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Let’s talk Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ tips and tricks that’ll make sure you have the best day in Hollywood Studios!
Disney’s Hollywood Studios has undergone a huge transformation in the past few years. It went from a half-day park to a park that has some of the most sought after rides in all of Disney World!
Now that Hollywood Studios is an incredibly popular and busy park, you need to know the best Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ secrets.
You’ll waste a lot of time standing in line if you don’t use these Fastpass+ secrets! You may not even be able to ride all the attractions you want to!
So read on to become a Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ expert!
Just like in every Walt Disney World park, there are certain rides in Hollywood Studios you need a Fastpass+ for and some you don’t.
It is important you understand what rides don’t need a Fastpass+ for.
Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ selections are difficult to make, so if you know exactly what you don’t need a Hollywood studios Fastpass+ for, it will make your life easier.
The first step in figuring out what you do and don’t need a Fastpass+ for is understanding the Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ tiers.
Hollywood Studios has two Fastpass+ tiers.
You’re allowed to select one Fastpass+ for a ride in tier one and two rides in tier two.
So what rides are in each category?
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Slinky Dog Dash
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster
Tower of Terror
Toy Story Mania
Alien Swirling Saucers
Star Tours
Muppet 3D Vision
Beauty and the Beast
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
Disney Junior Dance Party!
Fantasmic!
There are certain attractions that you simply don’t need a Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ for.
I don’t suggest you get a Fastpass+ for the following attractions:
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Beauty and the Beast
Disney Junior Dance Party!
Muppet 3D Vision
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that all of the attractions that you don’t need a Fastpass+ for are in tier two.
You can often walk up to these attractions and get on them within a few minutes. For the shows, you can show up 5-15 minutes before and generally get a seat.
It isn’t worth using your Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ selections on these attractions when the rest of the attractions in Hollywood Studios always have a long line and are a much better use of a Fastpass+.
Hollywood Studios has the most single rider lines of any of Disney World parks. Technically, it is the same number of single rider queues as Animal Kingdom, so both parks are tied for the most single rider lines.
Fun fact: Magic Kingdom is the only park in Disney World that doesn’t have any rides that offer a single rider line?!
Check out this post if you’re interested in learning about how to perfect your Magic Kingdom Fastpass+ strategy since you can’t take advantage of single rider lines!
Single rider lines are one of the best ways to get a lot done in a short amount of time. They are often way shorter than the regular lines.
A single rider line is a queue that is used to fill vacant seats on popular rides.
Let’s say a ride vehicle seats three people, and there is a party of two in line. One person from the single rider line will be sat with that group of two, so the ride vehicle is always filled to capacity.
This helps the line move quicker and the ride operate efficiently.
You’re able to use the single rider line if you’re a party of two or more, but you will be separated when you reach the front of the line.
You will not be able to sit with your group if you use the single rider line. You will ride the attraction with a group of strangers.
Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
The single rider line is a great option, but it isn’t for everybody.
I personally love it and use it all the time, but I also have friends who hate it. It really comes down to personal preference.
You may not enjoy using the single rider line if:
It is the first time you’re riding the attraction, you’re a bit scare, and you would feel more comfortable riding with a familiar face rather than a stranger
You have small children in your group that you don’t want riding alone
You want a ride photo of you with your group rather than with strangers
Good question! You may have read this entire section and been like thanks for the valuable information, but how exactly is this a Fastpass+ tip?
Well, if you take advantage of the single rider lines, you’re able to use your Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ selections on attractions that don’t have single rider lines.
I’ve found the Millennium Falcom: Smugglers Run single rider line moves very quickly and is significantly shorter than the regular standby line.
If you want to ride all three rides in tier one and are comfortable using the single rider line, then you can use your tier one Fastpass+ selection for either Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway or Slinky Dog Dash.
Using the single rider lines strategically will help you make better Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ choices.
Every Disney guest is allowed to make three Fastpass+ selections per day.
Most people think that once they use their three pre-chosen Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ selections, they’re out of luck and have to use the standby line the rest of the day, but that isn’t true.
You can book a fourth bonus Fastpass+ as soon as you’ve used up your original three Fastpass+ selections!
Yup. You read that right! You can keep making additional Fastpass+ selections one at a time after you’ve used your three pre-selected Fastpass+ options.
This is a great way to see more of Hollywood Studios without spending a lot of time in line.
It is incredibly easy to make your bonus Fastpass+ selection!
You can either book it directly through the My Disney Experience app or use one of the Fastpass+ kiosks around the park.
You can book a bonus Fastpass+ for any attraction. It doesn’t have to be an attraction from tier two. You can book an additional Fastpass+ for a tier one attraction (if there are any left)!
As with all things Disney, there is a way to get the best bang for your buck.
Here are a few tips to help you make the most out of your bonus Fastpass+:
The best way to get the most out of your bonus Fastpass+ is to book it as soon as you’ve scanned your magic band or park ticket to use your last Hollywood Studios Fastpass+.
Book your next Fastpass+ while you’re standing in the Fastpass+ queue waiting to get on the ride!
This will allow you to maximize your time in Hollywood Studios, and you’re more likely to get a bonus Fastpass+ for the ride you want.
You can make as many bonus Fastpass+ selections as you want!
You can only book one bonus Fastpass+ at a time, but once you use it, you can book another one right away.
The competition to get a desirable Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ is fierce. It is difficult to get a bonus Fastpass+ for a tier one attraction or some of the more popular tier two attractions.
But keep trying as soon as you use your last Fastpass+, and you might just get lucky!
One of the best ways you can get the most out of your bonus Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ is by choosing a ride that has a return window that is close to the time you’re booking it.
If you have the choice to book a bonus Fastpass+ for a ride that has a Fastpass+ return time in an hour from when you’re booking versus a ride that has a return time that is five hours from when you’re booking, it is in your best interest to book the Fastpass+ for the ride you can get on in an hour.
This will help you get the most done in Hollywood Studios, and you can potentially book an additional bonus Fastpass+ for the ride that has a later return time once you’ve used your first bonus Fastpass+.
You’ll have a better chance of getting a good bonus Fastpass+ selection if your’e strategic about when you book your original three Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ selections.
