Travelling as a solo female

panda100

I'm a typical thirty-something female who enjoys seeing the world. However, as a single women and with conflicting schedules it can often be difficult to arrange holidays with friends and families. As I enjoy my own company and like doing my own thing I have no problem going on holidays by myself.

Over the last two years I have visited Italy, Spain and Belgium all on my lonesome. I thoroughly enjoyed all trips except for one aspect; the constant, relentless street harassment you get as a solo female.

On a recent trip to Southern Italy the harassment was so bad I actually felt complete and utter relief on returning to my hotel room. There's only so many times you can politely ignore or reject someone, and being stared at and followed is downright intimidating! I was I was speaking to a male friend of mine who had returned from Southern Italy just a couple of weeks before me, and it hadn't been an issue for him at all. It made me think that the often intimidating levels of attention women receive when travelling alone is something that men travelling by themselves don't even have to think about or contend with.

Anyone else travel solo and experienced similar?

Addle

I've travelled alone, but never had that reaction, because men have no interest in me!

Don't Italian's have that reputation?

woodchuck

I've travelled on my own too and never experienced that either (including northern Italy, I don't know if the south is much different?)

Is this just out and about on the street or at bars? I don't tend to check out the bar scene when I'm away, but just generally walking around and going to restaurants has been grand.

I've actually been mistaken for a local at times, I assume because I was on my own. Maybe it's only if you obviously look like tourist e.g. backpack in tow? (or maybe I just ugly :P)

Never experienced it myself either.
Last couple places I got the local assumption as well, again maybe because I was on my own

When I was younger I did get stared at a bit in italy, I think it's because I was so pale

rainbowtrout

Haven't been to southern Italy but I travel a lot on my own and have never experienced that. Was in Vietnam last summer and got a bit of attention, but given my milk bottle appearance it was pretty obvious I was a tourist. But it was no different to the attention any other tourist would get, just the usual people trying to sell tours etc.

Ice Storm

I've noticed this too but mainly in countries where I stand out due to the paleness of my skin and blonde hair.

The first time I travelled alone I went to Turkey. On arriving, I went out for a wander and within a few minutes I felt uncomfortable due to the attention I was getting. On my way back to the hotel, a man shouted at me that I needed to get a "sunburn".

More recently in Asia, I felt harassed a lot when I was on my own; it seemed like someone was always trying to get my attention. Mainly people trying to sell me something; I'm sure all tourists get the same but I think it is more intense when you're alone.

In places like these I definitely felt more comfortable with other people which is a pity because I love exploring places on my own.

Tigger99

I've been followed, cat called, hissed at, called a whore (that particular joy was in a Muslim country where I was covered head to toe). It certainly didn't happen guys I know that travelled alone. Time and time again I came across a sense of entitlement that just because I was travelling on my own (or even just happened to be walking alone with the oh back at the hotel) I should be honoured to have guys be a nuisance towards me.

Even with my boyfriend I found southern Italy horrific for cat calling and leering.

jaja321

Have travelled a bit on my own. In Barcelona wasnt much of an issue, but in places like Jordan and Pakistan it certainly was, to the point where I almost lost it with people.

fits

Op are you blond by any chance? blond (and red) hair really does attract more unwanted attention i think in Mediterranean countries. Its a shame though. I work with a man from southern Italy and while he behaves normally.... in drunken discussions he's let on that he thinks women enjoy this attention... and that Nordic men are women haters since they don't do it!!!! (also large domestic abuse and murder stats in Nordic countries). Anyway its totally strange. I would hate that sort of attention and would put me off tbh, but I have never travelled on my own that much for leisure, and its never been a problem for me when I have.

Rosy Posy

fits wrote: »

Op are you blond by any chance?

This was my first thought too. I'm dark haired and skinned and have had very few problems travelling alone whereas a friend who is blonde and very tall has had loads of hassle when travelling to the same places. The worst hassle I have experienced was in North Africa on a cruise with my parents. I think that sometimes being alone is preferable to being in a large and obviously touristy group.

panda100

I am surprised that this isn't an issue for all women, I thought it was!Certainly from reading blogs and guidebooks you would think it was.

fits wrote: »

Op are you blond by any chance?

Yep blonde, very tall and very pale. So I stick out a mile as a tourist. Is this just something encountered by blonde women?

Ice Storm wrote: »

I've noticed this too but mainly in countries where I stand out due to the paleness of my skin and blonde hair.

