Four Award-Winning Female Travelers Share Their Favorite Solo Travel Destinations

15.10.2024 - 22:25 / travelpulse.com / Mia Taylor

While women have been traveling the world on their own for decades (centuries, really), a 2024 report from Booking.com reveals that solo travel is surging this year, in particular.

The booking engine says 54 percent of women are embracing solo journeys.

A separate report from Road Scholar, which offers educational travel for older adults, says up to 85 percent of the company’s tour participants that travel solo are women.

These reports underscore what plenty of female travelers have long known: Solo women travelers are a force to be reckoned with. Write us off at your own peril.

Within the travel industry itself, there are a number of high-profile solo female travelers who are constantly serving up an inspiring look at what it’s like to be a woman exploring the world boldly - doing so with comfort, ease, and a level sheer joy that’s contagious.

So, rather than publish another staid round-up of destinations that might be worth considering if you’re a woman traveling alone, we asked a handful of these fearless, globetrotting women what their favorite destinations are to explore solo and why.

Consider this your insider’s destination guide, curated by a handful of women who, collectively, have visited nearly every corner of the globe and have done so with abandon.

Caroyln Ray (Photo Credit: Caroyln Ray)

A passionate advocate for women’s travel and someone who embodies the goal of living the life of your dreams, Ray leads JourneyWoman, a publication and platform dedicated to championing travel for women over 50. In her role as CEO, Ray oversees a team of writers and also chairs the JourneyWoman Women’s Advisory Council, as well as its Women’s Speaker’s Bureau. 

A Society of American Travel Writers award-winner, Ray is also constantly on the go. A look at her social media feeds reveals a vibrant life led as a global citizen, and one who never lets any grass grow under her feet.

So what are Ray’s top recommendations for solo travel? Here’s a brief rundown.

Europe

“Europe is a good springboard for those women new to solo travel because of the welcoming mindset of Europeans,” says Ray.

Two of Ray’s favorite places within Europe are Spain and Italy. 

While lists of the ‘safest places’ for solo women are routinely published, what they don’t often take into account is the culture of the country, continues Ray. “Traveling is more than just hotels and activities. It is defined by the culture, spirit and essence of the destination and how easy it is to connect with a place through the people who live there.”

Europeans, says Ray, genuinely want to share their countries and culture with others, giving solo women a sense of comfort and security.

View of El Panecillo in Ecuador. (Photo Credit: ecuadorquerido/Adobe Stock)

 
Ecuador