11 Common Solo Female Travel Mistakes (+ How to Avoid Them)

Let’s talk about the many solo female travel mistakes no one warns you about. The kind of mistakes that, if they happen, will definitely leave you wondering “Why didn’t anyone tell me this before I left?!”

And let me tell you, over 4+ years of travelling Europe alone, I’ve made pretty much every solo travel mistake in the book! From booking dodgy accommodation in Nice that I regretted the second I arrived, to falling for a taxi scam in Zadar, to dragging a suitcase I couldn’t even lift up hotel stairs in Venice.

So in this blog post, we’re going to walk through 11 of the most common solo female travel mistakes I’ve made and, most importantly, exactly how you can avoid them – including the one mistake I still occasionally catch myself repeating, even as an experienced solo female traveller!

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1. Winging It Without Research

At some point in every solo travellers’ journey, there’ll be a “I’ll just figure it out when I get there” moment.

And while spontaneity definitely sounds romantic, in practice it can leave you standing on a street corner in Tromso, Norway, in the middle of winter, tired, more than a little hangry, wondering why on earth you booked a hotel up the top of a steep hill that is now resembling an ice rink. Ask me how I know!

So, one of the most common solo female travel mistakes I see (and have made myself and regretted!) is assuming everything will fall into place without a plan. Spoiler: it rarely ever does. (And I have scuff marks on my suitcase to prove it!)

Now, this doesn’t mean you need a military-level itinerary. Where’s the fun in that?! But knowing a few key things before you land, like…

• How to get from the airport to your accommodation
• What neighbourhoods are safe at night
• How public transport works
• Whether there are any local scams to watch out for
• Where is good to eat nearby (hangry is never fun!)
• Basic things to do/sights to see/all that good stuff

… can make a huge difference to your safety, confidence and enjoyment of your trip. I know I would’ve enjoyed my trip to Tromso a whole lot more if I didn’t fall over three times just getting to my hotel!

Katie’s Top Tip: Block out at least one afternoon pre-trip to research: transport options, safety tips, local culture, best neighbourhoods, things to do, etc etc. Then, save it all in a Google Doc or on your phone notes so you’re not trying to Google everything on patchy WIFI.

2. Ignoring Your Gut Instincts

You know that quiet little inner voice that says things like “this doesn’t feel right” from time to time?

Well, you need to listen to her.

She’s not being dramatic or boring – she’s just trying to protect you.

In fact, one of the most frustrating solo travel mistakes I’ve ever made was silencing that inner voice because I was tired and hangry (again – this seems to be a theme!) and just wanted to get to my accommodation before sunset.

I’d just arrived at the bus station in Zadar, Croatia and a taxi driver approached me offering a ride. Something felt off – my gut tried to warn me – but I didn’t listen. The driver was pushy, didn’t have a meter, and had tried and failed to get other people to take rides – but I was tired, flustered and, like I said, just wanted to get to my Airbnb. So I got in. By the time we arrived, the fare we agreed on before the short drive had magically doubled.

This time, thankfully, I was safe, but it definitely left me shaken and kicking myself for not trusting my gut.

So this is something I really want you to know: if a situation feels sketchy, it probably is. You don’t owe anyone politeness. Walk away. Ask for help. Change your plans. Your intuition is one of your strongest safety tools on the road, especially as a solo female traveller.

Katie’s Top Tip: If someone approaches you with an offer (a taxi, a tour, some other “great deal”), say no. Always go with registered services and always check the price is metered before you get in. A firm “no, thank you” and walking away with confidence is all you need. You don’t owe anyone any more than that.

3. Overpacking ‘Just in Case’

Packing for every possible situation sounds sensible… That is, until you’re sweating over seemingly hundreds of bridges in Venice, before reaching your accommodation and having to drag a heavy suitcase up three flights of stairs because there is no lift and your apartment is on the top floor. (Something I hadn’t researched about the property. See tip #1, again!)

