Hi wonderful people,
For today’s blog post, I wanted to share some of my tips and must-have items as a female solo traveler. I’ve gone on three solo trips so far (Seattle, Portland, and Toronto)! I feel like it can be really daunting trying to figure out how to plan a solo trip regardless of if it’s your first time or you’re a seasoned traveler.
Especially as a woman, the idea of solo traveling for me was really scary. I wanted to experience something new and exciting, but I also wanted to make sure I was doing so in the safest way possible. I was 19 when I went on my first solo trip, and I remember how quickly it dawned on me that I was in a new city completely on my own. However, on all of my trips, I learned so much about myself and about the city that I was in. I cannot tell you how many looks I got when I would ask for a table for one at a restaurant or when I asked for a single ticket to go on a tour. Instead of feeling embarrassed, it actually gave me this new sense of confidence because I was no longer relying on other people’s company to enjoy different experiences.
I also feel like I got to see these cities in a new perspective because I am so much more observant when I’m on my own. The fear I had experienced when I first arrived in these cities slowly went away as I started to see how exciting it was to discover a new place on my own itinerary and pace. After I came home from my first trip, it was such a liberating feeling realizing that I was capable of doing something so ambitious and adventurous on my own. It’s why I now continue going on solo trips whenever I get the chance. I hope you find something on this post that helps you out as you start planning your own solo trip!
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Choosing a City
The very first step, and possibly the most exciting, is choosing where to go! For my first solo trip, I went to Seattle because I’ve always dreamed of visiting, and it seemed like a common place for solo travelers. I wanted to visit a place that was fairly popular and had signature sights to see. Seattle was great because of the Pike Place Market, unique neighborhoods, and famous food spots! If it is your first solo trip and you live in the US, I feel like major cities such as Seattle and Portland have so many things to see. I think that 3 days is a good place to start because it gives you enough time to explore the city. You also won’t have to pack a ton, so it’s perfect for bringing a carry-on and personal item! If you decide that solo traveling isn’t for you, then the shorter trip can help the whole experience feel less overwhelming.
Booking Your Flight
Right after I choose my city, I start looking at my flights! I usually try to plan a 3-day trip with the weekend as two of those days (Fri-Sun or Sat-Mon) just because it’s easier to take time off from work that way. However, I noticed that flights tend to be cheaper in the middle of the week depending on where you go, so see if that works better for you! All of my trips have been fairly short because they are in cities that didn’t require a longer trip to explore the main attractions. However, if I planned a trip more international (like Japan for instance), I would definitely book a longer stay. I like to check flights in incognito mode because the prices don’t fluctuate as much, meaning you’re less likely to see a rise in prices.
When I look at the times my flights would be at, I prefer to book ones where I’d land in the morning and depart in the evening so that I can maximize the time that I’m there. Plus, I feel much safer traveling with my luggage in broad daylight versus at night.
Finding a Place to Stay + Transportation
Once the flight is booked, I’ll start planning the hotels I stay at and how I’m going to be getting around. The cities I have traveled to are all pretty big cities, so they had good public transportation systems. I also try to stay in the downtown areas because it’s much easier to go from the airport to my hotel, and it’s close to most of the main attractions each city has to offer.
As far as the hotels, one of my main requirements is that it is within walking distance to a public transportation stop. It gives me ease of my mind for when I’m arriving and departing because I have to carry my luggage with me, and it makes it so much easier when I’m sight seeing throughout the trip. Sometimes I book sight seeing tours for my trips, so I also try to find a hotel that the tour will pick-up and drop-off at. These tours have a pretty specific start time, so doing this saves me the hassle of trying to figure out what time I would have to use public transportation to get to the tour on time. A bonus for hotels is if they have added security measures to get into the hotel (like scanning your room key to open the entrance) because it gives me more peace of mind as a solo traveler.
I try my best to only use public transportation when I solo travel because it is significantly cheaper than taking an Uber everywhere, and I’m not quite old enough to rent a car. Like I mentioned earlier, I make sure that the city I’m visiting has a good public transportation system that has a direct line from the airport to the area I’m staying in. I’ll usually look up the different routes before I go on the trip so that it’s easier to plan out my loose itineraries for each day and so that I have a better sense of direction once I get to the city.
On my first solo trip, I definitely made the mistake of taking a bus in the opposite direction I was supposed to be heading in. I started to panic and got off at the first stop I could, but it was pretty isolated so I couldn’t go into a store or anything to ask for help. I used maps to find the stop that would head in the right direction (which lucky for me was right across the street) and got to my location just fine. If this does happen to you, I would recommend not doing what I did (lol). Take a second to figure out the best way to get to the right direction before hopping off at the first stop you see. Get off at a stop where you could ask locals for advice and have your maps app ready to help you find the stop you need to get to. The last thing you want is to look completely lost and have people potentially take advantage of that, so take your time figuring out what you need to do.