The earlier in the day you’ve used your original Fastpass+ selections, the earlier in the day you can get a bonus Fastpass+. The earlier in the day you can get a bonus Fastpass+, the better your chances of there being a Fastpass+ available for the ride you want.
It is a win-win!
I suggest trying to book all your original Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ selections for before 2pm.
And even earlier than that if possible, but it can be difficult to get an early Fastpass+ return time for the attractions in tier one.
Hollywood Studios is the only Walt Disney World park where you can’t get a Fastpass+ to meet your favourite characters.
You can get a Fastpass+ to meet Mickey and Minnie in Animal Kingdom and a Fastpass+ to meet Minnie, Mickey, and Goofy in Epcot. There are tons of characters in Magic Kingdom you can get a Fastpass+ to meet. They include Mickey, Tinker Bell, and the princesses.
But no such luck in Hollywood Studios.
If you want to meet any characters in Hollywood Studios, you have to wait in line, and the line can get really long for popular characters.
You need to be strategic about when you book your Hollywood Studio Fastpass+ selections if you want to meet characters.
To have the lowest wait time to meet characters, you’ll want to meet them either right when they start greeting guests at 10am or wait until the end of the night and try to sneak into the line when everybody else has left for the day.
Fantasmic! is one of my favourite nighttime Disney shows (although the Disneyland version is way better), but it isn’t the best use of your Fastpass+.
There are a couple of reasons for this:
It prevents you from being able to get a bonus Fastpass+
You still have to show up fairly early to get a decent seat
A lot of the time you can get a Fastpass+ for the second showing of Fantasmic! in the afternoon as a bonus Fastpass+
I’ve used one of my original three Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ selections for Fantasmic! in the past, and it wasn’t a great experience.
I got to the Fastpass+ line half an hour before the show starts (as it said to do on my Fastpass+), entered the theater, and discovered that nearly all the Fastpass+ seats were already filled.
The only seats left were in the very last section, and it was difficult to find a place for two people to sit.
The standard advice people tell you about Fantasmic! is that if you’re using the stand-by queue, to be there an hour early, so I don’t see the value of using a Fastpass+ selection for Fasntasmic! unless it is a bonus Fastpass+ I get the day of.
From my experience, you have to show up about 45 minutes early if you have a Fastpass+, so you’re not really saving that much time by getting a Fastpass+ for Fantasmic!.
There are much better ways you can use your Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ selections. You can save a lot more time by using your Fastpass+ for a ride that normally has a queue that is an hour or longer than for Fantasmic!.
But you should still try to see Fantasmic! while you’re at Hollywood Studios. It is a lot of fun!
It is easy to lose track of time and then realize that your Fastpass+ window for your favourite attraction is nearly over!
It is an anxiety-inducing moment, but there is a sneaky way around it!
You simply go into your My Disney Experience app and alter the time of your Fastpass+. You can push it back (or even change what attraction it is for) in the app, and you don’t have to worry about losing your Fastpass+.
There is no guarantee that you will be able to push your Fastpass+ back and get a later Fastpass+ for the same ride, but it is worth a shot.
You probably won’t be able to push back your Hollywood Studios tier one Fastpass+ and expect to get another tier one Fastpass+ (there won’t be any left), but this strategy often works for the rides in tier two.
Even if you’re not able to get a Fastpass+ for the same ride, it is better to push your Fastpass+ if you’re going to miss your window.
It is better to have a Fastpass+ for something rather than for nothing!
Good question!
It is super easy to be running five minutes behind- especially when there is a kid in your group!
Disney World has a very short grace period. You can normally use your Fastpass+ five minutes before the start of your return time and 10-15 minutes after your return time has ended.
This is not guaranteed, and you should not rely on this policy.
A lot of the time it is up to the discretion of the cast member to decide whether or not you’ll be able to use your Fastpass+ once your window is over.
You can explain why you’re late and hope you win over the caste member.
The very best way to solve this issue is by not being late in the first place! You work hard to book your Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ selection in advance, and it would be a shame not to be able to use them!
You need to book your Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ selections as soon as your selection window opens!
Of all the parks in Disney World, I think the Fastpass+ competition is the most fierce at Hollywood Studios. It can be extremely difficult to get the Fastpass+ selections you want, and you often have to be very flexible about what time you book your Fastpas+ for.
Basically, you need to scoop up the Fastpass+ selections you can even if they are at a less desirable time.
You can make your Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ selections:
60 days in advance if your’e staying on Disney property
30 days in advance if you’re not staying on Disney property
Your Fastpass+ booking window opens at 7 am EST.
This is true whether you’re allowed to book your Fastpass+ 60 days or 30 days in advance.
You have to be on your computer (or in the My Disney Experience app) at exactly 7 am EST, know what you want a Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ for, and make your selections as quick as possible.
It is quite the rush first thing in the morning!
Your chances of getting the Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ selections you want are way better if you’re on the computer at 7 am EST making your selections 60 days in advance.
You’ll still be able to get some good Fastpass+ selections if you book 30 days out, but you may not be able to get a Fastpass+ for every ride you want and certainly not at the times you want.
Your chances of getting a good Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ significantly decreases the longer you wait to book your Fastpass+. There will be basically no tier one Fastpass+ options 29 days before your vacation, and you’ll have trouble booking a Fastpass+ for some of the more popular tier two attractions.
That last section may have scared you a little bit, and you may be thinking that trying to get the very best Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ selections is a lost cause. But is isn’t.
You’ll be able to get some great Fastpass+ selections whether you book your Fastpass+ 60 days or 30 days in advance, but not matter what you do, you’ll never be able to get a Fastpass+ for everything you want to ride.
This is where taking advantage of park closing comes in.
It is similar to my tip about taking advantage of single rider lines. It isn’t really a direct Fastpass+ tip, but it helps you make good Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ choices.
Park closing is one of the best times to take advantage of short wait times.
Not many people stay until Hollywood Studios closes, and if they do, most of them are watching Fantasmic! or the fire works.
This means the ride lines are very short!
And that is great news for you!
