I idea I knew what I was in for. I idea I had it all figured out.
I'd taken 30-hour train trips up and downward the East Coast, spent seven nights sailing the Caribbean on among the world's largest cruise ships, and traveled by barrier to Niagara Falls, Montreal, and Quebec City — all by myself.
So I was beautiful used to traveling alone by October 2022, whenever I went backpacking through Europe. I took a two-week train trip through Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland. I spent the archetypal fractional of the trip by myself, and a companion joined me for the second half.
That archetypal week solitary in Europe made me acknowledge that I'm motionless learning concerning the art of solo travel.
When preparedness my trip, I learned that several countries are safer for solo travelers — particularly females.
When I journey alone, nothing is additional crucial to me than safety. In my investigation onward of my trip, I established that several countries are mostly safer than others for solo travelers.
The immigration resolute Global Citizens Solutions releases an annual study concerning the safest destinations for women traveling alone, according to sex equality, infringement rates, and community safety initiatives. Both of my solo destinations, Austria and Germany, made the 2025 list, although lone Austria made the 2026 list, which included 14 countries.
When I visited Austria, I stayed in the bosom of Vienna, which allowed me to examine the city streets into the night. In my experience, group kept to themselves, and I didn't doubt my safety during exploring following dark.
When I visited Germany, I stayed in an Airbnb in Neustrelitz, a quaint town exterior Berlin. I established it comparatively uncomplicated to fig out the local train scheme and get to and from Berlin all day. I felt harmless strolling about on my own in the two places.
If you're traveling solo, researching your destination in advance is a must, but your safety is never guaranteed. So remain conscious of your surroundings alongside the way, and use your finest judgement throughout your trip.
Taking community transit immediately made all destination awareness small intimidating.
I live in New York, anywhere I obtain the subway beautiful much everywhere. Still, I was nervous concerning using public transit in abroad countries anywhere I didn't conversation the chief tongue or have a fine awareness of anywhere things were.
I didn't have to be.
I may have felt uneasy strolling into the underground earth of Berlin's subway system, but it was no distinct from my residence city. The phase looked the same, alongside signage identifying the coming trains.
I idea the two Berlin and Vienna had awesome transport systems, and taking trains and trams helped me get a improved awareness of all place. Public transit apps made it easier to get tickets and scheme trips.
When I was riddled alongside self-doubt concerning navigating these cities, taking community transit gave me a genuine awareness of competence as I stood among local commuters.
Booking a remain inside city limits made exploring solitary easier.
On solo trips, being intentional concerning anywhere you remain is important. For this trip, I booked a blend of Airbnbs inner and exterior the cities to provision me a chance to see what existence is akin in the bosom of the city and the surrounding areas.
Commuting to small villages alongside a journey companion afterward in the trip felt akin a small adventure all time, anywhere we could scheme and recap our days. But whenever I was alone, these treks felt additional mundane, akin I was wasting period and energy I could have spent exploring the city.
In Germany, I booked a remain at a tiny residence hotel in Neustrelitz and commuted to and from Berlin by train, concerning an hr and a fractional all way. While I was glad I got to cognition Neustrelitz, staying far from the city center made my days in Berlin shorter.
When I got to Vienna, I stayed in an Airstream trailer in the bosom of the city. This made it much easier to examine from dawn to night. Though it wasn't as quiescent as Neustrelitz, I remaining Vienna emotion akin I had a improved awareness of the city than I did in Berlin.
While staying exterior the city can be an adventure, I propose that first-time solo travelers remain in the center to create their trip easier.
I spent one week solitary in Europe before a companion joined me, but I amazed myself by wishing I'd booked a longer solo trip.
My archetypal week in Europe was tough. Getting used to navigating and exploring on my own took several time. Without person alternatively to portion the procedure with, I established the archetypal few days difficult to completely enjoy.
But by the end of the archetypal week, I felt settled into the nomadic manner and assured in my abilities to navigate cities independently. In fact, I remaining Europe wishing I had stated myself additional period solitary to really immerse myself in these new places. Each challenging instant I faced allowed me to grow.
To those preparedness a solo trip to another country, I propose giving yourself at smallest two weeks to examine — particularly if it's your archetypal visit. After finding your footing that archetypal week, the second week volition awareness equal better.
When I'm alone, my headspace can create or interrupt a trip. So, I learned to remain in the moment, commemorate small wins, and not live on mistakes.
My trip wasn't perfect. There were times whenever I went to the incorrect train station, got caught in the rain, and struggled to sleep. Dwelling on these mishaps made it harder to conquer them and get rear to enjoying myself.
