something liberating about travelling as a female solo traveller. You can do what you want when you want, and you can learn about yourself and what you are truly capable of as a person. But, depending on your travel destination, touring a foreign country as a female solo traveller can represent irritations, challenges, and genuine dangers.

How can you approach travel as a solo woman in a way that lets you make the most of your time and the experience, but also keeps you safe? You can start by following our top tips!

Research Your Destination

The key to success is often preparation, so thoroughly research your destination before booking your trip. Understand what the attitude towards women is in the country that you plan on visiting. 

For example, if you visit most Western European countries, you will probably find safe streets and cultures with an overall respectful attitude towards women. But you might also learn that in some small towns, short skirts are best avoided if you don’t want to be harassed. 

Similarly, while you might learn that almost anything goes when it comes to attire in Brazil, you can expect relentless male attention, as some locals often persistently pursue foreign women. 

Then there are countries in the Middle East, where rules about what women should wear, where they can go, and who they can speak to are much stricter. 

If you know what to expect, you can prepare yourself mentally, and book your trip in a way that is likely to maximise your safety and enjoyment. While a common reaction is to object to having to change and take precautions to deal with sexism and violence against women, if you are travelling, you need to respect the reality of the local situation.

Top Tip! Respect local customs when it comes to dress and behaviour. While you might be able to “get away with” more than conservative travel sites recommend, you probably will draw unwanted attention.

Plan Your First Day Carefully

Often arrival is the most stressful part of any trip. You are tired and desperate for a shower after your trip, and then you can be confronted with finding your accommodation in an unfamiliar place.

Research your accommodation carefully to find a safe place in a good area and plan how you will arrive there, whether that be by bus or Uber. Try and arrange to arrive in the afternoon so that you can head directly to your accommodation and check-in, but that it is still daylight. This also gives you enough time to make changes to your arrangements if you aren’t happy with the situation for whatever reason.

While travelling, avoid revealing the details of your accommodation to anyone that you meet. Where you are staying needs to be your safe place, and you don’t necessarily want uninvited visitors turning up out of the blue.

Top Tip! Organise a local SIM card when you arrive at the airport. That way you know that you will have access to the internet to use maps, call an Uber, and otherwise navigate your new surroundings.

Meet New People

One of the great things about solo travelling is meeting new people. When you travel with someone else, you are much less likely to meet new people as you and your companion(s) fill that social need. Female solo travellers are more likely to actively seek out new friends.

Be proactive in meeting new people by joining organised trips, signing up for classes, and staying in locations that have a social element, such as hostels with great bars or activities for visitors. There are usually online groups for travellers to popular destinations where you can find fun activities to join and meet new people.

Remember! Female solo travellers often make excellent friends that they will remain connected to for the rest of their lives. But remember to exercise caution. Don’t trust new friends with your expensive items or private documents, and don’t share detailed information about yourself. Connect on social media quickly to give both of your confidence in one another.

Have Confidence in Yourself

Most of the advice out there for solo female travellers is about safety, and this is extremely important and should be followed. But it can also make the prospect of travelling alone as a woman seem scary. But it does not need to be.

Before you set off, have confidence in yourself that you know how to keep yourself safe and make good decisions. Then, when you’re travelling, listen to your inner voice and make decisions that are right for you. Don’t be influenced by other people who assure you that they know your destination and that you are going to be missing out if you don’t go along with their plans. Do what you know is right for you.

While you should respect local customs, don’t be afraid to speak to people and make new friends. But know your boundaries and be firm if anyone tries to cross them.

Consider! Know yourself before you travel. If you know that you tend to be easily influenced by others, especially when drinking, keep this in mind. If you know you are shy and struggle to make friends, actively challenge yourself to step outside of your comfort zone in a safe way.

Accept Downtime

One of the great things about travelling alone is that you get to spend some quality time with yourself and your own thoughts. But not everyone is prepared for exactly what that looks like. 

This can mean extended periods of “downtime” when there might not be that much to do. It can also mean doing things that you would usually do with friends, such as going out to dinner or attending a show, alone. You are going to need to get comfortable with that.

Don’t underestimate the amount of time you might need to spend alone in your accommodation. Not every city is 24-hour and you might find that in some destinations there is no one on the street on a Monday night. Think about what you will do while spending that time alone. 

Consider! Compelling reading material is a must as a solo traveller, but be realistic. If you’ve been struggling to tackle it for years, you aren’t going to read War and Peace, plus it’s a hefty book to pack. Choose something that you find compelling, perhaps about the destination that you are visiting.

Invest in a Selfie Stick

Yeah, we all hate that tourist with a selfie stick who is always taking up loads of space and trying to monopolise the best places. But if you are travelling alone, how else are you going to take all those pictures?

You don’t really want to be handing your smartphone or your expensive camera to strangers to take snaps for you. So, yeah, become that person and get the selfie stick.