The first time I traveled alone I went to Turkey. On arriving, I went out for a wander and within a few minutes I felt uncomfortable due to the attention I was getting. On my way back to the hotel, a man shouted at me that I needed to get a "sunburn".

More recently in Asia, I felt harassed a lot when I was on my own; it seemed like someone was always trying to get my attention. Mainly people trying to sell me something; I'm sure all tourists get the same but I think it is more intense when you're alone.

In places like these I definitely felt more comfortable with other people which is a pity because I love exploring places on my own.

I have pretty much ruled out these countries to visit solo because of this problem. I would love to visit Egypt and Morocco but I think the on street harassment will be too much to bear and I would need a man with me. So ridiculous but unfortunately the reality.

woodchuck wrote: »

Is this just out and about on the street or at bars? I don't tend to check out the bar scene when I'm away, but just generally walking around and going to restaurants has been grand.

Just out and about on the street, I would never go to bar by myself. You would just be walking down the street and a guy would start walking beside you trying to get your attention.Or you would be walking by a group of people and they would try calling you over or staring at you. Or the one I particular hate when you're just sitting in a park or piazza minding your own business or reading a book and someone sit down beside you and try to talk to you. I particularly detest this as it means you have to get up and move.

fits

I think it happens to red heads as well. Women who look very different to local women and perhaps fit in with that western look of beauty I guess.

desbrook

First of all OP I think the behaviour you are getting in these countries is pathetic, disgusting and tbh makes me a little ashamed to be a man. These huge cultural differences mean I have little interest in traveling to different countries but I accept you do of course.
My point posting is I'm wondering why you are simply asking has this happened to others. Maybe a better question is why does it happen and how can you avoid such behaviour yet still travel solo?

panda100

desbrook wrote: »

My point posting is I'm wondering why you are simply asking has this happened to others. Maybe a better question is why does it happen and how can you avoid such behaviour yet still travel solo?

Well I guess the idea is for people to share their experiences of travelling alone as a female. But yes, it would also be good to know how one can avoid this when travelling alone.

desbrook

panda100 wrote: »

Well I guess the idea is for people to share their experiences of travelling alone as a female. But yes, it would also be good to know how one can avoid this when travelling alone.

I think the general concensus is it occurs far more to ladies are of different appearance and dress to local ladies. Facts are facts also and in many countries there is far less reserve than here with people simply not respecting personal space the way we do. ( Anyone who saw Des Bishop in China will swear to this)

You cannot change a counties culture OP but how would you feel about changing your appearance ? If you do feel it's ok what steps could you take?

meeeeh

In late teens and early twenties I dyed my hair blonde. I went travelling with two friends and there was a crazy amount of harassment in Turkey. I was followed, stared at, grabbed and pulled into shops and also seriously sexually assaulted. I think I must have had the right look for them because my also blond and prettier friend was left alone. Something funny also happened on the same trip when we were in Italy. I went out for a cigarette in one of the train stations (possibly Rome). I was wearing stained tennis shors and a tank top (a typical backpacking outfit) and a lot of men were starting at me. Only later I realised they thought I was a hooker.

On other occasions I was brunette and mostly left alone. In Brazil I was travelling with another friend and we were both very dark (tanned and bkack hair) and had no hassle whatsoever (not even pickpockets). We met three Scottish backpackers, two female and one male, they had to flee from a bus and they were all the time targeted on the streets because they stuck out as a sore thumb.

I've done some solo interrailing too and had absolutely no hassle.

Legs.Eleven

I´ve travelled in South America for 11 months and Italy on my own (as well as parts of Spain) and yeah, I´ve got that treatment alright as I´m blonde.

Not all South American countries were bad for it (Argentina, Peru, Brazil - Brazil was ridicuous - and Ecuador) were the worst and Colombia, Chile and Bolivia were fine. Argentina might´ve been the most full on but Brazil was scary at times. I remember men shouting at me while holding their girlfriend´s hands in Peru. Sound!

My Spanish wasn´t great back then but now it´s good and I realise that they were calling me "Whore" a good bit. I remember in Buenos Aires a car of men drove by, rolled down their windows and shouting "Whore" at me while I was strolling down the street in Tevas, Thai fisherman pants and a t-shirt. Nice! Sad cases.

I only spent a bit of time in the South of Italy and Naples was bad for it but I´d expected that tbh.


