Are you planning your first trip as a solo female traveler?
Traveling on your own for the first time can be a challenging experience. As a solo female traveler, you’re probably concerned about safety and want to choose a destination where you can feel safe and confident traveling while still having a good time.
I’ve traveled to over 50 countries as a solo female traveler, including many countries that people perceive as “dangerous” — and while I wouldn’t necessarily recommend jumping into the deep end with a challenging destination on your first solo trip, here are five places I DO recommend for first-time solo travelers.
Choosing Your First Solo Trip Destination
Some important factors to consider when choosing the destination for your first solo trip are:
- Safety: Obviously, safety is top of mind for solo female travelers. While it’s possible to travel safely in many countries around the world, choosing a country that ranks very high for safety is a good idea for a first solo trip.
- Ease of travel: For a first solo trip, it’s smart to choose a destination that isn’t challenging to visit. For Americans, this could mean a country where English is the main language (or widely spoken in tourist areas) and where highly developed tourism infrastructure already exists.
- Things to do: Finally, the best destinations for first-time solo female travelers are ones where there are plenty of things to do for every type of traveler.
Here are five of the best destinations to consider for a first-time solo female traveler:
1. United Kingdom
One of the best destinations for first-time solo female travelers is the United Kingdom. Taking a trip “across the pond” is a great way for American travelers to ease themselves into international travel, especially solo.
The UK is very safe, there won’t be much of a culture shock, and there are tons of things to do for every type of traveler. London is one of the top international travel destinations in the world, but don’t overlook these underrated cities in the UK either.
A new study rated Edinburgh, Scotland one of the safest cities in Europe for solo female travelers, making it a great option for your first solo trip.
2. Iceland
Iceland was recently ranked as the safest country in the world, according to the 2022 Global Peace Index. This makes it a great worry-free destination for solo female travelers.
It’s also chock-full of things to do, like hiking to waterfalls, seeing geysers and glaciers, and soaking in thermal hot springs. English is widely spoken in Iceland, and the small country has a great tourism infrastructure that’s easy to navigate.
3. Croatia
Croatia is one of the best destinations for a budget-friendly solo female trip. Thanks to its well-developed tourism infrastructure, you can feel confident navigating Croatia on your own. It’s also one of the safest countries in Europe.
Beautiful beaches, historic towns, and stunning national parks are just a few of the reasons Croatia is the most sought-after destination in Europe.
4. Mexico
At one time, Mexico would not have been on the list for solo female travel destinations, but in recent years, Mexico has become safer than ever.
Although the U.S. still has travel warnings in place for Mexico, Americans continue flocking to Mexico, and it’s actually much safer than you might think.
Mexico is a great introduction to Latin America for solo female travelers thanks to its highly-developed tourism infrastructure, popularity with American travelers, and proximity to the U.S.
5. New Zealand
Finally, New Zealand is a great destination for first-time solo female travelers. It’s located halfway across the world for American travelers, but it’s an easy adjustment since the primary language spoken is English.
New Zealand is incredibly safe (it’s ranked number two after Iceland in the Global Peace Index) and one of the most beautiful countries in the world.