Depending on the city you visit, the theft rates tend to be higher in public transportation, so make sure you keep your belongings close to you and try to be extra aware of your surroundings here. This also sounds a bit terrifying, but I personally have had pretty good experiences using public transportation. It’s just good to keep this in mind as well.
Planning Out Your Schedule
Once I’ve figured out everything seen above, I can finally start planning the main part of the trip: exploring! The first thing I do is go to Pinterest and look up itinieraries for the city and how many days I’ll be there (ex: Seattle 3-Day Itinerary). This helps me get a better idea of where to find different attractions around the city, and I’ll make sure the activites for each day are in the same neighborhood/area to save me the hassle of traveling all over the city.
I personally like to have more loose itineraries rather than one where I am booked for every hour of the day. I’ll usually plan one activity that has a set start time such as a museum visit or a tour, but I like to have some wiggle room for the rest of the day just in case something unexpected comes up. I also learned that activites go by so much faster when you’re by yourself, so it’s good to have some back up activites planned in case you have some extra time. I prefer to be back at my hotel before the sun sets because being a woman alone at night isn’t the most ideal scenario, so I’ll plan more activities for the morning/afternoon.
If you need some ideas for activities to do when solo traveling, I think a tour is a great place to start! Tours are a great place to meet other people and learn about where they’re traveling from. I’ve met some of the sweetest people just from bonding over the sights we’re seeing. I also love tours because you get to explore the city, and you don’t have to worry about the transportation. It’s a bonus if they do pick-ups and drop-offs from your hotel, too! This might not be the most ideal activity if you’re more focused on experiencing local activities, but it’s definitely a good start for your first time solo traveling.
I usually like to treat myself on solo trips, so I’ll book a reservation at one of their more well-known restaurants in the city. The great thing about solo traveling is that there’s pretty much no wait time for restaurants or activities, but some places require a reservation in advance, so just keep that in mind!
Essentials
Below, I wanted to include some of my essentials for when I’m traveling by myself. You of course want to make solo traveling as easy as possible, and you also want to be prepared since you can’t always rely on a travel companion.
Packing Cubes
I swear packing cubes are a game changer! Even if you’re packing pretty light, it’s nice to have some space in case you want to bring home any souveneirs from your trip.
Portable Charger
This one is a huge must-have for me because the last thing you want is a dead phone. My phone is my main source of navigation, so I need to have it ready at all times in case I get lost. And of course, it’s always good to have in case you have an emergency or you need to call someone. Having a portable charger just gives me that extra sense of security when I’m traveling on my own.
Disposable/Film Camera
Because I am so nostalgic, I love being able to capture my solo trips on cameras that produce physical film. It gives a more vintage feel to them, and it makes looking back on my trips feel so much more sentimental. I will always bring my Instax SQ6 with me. It’s nice because it has a self-timer feature in case there isn’t someone around to take a picture for me.
Portable Door Lock
I’ll usually bring a portable door lock just to feel that extra sense of security when I’m in my hotel room. I have not experienced any situation where I felt unsafe in my hotel; however, it’s nice to be prepared for worse case scenario. It’s really easy to use and doesn’t take up much space in my luggage.
Self-Defense Alarm
I feel like the most common thing women carry around for self-defense is pepper spray. This, however, is a bit problematic if you’re going on an airplane because you can’t bring them with you in your luggage. So, my next recommendation is this self-defense alarm. It will make a noise loud enough to get the attention of others in the event that you are in a dangerous situation, and it’s also easy to carry around.
Journal
Last but not least is a journal! I love sitting in coffee shops and journaling about each day of my trip. Once again, because I am so nostalgic, it’s nice reading my journal entries from my solo trips because it makes me feel like I’m reliving the little details of those days that I tend to forget about as time goes by.
With all this being said, don’t forget to enjoy your trip! Planning a trip by yourself can be overwhelming, but it’s also so exciting! I definitely get in my head with all the scary things that could happen, especially as a woman. These are all very worse case scenario situations that I like to be ready for, and I wanted any other woman travelers out there to be aware of different scenarios. It’s good to be prepared for a multitude of situations, but don’t forget that you’re also there to explore a new city and learn more about yourself. Solo traveling is one of the best things I decided to do for myself, and I’m so excited for any one wanting to put themselves out there and try it out! Thank you for sticking around and reading my post! I hope you found something that resonates with you, and I’ll see you on the next post!
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