Saying all that, it´s not enough to turn me off travelling alone. It happens in my neighbourhood here in Madrid almost daily (my neighbourhood´s a bit rough), so I usually always have headphones for the purpose of blocking it out and I do the same travelling. Works a charm.

woodchuck

panda100 wrote: »

Yep blonde, very tall and very pale. So I stick out a mile as a tourist. Is this just something encountered by blonde women.

Sound like this could be it then from people's posts... I'm short with dark hair and dark eyes (but pale skin) so I don't think I stick out in a crowd. I've only been to major european and US cities on my own though... worried now if I want to go somewhere a little more exotic!

Merkin

I've been hassled everywhere but I'm well able for it! I've got very blue eyes, am buxom and have long blonde hair so I'm an easy target I suppose. I lived in the Middle East as a kid and have a smattering of Arabic which came in very handy when I returned to the Middle East on my own. I've gotten good natured and curious gawps in China and Tibet, a sinister undercurrent of menace in Thailand and hilarious cat calls and attempts to engage when I worked in Italy, which they do to anyone with a pulse incidentally! I was followed through Rome for a couple of hours by two men which did make me uncomfortable but the worst experience was in the UAE in the old souk at night on my own which probably wasn't my best move!! I think unwanted attention is part and parcel of being a lone traveller, it's all about trusting your instincts ultimately and being able to differentiate between good natured attention and something more threatening.

Daisy78

I have travelled on my own on and off and have experienced some of this alright. A few years ago I was in Vietnam and remember one of my fiirst days in Ho Chi Minh I was walking through one of the city parks during the day. It was very humid so I decided to take a break and sit on one of the park benches. Within minutes I had two guys sit either side of me. Then the questions started....why are you here, are you married,etc I got up and moved to another bench further away and same thing happened again. I learnt very quickly that to stay motionless was an invitation for curious and leering locals to invite themselves into my company. Single female travellers are definitely a curiosity and you get the impression that they believe you are a woman of loose morals and up for anything. I also received a marriage proposal and a night time visit to my hotel room by one of the staff on that trip so it was definitely an eye opener for me.

Recently enough I was in Morocco with my brother and on one of the days at the beach I decided to take a walk down by the sea to get some sun. I was approached by three men in the space of ten minutes, one of which I'm fairly certain asked if I would come work for him!! And I have dark hair and wouldn't tend to stick out as being very different or unusual. I found it more amusing than irritating or even intimidating. It's just something you have to factor in as part of the whole experience unfortunately but not something that would discourage me from travelling to these places again (well maybe not Morocco but that's for different reasons).

Rosy Posy

I think that it's to do with being unusual looking- it's a perfectly natural thing and 20+ years ago people used to do it here too- shameless gawping anyhow, if not direct hassling. Growing up in Ireland as a person of colour I had at best stares (people actually turning around in the street) at worst being followed by scumbags being abused for being a 'Spanish student' (I'm not Spanish). By the time I was old enough for sexualised hassling Ireland had become more ethnically diverse but I got serious amounts of hassle and stares (including a man following me around a market 'subtly' photographing me) trip to Eastern Europe in my 20's. It's just a question of ignorance.

Standman

A female friend of mine was subject to fairly relentless advances by men on the street when she was in Rome on her own. She's from South America so a lot of them actually thought she was Italian, so it seems they don't just target tourists who stand out. Italian men seem to have a bit of a reputation for that kind of behaviour.

aaabbbb

Standman wrote: »

A female friend of mine was subject to fairly relentless advances by men on the street when she was in Rome on her own. She's from South America so a lot of them actually thought she was Italian, so it seems they don't just target tourists who stand out. Italian men seem to have a bit of a reputation for that kind of behaviour.

I actually met a group of Italian guys here in Dublin one night who were living here and started talking to them, but as the conversation went on they told us that they were actually there because one of the guys in the group , who was good friends with this girl (who had recently got engaged and was in the bar with her fiance that night) was also "madly in love " with this girl .

The story went on a bit more but basically their plan was to relentlessly stalk this girl until she "gave up,realised how crazy he was about her and left her fiancee for him"

I suggested that this was probably a bit weird/stalkerish, akin to a serial killer (bit dramatic but was to convey a point) and that that sort of harassment would most likely have the opposite effect on the poor girl. Not one of them however, could see a thing wrong with what they were doing and I just found that kinda shocking !

Obviously a bit of an extreme case and hopefully wouldn't be the consensus among Italian men , but that attitude is definitely there among some.

