Why is it still such a big deal for women to travel alone?

Sorry, I forgot to check a penis with my bags


I love to travel. I have been to my fair share of different countries and experienced many different cultures. Some of these adventures have been with the company of my family, but I have also traveled alone with friends – who are girls (dun dun dun).

My very good friend Kylie and I embarked on our first adventure during the winter break of our freshman year of college. We traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark in search of fun, culture, and new memories. Before this trip, I can remember being constantly reminded by my parents, grandparents, and friends that we were two girls traveling alone.

“Never leave your purse unzipped!” “Don’t be taken advantage of!” “Stay together at all times!”

These seem like good pieces of advice for anyone who is traveling, but what made them aggravating was that they were specifically directed at Kylie and me because we were going without men, female reproductive organs in tow.

The next year we traveled, along with our lovely companion Colleen, to Ireland and London. We got the same spiel from all angles. Each person seemed to be more concerned than the last about the fact that we were females traveling alone. 

It felt like just another way to paint women in a helpless, delicate, and weak light. We weren’t alone, we had each other. Since when does not having a man around make us alone? Who says that I couldn’t outrun that mugger just as fast as someone who just so happens to have a penis? Who says that I couldn’t brush off unwanted attention from a guy at a bar just like a guy could brush off unwanted attention from a lady?

And the most confusing part about all of this advice that I was getting was that it was coming mostly from men – specifically, men who have traveled alone. Eventually I said to my neighbor, “But you’ve travelled alone haven’t you?” To which I got exactly the response anyone would expect: “Yes, dear, but you’re a girl.

Clearly, I understand the danger of traveling, and I understand the danger of being a woman (I also understand that these lectures were coming from a place of love and concern). Rape culture and human trafficking are disgusting epidemics that plague our beautiful earth relentlessly. It seems that everyday there are new stories on the internet and on the news about women who have been murdered, raped, abducted, and tortured. The world definitely is a scary place.

But the world is dangerous for everyone, and as long as women travel smart (just like a man should travel smart), traveling alone or traveling with “just us girls” can be an amazing and empowering experience.

So, as there has been a huge increase in women getting their Eat, Pray, Love on, here are some travel tips I learned the hard way that are seriously helpful (whether you are a man traveling, or a woman).

Don’t leave your passport on a plane

When you have a connecting flight to Australia, don’t leave your passport on the first plane. This will cause you (and your travel companion) to completely lose your shit until you get the airplane out of the hangar and your passport hand delivered to you from a very annoyed looking air traffic control worker (still sorry about that one, Derek).

Don’t try new cuisine before getting on an eight hour flight

Listen people: it isn’t pretty, but those plane bathrooms are small and the air circulation is not so great. Scents tend to… linger, if you catch my drift (or if you were lucky, you didn’t). So for the courtesy of the other passengers, and to spare your dignity, stick to the basics before getting on a flight and avoid clam chowder at all costs. Please trust me on this one.

Pack lightly for the plane

Chances are you are not actually going to touch those four different books, two different magazines, and the eight different pocket puzzles you brought. Give your back a break and stick to the minimum because that’s probably all you’ll need anyway.

Don’t be too wary of strangers

Anywhere you go there will be some seedy places and people, but you will also meet some really great and helpful new friends along the way. Trust your gut and definitely avoid anyone who makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, but don’t be afraid to join a stranger’s table in an Irish Pub, they could end up being travelers as well.

Don’t be stubborn about your clothing

Bring a jacket, leave those new shoes behind. I don’t care how cute they are, if you’re going to be walking miles and miles in a new city you need to be as comfortable as possible. If you aren’t, then you might end up seriously irritating your companions (and your bank account) by having to stop to buy new shoes because the ones you insisted upon wearing despite everyone’s advice turned your feet into a bloody mess.

Stay fearless my babes, and book that plane ticket.