You’re able to ride one of the most popular rides in Hollywood Studios (typically a tier one ride or Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster or Tower of Terror) with little to no wait time.
If you know that you want to stay until the park closes, you can plan to visit one of the most popular attractions at night and plan the rest of your Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ selections around that.
I suggest trying to ride Slinky Dog Dash at the end of the evening because it is really fun to ride under the pitch black sky. The rest of the rides are indoors, so you won’t get a special experience by riding them at night.
This is a sneaky tactic used by Disney to deter a lot of people from jumping in a ride line just as the park closes.
A lot of the time rides will display a long stand-by wait time right at park close, but the wait is never as long as it says.
Sometimes it is only half as long, which can still be fairly long in some cases.
I once jumped into the Slinky Dog Dash line about five minutes before Hollywood Studios closed. The wait time was displayed at 60 minutes, but, in reality, it was only about 30 minutes.
That’s a pretty substantial difference!
It may not always be the case, but I’ve never had an experience where the wait time displayed just before park closing was completely accurate.
The wait was always shorter in reality. It just depends on the day how much shorter it is.
But you can guarantee that it will be shorter than if you were waiting in line in the middle of the day.
You will be allowed to ride a ride if the park is officially closed as long as you’re in the line before the park closes.
If Hollywood Studios closes at 9 pm, you can get in the Tower of Terror line at 8:59 pm and be able to ride it no matter how long the wait is!
So don’t think that just because a wait time is 30 minutes and the park closes in 15 that you won’t be able to get in line.
You can get in line, and you will be able to ride the ride!
It is a great little trick to squeeze just a little bit more out of your Disney day!
There are a number of different stage shows in Hollywood Studios that you can get a Fastpass+ for, but I don’t really recommend any of them.
The problem with them is that they are a time suck.
You have to show up to the show at least 15 minutes early, watch a 30-minute show, and then go about your day again.
I have nothing against watching the stage shows (some of them are quite fun!), but they aren’t the best use of your Fastpass+ for two reasons.
This is the same complaint as I have with the Fantasmic! Fastpass+.
You’re not really getting an advantage by having a Fastpass+ for a stage show.
You have to show up at the same time as people in the stand-by line. The only difference is what part of the theater you’re allowed to sit in.
In some cases, you can even show up just a minute or two before the show and get a seat in the stand-by line.
The fact that you have to dedicate extra time to take advantage of your Fastpass+ doesn’t seem like a very good deal to me.
In fact, I think it is a bit of a rip off.
You’re dedicating at least 50 minutes of your time to watching a stage show by the time you get there 15 minutes early, watch the show, and then get out of the theater.
This makes it quite difficult to know when to schedule your other Fastpass+ selections for.
You can easily make the mistake of getting a Fastpass+ for another attraction too close to the time of the show and then either have to run to your next Fastpass+ or miss it all together.
Not a great situation to be in.
If you do decide to get a Fastpass+ for a stage show, you shouldn’t make another Fastpass+ reservation for at least 75 minutes after the show starts.
That gives you 30 minutes to watch the show and then 45 minutes to funnel out of the theater, use the washroom, and get to your next attraction.
I enjoy the shows at Hollywood Studios, and I think you should consider taking some time to watch one or two of them.
My strategy when it comes to shows is to be aware of when their show times are and then go to the one that fits best into my schedule.
Maybe I have a multi-hour gap between my Fastpass+ reservations. Maybe I’m exhausted and want to sit for an extended period of time.
There will likely be a chunk of time in your day at Hollywood Studios that needs to be filled, and there is no better way to fill it than by watching a show.
It certainly beats standing in a long queue outside in Toy Story Land or wandering through the shops for hours on end.
You’ve heard me give a lot of advice in this post.
You shouldn’t get a Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ for this ride or shows aren’t a great use of your time. But it all comes down to what is important to you!
You can read every blog about Hollywood Studios Fastpass+, take all the advice, follows everything to exact detail, and have a crappy day in the park.
All because you took the advice of someone on the internet rather than listening to your gut and doing what is the best for you and your group.
You should educate yourself on how to get the most out of your Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ selections, but you should ultimately do what makes sense for you.
If you adore the Muppets (how could you not?!), then maybe it is worth it to get a Fastpass+ for Muppet 3D Vision on the off chance that there is a short line, and you don’t want to wait.
Or maybe you have a child in your party who adores Elsa and would be heartbroken if they didn’t get to see the Frozen Sing-Along Celebration. Then get a Fastpass+ for that.
It all comes down to what will make your day the most magical.
Rise of the Resistance is the hottest ride at Disney World right now.
You can’t get a Fastpass+ for it, and it can throw your day for a complete loop!
The only way to ride Rise of the Resistance is to get a boarding group. The only way to get a boarding group is to be inside Hollywood Studios the moment it opens, log into your My Disney Experience app, and pray for a miracle.
If you’re lucky enough to get a boarding group, you will be notified on the app when your boarding group is ready to board the ride.
Once you get that notification, you only have a limited amount of time to get to Rise of the Resistance, or your right to ride the ride is lost.
You never know when your boarding group will be called, so it may unintentionally interfere with the Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ selections you made in advance.
You have to have a plan in place in case this happens. This is especially true if you’re traveling with children or people (like me) who aren’t great at going with the flow.
Decide ahead of time whether you’re willing to sacrifice riding a tier one attraction to ride Rise of the Resistance. And have a conversation with your group, so everybody knows the plan.
In a lot of cases, you’re able to work around your Fastpass+ selections and Rise of the Resistance to do both, but there are cases where that just isn’t possible.
Have a plan in place and know what is more important to you.
This will help you with any hard decision you need to make on the day you’re visiting Hollywood Studios.
Hollywood Studios is quickly becoming the park where you need a rock solid Fastpass+ strategy in order to conquer it.
Gone are the days where there were hardly any waits, and it had a more laid-back vibe.
Now it is filled with people eyeing up their favourite rides at rope drop, disappointment because you didn’t get all the Fastpass+ selections you wanted, and, frankly, not enough indoor quick service dining locations.
These Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ tips will help you plan the perfect Hollywood Studios strategy for you.