I’ve been there, done that. It’s not fun. And while technically I was prepared for every weather possibility from rain to hail to snow (for Venice in March,) I was also absolutely exhausted and achy from carrying it all.

Overpacking is one of those solo female travel mistakes that starts with good intentions but almost always ends in regret. Remember, you’ll be the only one hauling your bag through airports, on trains and up hotel stairs.

Plus, in Europe especially, you can usually buy anything you genuinely need once you’re there, so there’s no need to stress.

Katie’s Top Tip: Lay everything out before you pack – then cut it by a third. Stick to versatile layers, limit shoes to 2–3 pairs absolute max (I will now often just bring 1 pair, if you can believe it), and roll your clothes to save space. It might sound brutal but trust me, future-you will thank you at every train station and in every hotel without a lift!

4. Booking the Wrong Accommodation

Not all accommodation is equal, and what’s perfect for a romantic couple’s weekend might be totally wrong for you as a solo female traveller.

And one of my earliest solo travel mistakes? Booking the cheapest private room I could find in Nice… only to realise the neighbourhood felt sketchy at night, there were no street lights or restaurants nearby, and I had a 20-minute walk to all of the main attractions.

The truth is, your accommodation will set the tone for your entire trip. It really is that important. So when you’re booking it should never just be about the price.

It’s also about location, safety, accessibility, vibe… But also things that might matter to you specifically, like Is the reception 24/7? Are there lockers if you’re in a hostel? Are there enough reviews (from other solo travellers ideally) saying they felt safe and welcome?

Katie’s Top Tip: Always read reviews, don’t just look at the overall score. On some booking sites you can even filter by traveller type to find fellow solo travellers. I also love Google street view to check out the vibe of the neighbourhood in advance. But if in doubt, always prioritise central locations close to transport, food and well-lit streets.

5. Arriving at Night Without a Plan

This isn’t talked about anywhere near enough, but there’s something incredibly vulnerable about arriving in a new country alone at night, with no clear idea of how to get to your accommodation or what to expect.

I actually made this solo travel mistake during my very first solo trip to Montreux Christmas Market in Switzerland.

In my case, the late night flight was the only one I could get with my work – I didn’t have a choice. So, when I arrived at Geneva airport I was tired, disoriented, regretting my life choices (!) and silently panicking when Google Maps stopped loading because the airport WIFI gave up. All I was trying to do was get to my airport hotel, just 2 minutes away, but even that felt insurmountable at night, in the dark, when I was tired.

Because of my experience, I 100% believe that one of the most easily avoidable solo female travel mistakes is not having a clear, well thought-out plan for your first night (whether or not you have to arrive late.)

P.S. I would always recommend against a late-night arrival, but I know that isn’t always possible.

P.P.S. I have now been back to Geneva airport several times since, in the daylight, and can confirm it is not scary or confusing or even complicated. But past Katie wouldn’t have believed me at the time!

Your first evening will really shape how you feel about a city. When you arrive (at whatever time) knowing exactly how you’re getting to your accommodation, what transport is best, where you’re going to eat and roughly what the next morning looks like, you create space to relax. And trust me, the first day in a new place will always feel overwhelming, so let’s try not to add to it!

Katie’s Top Tip: Before your trip, pre-book airport transport (or know your best public transport route), screenshot directions to your hotel and pick out a nearby spot with good reviews to grab food.

6. Not Downloading Key Apps in Advance

So, you arrive in a new city, your SIM isn’t working yet, the airport WIFI is patchy at best, and you have no idea how to get to your accommodation…

Cue: major stress/anxiety spiral.

And yep, I totally get it, because this is the one solo travel mistake I have made multiple times – yet it’s so easy to avoid.

It is so important to download the right apps for your destination before you leave stable WIFI. And this is especially crucial for those apps that will help you navigate those first few hours in a new place safely and comfortably, even when everything else feels overwhelming.