On the topic of catcalling / being followed this actually happened to me recently in Dublin ! Coming out of Tara st station around 7pm and this man started screaming all sorts of horrible things at myself and my sister and continued to follow us all the way up to the junction with d'olier st and o'connell bridge. It was terrifying !

beks101

I think as a lone female you're more of a target to these dudes who seem to harrass and harangue women as if it's a hobby.

I live in a pretty "vibrant" part of London and definitely notice a lot more of this intimidating behaviour when I'm walking down the street alone versus with my boyfriend or a male friend. In those cases I'm less "harass-able" because I've got a guy with me who could potentially kick his aRse, or whatever the bro code is to these eejits.

Most of the time I'll stick my earphones in, put my sunglasses on and ignore any unwanted attention but if it's getting a little intense I'll stare directly right back at them in the same confrontational way and find they'll usually back down. Showing you're not quite as "vulnerable" or as agreeable to their intimidating behaviour often does the trick I find.

R.D. aka MR.D

I've traveled a good bit in Europe and South America. I was groped in Rome at the age of 13!

South America was fine. I would normally just get 'mamasita blah blah blah'. It was never threatening.

I lived in South Korea and it was okay. In general they left you alone. Sometimes, I would get hassled but normally you could embarrass them enough to leave you alone. In Japan, the men never gave me a second look. They are extremely polite.

I'm in China now and it's a huge problem. I get hassled a lot. If i'm out with my OH then nobody passes any remarks but when i'm on my own it's terrible. It's almost everyday at this stage that some one shouts at me on my commute to work. Even this morning when i went to go to the big supermarket by myself, i was filled with dread because the last 3 times, i was hassled.

It's the choice that i've made to live here but it gets me down sometimes!

I'm 5'6', dark hair and pale. I can't imagine how difficult it would be if i was blonde!!!

harr

My wife gets the same hassle when we are on holidays, she has long natural red hair is slim and taller than me. So she sticks out.
Parts of Italy were bad as was north Africa where I was offered 20 camels for her
Turkey was the worst experience we were followed ever where and she could not leave the apartment alone. A number of men attempted to grope her on different occasions even though she was dressed very modestly.
Another place we found intimidating was brussels .

Semele

I've always had more overt interest from "foreign" men than Irish/English ones and some of them have said that it's because my colouring seems very exotic to them. I'm paper white with dark hair and pale blue eyes- fairly normal looking for an Irish girl, but really unusual anywhere else. As a lot of people have pointed out, they are more used to blue eyes going with fair hair (a sort of idealised Barbie-fied western woman look) and dark hair generally going with more sallow skin/dark eyes, so my specific combination looks very unusual further afield! It's nice to know someone finds me exotic!

Saying that it's mostly been women who have commented and been fascinated by how pale I am, saying it looks really sophisticated...I should really just move abroad for the sake of my ego!

beks101

Semele wrote: »

I've always had more overt interest from "foreign" men than Irish/English ones and some of them have said that it's because my colouring seems very exotic to them. I'm paper white with dark hair and pale blue eyes- fairly normal looking for an Irish girl, but really unusual anywhere else. As a lot of people have pointed out, they are more used to blue eyes going with fair hair (a sort of idealised Barbie-fied western woman look) and dark hair generally going with more sallow skin/dark eyes, so my specific combination looks very unusual further afield! It's nice to know someone finds me exotic!

Saying that it's mostly been women who have commented and been fascinated by how pale I am, saying it looks really sophisticated...I should really just move abroad for the sake of my ego!

Same as! I always thought I was sallow until I moved abroad and found myself working in an office with Asian-Canadians and Indian-Canadians and African-Canadians and Jamaican-Canadians, who would pass remarks like “oh my God your eyes are so light! Are they green?? That’s crazy!” …or “your skin is like porcelain!” in the depths of summer when I was convinced I’d never been as tanned…
Generally I find I get a lot more male attention overseas than I ever did in Ireland. Not sure if it’s because my features are especially “different” here (I live in London) – I think it’s more to do with the fact that staring and cat-calling etc women isn’t as socially acceptable at home and we tend to ‘embarrass’ each other a lot more I find. I often think Irish men can have a pathological fear of seeming ‘creepy’, which probably accounts for the lack of a culture of casual approaches outside of the pub too.