You’re armed with all the knowledge you need. All that is left to do is make the best Hollywood Studios Fastpass+ selections you can and enjoy your day at Hollywood Studios.
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The Disneyland Paris fastpass system is very different from the fastpass systems at Disney World and Disneyland California.
You can’t walk into Disneyland Paris thinking the fastpass system is going to work the same way. You’ll be disappointed and not have an optimized Disneyland Paris fastpass strategy that helps you ride a lot of attractions in one day.
This post gives you the insider Disneyland Paris fastpass knowledge, so you can be an expert!
You learn the ins and outs of the Disneyland Paris fastpass system and how to make the system work for you.
Even more importantly, you learn the most common Disneyland Paris fastpass mistakes and how to avoid them.
Make the Disneyland Paris fastpass system work for you, and you’ll be skipping the lines like a pro in no time!
PS- be sure to check out my Disneyland Paris packing list, so don’t miss packing any essential items!
Fundamentally, the fastpass system at Disneyland Paris is the same as every other Disney park in the world.
It allows you to “skip” the lines and get on a ride with little to no wait time.
You get a fastpass for whatever attraction you want to ride, wait until the return time printed on your ticket, go back to the ride, hop in the fastpass line, and get on the ride within a few minutes.
It is a great system that allows people to ride the most popular attractions without having to spend hours waiting in line.
This makes the guest experience more enjoyable, and it gets people out into the park where they’re more likely to spend money.
Both Disney and the guests win!
There are some rules about how to use fastpass, but we’ll get more into that as the post continues.
Overall, the fastpass system helps you see and do as much as possible in a single day. It cuts down on how much time you have to spend standing in line, so you can go and do other things.
This is the biggest difference between fastpass at Disneyland Paris and fastpass at every other Disney park.
You normally have a 1 hour return window where you can show up and use your fastpass anytime as long as it is within the 1 hour return window on your fastpass.
That isn’t the case at Disneyland Paris.
You only have 30 minutes where you can show up at the attraction and redeem your fastpass.
This makes it a bit more difficult to plan your day, but it is still doable.
You just need to make sure you’re not getting in a long line, watching a stage show, or at the other park in the time leading up to your fastpass return window.
You know when your return window is in advance, so it is a pretty easy thing to plan for.
It is certainly much easier at other Disney parks when you have an hour return window. It gives you more freedom to jump on a ride or watch a show because you know you have an hour when you can use your fastpass.
This is another huge difference between Disneyland Paris and nearly every other Disney park in the world.
You can’t book fastpass online at Hong Kong Disneyland, but the park is so quiet that you don’t need it. I’ve never booked a fastpass on any of my visits to Hong Kong Disneyland.
Being able to book your fastpass online is super useful. You just pop onto the app, find whatever attraction you’re looking for, and book a fastpass from wherever you are.
No need to walk to the attraction!
You don’t have that convenience of booking your fastpass from anywhere at Disneyland Paris.
You have to physically walk to whatever attraction you want to get a fastpass for and hope there are fastpasses left and they are at a time that works with your schedule.
This may not sound like that big of a deal, but it can waste a lot of time. Especially if you are in Disneyland Paris and want to get a fastpass for an attraction in Walt Disney Studios.
You literally have to walk from one park to the other to get your fastpass.
This limits you quite a bit. I don’t think many people are walking from one park to the other to get a fastpass then walking back to the first park.
Most people are going to get a Disneyland Paris fastpass for whatever park they are in.
You’re not able to optimize your fastpass usage as much as your are in other parks, and you tend to be limited to getting a fastpass for an attraction in whatever park you’re currently in.
To make matters even more annoying, Disneyland Paris doesn’t even display the fastpass times on the app.
You don’t know what fastpass return window time is being distributed until you get to the attraction.
You may walk all the way there to find out that the fastpass return window is for when you have a dinner reservation booked.
It is super inconvenient, and I wish Disneyland Paris would update their app to track and display that information.
It would make the guest experience so much better!
Disneyland Paris has a great complimentary wifi system that guests can use.
It works in both parks, but, unfortunately, doesn’t work at Disney Village.
The wifi is actually quite reliable, and considering how many guests are using it at any given time, it is pretty fast and reliable.
It is far more reliable than the free wifi at Disneyland California. I’m astonished at how bad the wifi is every time I visit!
But complimentary wifi is dangerous to use and puts your online safety at risk!
Any place there are people using complimentary wifi (especially wifi that doesn’t require a password), there are bad people trying to get into your phone and collect your data.
If they are able to hack into your phone, they can steal your personal information and sell it.
That turns a magical day into a nightmare.
The solution is to protect yourself by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN puts an invisible forcefield around your phone and hides it from prying eyes.
A VPN essentially makes your connection as safe, secure, and private as your personal home wifi where only you know the password.
Nobody is able to hack into your phone and see what you’re doing or steal your information.
You protect yourself when you travel by buying travel insurance, so you may as well protect your online life when you travel and install a VPN on your phone and other devices.
As you can image, I’ve used a lot of different VPNs over my years of travel.
I cancelled most of them after the first year and was oftentimes so frustrated at how much they slowed my devices down that I wouldn’t use them at all.
That is until I found NordVPN.
I’ve been using NordVPN for a number of years and don’t plan on cancelling my subscription with them anytime soon.
They don’t slow your devices down at all and are the most trusted name on the market.
You can protect up to 6 devices with one NordVPN account, so you can protect all your devices (and maybe all your family’s devices) for one surprisingly low fee.
NordVPN often runs sales where you can save up to 70%, so there is no excuse not to protect your online data.
You probably think it’ll never happen to you, but you’d be shocked to learn how many fellow travellers I’ve met who have had their social media or banking information hacked because they didn’t protect their online data.
Getting a VPN is a tiny price to pay in comparison to the headache of trying to get access to your banking or social media back after it has been hacked.
Not every attraction has the option to get a fastpass for it.
You need to know which ones do and which ones don’t. That will help you plan your day and have a solid Disneyland Paris fastpass strategy in place.
