Solo Travel in Different Places

As of October, I've solo traveled in 3 continents: Europe, Australia and North America. So now that I've got a little experience under my belt, here are some of the things I noticed about traveling solo around the globe: ​

     Australia 

​Safety-5 STARS 
​Australia felt the safest by far. Communication was easy, people were friendly and took an interest in visitors and people just had a cheerful demeanor you don't see everywhere. It was easy to feel an extra skip in your step while you walked down the street, and the massive amount of backpackers meant it was easy to find a group to hang out with that made evenings out feel safer.

​Navigable-4 STARS
​Sharing a common language definitely made navigating the cities easier, and there was decent public transport within the big cities, although it was pretty pricey to get around.

Friendliness-5 STARS
I'm not sure if it's the friendly local people, the constant sunshine or the high population of backpackers from all over the world that make it a haven for solo travelers and backpackers.

Hostel Experience-4 STARS
Check out a hostel and make friends with your roommates, hang out at the bar and see who else pops in or try out a tour and find like-minded young travelers. 

     Europe ​

​Safety-4 STARS
​Overall, Europe is pretty safe, and I never felt nervous walking around. However, the reason it ranks lower on my "safe to solo" travel list is mostly due to the large amount of scammers and pickpockets that lurk in big cities. ​

Navigable-3 STARS
​Europe has the best public transport by far, but if you're traveling to a country where you don't speak the language, it can be a bit tricky to navigate by yourself. There were some cities where I definitely would have been lost without having Lexa to figure things out with. ​​

Friendliness-5 STARS
​Europe is a tourist hub and one of the most backpacker friendly places in the world.

​Hostel Experience-4 STARS
Hostels are the way to go in Europe - tons of amazing travelers make for great conversations, the staff are generally incredible and most hostels included a huge range of activities to participate in daily. The one issue with European hostels is that cleanliness and amenities vary hugely from place to place, so be sure to do your research. 

   The U.S. ​

​Safety-3 STARS
The ease of communication makes it feel safer, but I've also been to some U.S. cities where I felt more unsafe than anywhere else I've been in the world. It definitely depends on the city you're visiting. 

Navigable-3 STARS
Obviously, I feel a bit more comfortable because I'm traveling within my home country and am around people who speak the same language as me. On the other hand, it's much more expensive to travel here and can be significantly more difficult to get around as public transportation still has a long way to go in most cities. 

Friendliness-4 STARS
Just like safety, it's all about which city you happen to be visiting. Most of the time, people will be friendly, especially in the Midwest and South, but the East Coast tends to be a different story. Do a little research and figure out what people in the area are known for, so you don't misconstrue local customs for rudeness. 

Hostel Experience-3 STARS
​Each hostel I've stayed at in the U.S. has been clean and had the best amenities. It's a 50/50 whether they'll provide activities that will bring guests together, but there are lots of interesting international travelers to meet. Hostels are a newer concept and not super popular in the U.S., so it's definitely a different vibe from Australia or Europe. ​

No matter where you're trying to go, solo travel can be a great option. Who wants to wait around for friends or family to be available when there are awesome travel opportunities all the time?! If I had waited around for other people, I wouldn't have gone to New Zealand/Australia, wouldn't have taken a vacation in California before moving and starting a new job, and would've missed out on at least one country in Europe. Solo Travel can have its ups and downs, and can be totally intimidating for first time travelers (or let's be real, even people who have done it several times before), but it's totally worth it!