Turkey and Sicily were two places where I was relentlessly harassed, randomly touched on the street (head, arms, back and attempts to grope my breasts), and in Turkey called whore and slut by random men. I was demurely dressed, I'm not a blonde or tall, I was just alone and that seemed to mean I was fair game. I was also followed by two younger men who constantly tried to stop me walking away and to engage with me. I felt unsafe on a busy street in broad daylight.

Sicily was more 'mainstream' harassment and as such was less worrying although still unpleasant enough. I'll never go back to Turkey even in a group, which is a pity since Istanbul is a fascinating place and I didn't get to see so much of it because of the intimidation.

Snoopy1

Wow i travel alone and im blonde, but this has never happened to me. Admittidely i've only gone to the states. Those countries people have mentioned i've deliberately not gone to, as i would be worried about harrassment.

Does anyone who travels alone, get asked questions from e.g colleagues
"Why are you going on you own?"
"do you not get lonely?"
"its weird you're going on your own"

F**k off, its my choice, stop making me feel like a weirdo!!!

Snoopy1

Snoopy1 wrote: »

Wow i travel alone and im blonde, but this has never happened to me. Admittidely i've only gone to the states. Those countries people have mentioned i've deliberately not gone to, as i would be worried about harrassment.

Does anyone who travels alone, get asked questions from e.g colleagues
"Why are you going on you own?"
"do you not get lonely?"
"its weird you're going on your own"

F**k off, its my choice, stop making me feel like a weirdo!!!

I have, it's only when I say it's travel to do with study that they take the incredulous looks off their faces. Strange how the double standard is so entrenched. I've never known a guy questioned about his reasons for travelling alone.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it's the impression I get.

Snoopy1

It drives me mad. I'm just back from 10 days in America. To me it was perfect, i saw the sites, i was in bed early every night, i did all my shopping, i basically did everything i wanted to do.
So many people comment that i'm weird for going on my own.

Snoopy1

Snoopy1 wrote: »

It drives me mad. I'm just back from 10 days in America. To me it was perfect, i saw the sites, i was in bed early every night, i did all my shopping, i basically did everything i wanted to do.
So many people comment that i'm weird for going on my own.

You're not at all. I've really enjoyed the trips on my own. Like you I could do what I wanted in my free time and not have to clear a few hours shopping with anyone else. City breaks especially work out well when you're on your own.

Don't mind them Snoopy, you're not weird. If anything it shows how independent and self reliant you are.

rainbowtrout

Snoopy1 wrote: »

Wow i travel alone and im blonde, but this has never happened to me. Admittidely i've only gone to the states. Those countries people have mentioned i've deliberately not gone to, as i would be worried about harrassment.

Does anyone who travels alone, get asked questions from e.g colleagues
"Why are you going on you own?"
"do you not get lonely?"
"its weird you're going on your own"

F**k off, its my choice, stop making me feel like a weirdo!!!

Well I suppose you wouldn't look much different from Americans while you are over there and their culture is *relatively* similar to what we experience here.

I've had the comments about travelling alone/being lonely. But the bottom line is most of my friends are married/in long term relationships so go on holidays with their husbands/boyfriends. I'm a teacher so I can only travel during peak times and other friends choose to go on cheaper off peak holidays. So I'm limited as to who is available and more importantly who would want to go/be able to afford the places I want to go to. Sometimes I've challenged the people who have asked me why I'm going alone by asking them if they would like to go and they shut up pretty fast after that.

No one has said I'm weird to my face but the reactions in the past are enough to tell me that they are thinking it. I have had the lonely comments. I don't think about it too much, I know plenty of those people will never see places they want to see because they are too afraid to go alone: afraid of travelling alone or afraid of what other people will say about them travelling alone. I don't really get any comments any more because people are used to me heading off by myself.

I never got that. People always understood and talked about how it'd be nice for me to do my own thing, get up and go when and where I wanted, no negotiating over what to see, etc. Or maybe I'm already so weird they expected no different

bluewolf

bluewolf wrote: »

I never got that. People always understood and talked about how it'd be nice for me to do my own thing, get up and go when and where I wanted, no negotiating over what to see, etc. Or maybe I'm already so weird they expected no different

I think there's sometimes an aspect with that with me alright. It seems most people don't share my enthusiasm for museums and galleries or historic sites. Their loss.

rainbowtrout

Snoopy1 wrote: »

It drives me mad. I'm just back from 10 days in America. To me it was perfect, i saw the sites, i was in bed early every night, i did all my shopping, i basically did everything i wanted to do.
So many people comment that i'm weird for going on my own.

