Where Should I Travel? The Dilemma of the Solo Female Traveller

Where should I travel as a solo female traveller?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions by solo travellers.  Especially by female solo travellers.  I am sorry to say that there is no definitive answer to this question.  All solo travellers have various levels of comfort zones, interests, financial means and time available to travel.  When travelling solo, all of these matters must be taken into consideration when determining your travel destination

How Much Vacation/Travel Time Do I Have?

The length of time available to you to travel must be taken into consideration when deciding on the best destination for you to travel to.  If you aren’t one of the lucky ones and are still working, it may be that you are only able to travel for one to two weeks at a time. Whereas if you are retired or are a full-time traveller, your time is more likely to be  unlimited.

Short Term Travel

Unfortunately, the majority of us still plug away at the day-to-day monotony of working a full-time job.  This means that we likely only have one to two weeks at a time to travel and see the world.  For those of us who live in North America, this doesnt leave us as much time as we might like in order to trek  around Europe as much as we might like to.  Two weeks would allow us ample opportunity to visit at least one, maybe two Countries in Europe, depending on how long the flight might be.  Unfortunately we have to keep in mind that we have long haul flights that could eat up anywhere from two to four days of our travel time.

When determining where to travel as as solo traveller, you have to consider the length of time you have for travel
How long do you have to travel?  Are you travelling short-term or long-term?

Unfortunately for those of us who still work, we have to determine a destination that is close enough to our Country of residence which will allow us to spend the maximum amount of time at our travel destination.  For me, living in North America, my Fall and Winter destinations will always include at least one Caribbean Island, which will range between a 3 and 5 hour flight to get to. There have also been many times (mostly during the warmer months), that I have remained in North America, either in Canada or in the United States.  Keep in mind when choosing your travel destination that we don’t always have to travel far to make the most out of our vacation time.

Long Term Travel

For those of you lucky enough to have figured out how to escape the mundane thing called work, you have many more options as to where you can travel.  The first thing to take into consideration when determining your destination is what area of the world do you want to explore and have you been there before?  I personally prefer not to return to the same place more than once, as I have so many other places that I want to see.   Once you have answered these questions, then it is time to move on and consider your financial means, your interests and your comfort zone level, before  determining what your final decision will be.

Related: Self-Defense Tips for the Solo Female Traveller 

How Much Money Do I Have?

Each individual is unique when it comes to their financial situation.   There are many people who are on a limited income but are still able to scrounge up funds to take a 5 star vacation, while others who are at the higher end of the income ladder are able to afford less.    This is not right or wrong, it is just a matter of priorities set by each of us.   If you are retired, it may be that you are on a limited or fixed income, which may also affect your decision on where to travel.

You probably won’t be able to travel from North America to Bora Bora on $2,000.00

If you are on a tight budget or fixed income, then likely the best route to go would be the all-inclusive option.  This will allow you to know exactly what your vacation will cost and hopefully you won’t encounter any surprises while you’re away.  This also works well if you are short on time and want to make the most of the vacation you have.

As a solo traveller, where to travel depends on your financial situation
What is your travel budget?

For those of you who are able to travel on an unlimited budget, my hats off to you, that’s awesome!  The world really is your oyster.

The bottom line is that it is important to travel within your means and be realistic when choosing your travel destination.

What Are My Interests?

Each individual has her own interests.  When determining where you want to travel, it is imperative that you take your interests into consideration.   After all, if you have no interest in animals and adventure, then likely a safari wouldn’t be the trip for you.  On the other hand if it’s a relaxing beach vacation you are looking for, then by all means head to the Caribbean.

determining your interests will help you determine where you want to travel
A safari is certainly on my bucketlist.  This is one vacation that I would likely join a guided tour.

One of the benefits of travelling solo….you can pick your destination based on your interests and not those of others.

Is It Safe And What Is My Comfort Zone?

When determining your travel destination, this is likely one of the most important aspects to consider when travelling solo as a female.

Your comfort zone and safety will not only determine where you want to travel, but how you want to travel.  Do you want to take an extended road trip?  Are you comfortable trekking solo around Europe?  Do you prefer independent travel or group or guided tours?  Do you feel safer at an all-inclusive resort or are you comfortable being independent and staying at an Airbnb or other rental?  These are all questions to be taken into consideration before determining your destination, which only you can answer.

