7 Great Places for Solo Female Travel in 2015
So you've written down your resolutions for 2015. And, high up near the top of the list, reads: “TRAVEL MORE.” Maybe you've even underlined it a few times — that's how much you want to see the world and have adventures.
It's a great goal, of course; travel teaches us so much more about human nature and the world that we could ever hope to learn from books or TV. But sometimes achieving that goal is tricky.
We want to travel, but we wait and wait (sometimes forever) for someone else to be able to travel with us. Finances, jobs, family commitments, and all manner of other things always seem to get in the way.
Well, NOT in 2015, ladies.
Make 2015 the year of solo travel!
I've been traveling the world pretty consistently for the past 4-5 years, and I do the majority of my travel solo. Is this because I'm anti-social and hate the company of others? Of course not! I'm just not willing to waste time waiting. I want to travel NOW, so I travel on my own.
RELATED: Why I'm Not Afraid to Travel Alone
Solo travel can be awesome — you gain confidence, worldly know-how, and some seriously sweet stories to take home. So, when Expedia asked me to collaborate with them to share some of my suggestions on where to go in 2015, I was happy to oblige.
Here are my picks for great places to travel solo this year:
NEW ZEALAND
If you follow my blog regularly, you already know that I am in love (okay, a little obsessed with) New Zealand. The Land of the Long White Cloud is “The One” for me — the one country that I will keep returning to, time and time again, because I love it so much. I love the landscapes, the laid-back cultural vibe, and the wide range of adventure activities to enjoy.
Some of my favorite places in New Zealand: the Hobbiton movie set in Matamata; the capital city of Wellington; the coastal town of Kaikoura; Mount Cook and the surrounding lakes; the lakeside town of Wanaka; and Queenstown, New Zealand's “Adventure Capital.”
Why it's great for solo travel: New Zealand is BUILT for solo travel. It's safe, easy to get around, and filled with so many amazing landscapes and activities that you won't ever have to worry about getting bored. It's also filled with great hostels, which can be perfect places to stay if you're young and want to meet other travelers.
RELATED: Top 9 Questions About Solo Travel Answered
SCOTLAND
Oh how I love Scotland! Yes, it can be quite wet and chilly (even in the summer), but it's gorgeous no matter what the weather is like. When I think of Scotland, I think of green hills and castles. And who doesn't like those two things?
Some of my favorite places in Scotland: Edinburgh (all of it!); the Highlands; and especially the Isle of Skye.
Why it's great for solo travel: Scotland is another very safe country — you don't really have to worry about going anywhere on your own. It's also a fairly small country, making it easy to explore. And, even though the accents might throw you, everyone speaks English here!
CANADA
Most people tend to lump Canada in with the U.S. when talking about travel destinations, but Canada is definitely unique in its own right, and has a LOT to offer any type of traveler.
Some of my favorite places in Canada: Toronto; Canada's capital city of Ottawa (go for the Tulip Festival!); Banff National Park (Alberta is awesome); the coastal parts, like in Nova Scotia; Vancouver; and the pretty city of Victoria.
Why it's great for solo travel: Again, it's safe and the people are friendly. It's also pretty easy to get around — consider taking the train across the entire country!
IRELAND
Very similar to Scotland, I also love Ireland a lot. The land of Guinness and leprechauns is a favorite for a lot of travelers, which definitely says something about the country as a whole. I've been to Ireland three times now, and will certainly be back again.
Some of my favorite places in Ireland: Dublin; the Dingle Peninsula; the Cliffs of Moher; the Aran Islands; and Glendalough in County Wicklow.
Why it's great for solo travel: Like the other countries on this list so far, Ireland is safe. You can go just about anywhere as a woman on your own and not have to worry about your safety. It's also easy to do day trips from Dublin if you're more comfortable exploring from a home base.
SLOVENIA
Before you go saying, “Wait, where's Slovenia?,” I'll tell you that it's a small country surrounded by Croatia, Hungary, Austria, and Italy. It's incredibly overlooked by most travelers to Europe, but that's part of the reason why I love it so much. It has a small population, and a small number of annual tourists — meaning it's pretty cities are rarely overcrowded.
Some of my favorite places in Slovenia: Lake Bled; the capital of Ljubljana; Postojna Cave; and Triglav National Park.
