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Welcome to the Travel Transformation Podcast, the podcast where we talk all things travel and all things transformation. I'm your host, Jessica Grace Coleman, and today is going to be a solo episode all about tips for solo female travellers, which I am one of.

Another disclaimer: I'm still in the Basque Country. If you've been listening to my other podcasts, I'm still next to a very busy main road, and if you can hear the cars, I'm sorry, but I can't really do anything about that. 

Okay, so: solo female travel. If you've never done it before, it can seem incredibly daunting, and incredibly overwhelming. I totally get it. Probably the first time I went anywhere on my own was when I went to Colorado in the US for my year abroad. And I actually did meet up with a couple of English girls at the airport who were also going, so I wasn't travelling totally on my own then. But while I was there, I visited various places, flying on my own, meeting up with friends, and doing the first and the end bits on my own. 

And then the biggest first major solo female travel I did – I could just say solo travel; I am a female – was when I went to Thailand in 2018 to go to a writers’ house for two months, and I travelled there and back on my own. And it's quite a lengthy journey, made even more lengthy by the fact that my flight was cancelled when I got to the airport, so I first had to wait several hours in the airport to try and get on another flight. 

I managed to get the last seat on the last flight out that day, and I had to wait like 13, 14 hours in the airport, something like that, before I could even get on a plane. And then I had to fly to Bangkok from London and then literally run through the airport – it was very stressful – to get my little plane to Koh Samui, the island. And I think that was the last plane of the day as well, because I got there very, very late, then had to navigate my way to the house in the dark. And I was so tired and so out of it, and it was just all very overwhelming. But those two months spent in Thailand with other writers in that house were amazing. So, absolutely worth it. 

But I understand how daunting this can be, and these days I don't really think anything of booking travel on my own – flights, taxis, trains, whatever I need to do, I'll figure it out. 

The thing is, these days, there are so many apps that can help you. Google Translate, Google Lens, Google Street View, Uber… there are so many amazing apps and technology that we can rely on. It's not like 20 years ago, where you just had to head out without a phone, without GPS, without being able to contact someone, with a paper map, and just hope for the best. It's so much easier these days. I'm not saying it is easy, but it is easier than it was, say, ten or 20 years ago. So we've got that on our side, we've got technology on our side.

I think the main thing people worry about, and rightly so, is safety. And I always say it's something you should be worried about anyway, wherever you are in the world. And a lot of times, people travel from their home countries to other countries, and they're worried about the place they're travelling to without really realising what the crime rates are in their country, especially if they live in a big city and they don't really compare the two.

So, yes, you might be more of a target if you are obviously a tourist or if you're obviously rich – or, in comparison, rich. If you're wandering around, say, a third-world country and you're a digital nomad, say, and you've got a MacBook and an iPhone and jewellery and stuff like that, then maybe, yes, you'll be seen more as a target. 

But I had a guest on the podcast, Sarah Tyler, and she is from the US, but she lives in Mexico. And I asked her about safety and she said that, actually, being a foreigner in Mexico, she felt safer because the locals didn't want to get into any trouble attacking or mugging an American. Actually, she was less of a target. But she also did make sure to not walk around with expensive clothes and expensive jewellery on display, and designer handbags and stuff like that, because then you are attracting attention – if you are travelling on your own, and you're in certain countries where you may stick out, say, if you have a different skin colour, or different hair colour. 

When I went to China and Southeast Asia for the first time, I went with my friend Ruth, and she's like this little petite blonde white lady. So when we went to China in particular, where there were not many blonde people, say, she stuck out so much, everyone was coming and taking photos with her. The little old ladies were dragging her over to their families so they could talk to her and take pictures and it was crazy, actually. It was like she was a celebrity over there because she looked so different.

I mean, there's nothing much you can do about skin colour and hair colour if you want to blend in, but you can do things about your clothes. Like I say, you can go around, not with designer stuff, not flashing the cash, not wearing super obviously expensive outfits that maybe would make you a target for thieves, muggers, and things like that. 

