QT31415

Hello ladies,

Since retirement I've had more time on my hands than my usual traveling buddies, so have started to travel solo. For the most part, I don't mind dining out alone, walking alone at night, or using public transport alone. My mother was an intrepid traveler and traveled alone until her 80's, so maybe it runs in the family! However, my solo travels have mostly been in Europe, though I did go through some of Africa and Asia with a young daughter in tow, which can sometimes be worse!

Have you been in countries where you wouldn't recommend solo female travel, and why? Not looking for anecdotal reports read in media, but experiences.

travelmad478

There are zero countries in which I wouldn’t travel alone (for instance, I have taken solo vacations in Yemen, Uganda, India, Honduras, Lebanon, etc.). That said, there are some places in which travel as part of a male-female couple can be somewhat more pleasant—in those places women traveling alone tend to get more unsolicited/unwanted attention or would feel uncomfortable being in certain environments like bars, restaurants, tea houses, etc. that are typically the province of men in those cultures.

gretchendz

I have not been in either in a long time but I would not feel comfortable traveling solo in Egypt or Lebanon. Especially as I do not speak Arabic. Husband and I went with our son who lived in each and speaks Arabic. We had a great time but afterwards, husband and I both felt it was the rare case we would have wanted to be a group.

By the way, one of the biggest growing area in travel is small groups (usually no more than 16 travelers), especially some companies that don't charge a single supplement. Often more than half of their guests are single women. That's how I would go solo to Turkemenistan or other similar places. There are cool companies who specialize in small groups to more remoter interesting parts of the world.

QT31415

I've thought of that - there's a company I receive emails from, called "MIR" that I looked into when thinking about the Trans Siberian Railroad, which nobody I know was interested in (maybe wisely). They advertise travel at the "crossroads of europe and asia", which is an area I would have trouble organizing myself. The company is based in Seattle, where I'm located, so it's tempting to try them out...

freecia

Countries with very low gender equity/rights and/or human rights (common exploitative dual standard, not the strictness like Singapore) especially for non-citizens. I'm petite, Asian, not very notable in looks, and can look younger than I am which I feel can make me more of a perceived mark in certain countries than other women, even with a US Passport.

It isn't an issue of not being assertive or street wise. It is acceptance of the realities of personal safety and my risk estimations which means traveling to certain locations probably wouldn't be worth the visit to me, solo or not, as I don't enjoy such atmospheres. Some women may not have an issue with it or may have less risk due to how they're perceived.

I feel it's a bit like acknowledging "Maybe I shouldn't walk around this (slightly dangerous) neighborhood at 3 a.m. staring at my smartphone with headphones in". We should be able to, and in some places women can, but reality checks for personal safety should be acknowledged. Wanting to spend money & time accommodating personal preference isn't a bad thing.

On a similar note, I tend to fit in with the crowd in parts of Eastern Asia and speak conversational Mandarin, so I'm comfortable in many of those countries as a solo tourist. I acknowledge that a Black or Latin American woman traveling to those same countries could feel a lot more stared at with purposeful invasion of personal space by men and women. Being in a group might put off curiosity seekers a bit and make it more enjoyable.

gretchendz

I don't know them and I'm a travel agent. I was thinking of G Adventures or Intrepid. Actually, even more of the big tour companies are moving into the small group space because it is popular! There are a number of reputable companies that do Trans Siberian railroad. Not saying they are not reputable, just saying I do this for a living and I have not heard of them. I've lokked a lot at Trans Siberian railroad as I have family very interested.

QT31415

Ah, a person with real travel knowledge! Can you educate me - the Golden Eagle train does not "belong" to any certain tour company, but companies just reserve space on it for their clients, is that right? MIR says that they have private trains but I'm guessing they just reserve space on tourist-type trains?

gretchendz

Correct, the Golden Eagle train is owned by a private U.K. company. Tour operators sell seats on it. It can be better to purchase a package including it as it can make the travel planning a bit less strenouse than piecing things together. I don't know MIR but it is possible they are reserving a train car for their guests.

Also Golden Eagle does do charters--so it is possible MIR has reserved the entire train for a charter. They should be able to answer that question for you.

Also, due to the current political climate, they say:

Please note all Trans-Siberian and Trans-Mongolian departures have been suspended indefinitely due to the ongoing war in Ukraine and the international sanctions that have been subsequently placed on Russia. We have other rail departures operating in Central Asia from our new base in Tashkent, Uzbekistan or Europe for 2023.

Hoyaheel

I've wanted to do the trans-siberian rail since college when we read a book about it. Trying to find but don't see it. I lovelovelove Russian history and have yet to visit - couldn't afford it when it was ok for me, now that I can afford it, won't go for political reasons.

CDTraveler

My parents traveled on the Trans Siberian Railroad in eastern Russia back in the 80's, right after Russia shot down Korean Air Lines Flight 007. I think their route was Lake Baikal to Vladivostok. They said the food was awful, the cars very dated, but the scenery was amazing, and the Russian people were very apologetic about the jet being shot down. If it still runs as a passenger train, I suspect the experience would be rather different now.

QT31415

When we visited Russia in 2019, I applied for a 3 year visa in hopes of returning for the TransSiberian railroad. Then Covid and politics and work injuries hit, and I'm just starting to look at a rail journey again, albeit not to Russia. MIR has a 2 week Silk Road trip that goes through all the "stans"- it's very tempting. I don't want to be sitting in a nursing home someday wishing I'd gone.

Hoyaheel

I spent half the summer of 1993 in Kyrgyzstan. It was lovely then. Not sure I'd want to explore the stans now. I did love the Silk Roads by Frankopan!

Egypt is the other country on my wish list I've had a hard time finding a "safe" time when I've had money and time to visit. Not quite yet...

I'm not really much of a risk taker, so I've probably internalized that and don't "want" to visit places I don't think would be safe.

QT31415

It is sometimes frightening to be in a country where you have no rights, and there's no democracy. I don't mind doing it when I have the moral support of others, but find it unnerving when alone. I wish I could've explored the stans or the grand siberian earlier in life, but never got around to having my gap year. Is it too late??

SanDiego1K

We went to Uzbekistan a few years ago. It was one of the best trips I've taken. Yes, my husband was with me, but I'd be very comfortable on my own. I booked a private tour with Advantour. We had our own driver and guide throughout the trip. The driver remained the same; guides were city guides whom we picked up at each stop. Stunning cities with the wonderful buildings and mosaics from the Silk Road days. Several folks are headed there this summer based on my recommendations.

travelmad478

Regarding Russia, a place where I lived for three years and continued to travel to almost annually for another 17 years thereafter, I wouldn’t be worried at all about traveling alone (although of course, with sanctions you can’t really go at all today). The one thing I’d warn you about with respect to the Trans-Siberian Railway is the risk of dying of boredom. The ride is many long days in which you look out the window and see exactly the same fairly dull countryside for days on end. I’d much rather take it for a day or two and then fly the rest of the way! A trip to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan would be much, much more interesting.