I’m really hard to buy gifts for, so I’ve found that the best gifts are always things someone wouldn’t buy for themselves, or you’ll end up like my mother, watching half her presents get returned. This list of gifts for someone traveling to Europe omits travel basics like underwear, shirts, and a swimsuit and instead…
As someone who’s tried everything from Meetup.com to Bumble BFF (how I met my travel buddy), I’m no stranger to trying every way imaginable to meet people, especially when traveling. Which is why I was so eager to try this ‘turn strangers into friends’ app while I was in Europe for 4.5 months, solo, and…
I’ve been a fan of travel TV shows long before the Travel Channel turned into the Aliens built this channel! I can recall sitting on the couch, clicking through the TV remote in search of the best travel TV shows that would transport me to just about anywhere but the United States, where I lived….
Traveling alone can be daunting since you’re in charge of everything—planning, transportation, bookings, and more. Over the past decade, I have traveled solo across 26 countries, using everything from hostels and public transit to rideshares and guided tours, so I understand both the mental load and the thrill of solo travel. It’s also allowed me…
Considering whether solo travel is for you or not? You’re not alone. I get asked this constantly as a solo female traveler who still prefers it most of the time (prices in some destinations are killer), even after 26 countries. Whether you’ve never traveled beyond your state or country or have yet to adventure alone,…
Five years ago, I met up with a fellow solo traveler from Bumble BFF in a Barcelona bar. We’ve since traveled together to six countries. Having traveled solo to 26 countries (including Spain), I have learned how to meet people when traveling alone to satisfy my need for connection. Whether it’s your first solo trip…
Planning a solo trip, particularly as a woman, can feel overwhelming. You’re juggling transportation, figuring out which tours will actually take you, whether you’ll feel comfortable at a hostel alone, and what to do if something goes wrong, with no one else there to help. After planning dozens of solo trips across more than 26…
Planning a solo trip but worried about managing everything with just a smartphone? I’ve been there! During my first solo trip in 2013 through Ireland, England, and France, I arrived with only WhatsApp. Wi-Fi wasn’t as readily available as I expected, and figuring things out on the spot as a solo traveler made me quickly…
Is solo travel lonely? The answer—yes, sometimes. That’s the honest truth. It’s not always about dancing like no one’s watching or feeling like Lara Croft crossing from continent to continent, even if you’ve traveled alone to 26 countries as I have. Sometimes, you feel a little detached from the world and wish you had someone…
Planning a solo trip to Europe and feeling overwhelmed about which city is safe and enjoyable? I see people constantly searching on social media for the best places to solo travel in Europe, especially female travelers, and I’ve asked this exact question myself. It’s a serious concern, as there are a couple of places I’ve…
As a solo female traveler with over a decade of adventures, finding the best camera for solo travel has been one of my biggest frustrations, since I’ve struggled to film and photograph my experiences. Sure, I’ve asked others to take my picture with my iPhone, but it can sometimes be awkward or just plain exhausting,…
If the fear of not speaking the local language has ever made you hesitate to book a trip, I completely get it. I felt that fear during my first solo international trip over a decade ago because I knew my one semester of French wasn’t enough to be fluent in Paris (a city that isn’t…
Trying to decide between Viator and GetYourGuide before your next trip? I’ve spent five years booking through both, and the answer isn’t as simple as ‘one is better.’ When I started planning my travels back in 2006, I wasn’t even aware there were online marketplaces for booking tour guides, excursions, activities, and tickets to tourist…
Before I discovered Google My Maps, my trip planning looked like a Google Doc full of attractions, with no idea whether they were five minutes apart or on opposite ends of the city. I found this not to be the most efficient way to build an itinerary after my first time planning an international trip,…
So you’ve decided to book a hostel—or you’re seriously considering it. Awesome. Now what? Before I stayed at my first hostel, I had only other people’s stories and movie scenes to go on. But let me assure you, whatever nightmarish scenario is playing in your head is almost certainly worse than reality. Most hostel stays…
