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I’ve travelled solo to over 30 countries. Some trips were brilliant. A few were lonely. One involved a taxi driver in Tanger who took a “shortcut” that turned out to be a 40-minute detour to his cousin’s carpet shop. You learn things.
This is the guide I wish I’d had before my first solo trip — not the inspirational “you go girl” version, but the practical one. Where to go, what to watch out for, what to pack, and how to stop worrying about eating dinner alone (you get used to it faster than you’d think).
Why travel alone?
Because nobody else wants to spend four hours in a museum. Because you can change your plans at breakfast. Because you find out what you actually like when there’s nobody else to compromise with.
I won’t dress it up — solo travel has awkward moments. The first evening in a new city, when it’s dark and you don’t know where anything is. The restaurant table for one. The hostel common room where everyone else already knows each other. But those moments pass quickly, and what replaces them is a kind of confidence that’s hard to get any other way.
Over 60% of solo travellers are women, according to recent travel industry data. You won’t be the odd one out.
The best destinations for solo female travellers
Not every country feels the same when you’re on your own. These are places where I’ve felt safe, welcome and genuinely glad I came alone.
Portugal
Lisbon is close to perfect for a first solo trip. It’s compact, the public transport works, people speak English, and the food is cheap enough that you can eat well without thinking about it. Walk Alfama in the morning, take the 28 tram, eat a pastel de nata while staring at the river.
Porto is quieter and arguably prettier. The Douro valley is a short train ride away if you want wine country for a day.
The Algarve coast works too, though it’s more of a beach-and-read situation than a city-exploring one. Nothing wrong with that.
Japan
The safest country I’ve travelled in, full stop. Trains run to the second, people go out of their way to help, and the food is extraordinary. Tokyo is electric; Kyoto is calm. I’d do both.
The language barrier is real outside tourist areas, but Google Translate with the camera function handles most situations. Buy a Japan Rail Pass if you’re doing more than one city — the maths works out quickly.
One thing: Japanese hotels are small. Not dirty, not bad — just small. If that bothers you, budget for slightly better rooms.
Bulgaria’s Black Sea Coast
This is where I live and work, so I’m biased — but hear me out. The southern Bulgarian coast around Sozopol and Nessebar is warm, affordable, and feels genuinely safe. Solo women come on package holidays to Sunny Beach and end up spending days wandering the Nessebar Old Town UNESCO streets or taking a boat trip down the coast.
It’s not Bali. It’s not Instagram-famous. It costs about a third of what the Greek islands charge, and nobody hassles you.
Compare hotels on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast | Things to do in Sunny Beach
Iceland
Wild, empty, safe, and staggeringly beautiful. I drove the north of Iceland alone and barely saw another car for hours. Akureyri is a great base if you don’t want to spend everything in Reykjavik, and the locals are so friendly it feels like cheating.
The catch: Iceland is expensive. Budget carefully, self-cater where you can, and go in shoulder season (September or May) for lower prices.
New Zealand
Hiking, scenery, extremely friendly people, and a well-worn backpacker trail that makes it easy to meet others. The South Island is the showstopper — Queenstown, Milford Sound, Wanaka — but the North Island has better food and culture. Group hikes and tours are everywhere if you want company for a day.
Switzerland
Expensive, yes. But also one of the most efficiently run countries on earth, which matters when you’re navigating solo. Trains connect everything, cities are walkable, and the scenery is absurd. My Switzerland travel guide covers how to do it without bankrupting yourself — the Swiss Travel Pass is the key.
Compare hotels in Switzerland | 3 days in Switzerland by train
Safety tips that actually matter
I’m not going to tell you to “trust your instincts” and leave it at that. Here’s what I actually do.
Before you go:
Share your itinerary with someone at home — a friend, a parent, a group chat. Not because something will go wrong, but because it takes two minutes and removes one worry entirely.
Accommodation:
Read reviews written by women. Look for mentions of security, lighting, and location. A central hotel that costs slightly more is often worth it over a cheap one in an area you don’t know. Book places with 24-hour reception if you’re arriving late.
Getting around:
Arrive in daylight. Every city feels different at night when you don’t know it yet. Use ride-hailing apps (Uber, Bolt, Grab) instead of flagging taxis — you get a tracked route, a recorded driver, and a price upfront.
Your phone:
Keep it charged. Download offline maps. Get a local SIM or an eSIM before you fly — it’s the single most useful thing you can do for your safety, because a phone with data is a phone with maps, translation, ride-hailing, and a lifeline home.
Money:
Carry two cards from different banks, in different places. If one gets lost or blocked, you’re not stranded. Keep a small amount of local cash for emergencies.
The big one:
If something feels off — a taxi, a person, a street, a vibe — leave. You don’t owe anyone politeness. Walk into a shop, a hotel lobby, a restaurant. Anywhere with other people. The feeling is usually nothing. But acting on it costs you nothing, and ignoring it can cost you a lot.
A few extra packing tips for solo women…
Most packing lists are the same regardless of gender. These are the extras I always carry:
A doorstop wedge — jams under your hotel room door from inside. Weighs nothing, fits anywhere, and gives you peace of mind in budget accommodation.
A portable door lock — same idea, different mechanism. I carry both; one of them always works.
A head torch — for hostels (finding things without waking everyone), camping, and power cuts.
A sarong or large scarf — doubles as a cover-up for conservative-dress areas, a beach towel, a picnic blanket, and a privacy screen on buses.
Eating alone
The thing everyone dreads and nobody talks about once they’ve done it. Eating alone is fine. It’s better than fine — you eat what you want, where you want, when you want.
If it feels awkward at first: sit at the bar, not a table. Bring a book or your phone. Go for lunch rather than dinner (lunches feel more normal solo, for whatever reason). Pick busy local places over empty tourist restaurants.
After two or three solo meals, you’ll wonder why you ever thought it was weird.
Meeting people (when you want to)
Solo doesn’t have to mean lonely. Hostels with common areas are the obvious option, but they’re not the only one. Walking tours, cooking classes, pub crawls, and day trips all put you in a group without committing you to anyone’s schedule.
Apps like Meetup and Bumble BFF work in bigger cities. Facebook groups for solo female travellers are active in most popular destinations. And honestly, sometimes you just start talking to someone at breakfast and end up spending the day together. It happens more than you’d expect.
Your first trip: keep it simple
If you’ve never travelled alone, don’t start with a month in Southeast Asia. Start with a weekend in a European city. Somewhere with good English, good transport, and a short flight home. Lisbon. Copenhagen. Edinburgh. See how it feels. Adjust from there.
Three days is enough for a first solo trip. Long enough to settle in, short enough that you won’t spiral if you’re not enjoying it. (You will enjoy it.)
Plan your trip
Hotels: Search and compare hotels in all destinations mentioned above — book with free cancellation so you can adjust as your plans change.
Tours and activities: Browse day tours and experiences on GetYourGuide — I use it for walking tours and cooking classes when I’m solo.
Stay connected: Don’t leave home without sorting your phone situation. My guide to the best eSIM for travel covers the options.
Travel on a budget: If the cost is what’s holding you back, read my budget travel tips guide — solo travel is often cheaper than you think, because you make all the decisions.
Read next
- Sunny Beach Bulgaria Holidays — cheap, safe, great for a first solo beach week
- Best Things to Do in Nessebar Old Town — a perfect solo day trip from Sunny Beach
- Switzerland Travel Guide — expensive but worth it, especially by train
- Budget Travel Tips Guide — how to travel more for less
- Affordable Luxury Travel — because solo doesn’t have to mean budget
- Best eSIM for Travel — stay connected abroad