The following attractions at Disneyland Paris offer a fastpass option:
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril
Star Wars: Hyperspace Mountain
Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
Most of the main attractions have a fastpass option, so that is very helpful!
The only really popular attractions that don’t have a fastpass option are meeting Mickey Mouse, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Dumbo.
There are far fewer rides that offer fastpass in this park. That is bad news because it means you’ll have to be very strategic and probably spend a lot more time waiting in lines.
Here is the very short list of Walt Disney Studios Park attractions that offer fastpass:
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Ratatouille: The Adventure
Yup. That’ the entire list!
Just two attractions at Walt Disney Studios park offer a fastpass option.
This makes it quite difficult to get a fastpass for either of the attractions. They tend to “sell out” for the day pretty early in the morning.
If you want to get a fastpass for either of these attractions, you should grab it in the early or mid-morning, or you might not be available.
There are two situations where you can get a new Disneyland Paris fastpass:
After you use the fastpass you currently have
Two hours after you get the fastpass you currently have even if you haven’t used it yet
This means you don’t have to fret if you get a fastpass that has a return window 6 or 8 hours in advance. You can get another fastpass for a different attraction two hours after you got your original fastpass.
It is nice to have the extra freedom and not have to choose between getting a fastpss for an attraction you really want to ride with a long time until the return window and not being able to get another fastpass for basically the rest of the day.
Two hours is a decent amount of time to wait until you get another Disneyland Paris fastpass. It helps cut down on people hoarding fastpasses while giving other guests the opportunity to get another fastpass if their original return time is in the distant future.
This normally isn’t an issue at Disneyland Paris, but it is a good provision to have on extremely busy days.
In most instances, your Disneyland Paris fastpass return time will be within 30 to 120 minutes from the time you got the fastpass.
It is a nice fall back to have though!
There is nothing worse than getting a fastpass, waiting 5 or 6 hours to use it, and then not being able to get a fastpass for anything else because they are all “sold out” for the day.
PS- if you’re planning a solo Disney, be sure to check out this post with all my best solo Disney tips and tricks!
Most Disney parks are pretty chill if you show up a bit early or a bit late for your fastpass return time. That isn’t the case at Disneyland Paris.
Disneyland Paris is the most strict park when it comes to using your fastpass at the time shown on your ticket.
They don’t let you in the fastpass line early even if you’re only 5 minutes early. They are more lenient if you are late, but they are still pretty strict.
I witnessed a guest who showed up less than 10 minutes after his return window ended, and he wasn’t allowed into the fastpass line.
Yup. They are that strict!
It, of course, depends on the cast member. If you plead your case, and they feel bad for you, you might be able to get into the fastpass line if you’re a little late.
It isn’t a guarantee though!
The best way to avoid this is showing up durning your fastpass return window.
I suggest you plan to arrive at the attraction right at the start of your return window. That way if anything goes wrong, you still have a solid chance of making it to the attraction in time.
It is unfortunate that Disneyland Paris is so strict about fastpass return window. I think other parks’ policy of having a 10-15 minute buffer on either side of the return window is a much better policy.
Moral of the story for Disneyland Paris: DON’T BE LATE!
This is not the time to channel your inner White Rabbit!
There is hardly anything I like more than a single rider line at Disney!
It is the best way to minimize your wait time and maximize the number of rides you go on in a day.
A single rider line is a dedicated line that is used to fill empty seats on an attraction. If a ride has three seats in a row and there is a party of two from the normal line, one person from the single rider line will be used to fill the empty seat.
This helps ensure the line moves as quickly as possible for everybody and the ride is operating at capacity.
You do not get to ride with your group if you join the single rider line. You will be separated and and seatedwith strangers.
Single rider lines tend to have little to no wait, so you can get on a ride within minutes.
The best single rider line at Disneyland Paris in my experience is Star Wars: Hyperspace Mountain. I’ve never had to wait more than 5 minutes. Even when the regular line is over an hour!
There is honestly no better way to save time at Disneyland Paris than using the single rider lines as often as possible.
They should become your best friend!
The problem is that there aren’t very many rides that have a single rider option unfortunately.
The following Disneyland Paris attractions have a single rider line:
Star Wars: Hyperspace Mountain
It is super unfortunate that Disneyland Paris only has one attraction with a single rider line.
But we’ll take what we can get. It is better than nothing!
This is where the single rider lines shine!
There are actually quite a few options at Walt Disney Studios Park. This is fantastic and helps counterbalance the lack of fastpass options.
Here are all the rides at Walt Disney Studios Park that offer a single rider line:
Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop
Crush’s Coaster (aka the best ride at Disneyland Paris!)
Ratatouille: The Adventure
That’s a pretty good selection!
4 of the top 5 most popular attractions have a single rider line.
The only one missing is The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. It would be the perfect ride to offer a single rider option on, but, alas, we can’t have it all.
Crush’s Coaster is the best and most popular attraction across both Disneyland Paris parks.
I don’t think they realized how popular it was going to be because it doesn’t have a fastpass option.
Having a single rider line helps, but it still moves pretty slow. It is 100% worth the wait though! It is an incredible ride.
You may think you can only get fastpasses in Disneyland Paris or Walt Disney Studios in any given day. But that isn’t the case.
You can get fastpasses in both parks on the same day as long as you have a park hopper ticket.
With a park hopper ticket, you can get as many fastpasses as you can in both parks!
This is really helpful for people who are visiting Disneyland Paris on a day trip from Paris and only have one day in the parks.
You can optimize your time by getting fastpasses in both parks.
This drastically cuts down on your wait time and allows you to see more in your limited amount of time.
You can mix and max a Disneyland Paris fastpass with a Walt Disney Studios fastpass and optimize your day like a boss.
It is nice to have the option to get whatever fastpass works for you no matter what park the attraction is in.
You read that right!
Hotel guests staying at a Disney-owned hotel get an additional Disneyland Paris fastpass each day they stay at the hotel.
You can use the fastpass for any ride in either park!
It is a nice extra perk for people staying on Disney property!
You can still get a normal fastpass in the parks just like any other guest, but you have an extra fastpass in your back pocket. You can use it anytime you want during the day.
If you use it correctly, it can be a game changer.