Also, just blend in by being respectful. I've been to lots of temples and religious sites in Asia, for instance, where it is expected that you cover up. So you're expected to wear long dresses or trousers, even when it's super-hot, obviously, and you're expected to cover your shoulders as well. If you don't want to completely cover up, you can take a lightweight scarf with you and wrap that around your shoulders. That's what I usually do. But just be respectful and follow the rules. Blend in that way and you won't stick out so much – and you won't maybe feel like you stick out so much – and you might feel more confident going around. So that's something to be aware of. 

Another thing, when you are travelling solo as a female, do as much research as you can before you go. I'm sure you would do this anyway. I do it wherever I go, especially if I've never been there, and especially if I'm going alone. But just familiarise yourself with the local area, with the language. If you can learn some of the local language or some useful phrases before you go, then great, that will help you a lot. But like I say, make sure you have enough data on your phone so you can access Google Translate, Google Lens, things like that, that will help you when you're trying to navigate your way around. Just so you feel safer, really. I always go on Google Street View and look at the place beforehand. I feel like it's familiar before I even go and then that makes it a lot less scary.

Also, in terms of safety, share where you're going with family and friends. Make sure they know where you're going, when you're going, where you're staying. Obviously, they'll have your phone number, but if you can maybe give out the phone number and address of the accommodation where you're staying, I'm sure that will make you – and other people – feel a lot better about it.

And yeah, just check in with people. People always know where I am because I post on social media, like pictures and photos, and a lot of it is just to keep a record for me because I like looking back on the memories and seeing where I was a year ago. So that's one of the reasons I do it. It also works with letting people know where you are and letting them know that you're still alive, and it will help friends and family feel like they're maybe travelling with you a little bit and they'll know what you're getting up to and they will feel less anxious about it. 

So it's about making you less anxious and also your friends and family back home as well, because that is a huge part of travelling solo, especially as a female. You will get people saying, “I don't think you should do that, I think it's too dangerous.” But as long as you're responsible, you plan ahead, you let people know where you are, and you research the area first… 

Also, research local laws and customs. Like, in certain places, it's considered rude to do certain hand gestures. Say, one that might mean something good where you're from, it might mean something bad or disrespectful in other cultures. Also, we know that in some places it's respectful to refer to people older than you as a certain title. So, if it's that kind of thing, you can look that up ahead of time and just make sure you know of any local laws and customs and make sure you respect them.

Make sure you can stay connected when you're away. Like I mentioned, data. Make sure you either have enough data on your phone, check your phone plan before you go, or buy a local SIM card so you can make sure you have international roaming and all that kind of stuff. So, obviously, that helps you keep connected with people back home, but it also helps if you're out and about and you get lost and you need to use Google Maps, or if you don't know what to say to someone and you need to use Google Translate. Just make sure you've got enough phone data – and also, along with that, make sure you have enough phone battery.

My phone is terrible battery-wise so I carry a portable charger with me wherever I go – and I make sure that's always charged up as well, so I'm never going to be without power. All of this stuff is mainly common sense, like being mindful of your belongings, using a money belt, or something like that, if you have a lot of cash on you… These days, you can use cards like Revolut. If you're in the UK, I use the Global Money Card by HSBC, so I don't even need to carry that much cash around with me. But, if I do, then I will distribute it on my person, my carry on, and my luggage. Obviously, make sure you look after your passport, all that stuff, all the important documents. Make sure you have insurance should anything happen. 

Trust your gut. This is a big one. If something feels dodgy, it probably is dodgy. If someone is asking you to go back to their place and you don't like the look of them, someone's inviting you to hang out at a hostel bar with lots of other people, but you're not sure because it's an hour away from your hostel and you don't know how you're going to get back… if you're in a remote area and there are no Ubers, just be sensible, trust your instincts. If someone seems like they might be slightly dodgy, like if something seems wrong, then just don't get involved. Just do what you need to do to keep safe. A lot of the time, maybe, you'll just be over-cautious, and it’s better to be over-cautious than to get into dangerous situations.

