Solo travel: 10 tips that make it really fun
Going solo? Best decision you can make for personal growth. These 10 tips help you do it cheaply, safely and with new friends.
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Start with a 'safe' destination
For your first solo trip: Portugal, Thailand, Vietnam, Slovenia, New Zealand. Excellent infrastructure, lots of fellow solos, English widely spoken.
Hostels = social
Stay in hostels (not hotels). Choose ones with a bar/common area. You'll meet 5+ travelers per day. Hostelworld for booking, filter on 'highly social'.
Join group activities
Book a walking tour the day you arrive (€10-€15). Or join a pub crawl, cooking class, dive course. Best way to find travel buddies.
Solo female travel: safe destinations
Top safe: Japan, Iceland, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore. Walk after dark in well-lit streets. Lyft/Uber instead of taxis at night.
Skip the single supplement
Hotels often charge 70-80% of the double rate for a single room. Better: hostel private rooms (€30-€50) or Airbnb.
Eat at the bar, not at a table
A solo dinner at a tablecloth restaurant feels lonely. The bar is social - chat with bartender + other guests.
Stay connected
Local SIM at the airport. Share your location with someone at home (Apple Find My, Google Trusted Contacts). Check in once a day.
Bring a laptop or tablet
For nightly hostel evenings when you need quiet. Watch a movie, plan tomorrow, read.
Set a 'this is great' rule
When you're tired, lonely or stressed - pause. Cancel tomorrow's plans, take a slow day. Solo is harder than group travel; don't push through.
Take more photos than you think
Solo means no one will take your photo. Use a small tripod (€15) and your phone's timer. Future-you will thank present-you.
Updated on 1 August 2026
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Frequently asked questions
Is solo travel safe for women?
Solo female travel is safe in the vast majority of European, Southeast Asian and Latin American destinations popular with tourists. The key precautions: arrive at your destination before dark on day 1, use licensed taxis or Uber/Bolt for late-night transport, dress appropriately in countries with conservative norms (Middle East, parts of Asia), and trust your instincts. The solo female travel community on Reddit (r/solotravel) has detailed, up-to-date safety reports by country.
How do I meet people when travelling solo?
Stay in hostels (even private rooms): the common areas, organised dinners and walking tours create natural meeting points. Join free walking tours on day 1 of every city. Use Meetup.com for local events. Travel in shoulder season when there are more independent travellers and fewer package tour groups. Apps like Couchsurfing and Bumble BFF also have traveller meetup features.
How much does solo travel cost compared to travelling with a partner?
Solo travel costs 15-30% more per person than travelling with a partner, because accommodation costs (hotel rooms, Airbnb) are shared when travelling with two people. Budget for a single supplement of €10-€25 per night in hotels. Hostels eliminate this premium: a dorm bed costs the same regardless. The flexibility premium of solo travel often saves money on flights (easier to fill one seat on cheap departures).
What should I pack for a solo trip?
Essentials for solo travellers: a portable charger (power banks are your lifeline when navigating), a travel padlock for hostel lockers, a doorstop alarm for extra room security, offline maps downloaded before arrival (Google Maps, Maps.me), photocopies of your passport and travel insurance stored in email. Keep your total luggage to one carry-on bag for maximum flexibility.
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