That's exactly what I do when i'm away and it's great. I do like going on holidays with friends or my brother if we want to do the same things, but I am away on my own I don't have to compromise, I can see whatever I want and spend as much time on it as I want.

I went to Greenland on my own a few years ago and it was fantastic. I saw the Northern Lights, went out on the glaciers, went dog sledding, saw a completely different way of life in a remote village in the Arctic. It was fantastic. I'd have been waiting a long time for anyone to accompany me on that trip.

rainbowtrout

rainbowtrout wrote: »

That's exactly what I do when i'm away and it's great. I do like going on holidays with friends or my brother if we want to do the same things, but I am away on my own I don't have to compromise, I can see whatever I want and spend as much time on it as I want.

I went to Greenland on my own a few years ago and it was fantastic. I saw the Northern Lights, went out on the glaciers, went dog sledding, saw a completely different way of life in a remote village in the Arctic. It was fantastic. I'd have been waiting a long time for anyone to accompany me on that trip.

Ask me next time!

Sounds incredible.

rainbowtrout

Candie wrote: »

Ask me next time!

Sounds incredible.

On the topic of the OP's problem, maybe everyone should go to Greenland, everyone was waving at me going up and down the town within a few hours of me landing there. Seemingly they don't get many Irish solo female travellers in Greenland. Like on a back arse of nowhere country road in Ireland. Zero harassment problems.:D

Choccie Lover

Snoopy1 wrote: »

Wow i travel alone and im blonde, but this has never happened to me. Admittidely i've only gone to the states. Those countries people have mentioned i've deliberately not gone to, as i would be worried about harrassment.

Does anyone who travels alone, get asked questions from e.g colleagues
"Why are you going on you own?"
"do you not get lonely?"
"its weird you're going on your own"

F**k off, its my choice, stop making me feel like a weirdo!!!

I mostly travel by myself. People are often perplexed by this and I get asked all those questions you mentioned.

I way prefer going on my own........ for a two main reasons:

1) I find it much lonelier travelling with a companion who is grating on my nerves than going solo.
2) I rarely go on holidays per se. I have usually gone somewhere for an extended period ie 3 month trip around South America or something and that wouldn't necessarily suit someone else's schedule.

On the subject of getting hassled, I've rarely had many issues........except for (as the OP mentioned) in Southern Italy....Craziness!..... Everywhere else has been fine though....Luckily, I'm dark haired :-)

Legs.Eleven

Snoopy1 wrote: »

Wow i travel alone and im blonde, but this has never happened to me. Admittidely i've only gone to the states. Those countries people have mentioned i've deliberately not gone to, as i would be worried about harrassment.

Does anyone who travels alone, get asked questions from e.g colleagues
"Why are you going on you own?"
"do you not get lonely?"
"its weird you're going on your own"

F**k off, its my choice, stop making me feel like a weirdo!!!

I get such a negative reaction from people here in Spain I don't even mention my year away solo in South America anymore.

czechlin

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

I get such a negative reaction from people here in Spain I don't even mention my year away solo in South America anymore.

My closest friends in Ireland are Spanish, I love them but jaysus sometimes I have to take a break from them. I like doing things by myself and lots of them are puzzled by it, especially the southerners. I always see them in a herd, it's like they're scared to be alone! :eek:

czechlin

rainbowtrout wrote: »

I went to Greenland on my own a few years ago and it was fantastic. I saw the Northern Lights, went out on the glaciers, went dog sledding, saw a completely different way of life in a remote village in the Arctic. It was fantastic. I'd have been waiting a long time for anyone to accompany me on that trip.

You have no idea how excited I am about reading this! Iceland and Greenland have been on my 'To Go' for absolute ages and it's so cool to know of someone, who has made it to Greenland (plenty of people go to Iceland but lots of them look at me like I've got 7 heads when I tell them I want to see Greenland as well), especially a solo female traveller!

So odd to see this as I came here to post pretty much the same thing. Ive been travelling in Asia for a few months and generally have been having a great time, but those instances of harassment are slowly ruining it for me. I had a great day today and was absolutely buzzing and then some ahole decided to start following me and bothering me. I ended up waiting in a cafe until he left and then just coming back to the hostel without having dinner cos I was in such a rotten mood and so shaken up. It makes me so angry that such a perfect day was ruined by one absolute moron who doesnt understand or care how intimidating it is for a lone woman in a foreign country to be harassed.

