The first time I travelled solo, I was terrified but I got on a plane to the other side of the world. Why? Because I was more afraid of what my life would be like if I didn't get on that plane, than if I stayed. Fast-forward 10 years and it has been the most incredible decade of life, travelling solo to 50+ countries. If you're scared to travel solo, I'm here to help you see past that fear and to realise what an incredible opportunity lies in front of you. It's time to find the courage to try solo travel and explore the world, to leave the nerves at the door and set out on the adventure of a lifetime.

Before I travelled solo, I was constantly bombarded with media that told me certain countries were too dangerous for a woman travelling alone. Huge publications would constantly write articles about countries branding them too dangerous for me to visit, I would hear comments saying "I would get shot" if I visited certain destinations. Well personally, I saw that as a challenge and I've visited these "dangerous" countries solo as a woman and loved my experience. We are constantly told as women that the world is too dangerous or unsafe for us, but the truth is the world is full of beautiful places and incredible people – why should we have to miss out?

Even a decade on, I still get butterflies before a big trip, those nerves don't go away even when you travel for work. I spent the best part of a decade travelling solo full time and I still get the fear sometimes. So if you're nervous to try solo travel because of the voices saying it is too dangerous for you, please know that none of us are immune to the voices. There will always be times when you feel on edge as a solo female traveller, and I won't pretend for a second that our experience will ever be the same as that of a man travelling alone, but that shouldn't stop us from experiencing this amazing world.

Scared to Travel Solo? Here's how to be brave:

Start small with solo travel

Don't feel like you have to take on the world on your first solo trip, there are lots of ways to ease yourself into travelling solo before the plane even takes off. Before I travelled solo, I had never done anything alone, I had always been with a partner, friend or family-member. If you're the same and you're afraid to try solo travel, why not start small?

  • Take yourself for a solo coffee date
  • A solo trip to the cinema, or
  • A solo day out to somewhere you've always wanted to visit?

It's a great way to boost your solo travel confidence and make you realise how capable you are.

When you finally do take a trip abroad, don't feel like you have to go backpacking for a year to be a "solo traveller". Choose to solo travel in a way that makes sense for you, that might be just a weekend trip or a week away within Europe, it might be a longer trip to a dream destination or several months away. Every traveller is different and has a different budget, so take your solo travel journey at a pace that suits you.

Here's three ways to ease yourself in to solo travel:

  1. Try teaching English abroad to find community
  2. Volunteer abroad to travel with purpose
  3. Join a group trip for solo travellers

Do your research

I'm a stickler for planning and researching for trips – it is one of the things I have control of that helps me to feel more confident as a solo traveller. It doesn't mean I plan out every detail of my trips, I'm actually quite a spontaneous traveller. But it does mean I always check the following so I can feel prepared for a trip:

  • Flight/travel times so I can arrive in daylight hours and feel safer
  • Hotels or hostels pre-booked so I have a place to stay for the first night
  • Either pre-booked transfers or I know the cheapest/best option and expected pricing
  • I have an eSIM and connection on arrival – Best eSIM For Solo Female Travellers To Beat Roaming Charges
  • I have good travel insurance in case of any problems – Choosing Travel Insurance for Solo Female Travellers
  • I have food recommendations & sightseeing saved on a Google Map & pre-downloaded
  • Any activities which need to be pre-booked are sorted so I don't miss out
  • Have a bank card that doesn't charge for use abroad & cash if needed

The more you look into local customs, learn the language, research common scams – the more confident you will feel when you arrive. Spend some time researching – read blogs and watch Youtube videos from travellers instead of turning to the media.

Try group trips for solo travellers

If you want to try solo travel but the thought of going alone scares you, it might be worth trying a group trip. Yes, you are still a solo traveller if you go on a group trip solo. It's a great way to have a ready-made group of friends to connect with, while still retaining the independence of solo travel. One thing I also love, is that for certain destinations you might feel nervous to travel solo, it provides a safety blanket and takes all the pressure off by organising the entire itinerary, leaving you to enjoy. Check out G Adventures' Solo-ish Adventures – these group trips are specifically designed for solo travellers. They are created to build connections between solo travellers and to inspire future adventures.

Don't listen to the opinions of haters

Solo travel is still a very off concept to some and there will always be those who believe the media that it is unsafe, the ones who choose to spread negativity instead of being supportive. It can be really difficult to stay positive and to feel confident about travelling solo in the face of haters. But even if you are feeling afraid to try solo travel, it's important that you block out the negative voices and instead focus on yourself and planning your trip. If I had listened to everyone who had an opinion on solo travel when I decided to quit my job and go backpacking, honestly? I wouldn't have made it and I certainly wouldn't still be travelling solo a decade on and have built a business around solo female travel. 

Remember one thing when anyone is giving you an opinion about a destination or about solo travel. Ask yourself, has the person actually been to that destination? Have they even tried solo travel? Or are they just parrotting some rubbish they saw online or on the news? 

My best advice? Ignore the horror stories, thank them for their concern and then spend your time speaking with real travellers. I really recommend joining solo traveller Facebook groups and communities to ask questions, make connections and get live updates of what it is like to travel in a destination.

Stay positive & look for opportunities

If there's one thing I've learned, it's that we create our reality. Language is a powerful thing so think about the way you are framing solo travel. Stay positive and instead of dwelling on what could go wrong and any negatives, flip your thought process. Don't focus on being afraid of solo travel, look at what opportunities could come from travelling alone. Instead of struggling with the language barrier, think about how lucky you are to have the opportunity to learn a language while completely immersed in the local culture. Don't think about how scary it is to make friends as a solo traveller or how lonely you could feel, instead think how lucky you will be to have friends from all over the world. Be open to the potential of solo travel.

Be patient with yourself and others

This is vital and a big learning curve for solo travellers. We know how capable we are at home, but when we turn everything we know upside down, we need to give ourselves a little grace. Solo travel is scary and overwhelming at first and no-one was a perfect solo traveller the first time. I'm 10 years on and I'm still learning lessons in solo travel. Your first solo trip doesn't have to happen overnight, take your time in making it happen.

Feel the fear and do it anyway

I know how scary solo travel is and it can take you time to work up to taking a first trip, but it's important to know that you may never feel 100% ready to travel alone. When I first arrived in my first solo trip in Thailand, I was fizzing with nervous energy and wandered the streets completely overwhelmed, it was sensory overload! "Fake it until you make it" became my mantra and it has been ever since. I held my head high, walked with confidence and smiled and said hello to everyone who crossed my path. One day I turned around and realised I was no longer faking it, I was just confident as a solo traveller. There are still parts of solo travel that scare me, but not the bits that scared me that first time. 

Read these blog posts to inspire your solo travels:

And don't forget to check out my solo travel location guides!