As a solo female traveller you have to consider if the destination is safe for a female solo traveller
Is the destination safe?  Will you still be in your comfort zone?

Wherever you decide to travel, whether solo or with others, always take the state of affairs and the safety of the destination into consideration.  It likely isn’t the perfect time to travel to the Middle East given the current state of affairs, especially as a solo female traveller.

Let’s Get Travelling!

So there you have it.  Planning a trip or vacation is a lot of work, but even more things have to be taken into consideration as a solo female traveller.

If you remember these important items and considerations when planning your travels, determining your final destination will be made much easier:

How to determine where to travel as a solo female traveller
Have you checked off all of your boxes?

As I always asked my kids when they were small and they wanted to go somewhere…. how, what, why, where and when.  Determining your travel destination as a solo female traveller is a very similar concept.

Happy Planning! 🙂

Kelly xoxo

PIN TO HELP PLAN YOUR TRAVEL!

78 thoughts on “Where Should I Travel? The Dilemma of the Solo Female Traveller”

  3. Albi Mrázová

    Awesome post, as a solo traveler I have the same problems. Especially when I think I’m sure I will go to one place and then I found pictures from some other destination. Deciding is so hard. Thanks for breaking it down like this

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. Christina

    I think more women should explore traveling alone. However, I think there is a stigma there that says they shouldn’t for whatever reason. Your post is really helpful in educating on how one would do it.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Just One Passport

      Unfortunately there still is a stigma, however, when I travel, it’s mostly solo women I come across. Very seldom men, unless they are on business. It has become very common. I’ve been doing it for 10 years now.

      Like

      Reply

  7. Farah Faz

    Wooow I can really relate to this post…. This is a great way of looking into things. I have been traveling alone for a while and it has opened my eyes to soo much. Its such an educational experience for yourself.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  9. SherianneKay

    These decisions are so personal. I would not feel safe in Morrocco, even with a guide. But, I am hoping to travel to Russia this fall and I would feel safe as long as there is no bombing. Yet, my mother is having panic attacks about this plan. I think in my mind safety when traveling solo is connected to answering the question, would I be a target?

    Like

    Reply

    1. Just One Passport

      You are exactly right. I’ve been travelling solo for 10 years and I wouldn’t travel to Morocco either. I am lucky by parents and my kids have never thought anything of me travelling solo. They all trust me to use my common sense, and they are use to my craziness lol

      Like

      Reply

  10. Nicole Hunter

    I think that you capture quite nicely a lot of the issues that a solo female traveller has to sort out before she can even make that first booking. I love how organized and thoughtful you are. I would imagine your trips are amazing.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  13. Ella

    This dilemma is so relatable, I’m constantly debating where to travel to next – there are just too many options! I find that splitting your decision-making process up as you showed helps a lot.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  14. Kristin In Motion

    Great post! I definitely think everyone should try it at least once! I started with a little long weekend to Canada so I could get over my fears!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  15. Anja

    Very nice post! As an old married, I still travel alone sometimes and enjoy it. And why not! But you are right, there is still some stigma and a lot of questions attached to it. I don’t care though. Here in Europe, you will find lots of good hotels with no single supplements, and the travel infrastructure is good to travel alone, using public transport. When I travel alone, my trips tend to be shorter (and more often) and determined by good and cheap direct flights, and an abundance of local sights! My recent destinations (out of Europe) were Jordan, Estonia, Russia and Spain/Catalonia. All perfectly good for solo travel.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  16. Jackie

    I love the all-inclusive option! I often overlook that idea when making plans, and I’m all for saving time and money… Thanks for the good reminder, along with the other solo tips. Very helpful!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  17. Brian

    Neither a female or a solo traveler, but there are so many great places out there to go if you are. As someone who lives in California and works a full time job, a lot of our travel is weekend adventures. We’ll often drive to a National Park or somewhere to get outdoors. Cost is relatively low and you can of course, do plenty of adventuring solo! I think the best thing you can do is put in the time to research a destination, make plans, and go!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  19. Michelle Segrest

    I love your enthusiasm and unique perspective on solo travel. It’s such a bummer that those of us in the US who work full time don’t have the opportunity to travel as much, but you have a great idea of finding fun things to do close to home. Day trips are the best and I love to find something unique off the beaten path but not too far away from home!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Just One Passport

      I’m also still working full time but when I’m not working I’m either on an adventure or travellinh. That is until February lol. I’m getting antsy to go again. Pretty sure that this is the longest I’ve gone since my kids were little.