It completely changes your Disneyland Paris fastpass strategy. You can maximize your fastpasses by getting a lot of fastpasses for the moderately popular attractions and use your hotel fastpass for the most popular attractions.
I suggest using it for The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
It is the most popular attraction that offers a fastpass that doesn’t also offer a single rider option. Star Wars: Hyperspace Mountain and Ratatouille: The Adventure are the two other most popular fastpass attractions.
They have a single rider line, so using your extra fastpass for The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror will help you maximize your time.
Use single rider for Star Wars: Hyperspace Mountain, Ratatouille: The Adventure, and Crush’s Coaster.
Use your hotel fastpass for The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
Focus on getting regular fastpasses for Peter Pan’s Flight, Big Thunder Mountain, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, Star Tours, and Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast.
You will be able to ride basically every ride in both parks if you use your extra Disneyland Paris strategically.
It is surprisingly difficult to book a Disneyland Paris hotel.
It isn’t as easy as going to the Disneyland Paris website and booking a hotel through there.
I wish it were though!
The problem with booking your hotel directly though the Disneyland Paris website is that they only offer packages.
You can’t just book a hotel room. You have to book a package that includes your hotel, park tickets, and a dining plan.
I personally don’t want an entire package when I visit Disneyland Paris. This is especially true if you have a Disneyland Paris annual pass!
There are two solutions:
You can call Disneyland Paris and see if they will sell you just a room.
I’ve heard differing stories on how successful people have been with this.
Disneyland Paris likes it when you purchase a package because they make more money. They don’t always let you book just a room even when you call.
It seems that you’re more likely to be able to book just a room the closer it is to your arrival date.
Disneyland Paris opens up room-only reservations a few weeks in advance to fill up the rooms they didn’t fill with a package.
This works fine if you’re spontaneous, but if you’re like and like to plan in advance (to save some anxiety), then this isn’t a great option for you.
Calling Disneyland Paris is great, but it doesn’t always work.
Your second option pretty much always works and is my preferred way of booking a Disneyland Paris hotel.
Raise your hand if you’re part of the phone call anxiety club like me!
This is, in my opinion, the best and most convenient way to book a Disneyland Paris hotel.
You get all the same benefits as someone who books directly through Disneyland Paris, but you don’t have to purchase a package or call to book a room.
You can book just a room at any Disneyland Paris hotel directly through Hotels.com!
The prices are essentially the same as booking just a room directly through Disneyland Paris. There may be a dollar or two different per night, but it isn’t a big enough difference to make any real difference in price.
Booking is easier, quicker, and you earn those sweet, sweet Hotels.com nights towards a free night’s stay.
You’ll get a nice bump in the worth of your free night certificate after staying at a Disneyland Paris hotel.
It is definitely a splurge to stay at a Disneyland Paris hotel, so you may as well get something back in return for spending that money!
That is where the Hotels.com loyalty program comes in. This program is why I love booking through Hotels.com and have booked the majority of my hotels through them since 2015!
You get a free night at a hotel after you’ve stayed 10 nights at a hotel you booked through Hotels.com.
That’s right!
You get a free night’s stay at nearly any hotel listed on Hotels.com for staying at a hotel you would have stayed at in any event.
It doesn’t get any better than that!
The Disneyland Paris app doesn’t show what fastpass times are being distributed, but it is still a helpful tool.
It helps you figure out which attractions are most likely to be running out of fastpasses and which ones you can skip the fastpass all together and just use the regular line.
The longer the wait time, the more likely the fastpass return window is much later in the day. The shorter the wait time, the more likely you can get a fastpass for the near future.
People want to avoid waiting in lines as much as possible, so most people get a Disneyland Paris fastpass for the attraction with the longest wait time and don’t consider any other factors.
You can use the Disneyland Paris app strategically to help inform your fastpass decisions.
Don’t waste your time walking to get a fastpass for an attraction that only have a 15-minute wait.
Find attractions that have a medium to long wait and walk to them to get a fastpass.
It may sound like a simple concept, but you’ll be amazed at home much time it can save you over the course of a day!
This isn’t optional!
You need a fastpass strategy at Disneyland Paris. Especially if you only have one day in the parks or it is your first time visiting.
You should know the following before you arrive at Disneyland Paris:
What attractions you need to ride and whether they offer fastpass
If there are any rides that you want to skip
What attractions are in each park
Whether you’re going to start your day at Disneyland Paris or Walt Disney Studios
What times any parades and shows are, so you can avoid getting a fastpass during them
What you’re willing to miss out on if your plan doesn’t go as smoothly as you’d like
Once you know that information, it is pretty easy to build a Disneyland Paris fastpass strategy.
Ride Crush’s Coaster first thing in the morning or last thing at night. It is the most popular attraction and doesn’t have a fastpass option. It normally has over a 60-minute wait, so it is best to try to plan your day around riding it if it is important to you.
If you’re starting your morning at Disneyland Paris, get a fastpass for one popular attraction and then ride another popular attraction in the stand-by line. This is the most effective way to see as many of the big attractions as possible. I suggest skipping Star Wars: Hyperspace Mountain because it has a great single rider line. Focus on rides like Big Thunder Mountain, Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, Star Tours, and Peter Pan’s Flight.
Lines are normally shorter during traditional mealtimes and parades. If you can’t get a fastpass for an attraction you really want to ride, try to hit it up during these times when lots of guests are doing other things like eating or watching parades, fireworks, or stage shows.
Get there early! Being at the parks is the best way to ensure you get a lot done at Disneyland Paris. That is when the parks are going to be the least busy, and you’ll be able to go on a number of attractions without waiting very long.
There is a lot you need to know about all your Disneyland Paris fastpass options.
Everything on this list is important, and when you use them in conjunction with one another, you’ll be surprised at how much you can see and do in one Disney day!
You, of course, don’t have to rush around doing and seeing everything.
You can take your time, explore the parks, and only go on a few attractions, but you should still have a fastpass strategy in place no matter what.
A Disneyland Paris fastpass plan and strategy help you have the most magical day that is suited to you and your Disney style.