Think Google Maps (with your city downloaded), a rideshare or local taxi app, a translation app, your airline’s app for boarding passes, local public transport apps (with pre-purchased tickets if possible), etc…

All of these types of apps are important for any trip, solo or not, but they’re especially important if you’re arriving late at night or heading somewhere remote. And having them set up in advance gives you options before you need them, which is half the solo travel game and makes your life so much easier!

Katie’s Top Tip: Before every trip, I download the local transport app, Google Maps for my destination offline, Google Translate, and the city’s top taxi app. I also save the address of my accommodation so I can show it to a driver if needed. In fact, I’ve made this solo travel mistake so many times, I now set myself a physical reminder on my phone to do this before every trip!

7. Letting Your Guard Down Over Drinks

Let’s be honest: sipping wine on a sun-drenched terrace in Lisbon or clinking beers at a backpacker bar is part of the magic of solo travel. But one of the easiest solo female travel mistakes to make is forgetting that you are solo while doing it.

Or, to put it another way, I’m not saying don’t drink – but it’s always worth being really mindful about how, where and who with.

When you’re alone, you don’t have a friend to help flag if something feels off, let know if your drink tastes weird or help you out if that charming guy at the bar is just a bit too charming. You know the one!

That basically means you need to be your own wing woman. So here’s how:

• Keep your drink in sight and follow this golden rule: if you’ve taken your eye off it, even for a second, get a new one.
• Don’t accept drinks from strangers, unless you’ve seen the bartender pour it in front of you.
• Set yourself a sensible drink limit before you head to the bar – and stick to it!
• Trust your gut instincts (always.)
• Have a safe route home planned before you go out.

The bottom line? You deserve to have fun and feel safe doing it.

Katie’s Top Tip: Be cautious about telling strangers you’re travelling completely alone – a little white lie can be a big safety buffer and you never know when you might need it.

8. Relying on One Card or Cash Source

Here’s one I learned the hard way: standing by the Rialto Bridge in Venice (why is it always Venice?!) with a blocked card and exactly €7.30 in cash to my name. Fun!

One of the most stressful solo female travel mistakes is assuming your card will just work overseas (or anywhere, really) without issues. Or worse, not having a backup if it doesn’t.

Cards can get blocked for suspicious activity, lost, eaten by ATMs… And not everywhere takes contactless so you can’t always rely on your phone as a backup, either.

So, my best solo travel tip for you is to always carry a few different cards (ideally on separate accounts), always carry some cash and always store them in different places because, sadly, petty theft does happen.

Katie’s Top Tip: I always travel with my main debit card, Google Pay on my phone, a backup card, a currency card and cash in the local currency and in GBP (my currency). I also always keep some emergency cash hidden in my accommodation in a sanitary towel wrapper. Yes, I know that sounds weird, but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it – it works!

9. Flashing Valuables in Public

Flashing your newest iPhone, designer bag, jewelery (whether it’s expensive or not), or high-end DSLR camera around in busy areas or whilst out at night can sadly make you a target for petty theft.

This is one of those solo female travel mistakes that’s easy to make when you’re caught up in the moment, but pickpockets are fast and opportunists are everywhere.

I’ve so far never been the victim of petty theft while travelling, and for my first few trips I definitely wore the jewellery, kept my phone out, etc, etc. But having heard horror stories since from fellow travellers, I’m now much more cautious.

To blend in, think subtlety when you’re travelling. I always carry a plain crossbody bag that has anti-theft zips, keep my phone tucked away when not using it, use a secure camera strap for my DSLR and leave all flashy jewellery at home.

Don’t get me wrong, you can still look nice during your travels – you just don’t want to scream “I’m a tourist!” while walking through a crowded market or waiting for the metro.

Katie’s Top Tip: I use a plain-looking crossbody with sturdy zips when I travel solo and only take my camera out when I know it’s safe. In areas or countries that feel a bit sketchier, I have also been known to keep a cheap dummy wallet in my pocket with a few coins and a fake card, just in case someone tries a grab-and-run theft.

