Published for International Women’s Day
There is a particular kind of silence you only find when you’re standing somewhere extraordinary, completely alone, and it belongs entirely to you.
I found mine in my late thirties, somewhere between the fjords of Norway and the quiet realisation that I had been waiting… for the right companion, the right moment, the right version of myself, for this trip for far too long.
Solo female travel beyond my own country didn’t find me young. It found me when I was ready.
And I’m here to tell you… there is no wrong time to begin.
The Women Who Go
Every woman who travels solo carries her own story into her backpack alongside the adapter plugs and the spare socks. Mine started with a flight to Bergen and a heart full of nervous excitement, hands trembling slightly at the departure gate, smiling at no one in particular. By the time I was standing beneath the Bryggen wharf watching the light turn the old wooden facades amber, I was already a different person than the one who had booked the ticket.
Since then, I’ve walked the cobblestoned medieval streets of Bratislava with only my curiosity for company. I’ve sat alone in Vienna’s grand coffeehouses nursing a Sachertorte and a good book, watching the city glide past the window like a slow, elegant film. I’ve hiked in the Alps and toasted the Matterhorn, feeling genuinely, joyfully small. Each trip has handed me back a piece of myself I didn’t know I’d misplaced.
This is what solo travel does for women. Not just the freedom of choosing your own itinerary (though that is genuinely wonderful) but something deeper. It teaches you that you are capable. It whispers, then shouts, that you are enough.
On Being a Woman in the World
There is still a particular look people give you when you say you’re travelling alone. A slight pause. Oh, just you? Yes. Just me. Entirely, wonderfully, me.
Female solo travel is not reckless. It is not lonely. It is not something to be whispered apologetically. It is an act of quiet revolution, the decision to take up space in the world on your own terms, to explore it at your own pace, to come home having learned something that could not have been learned any other way.
The women who go, who book the ticket, pack the bag, navigate the unfamiliar metro system and order dinner for one with absolute confidence, they are not fearless. They are brave. There is a difference. Fear is the companion that comes along anyway. Bravery is choosing to go.
Do’s and Don’ts for the Female Solo Traveller
Do
* Trust your instincts. That uncomfortable feeling in your stomach is data. It has kept humans safe for millennia. If something feels off (a person, a street, a situation) you are allowed to leave, to say no, to change your plans without explaining yourself to anyone.
* Tell someone your plans. A trusted friend or family member should have your rough itinerary, accommodation details, and an expected check-in schedule. This isn’t about fear, it’s about being sensible, the same way you’d wear a seatbelt.
* Stay in well-reviewed accommodation, especially when you’re starting out. Hostels with good female traveller reviews, reputable guesthouses, and city-centre hotels often give you both safety and a built-in social scene if you want one.
* Blend in where you can. Observe local dress codes, carry a day bag that doesn’t scream “tourist,” and learn a few words of the local language. Even a stumbling thank you or excuse me opens doors and hearts.
* Embrace eating alone. Sit at the bar. Take a corner table. Bring a book or simply watch the room. Solo dining is one of travel’s great underrated pleasures, you are fully present, often get the best service, and listen to the world around you in a way you never do in company.
* Give yourself permission to be spontaneous… and to rest. You don’t have to fill every hour. Some of my most treasured travel memories are of unplanned detours: a tiny market in Oslo, a bench by the Danube, a local beer and cheese plate eaten at an outside terrace gazing up at some of the highest mountains in Europe at Kleine Scheidegg whilst the sun warmed my skin.
Don’t
* Don’t overshare your solo status publicly. You don’t need to announce to fellow passengers, hotel receptions within earshot of strangers, or people you’ve just met that you are travelling completely alone. Let people assume there’s someone nearby.
* Don’t skip travel insurance. This is non-negotiable. Medical emergencies, cancellations, lost luggage… these things happen, and they happen harder when you’re navigating them alone.
* Don’t feel obliged to socialise. You are not on tour. You do not need to join the hostel pub crawl, make friends in every city, or explain why you’d rather spend the evening reading in your room. Your trip, your choices.
* Don’t ignore the small logistics. Know where your nearest embassy is. Screenshot your accommodation address in the local language. Keep a small amount of local cash. Charge your phone. These tiny preparations are the invisible scaffolding of a confident journey.
* Don’t wait until you feel “ready.” Ready is a myth. Ready is the thing that never quite arrives if you keep waiting for it. Book the ticket. The confidence comes after you go… not before.
A Note for the Late Starters
If you’re reading this and thinking: I’m too old to start now, I’ve left it too late, this isn’t for someone like me, I want to speak directly to you.
Solo travel is not an either/or. I have enjoyed many trips with others, both before and after solo trips, and made some special memories to last a lifetime. I was 15 the first time I boarded a plane alone, but it took another twenty years to go on an an overseas adventure by myself, with a full life behind me and decades of adventures still ahead. Solo travel has no age limit, no prerequisite, no qualifying round. Every woman who has ever stood in an unfamiliar city with her heart slightly in her mouth and her eyes wide open has earned her place there.
You are not late. You are exactly on time.
Here’s to the women who go and to every woman still standing at the gate, working up the courage to board. May this International Women’s Day be the moment you book the ticket.
— Sagittarius Travels
Have you travelled solo? I’d love to hear your stories, tips, and destinations in the comments below.
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