Its not just travelling either, it happens just as much at home. I honestly wish every day that I had been born a man and if I could change gender convincingly and without all the pain and surgery risks, I would do. Honestly. Men just do not realise how lucky they are to be able to live their lives the way they want to. Feel like a pint while travelling alone? Just pop down to the pub where you can have a nice chat without people thinking youre a hooker or trying to pick you up. Feel like an evening stroll? You will be able to have one without being approached and having men sit down next to you and ask why youre on your own and getting abusive when you turn down their kind offer of a drink. Im sick to death of male strangers ruining my alone time and their goddamn sense of entitlement whre they think because youre out in public, they have the right to keep talking to you when you clearly arent interested.

:mad:

And no Im not blonde. Im olive skinned and dark haired.

metaoblivia

I love traveling solo! I've traveled solo to several major cities across the US, Europe and Australia. I really enjoy it. I don't think it's weird, either. It's just a different experience than traveling with friends or other people.

I've been harassed on occasion, but not to the point where I felt unsafe. But I was in places like Germany, Australia, Scotland - they aren't really known for that. I've wondered what it would be like to go to some of those countries more known for harassment. I'm part white, part Native American and have light skin but very dark hair and eyes, and people often have trouble 'placing' me. But I'd also really like to go to Iceland, Norway, Sweden, etc. I hear they're beautiful and the people are nice, which is good because I'd probably stick out there more than anywhere else!

rainbowtrout

czechlin wrote: »

You have no idea how excited I am about reading this! Iceland and Greenland have been on my 'To Go' for absolute ages and it's so cool to know of someone, who has made it to Greenland (plenty of people go to Iceland but lots of them look at me like I've got 7 heads when I tell them I want to see Greenland as well), especially a solo female traveller!

Have been to Iceland too! PM if you want any info!:D

jadie

Delighted to see this thread. Funnily enough was beginning to think hardly any Irish females travelled alone, I only ever met one Irish girl on her own on my travels. Totally agree with the comments about the annoying questions, I don't even say it to my work colleagues now if I'm going on a trip on my own.

Choccie Lover

jadie wrote: »

Delighted to see this thread. Funnily enough was beginning to think hardly any Irish females travelled alone, I only ever met one Irish girl on her own on my travels. Totally agree with the comments about the annoying questions, I don't even say it to my work colleagues now if I'm going on a trip on my own.

Yeah, I've had the same experience........I have met a lot of solo Irish male travellers.......but never any solo Irish females. Most of the solo girls I met were from the likes of Germany and Amsterdam. Good to know there are a few of us about

Daenarys

Choccie Lover wrote: »

Yeah, I've had the same experience........I have met a lot of solo Irish male travellers.......but never any solo Irish females. Most of the solo girls I met were from the likes of Germany and Amsterdam. Good to know there are a few of us about

Just thinking the same thing myself! Been solo tripping for nearly 15 years now and never met another solo Irish female! Glad to see from this thread there is more of us

scallywaggles

I've travelled through a few countries solo, I thought it was grand in general, in India I kept getting asked by men to go for coffee but they left me alone fairly quickly when I said no. There and in China they loved taking photos of anyone white skinned, they just wanted photos of you with them for their own holiday snaps, but I found it all quite harmless. Families used to love talking to me and in India were always amazed at women traveling alone as it is so unheard of in their culture.

I never felt that unsafe really, but all the same you do have to keep your wits about you the same as anywhere else I think. In China some of the men used to offer me their seat on the train even though I was only paying for standing room but didn't hassle me at all, only got hassled there once but sure you'd get that in Ireland just as easily. Otherwise around Asia I just got the usual touristy stuff where they try and rip you off/sell you stuff and the usual scams that are listed in every guidebook, but once you know what the scams are and are self aware you're grand. I did notice blondes definitely got more hassle as they are just so unusual for the locals to see.

I'd definitely agree, I didn't meet any other solo Irish women, very few solo travellers at all really. I think it's great to travel solo, way more freedom, and I think it is easier to meet people as well in hostels etc, great to hear the experiences of other solo travellers who enjoy it too

Snoopy1

Can I ask do you ladies book through travel sites?
I just pick a city in America and book everything , but I'd like to go elsewhere.
Asia kind if scares me though, so was just wondering how you book it