It gives you the power to know that you’re going to have the best day you can and not spend more time waiting in lines than you have to.
Plus who doesn’t love walking through the fastpass line and passing everybody waiting in the normal line.
It is a powerful feeling!
If you liked this post, you may want to check out my post about Disneyland Paris tips and tricks! It’ll help you hack your Disney day even more.
But no matter what you do, be sure to say hi to Mickey for me please!
Malaysia is my favourite country in Southeast Asia. I spent three weeks there the first time I visited Malaysia solo and absolutely feel in love with the country.
Three weeks wasn’t enough for me, and I knew before I even left Malaysia that I would be back.
Even though my solo trip to Malaysia was amazing, there are still a few things I wish I knew before visiting Malaysia solo that would have made my trip go a little bit smoother.
I’m going to share everything I wish I knew before visiting Malaysia alone as well as some of the things I’m so glad I did on my solo trip to Malaysia.
Hopefully by the end of this article you’ll have a better idea on what to expect from your solo trip to Malaysia and that you’ll be excited to explore one of my favourite countries I’ve ever been to.
If you’ve done any travelling in Southeast Asia, you know that most cities don’t have a metro system. Some cities like Manila and Bangkok have a small metro system, but it’s not nearly developed enough to get you everywhere you want to go.
Kuala Lumpur has the best metro system in all of Southeast Asia. Yes it’s even better than the one in Singapore!
You’re able to get everywhere you need to go easily, quickly, and cheaply.
I was blown away by the metro system in Kuala Lumpur. I honestly didn’t expect it to be as good as it was. Without looking into the metro system and how robust it was, I took a Grab from the airport because I thought taking the metro would be a long, tedious process.
It wouldn’t have been, and I spent a lot of money on a Grab that I didn’t need to spend. There is a fast train that goes from the airport directly to KL Sentral and the main bus terminal.
It’s quick, affordable, and truly the best way to get from the airport to wherever you’re staying in Kuala Lumpur.
I didn’t need to take a Grab anywhere during my week in Kuala Lumpur. I got everywhere I needed to go using the metro. That doesn’t sound like a huge accomplishment, but it is in Southeast Asia where metros aren’t a common thing. You normally have to walk, take a Grab, or a public bus.
I loved being able to jump on the metro whenever I wanted and go wherever I needed to go. It was so convenient. I’m a sucker for a good metro ride.
I swear by esims. I use an esim everywhere I travel and can’t imagine travelling without one. They’re so convenient and easy to use. Plus it saves you time picking up a physical sim card at the airport.
I used an esim when in Malaysia, and it made my trip so much easier. I was able to Google the best restaurants in the area when I was hungry, use GoogleMaps, and keep in touch with my friends and family back home.
Plus it made finding my way out of the metro station to wherever I wanted to go easier. Many metro stations in Kuala Lumpur open up into a mall, and it can be tricky to figure out exactly where you want to go.
What I didn’t know at the time of my trip to Malaysia is that you can install an esim on your phone before you arrive in that country.
I was pretty new to using esims at the time, so I’d find wifi at the airport and install an esim in the airport. It was quite the process, and there were times (like in Bangkok) where I couldn’t connect to wifi in the airport and wasn’t able to install an esim to call a Grab from the airport to my hotel.
If you’re using an esim for your solo trip to Malaysia (which I highly recommend you do), be sure to install it on your phone before you arrive in Malaysia.
I normally install my esim when I’m in the airport lounge before I board my flight to the new country I’m visiting. That way I’m able to use the esim for the country I’m already in for as long as possible.
Once you have the esim installed, it will automatically connect when you arrive in Malaysia and turn on your data. You’ll be able to use it while you’re in line at immigration waiting to get into the country. That’s always nice since the immigration lines can be long, and you have nobody to talk to and pass the time with when visiting Malaysia solo.
So, to recap:
An esim is the best way to get data when travelling abroad
Install your esim before you arrive in Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur is the most famous city in Malaysia because of the PETRONAS Towers. They’re Malaysia’s most recognizable landmark and one of the big draws for people visiting Malaysia.
The PETRONAS Towers are absolutely breathtaking and blew me away. Same with everything else in Kuala Lumpur, but there is more to see in Malaysia than just the PETRONAS Towers and Kuala Lumpur.
What I liked most about Malaysia is that every city I visited was so different from the rest. They all had their own unique personality and offered something a bit different.
I visited four cities on my first solo trip to Malaysia, and they were all super unique.
Kuala Lumpur is a modern, bustling city that never seems to sleep
Malacca was one of the most important port cities in the region for many years and is loaded with history and charm
Ipoh is home to Malaysia’s famous cave temples. It’s a quiet city, but it packs a punch when it comes to natural attractions
Georgetown is in Northern Malaysia. It still feels highly British and same of the most interesting historical, colonial sites in Malaysia. It’s also home to some of the best street art in the world
Oftentimes when you visit multiple cities in the same country, they start to feel similar. That isn’t the case in Malaysia.
Each city feels like a completely new adventure. I only went to four cities on my first time travelling Malaysia alone, but I was able to get a taste of different sides and personalities of the country.
If you’re planning a trip to Malaysia, promise me you will get outside Kuala Lumpur and explore different parts of Malaysia. Even if it’s just a day trip to Malacca.
My biggest regret when travelling Malaysia solo the first time was not visiting Borneo. I felt like it was too complicated to get to and that it wasn’t worth the effort.
I think since I was travelling overland everywhere else in Malaysia, I felt like flying to Borneo was too out of the way and inconvenient.
In Ipoh, a met a couple at one of the cave temples, and they started telling me about their time in Borneo and how amazing it was.
I really regretted not visiting Borneo and knew that next time I was in Malaysia that I had to visit the island.
The main draw of Borneo is being able to see the orangutans. There is a reserve on Borneo that takes care of the primates, and you’re able to view the animals during their feeding times. The orangutans live freely, and it isn’t a zoo. It’s their natural habitat that has been preserved, and the feeding helps them get enough food and helps with rehabilitating injured animals.
