The beauty of solo travel is that you can do whatever you want whenever you want.
I traveled solo for several months in 2019 and my only regret is I didn’t stay longer !
How to Travel as a Solo Female
I used a program called Workaway to find opportunities to work and stay for free !
Yes, you have to pay a small fee to sign up, but it’s worth it ! And I hate paying for things, so the fact that I signed up should encourage you to do the same !
Workaway
Workaway is a service that you sign up for for a small yearly fee. You can easily search the locations you are traveling to to find opportunities. Some pay you a small amount, others provide food and a place to sleep. Or you can do like I did (I’m really indecisive) and choose the location you’re going based on the opportunities.
I used Workaway twice during my travels in 2019.
I first found a family in Barcelona, Spain. My job was to teach the youngest English while the mom and dad worked. We mostly played games while I spoke English to him. I was provided a room to sleep in as well as food. The mom returned around 1pm and made lunch. Then I went out to explore Barcelona !
I did this for an entire month. It was a great experience living with a family from Barcelona in Barcelona.
Read more about Barcelona in my 5 day guide to the city here.
You can also read about some of the day trips I took from Barcelona here.
After Barcelona, I wanted to go to the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao. While researching Bilbao, I found a blog saying to go to San Sebastián. I had no definitive plans, so I went to San Sebastián. Great decision. I met my future husband and now I go here several times a year. I did eventually go to Bilbao ! Beautiful city.
I traveled on my own during this time. While in Bilbao I did a guided Game of Thrones tour.
Find the tour here.
I also went to the Guggenheim museum. Get your tickets here.
Schengen Area
Again using Workaway, I found a hostel in Fužine, Croatia to work in. Tasks included keeping the common area clean and doing the dishes after breakfast, lunch, or dinner, rotating with the other two women working there. In exchange, I received a room (sharing with the other two women) and three meals a day.
Fužine is close to the coast, so I did a day trip to Opatija. I had dinner dishes this day, so I could be out all day !
In 2019, Croatia was not yet part of the Schengen Area (see my blog post about the Schengen Area here). I had been to Croatia once and loved it, so decided to go back. I started in a small town called Fužine.
After Fužine, I went to Dubrovnik, Croatia and spent a few days there. My AirBnB host took us to Bosnia and Herzegovina. I also did a three island boat tour with lunch included. There is an island not far from Dubrovnik and I spent the day here.
Read more about Dubrovnik in my blogs here.
I traveled on my own dime outside of Barcelona and Fužine, but there are several Workaway I could have chosen.
From here, I went to Split, Croatia. I did a day tour to Krka National Park which also included going to a winery (read more in my blog here). There are several tours you can do, but here is the one I did.
Lastly, I went back to the Schengen Area and spent my 30th birthday in Paris with my future husband.
Traveling alone, I never felt unsafe and I highly recommend it at some point in your life !
Read more about my solo travels :
Solo Female Travels – Pamplona, Spain – Travel Blog (sarahallisonwonderland.com)
Solo Female Traveling in Croatia – Travel Blog (sarahallisonwonderland.com)
Solo female TRAVELING in San Sebastián, Spain – Travel Blog (sarahallisonwonderland.com)
Tips
- I always wear headphones, even if I’m not listening to anything. This usually stops strangers from talking to you.
- Don’t drink too much if you by yourself and go home early. In any city, it’s not safe being out late drunk and by yourself.
- Always bring a snack and water with you. I’m indecisive and while traveling alone, it’s hard for me to decide where to eat.
- Walk like you know where you’re going, even if you’re lost. Just try not to panic and calmly find your way.
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