by Ali Garland

Traveling by yourself can seem scary if you’ve never done it before. It might even make you nervous on your second or third or tenth time. But often we have amazing experiences while traveling solo, and for many, it ends up being their preferred way of travel.

We talked to the wonderful ladies in the #HPLWorld Facebook group, and they shared with us some of their best and worst solo female travel experiences. We hope that these responses can help you get a more well-rounded perspective on what to expect when you travel alone.

Best solo travel moments

Robin K: In Amsterdam I made friends with a hostel staff member, who invited me to her favorite cafe. I know I’m usually quick to say no and stick to my own plans, so I decided to make a different choice this time. I ended up visiting a quirky coffee shop I never would have found on my own, having a great conversation, and making a Facebook friend whom I met up with again when we crossed paths in another city two years later!

Laura H: I am a huge fan of solo travel, it’s made my relationships stronger and allowed me to see so many places the way I want to see it. To deal with the isolation, my favorite way has been to make trips a mix of solo and group travel. Like when I went to New Orleans with school I spent the free day on my own. I don’t think solo v group v friends travel has to be so all or nothing.

Andrea L: I spent most of the day walking through the streets of Lucerne not worried about “ticking off a list” of everyone’s things to see/do. Wandering through Greenwich (London) up and down little alleyways and finding a market to eat at. Sitting on the hop on/hop off bus in San Francisco and enjoying the vibe of the city.

Vanessa L: Some of the best experiences were for me were when I hired a moped in various places and travelled around by myself listening to a Spotify playlist and driving to see off the beaten track areas. I spoke to people in Sarawak, Borneo using the public bus to get to the jungle areas and having 3 hours to trek in and out before catching the last bus of the day.

Ali from HPL: One of my best solo travel experiences was also my first. I went to Greece after finally realizing it was silly not to travel just because I didn’t have anyone to go with me. I did a volcano tour in Santorini on my first full day there. I ended up pushing myself to climb the steep paths up two islands, despite being way out of shape, instead of taking the easy way by donkey. I was so proud of myself for doing it, and that trip spurred me on to take many more solo trips.

Caroline from HPL: I get upgraded more often when I’m solo. This has happened to me a lot at concerts, and most recently, I was upgraded to the VIP section at a Sia concert. I’ve also found that it’s easier to bypass long waits at restaurants when I’m solo. Because I’m by myself, I can sit at the bar or a community table while larger groups have to wait for a free table.

Brooke from HPL: Traveling alone always results in me meeting people I wouldn’t otherwise. One time in a hostel in Riga, I made friends with two other solo travelers and ended up country-hopping with them for the next couple of weeks! I’ve even met up with one here in Australia years later.

Read the full article here: http://herpackinglist.com/2017/06/best-worst-solo-female-travel-experiences/