Why it's great for solo travel: As I mentioned before, Slovenia isn't super-touristy, making it a really laid-back place to visit on your own. It's also (can you guess?) quite safe, and well-connected to most major cities in Europe either by train or budget airline.
ICELAND
Oh, Iceland. This country halfway between North America and Europe is definitely in my top five favorite places on the planet. Its landscapes are almost other-worldly, it's in the perfect position to see some amazing Northern Lights in the winter, it has adorably fluffy horses, and people here legit believe in elves. Like, for real. It also has more waterfalls and volcanoes and glaciers than you can shake a stick at.
Some of my favorite places in Iceland: Reykjavik; the Snaefellsnes Peninsula; Jokulsarlon; and ALL the waterfalls along the South Shore.
Why it's great for solo travel: There's basically no crime in Iceland, so, again, a very safe place to visit. And, even though you pretty much have no hope of pronouncing any Icelandic words, the great news is that almost everyone here also speaks perfect English! It's also another country where taking day trips from the capital (Reykjavik) is very easy if you don't want to rent a car on your own.
THAILAND
Lastly, I felt like Asia deserved to be represented on this list. It's not always the first place people think of when they think solo travel, but believe it or not it IS a good option! Thailand would be my pick because it's firmly on the Southeast Asia backpacker trail (meaning tons of fellow travelers to meet) and the tourism infrastructure is quite good. It also has a good variety of places to visit, from the jungle to beaches.
Some of my favorite places in Thailand: Bangkok (though not for too long); Elephant Nature Park; Chiang Mai; the Railay beaches; and the island of Koh Lanta.
Why it's great for solo travel: There are SO many travelers in Thailand all the time. Meaning if you don't want to be on your own you probably don't have to be. Book some day tours, or stay in hostels so you can pick up travel buddies along the way. Thailand is also pretty cheap, which is helpful if you don't have someone to split costs with!
What are some other places YOU would suggest for solo travel this year?
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Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
Great post! You’ve definitely given me some ideas as to where to travel solo!
Just a little note though, Toronto is not the capital city of Ottawa. Toronto & Ottawa are both cities in Ontario (the Province, or ‘State’ as some would call it). Toronto is the capital city of Ontario, and Ottawa is the national capital city of Canada.
From,
The Canadian, Toronto born girl.
What a great post. My first ever solo trip was to Iceland & I felt it was the safest city I’ve ever visited. I am very cautious when I travel but I felt comfortable taking a stroll along the street at 10pm. My next (second)solo trip is, hopefully, New Zealand. Its daunting to travel so far alone but I feel I have to do it. Like Iceland, everything about New Zealand fascinates me & I feel I have to see it in person
I have been to England, Scotland, Wales, Finland, Italy, Japan, Quebec, Toronto, New Brunswick and close to 40 of the US states…all by myself. Just be street savvy, learn something of the culture and language and walk confidently. You’ll have no problems!
Thinking about my next trip!
Yup, you totally get it! 🙂
I went to Paris SOLO this year for my first solo travel trip. I was 58. It was FABULOUS. I never once felt lonely or odd that I was a woman traveling alone in a country that is so often called romantic. The subway was SO easy to navigate and, if I got lost, there was ALWAYS plenty of people who spoke English to help me. But you have to ask for help and when you do, they are happy to give it. I want to go back again and again and again but there are so many other places to see in the world…
That’s awesome to hear, Shirley! And good for you!!
You’re so right, too – often all you have to do is ask for help, and you’ll get it!
You may have answered this previously, I am new to solo travel and did a week in Glasgow Scotland and LOVED it. I didn’t get to see everything and will return. I am thinking I am addicted now, but will only be able to travel a week to 10 days twice a year (mostly in the cooler months). My question is, do you have a place where you have listed highlights of places to see, or things you did. How you got from point A to point B etc….Thanks in advance
It’s definitely easy to get addicted to! 😉
As for highlights of places to see… well, that’s more or less what my whole site is about! Check out my Destinations page (https://www.dangerous-business.com/destinations/) to see where I’ve been! If you click on a specific country, you’ll see all the posts I’ve written about it. *Some* posts include info on getting around, but obviously that info changes from place to place!
PERFECT! I am now thinking I NEED to go to Iceland. Thanks for the link!