10. Sharing Too Much on Social Media

It’s so tempting to post that dreamy shot of the view from your hotel balcony the second you arrive, but real-time sharing is one of the most underestimated (and potentially most dangerous) solo female travel mistakes.

Telling the world exactly where you are while you’re there can make you vulnerable, especially if your profile’s public or you’ve got location tagging turned on.

The solution? Well, when I travel, I think about social media posting in two parts:

1. If you’re posting tourist sites or attractions: delay your posts by at least a few hours or even a day. To be extra safe, don’t post until you’ve left the city or area.
2. If you’re posting your accommodation or solo travel status: delay your posts until you leave the city or area or, even better, just keep that info private.
3. Also: never, ever share your live location on social media.

I know this solo travel mistake will probably either sound very obvious or very over the top, but digital safety is just as important as physical safety when solo travelling. And unfortunately, not all creeps operate in person anymore.

Katie’s Top Tip: Turn off location tagging on your Instagram Stories and never tag your hotel until after you’ve checked out. You can still share all those Instagrammable memories, just with a little extra safety buffer built in!

11. Thinking You Have to Be Fearless to Start

This is the biggest solo travel myth that holds so many women back from even starting solo travelling. You don’t have to be fearless, brave, outgoing, extroverted or know everything about the place you’re visiting to travel solo and have a great time.

You just have to be willing to give it a try.

So, in my opinion, one of the most common but rarely spoken about solo female travel mistakes is waiting until you feel 100% ready to take that trip, because spoiler alert: you’ll probably never feel that way.

I know I didn’t, when I took my first solo trip to Montreux, Switzerland – but that trip really, truly changed my life.

And I can’t even begin to imagine what my life would like right now if I hadn’t gone.

Every solo female traveller starts out scared. I definitely did – I second-guessed my decision right up until boarding the plane! And, in many ways, that hasn’t changed. I still feel scared, apprehensive, unsure, overwhelmed, stressed… before any solo trip. But it’s always worth it.

So if you take just one thing from this guide, I want it to be this: confidence isn’t the entry requirement for solo female travel – it’s the result.

And you build that confidence through tiny wins: navigating a new city alone, handling a tricky moment, meeting someone kind, eating a meal at a table for one, joining a guided tour solo, even just getting on that plane or train or bus or boat in the first place…

Katie’s Top Tip: Don’t wait to feel ready. Instead, if you feel uncomfortable, start with a short trip, a familiar destination or even just a weekend away, 20 minutes down the road from your home. It all counts! And you can learn everything else as you go. You are way more capable than you think and trust me, your future self will be so proud you did it.

Conclusion

If you’ve made any (or all) of these solo female travel mistakes before – or if you’re worried you might make them on your first trip – I hope you now know that you’re not alone.

Every solo female traveller I know (myself very much included!) has had more than a few face-palm moments on the road. And anyway, the goal isn’t for your solo trip to be perfect – it’s about learning, adapting and showing up for yourself anyway.

Solo travel is one of the most empowering things you’ll ever do and the benefits are endless, but that’s not because it’s always easy.

The opposite, in fact.

It’s because you get through those hard bits and come out stronger on the other side – and you do that for yourself. With the right mindset, good planning and self-trust, you can absolutely navigate any solo travel mistakes you make with confidence!

Which of these solo female travel mistakes surprised you the most? Or have you perhaps already experienced one (or more) of them yourself? Let’s chat in the comments!

Read More About Solo Female Travel:

• 11 Common Solo Female Travel Mistakes (+ How to Avoid Them)
• Is it Weird to Travel Alone as a Woman? 7 Things to Know
• 11 Life-Changing Benefits of Solo Travel for Women
• 30 Must-Know Safety Tips For Solo Female Travellers
• The Ultimate Solo Female Travel Guide: Everything I Wish I Knew

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