A woman in a colorful floral dress crosses a city street at a crosswalk, smiling. Tall buildings, trees, cars, and pedestrians are visible in the background on a sunny day.

Things I Don’t Do as a Solo Female Traveler (And Why)

ByNatalie Rushing

I’ve been traveling solo for four years now, a good chunk of that full-time. I’ve taken cross-country road trips alone with my dog, stayed in some skeevy motels, lived as a digital nomad, explored cities solo at night, made travel friends, and made a few dumb decisions too.

Over time, I’ve learned solo travel gets a lot easier when you realize what works for you personally and stop forcing yourself to travel a certain way.

These days, there are certain things I just don’t do anymore when I travel alone, not out of fear, but because they drain me and make my trip less enjoyable. Let’s get to it.

I Don’t Spend Money at Airports

Airport food is such a scam.

Okay, I might spring for one latte per trip, but that’s it. Unless I have a super long layover, I’d rather wait until I reach my destination for an actual meal. I usually pack snacks and my water bottle and save my money for restaurants I’m actually excited about once I arrive.

Spending $19 on a sad airport sandwich somehow makes me irrationally angry.

I Don’t Go to Meetups Where the Primary Activity Is Drinking

Meetups are one of my favorite ways to make friends while solo traveling, but I’m pickier now than I used to be.

If the entire event revolves around getting drunk with strangers, I usually skip it.

I’d rather do a walking tour, a class, a Timeleft dinner, or some other activity where people are naturally interacting instead of just standing around drinking.

I’m not against nightlife. I’m not even against getting drunk with strangers. But Meetups with drinking are often thinly veiled singles events, which can be great if you’re looking to date as a digital nomad, but personally, I haven’t had the best experience doing this. Not my thing.

Overlook at Rocky Mountain National Park

I Don’t Tell Anyone I’m Traveling Alone

If anyone asks, I’ll say I’m meeting my friends later or visiting family in the area. I mean, I’m kind of on the anti-social side, so I don’t meet too many people anyway. But I don’t tell my business to the ones I do.

I wouldn’t say I’m paranoid. I’d just…rather not.

I Don’t Try to Cram Everything Into a Trip

My little introverted heart became happy when I stopped doing this.

I used to try to see everything every trip. Not anymore. If I need a night off, I take one. Or if I’ve had enough people for the day, I skip the last attraction.

Honestly, some of my favorite travel memories have come from activities that weren’t necessarily on my itinerary, like eating a gyro at 4 a.m. in NYC, the view at the end of a random Colorado hiking trail that brought actual tears to my eyes, or random conversations I’ve had with strangers I’ll never see again.

A paved road leads toward distant snow-capped mountains under a clear blue sky, with forests and patches of autumn foliage on either side.

I Don’t Try to Meet People if I’m not Feeling It

As an introvert, I’m usually not looking to meet people while traveling, especially if it’s a shorter trip. If I’m living in a place for a while as a digital nomad, different story. Either way, I don’t push myself to be social if I’d rather not.

Sometimes the best part of solo travel is being completely alone for awhile. You can eat where you want, wander at your own pace, and not have to perform socially for anyone.

I Don’t Live in Fear

Using caution is one thing. Being fearful is another. I am aware of my surroundings, no matter where I go. But I also refuse to consume endless fear-based content telling women the world is too dangerous to explore alone.

A woman in black and white clothing leans on a railing, gazing at the water under a clear blue sky. Palm trees and people sitting on benches are visible in the background, with sunlight shining from the right.

I Usually Skip the Late Nightlife

Walking around at 7 p.m. in a busy area feels very different than wandering around alone at 2 a.m.

Unless I know the area well, have transportation figured out, and am staying nearby, I usually skip the super late nightlife scene.

At this point, I’d rather spend my travel time enjoying a destination during the daytime and then relaxing at night.

I Don’t Feel Guilty About Having “Boring” Travel Days

Sometimes you just need a slow day to reset. Coffee and a massage. Just wandering around your neighborhood. Having that nap you’re craving.

This is especially important as a digital nomad. Trying to do too much could lead to burnout. Not every travel day needs to be meaningful, and sometimes it’s the quiet days that stick out in your mind the most.


Solo travel has helped me get to know myself pretty well. I’ve learned not to focus too much on how I feel I “should” travel and instead just listen to what I actually want. Doing so has made solo travel much more “worth it” for me.

These days, I care a lot less about checking every box or being constantly social. Sometimes solo travel looks exciting and spontaneous. Other times it looks like getting coffee alone, going back to the hotel early, or wandering around a neighborhood with no real plan.

I’ve enjoyed both equally as much.

I think a lot of people imagine solo travel as constantly saying yes to everything and needing to “do something” all the time, but for me, it’s actually become more about knowing when to say no to situations that drain me.

Weirdly enough, setting those boundaries is what made solo travel start feeling freeing in the first place.

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