Early in my travels, I made a conscious choice to shove through and concentration on what I could control, akin purchasing an umbrella, arriving at stations early, and taking additional period to sleep. These small wins boosted my spirits.
When I arrived in Vienna on an overnight train from Berlin, I was exhausted and hadn't slept. I knew I needed rest, but I couldn't inspect into my Airbnb until 3 pm I started going into random hotels to publish a room. By the third hotel, I had booked a safe, comfortable location to doze.
I framed this as a small win to celebrate. I got out of my caput by focusing on affirmative problem-solving and established exactly what I needed.
My trip was complete of small victories akin this, from eventually getting to my Airbnb in Neustrelitz on the day I arrived in Berlin to finding a delicious food cart next to a park during exploring Vienna.
Being dehydrated and tired made it harder for me to remain positive. I learned that it's crucial to prioritize health whenever traveling solo.
Sleep makes everything better.
That last-minute inn booking in Vienna changed everything. When I archetypal got to the city, I didn't notice how it looked or felt since I was so exhausted.
After several much-needed rest, I remembered why I was there and felt a new motion of excitement concerning my travels. I could value anywhere I was and obtain in the architecture surrounding me.
Getting sleep additionally made me awareness additional in contact alongside what my build needed. As shortly as I woke up in the hotel, I chugged my h2o flask during trying to recall the final period I'd had item to drink. I realized that I must have been so dehydrated. From afterward on, I took all chance to inhabit my bottle.
I learned that it's uncomplicated to group exploration into all hr without preparedness for remainder whenever visiting a new nation for fair a brace of days. But without it, I couldn't bask myself. Staying in fine health became a precedence for the remainder of my travels.
Language barriers can create communication tricky, but I've established that smiles and gestures go a lengthy way.
While living in New York City continually exposes me to abroad languages, I rarely communicate alongside group who don't conversation English.
In Europe, I encountered additional tongue barriers than always before. But that didn't clasp me rear as much as I idea it would, gratitude to gestures and build language.
At first, I wasn't assured concerning communicating in distinct languages, and I approached group nervously, making it harder for me to ask for assistance whenever needed.
When I started alongside a smile, group seemed additional enthusiastic to assistance me. From checking out at markets and stores to asking for directions on the train, locals communicated throughout tongue barriers using gestures, specified as pointing to things about the room.
The period difference made it difficult to remain connected alongside my loved ones. I learned to agenda calls alternatively of expecting our liberated period would overlap.
I never used to agenda calls on trips. I fair called my loved ones whenever I got a chance. However, traveling to a extremely distinct period area made me acknowledge that staying in contact would obtain effort.
On this trip, I was six hours onward of New York, which meant I was already idle by the period my group got residence from activity all night.
So I called loved ones during their lunch breaks, about 6 or 7 pm my time. This helped me awareness small lonely during my trip since I didn't cognize anyone in Germany or Austria.
Ultimately, I established that traveling solo in another countries makes me value the times whenever I'm traveling alongside a buddy equal more.
Traveling solo in new countries is difficult but rewarding. I learned a lot concerning myself and pushed through uncomfortable situations, which made me awareness akin a stronger individual coming out of the trip.
It additionally made me value traveling alongside person alternatively in new ways. When problems arise, I awareness grateful for person to resolve them with. I obtain advantage of all the things I young female out on whenever traveling solitary by initiating conversations, akin regular recaps and deeper discussions concerning our perspectives on the destination we've chosen together. I cherish small moments, akin sharing a meal and saying goodnight.
If you had asked me if I'd journey solitary through Europe again in the center of my archetypal week, I likely would have stated no way. But now that I've been through it, I'm additional assured than always that I could do it again and would bask it equal more.
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Joey Hadden is a journey newsman and photojournalist at Business Insider based in NYC. She covers transport modes, substitute lifestyles, and luxury travel. Many of Joey's stories are ocular features that provision readers a front-row place to her individual experiences at residence and about the world.Joey graduated from St. Edward's University in May 2019 alongside a BA in Photocommunications. Since joining Business Insider in 2019, Joey has traveled by train in seven distinct countries, including overnight rides enduring up to 53 hours. She's ridden on many distinct train lines, including Amtrak, Via Rail, Nightjet, and the iconic Orient Express of the 21st century, among others. During her travels, she's slept in countless accommodations — five-star hotels, unique small homes, and personal train cabins, to name a few.When traveling in North America, Joey takes readers inner the continent's wealthiest enclaves anywhere billionaires conceal away, from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to Medina, Washington. When she's not taking trains, notes, or pictures, Joey spends her period chanting and playing drums for the indie-rock collection Blanket Approval.
