30+ countriesSolo travelerWhat I check, what I don't
I don't choose my destinations based on safety. I go where I want to see, sometimes for a concert or a specific event. But once the place is decided, there are concrete things I check. Over the years I've also learned in which countries I felt truly at ease and in which not so much.
Wat Arun, in Bangkok, one of the destinations where I felt safest traveling solo.
I don't choose destinations by safety
It would be a lie to say I research how safe a country is before deciding whether to go. The truth is simpler: I go where I want to see, and many times the destination was set by a concert or a specific event more than any safety ranking. My decision to travel isn't conditioned on that.
What I do check before arriving
Once the destination is decided, that's when I go into research mode: I look for the safest or best located areas of that city and read reviews to confirm it before booking accommodation. It's not about whether I go or not, but rather about where I stay within the place I've already decided to visit.
Once there
When I'm there, what I check is very specific: that the hostel reception is open 24 hours, that there are lockers to store my things, and I look for hostels with cubicles or curtains in the shared rooms, to have some privacy. When I stay in an Airbnb, I almost always book the entire space, not a shared room, unless I'm with someone.
Fushimi Inari, in Kyoto. Japan was another of the countries where I felt completely at ease.
Thailand, the mecca of solo travelers
Of all the countries I've visited, Thailand stayed as one of my favorites to travel solo. It's an incredible destination where you meet tons of other solo travelers. It honestly felt like I had signed up for a solo travelers event. That makes it very easy to find people, plans and things to do as soon as you arrive, without ever feeling truly alone.
The Grand Palace, in Bangkok, walkable, full of other solo travelers and where I never felt unsafe.The details of the Grand Palace, one of the places I enjoyed exploring solo the most.
Japan was the other big surprise: I felt safe at every moment. I was able to walk day and night without that constant worry you do feel in other places.
On that same list I put Argentina, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland, other countries where I felt at ease walking and moving around solo, without any warning sign.
In almost every place I've been I've felt good. The exceptions stand out precisely because they are that: exceptions.
Two experiences that were the exception
In Germany I had a different feeling because more than once I came across people on the street who were clearly a few drinks in or under some effect, and that made me walk a bit more alert than usual, although this was a personal experience during those days, not necessarily a rule. And in Rome I had my only bad experience traveling so far: a pickpocket stole my wallet with my passport and money inside. It happened in one of the most touristic cities in the world, and unfortunately I let my guard down without realizing it.
What I check, summed up
01
Look for the safest area before booking. Not just the price. I read reviews to confirm it's a well located area.
02
24-hour reception and lockers. It's one of the first things I check on the hostel's listing before booking.
03
Cubicles or curtains in shared rooms. A little privacy makes a huge difference when sleeping among strangers.
04
In Airbnb, the entire space if I'm solo. I only book a shared room when I'm traveling with someone.
In the end, no country is 100% safe
Something can happen even in one of the most visited cities in the world, and still Thailand, Japan and the vast majority of the 30+ countries I've visited left me feeling good. Traveling solo as a woman isn't about finding the perfect country. It's about learning what to check, adjusting your guard to the place, and going anyway.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask me the most about traveling solo
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Is it safe to travel solo as a woman?
In my experience, yes. I've traveled to more than 30 countries solo and in the vast majority I felt good. It's not about eliminating risk completely, but about checking certain things before booking and adjusting your guard to the place.
Which is the safest country to travel solo, in your experience?
Thailand and Japan are the ones that stood out most for how safe I felt. I also include Argentina, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland among the countries where I never had a warning sign.
What should I check before booking a hostel when traveling solo?
That the reception is open 24 hours, that there are lockers, and that the shared rooms have cubicles or curtains for more privacy. I confirm all of this by reading reviews before booking.
Hostel or Airbnb when traveling solo?
It depends on whether I'm with someone or not. Solo, I almost always book an entire-space Airbnb and don't share a room unless I'm with someone else.
Has anything happened to you while traveling solo?
My only bad experience so far was in Rome, where a pickpocket stole my wallet with my passport and money inside. It was the exception, not the rule. On the rest of my solo trips I never had a problem like that.
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