Stay clear-headed as much as you can. Obviously, we all like a drink when we're travelling, but if you're on your own, don't get really drunk. Make sure you trust anyone who you get in a car with. Make sure they're sober. All the usual stuff that you do to stay safe at home, do that when you're away.

But also I would go the extra mile and ask locals, ask any travellers you know who've been to a certain place, if it is safe for female travellers. And you can do this by googling it, or by going on Facebook groups for solo female travellers – there are so many of them – asking them what experiences they've had in these places. Obviously, people will have had different experiences. Some will say, “Oh, it's totally safe. I didn't feel at all anxious. It was great.” Other people will be like, “I got attacked on this street, don't go there.” So use your common sense. But if you ask a question and lots of people are like, “Don't go to this area, it's not safe for female travellers, it's not safe for solo travellers,” then obviously don't go to that area.

Also, just make sure you know what's safe to do and what's safe not to do in terms of public transport as well. So, in England, I think nothing of getting on a train or a bus, but when I went to South Africa, for instance, my friend there told me if I was on my own, just never to do it, ever, because people get mugged at knifepoint and it's just not worth it. So you need to know these things before you go so you know what to look out for.

Solo travel doesn't have to mean solo; I think I've talked a lot about this on the podcast. You can stay in colivings, you can go on group tours, you can connect with travellers online through Facebook groups. You can meet up with people through Meetup, the website, and through other people you've collected on your travels. Once you go to one or two colivings, you'll find you'll know a lot of people, or you've heard of people who have stayed with those people in other colivings, and it's just one big coliving family, and it makes the world seem very small. And it also makes solo travel a lot less scary because you'll be going places where you might have met the people before or you have friends or friends of friends there. 

Yes, solo doesn't have to mean alone. It doesn't have to mean lonely. You can connect with other travellers through online communities and forums, or people you've met before. And just remember, if you're anxious about travelling, I mentioned some of this in the How To Be An Introverted Digital Nomad episode, which was episode 52 – so go and listen to that or go into more stuff about how to travel if you are an anxious traveller or if you have social anxiety. That can apply to solo female travel as well. 

And yeah, it's all about planning in advance, research, preparing as much as you can, making sure people at home know where you are, use your common sense, use your gut instincts, don't put yourself in dangerous situations, don't do things you wouldn't do back home. And make sure you have a support network and make sure you connect with travellers online or with people you've already met. And also, it can help to bring familiar items with you from home, like a favourite book or a favourite jumper or a favourite perfume that reminds you of home. It can be watching your favourite Netflix show, it can be listening to your favourite podcast, just anything that you find comforting. Make sure you bring that with you and incorporate it into your daily routine while you're travelling; it helps ground you. 

You’ll feel like you can continue travelling, and it's not too overwhelming, and it's just a great way of making sure your travels are fun. It's just a great way of making sure you can continue travelling even if it seems overwhelming and daunting. You can ground yourself in certain ways, and it doesn't have to seem so scary. 

And, like I said in the other episode about being a digital nomad, you don't have to go all in.

You don't have to go travelling on your own for twelve months on your first go. You can go away for a night, a weekend, a week, see how you go, even just go and have a meal in a restaurant on your own. Get used to doing things on your own. Get used to that feeling of independence. Get used to that feeling of excitement about doing stuff on your own if you're not used to it.

Solo female travel is amazing, as is solo male travel, I imagine. And, once you start doing it, you will realise just how capable you are of doing anything in your life that you thought you could maybe not do alone. So it's a great way of boosting your confidence. It's a great way of seeing the world, it's a great way of making new friends, and it's a great way of stepping outside your comfort zone while having awesome adventures.

I hope this helped in at least some way if you're a solo traveller or if you're considering doing some solo travelling. And let me know if this did help – you can message me on Instagram @traveltransformationcoach, and you can follow me there for more tips on being a digital nomad and being a solo traveller. 

Okay, that's it for this week. Until next time, I'll catch you on the flip side, bye! 

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