Travel myths about women’s solo travel

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photo by Yarik Mishin

Not so long ago, women wouldn’t have even dared to travel alone, or even worse, weren’t allowed to travel alone. But today, traveling is no longer restricted to only one gender, and women make up a large portion of travelers.

Still, women who are planning on traveling alone usually hear a lot of horror stories that can put anyone off traveling for a long time, and while there’s a grain of truth in many of them, some travel stories about the terrors of solo travel are plain unfounded.

Unfortunately, women traveling alone will still have to take all manner of precautions, but in the end, there is a lot less to fear than what the myths say. Here are some travel myths about women’s solo travel which need some debunking.

Not talking to strangers

Although this piece of advice sounds great when you’re five, adult women traveling alone are definitely not the target audience. Traveling solo without talking to anyone will turn even the most introverted traveler into a quivering bundle of depression pretty soon, so not talking to anyone you meet is bad advice for travelers of any gender. Women traveling solo are not instant targets of harassment if they talk to new people!

Wearing a wedding ring

One myth that most female travelers hear at least once is that they should wear a fake wedding band or engagement ring while they are traveling in order to discourage unwanted attention. If you’re a solo female traveler who is getting unwanted attention, telling the person that you’re not interested works just as well. If they are obnoxious enough to keep bothering you, a wedding ring wouldn’t stop them anyway.

Eating alone is scary and people will bother you

Eating alone is scary for anyone who hasn’t done it before, and although women are definitely more often targeted by curious diners or even well meaning staff who are annoyingly curious, eating alone is much less of a hassle than it might seem.

Bring a book with you if you feel uncomfortable, but in the end, probably nobody cares why you are eating alone. Plus, eating alone at places with common tables can be a great way to meet locals or fellow travelers.

Being harrassed by local men

If you obviously look like you’re a foreigner, you definitely will draw more attention than a local, but that doesn’t automatically mean that local men will be preying on female travelers.

If you are concerned with the attention, inform yourself about local dress codes, and try to blend in. On the other hand, do some research about cultural differences too – in some countries it is perfectly acceptable for strangers to invite you for a drink!

Not going alone into bars

Many female travelers are encouraged to avoid bars unless they are in a group, but with a bit of common sense there’s no danger in having a quiet drink in the evening.

Going to a bar as a solo female traveler is perfectly acceptable, unless you are taking a tour of all the shady bars you can find and drinking more than you should (which is not something any traveler should do). Bar staff usually know how to keep out trouble, and if you are feeling weird, bring that faithful traveling companion – a book.

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Great Trip Ideas for First-Time Solo Female Travellers wrote on November 4, 2012:

[…] credits: Yarik Mishin / A Girls Gotta Spa / Stephan Geyer / Zanthia / SodaHead […]

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