Female solo travelling

duchy

mum2one wrote: »

It sounds daft but sometimes its common sense (meant in the nicest of ways) as some people (couples as well) leave their brains at the airport, my motto if I wouldn't do it at home, then I wouldn't abroad.

Your have an amazing time, xx

I agree I have worked both as a travel agent and also in holiday repatriation (bringing people back on insurance from holiday after disaster strikes) and the stupid things people do abroad they'd never do at home - sometimes with dreadful consequences beggers belief..... Having a carefree holiday and a careless of even the most basic precautions one are two different things,

Cottage_Economy

I've travelled alone before - a couple of times to Australia and some European holidays and i loved it.

I never had a safety issue. I know my own mind and never allowed myself to be taken over by people who think a woman travelling alone must want company or need rescuing. I'm very safety conscious anyway and plan extensively.

I found eating out in the evenings were annoying, from clucking waiters, to worried families of tourists, to men thinking I must have had an argument with my other half and want 'cheering up' or 'sex for revenge'. I tended to eat light throughout the day rather than sit in a restaurant and have a big meal in the evening, which had the added benefit that I could go to evening events. There's a lot of culture to be had in the evenings that many people miss in favour of filling a day and then flaking out in the evening exhausted.

I did once end up with someone attaching themselves to me for two days and the only way i could shake them was to leave the hotel and move on. He was convinced i needed looking after. I actually think it was him that needed someone to look after and he started to creep me out. I would walk around ignoring him and he would still trot after me. Anyway, he was as dense as a housebrick and I've never been one to create a scene, so I just upped and left when he thought i was having a shower.

clearingout

I have travelled extensively and independently as a lone woman. A cheap wedding ring is worth the investment and just being sensible about where you are and what you're doing and why. The advice about not doing stuff you wouldn't do at home is good, particularly in relation to men in bars and public transport! My top tip is money: I always had the equivalent of £20 stuffed down my bra for emergencies such as dodging a persistent guy via a taxi or finding myself in a bar at 2am with people who suddenly disappear. Got me out of trouble more than once!

Hermia

duchy wrote: »

I agree I have worked both as a travel agent and also in holiday repatriation (bringing people back on insurance from holiday after disaster strikes) and the stupid things people do abroad they'd never do at home - sometimes with dreadful consequences beggers belief..... Having a carefree holiday and a careless of even the most basic precautions one are two different things,

It is bizarre! I'd love to know what a psychologist would say about it. A Thai friend was telling me that there are con men in her home town who go up to tourists with a huge smile on their face and put on a humble act. Of course they are criminals, but the tourists completely fall for it and often make comments along the lines of "isn't it wonderful how happy they are when they are so poor and uneducated". She finds it baffling as she is sure they would be highly suspicious of a beaming stranger approaching them back home.

mountainofdebt

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Note that it is easy to find travel companions if that is what you want: there is a section of the "Thorn Tree" travel forum on the Lonely Planet web site that exists for this purpose. You might want to arrange a companion for the first few days (to stop people worrying) and then go solo once you feel confident about being there. Your choice!

I've got to admit I would find it more scary going with someone who I'd met this way than being on my own.

You can be anyone on the internet (do you believe for one minute if I told you I was a leggy, 20 something blonde with a masters?).

zagfles

Solo travel is far more common than most people think - I know loads of people who travel alone and love it and have met hundreds of solo travellers on my travels. I still do occasional solo trips even though I'm married with kids!

Stay in hostels, they are great for solo travellers as you'll meet loads people both solo and couples/groups who are generally far more friendly than people in hotels...doesn't matter what your age or gender is. If anything I'd say female solo travellers are more common than male. Most hostels do private rooms if you don't want a dorm.

Wearing a ring is good advice for blokes as well, as it means I can approach women for a chat without them assuming I'm trying to get into their knickers

Have a look on the tripadvisor forum for the place you're going, great advice from destination experts and you'll find a lot of them are solo travellers themselves.

zagfles

mountainofdebt wrote: »

I've got to admit I would find it more scary going with someone who I'd met this way than being on my own.

You can be anyone on the internet (do you believe for one minute if I told you I was a leggy, 20 something blonde with a masters?).

Agreed, also even if they are genuine, what if you just didn't get on or simply didn't want to do the same things, you can't really agree every aspect beforehand, would you feel obliged to stick with them or them you and so have to compromise on what you want to do?

Hermia

zagfles wrote: »

Agreed, also even if they are genuine, what if you just didn't get on or simply didn't want to do the same things, you can't really agree every aspect beforehand, would you feel obliged to stick with them or them you and so have to compromise on what you want to do?

There was an article in Prima about a woman who did this. She wanted to tour India, but was a bit nervous about doing it on her own. I think she met the other woman beforehand and they agreed to have some time where they would do their own thing and just meet up for dinner etc. It seemed to work very well and might be an option for people who are nervous of going somewhere like India.

j.e.j.

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

My top tips to women travelling alone...

2. When leaving your room, turn around and say something like 'bye, won't be too long' and leave the TV on.

:rotfl::rotfl:

Or just take an inflatable man with you in your suitcase.

FR_262

clearingout wrote: »

I have travelled extensively and independently as a lone woman. A cheap wedding ring is worth the investment and just being sensible about where you are and what you're doing and why. The advice about not doing stuff you wouldn't do at home is good, particularly in relation to men in bars and public transport! My top tip is money: I always had the equivalent of £20 stuffed down my bra for emergencies such as dodging a persistent guy via a taxi or finding myself in a bar at 2am with people who suddenly disappear. Got me out of trouble more than once!

I've never been in trouble of any kind. Well, that's because I'm ugly and cover all my well endowed body parts. I've been all around the Netherlands and France and had no trouble at all. If I were to go to further afield I'd make sure I could say 'aids' in every language.