[…] I’ve written a whole post about this, which you can check out here: 7 Great Places for Solo Female Travel. […]
I definitely agree that Canada is a great place for solo female travel – I am travelling solo in British Columbia at the moment. Italy ended up being surprisingly great for solo female travel too as did Alaska – there were so many females in their late twenties to late thirties travelling alone which was a big surprise
Honestly I haven’t had problems traveling anywhere in Europe solo! But I know language barriers freak a lot of people out, so I tried to stick to places that are really easy to navigate when you only speak English!
[…] I’ve already written about the realities of solo female travel, and have made suggestions for places to go on your first solo trip. […]
this list has been very helpful! I have a favour to ask, do you have any tips on reassuring worried parents that traveling as a solo female isn’t all that dangerous nowadays. Struggling to convince a very apprehensive father that I won’t stumble into a real life version of the film ‘Taken’. I’m planning on going to Australia and will be staying with family a lot of my time there, however I do want to stay in Hostels so that I can meet fellow travellers and perhaps travel onwards with them, but my Dad is convinced lots of bad things will happen if I stay in Hostels. Can you recommend any other blogs by solo female travellers that I can get some more success stories from?
Thanks a bunch for this list, I’m definitely planning on heading to NZ and SEA at some point in the future! Also glad to see Scotland is on this list, as I’m a proud Scot myself, and agree that it is a very safe and extremely beautiful country to travel. I recommend Oban (my hometown) to anyone who’s considering Scotland as a future destination!
xx
I’ve been to Oban! A really awesome little town. 🙂
There are TONS of blogs out there written by women who usually travel solo. Some of my favorites are Adventurous Kate, Young Adventuress, Alex in Wanderland, and Twenty-Something Travel.
Australia is an extremely safe place to travel solo, too. There are always lots of young travelers, so even if you’re staying in hostels you’re never *really* alone. I’ve written other posts about solo female travel on my site, too – just do a quick search and you can find some other things I’ve written on the subject!
I am travelling to the USA September this year and have been told to take extra care. Shame as there are so many safe countries. As you are from the US, perhaps you would let me have your thoughts. I fly into San Francisco, will rent a car and drive down the coast to LA/San Diego. Then to Las Vegas and Grand Canyon. I need to end up in Chicago by early November but don’t want to drive there, so perhaps Amtrak. What do you think?
Gillian
I wouldn’t worry too much – I don’t think the US is any more or less dangerous that other countries like the UK or Canada for tourists. It of course depends on where you’re going, but if you stick to touristy spots and don’t do anything stupid, you should be fine! If you’ll be driving a rental car, I would just advise you to keep everything in the trunk (boot) of the car instead of the backseat. Basically, don’t leave anything out in the open that might tempt someone to break into your car.
As far as getting to Chicago… I would compare prices. Amtrak can be quite slow and expensive – it might actually be more economical to just fly!
I´m visiting Slovenia soon! It´s hard for me to believe that I haven´t been there yet, considering I´ve visited all neighbouring countries. And it´s also very close to my home country…Slovakia (which is another never-heard-of country and the two are actually often confused) 🙂 Scotland and Iceland are also on my bucket list so I hope to make it there asap 🙂
Enjoy Slovenia!!
Hello, thanks for sharing this. I haven’t traveled solo but I love your list! I’d love to visit Bangkok soon since it’s the closest from where I am. Lovely photos Amanda!
Bangkok is pretty insane, but in a fun way! Glad you liked this post. 🙂
I’m going to four of these places this year and I simply cannot wait. 🙂 I’m rather nervous about Scotland though…the dollar to pound conversion rate is awful hahaha Anyway, thanks for writing this! p.s. Elephant Nature Park really is amazing. I can’t wait to return there!
Yes, watch out for that British pound! It can definitely leave a dent in your wallet!
I agree with all these locations and I would also add Japan to the list. Extremly safe, mind blowing and not as expensive as it was once used to be.
That’s great to hear! I would love to visit Japan.
All great choices! You’ve definitely hit the nail on the head with New Zealand. I went on a working holiday there at 18 and I had the best experience travelling solo as a woman. I live in Canada now which I also think would be great…don’t have first hand though due to the boyfriend I brought home after my 2nd trip to NZ 😉
New Zealand is definitely a popular solo travel spot! Glad that so many people agree!