      Like

      Reply

  20. Kelly

    Great post! When you travel with other people and there are more restrictions its almost easier to plan since you have less choices. I have never done an entire solo trip so I can imagine how much longer that would take to plan since there are still SO many places on my list!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  21. josypheen

    Great post…although, I think if I am on a budget, i’d prefer to travel somewhere local to save money (rather than go on a package tour…) I just love the planning part and freedom to do whatever I fancy.

    I guess we’ll all have a chance to travel more locally now with covid-19 barring far-off destinations…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  22. SecretMoona

    Great post and tips! For sure it’s a big dilemma trying to decide where to go next. I have an ever increasing bucket list which isn’t helping. There are lots of places I would love to go but think aren’t safe for me to travel alone to.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  24. Stephanie

    My problem is that I always want to go everywhere! This list really gives me a good method for being more serious about narrowing down from my list (of dozens) and planning a more realistic trip!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  27. bye:myself

    I don’t have a bucket list and there are still so many places I haven’t been to. Mostly, I get an idea where to go to next by pure incident – I read something, I hear about a place….I travelled to Belize because I had heard the song ‘Fire in Belize’ by Calypso Rose and wondered what this country is like – true story!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  29. bye:myself

    Since my whole life – including funds – is wrapped around travelling, I have a quite easy bucket list: Planet Earth. There are actually very few places that I have in mind – most of the time, I decide quite spontaneously. The only valid aspect is security. Obviously, I’m not visiting war zones – but there are a couple of regions where I’m a bit hesitant travelling by myself, especially as a female. But despite these places, the map is still big and colorful 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  30. Pingback: My Travel Bucket List – JUST ONE PASSPORT

  31. Pingback: A Fun Way To Satisfy Your Wanderlust From Home – JUST ONE PASSPORT

  32. Pingback: Solo Travel – Bursting That Bubble – JUST ONE PASSPORT

  33. Pingback: Let’s Get Ready for Takeoff – JUST ONE PASSPORT

  34. Pingback: A Complete Guide to Visiting Canada in the Winter – JUST ONE PASSPORT

  35. Pingback: Best Winter Destinations for the Solo Traveler – JUST ONE PASSPORT

  36. Pingback: What I Wish I Knew Before My First Solo Trip – JUST ONE PASSPORT

  37. Pingback: Cruise the Coast, the Perfect Ontario Road Trip – JUST ONE PASSPORT

  38. Pingback: 10 Free Activities in Curacao – JUST ONE PASSPORT

  39. Pingback: Solo Traveler Safety in Developing Countries – JUST ONE PASSPORT

  40. Pingback: Mature Women Travel Solo Too – JUST ONE PASSPORT

  41. Pingback: Best Summer Destinations for Female Solo Travellers – JUST ONE PASSPORT

  43. Pingback: Travelling Solo With a Disability – JUST ONE PASSPORT

  44. Pingback: How to be a Tourist in Your Hometown – JUST ONE PASSPORT

  45. Pingback: Solo Travel; Escaping Your Comfort Zone – JUST ONE PASSPORT

  46. Pingback: Best Tour Companies To Plan Your Dream Vacation – JUST ONE PASSPORT

  47. Ryan Biddulph

    Getting super clear on your interests creates a smoother travel path. Right after we met, my wife backpacked solo around Europe for 3 months before I became a travel nut. She knew exactly what she wanted to do and why she desired visiting each country; the planning unfolded seamlessly. Excellent tips here.

    Ryan

    Like

    Reply

  48. Pingback: Travel Alone or With a Friend: How to Decide – JUST ONE PASSPORT

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.