If you’re visiting Malaysia, don’t be intimidated by having to fly to Borneo. If seeing primates in the wild is a dream of yours, it’s worth the effort. That’s the biggest thing I wish I knew before visiting Malaysia solo and my only regret from my trip to Malaysia.
The most common question I got when telling friends and family that I was travelling to Malaysia alone was is Malaysia safe.
Everybody seemed worried that Malaysia wasn’t a safe country. I’m not sure if it’s because they didn’t know anybody else who had visited Malaysia or because of preconceived ideas about what travelling in a Muslim-majority country as a solo female traveller is like.
I’m very happy to report that Malaysia is an incredibly safe country.
There was not a single moment I felt unsafe during my time in Malaysia. I felt completely comfortable walking alone at night and taking public transportation.
That being said, I have heard many black women say that they experienced racism while travelling in Malaysia. If you’re a person of colour, my experience as a white woman of always feeling safe may not be the same for you.
Here is a list of the most prominent and respected black travel bloggers. Hopefully you’ll find better information about whether travelling Malaysia as a black solo traveller is a safe and positive experience.
Malaysia is one of the richest and highly developed countries in Southeast Asia. I thought this would mean that Malaysia was significantly more expensive than other countries in the region.
That wasn’t the case in my experience. Malaysia was extremely affordable. Especially when you get outside Kuala Lumpur.
Food, transportation, and tourist attractions were all very affordable. I honestly found that Malaysia was way more affordable than Cambodia, which really surprised me.
If you’re thinking of maybe not visiting Malaysia solo because you’re worried about the expense, you don’t have to be. It’s very easy to travel Malaysia on a budget. I found it to be similar prices to Thailand.
The tourist attractions are what surprised me. I thought they would be super expensive, but they weren’t.
Major tourist attractions like KL Tower and the PETRONAS Towers were surprisingly affordable. Way more affordable than similar activities anywhere else in the world.
Many tourist attractions outside of Kuala Lumpur were actually free. I was shocked that there wasn’t an entry fee to visit the cave temples in Ipoh. It was one of the best experiences of my life and was completely free!
Malaysia is predominately a Muslim country. I highly recommend you visit the National Museum of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur if you want to learn how Malaysia became a Muslim country. It’s a very interesting story.
Even though Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country, it doesn’t feel like one. Sometimes when you travel to a Muslim-majority country as a solo female traveller, you feel a little out of place.
That isn’t the case in Malaysia. Everybody is just going about your business, and you don’t feel like you’re intruding in any spaces you shouldn’t be.
In fact, if I didn’t know that Malaysia was a Muslim-majority country before I visited Malaysia solo, I wouldn’t have been able to guess.
If you’re worried about visiting Malaysia as a solo female traveller because you’re not Muslim and don’t know if you’ll be welcome, don’t be. There aren’t any strict unwritten cultural rules you need to be aware of.
Just be kind, respectful, and go about your normal business. Travelling Malaysia alone is like travelling anywhere else in the world alone.
You rely on public wifi networks when you travel. Even if you use an esim or get a physical sim, you still use public wifi at your hotel or in the airport. This puts you at high risk of having your private online data stolen.
Even if the wifi network has a password, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Anybody with access to that password can access your public information if they want to. Including your banking information.
Trust me when I tell you that you don’t want to go through the hassle of cancelling banking cards while abroad because you didn’t use a public wifi network safely.
The only way to stay safe while using public wifi networks is by installing a VPN on your devices.
A VPN essentially puts an invisible forcefield around your devices that makes using public wifi networks as safe as using your home wifi where you’re the only person who knows the password.
It is one of the easiest ways you can stay safe while travelling. I always say that if you can afford to travel, you can afford to protect your personal online information with a VPN.
I’ve used a lot of different VPNs over my many years of travel. Most of them are awful to be honest.
VPNs are notorious for slowing down your internet speed, and you can really feel it with most VPNs. I used to turn off my VPN and put my online information at risk of being stolen just because the VPN was slowing down my internet speed so much.
All that changed when I started using NordVPN.
NordVPN is the fastest VPN on the market, and you can really feel the difference between it and other VPN providers.
I’ve been using NordVPN since 2018 and have never once felt a slowdown in my internet speed. It’s been so nice to know that I can rely on NordVPN to keep my online information safe while not slowing me down when I’m trying to write blogs or edit videos.
The best part about NordVPN is how affordable it is. A two-year subscription costs less per month than a single Starbuck’s latte.
It’s a super small price to pay of piece of mind you get knowing your personal and private online information is safe and secure from prying eyes.
Malaysia is home to three ethnic groups: Malay, Chinese, and Indian. The three ethnic groups have a long history of working together.
This not only means you can find delicious authentic food from each of the three ethnic groups but also that there is amazing fusion food.
Make sure to try Malaysian food (like their national dish nasi lemak) even if you have no idea what it is and have never heard of it before. You won’t regret it!
If you want to experience Malaysian food that you know will be good, consider taking a food tour in Kuala Lumpur. They take you to all the best spots and give you a sample of the best Malaysian food.
Also, even if you don’t love Indian food, make sure to try it in Malaysia. Especially when you get outside Kuala Lumpur. It’s amazing and some of the best Indian food I’ve ever had in my life.
Travelling Malaysia solo was one of the best travel experiences of my life. I absolutely adore Malaysia and hope it will become a more popular tourist destination in the future.
Malaysia is one of the easiest countries to travel in. It has an amazing public transportation system, English is widely spoken, there are unique tourist attractions, and it’s affordable.
There is no reason not to travel to Malaysia alone. It’s an unforgettable experience you won’t forget.
If you were looking for a sign to pull the trigger and book your solo trip to Malaysia, this is it!
Solo travel in Thailand is one of the best experiences many solo travellers have.
Thailand is one of the best countries for new solo travellers and one of the best countries to start your trip around Southeast Asia. It’s super easy to travel through Thailand, the tourist attractions are unique, and the food is incredible.
Plus there isn’t a language barrier in major cities, so you won’t have communication issues if you only speak English and don’t speak Thai.
The only other country in Southeast Asia that I think is as easy to travel through and has the same charm is Malaysia, but it’s more expensive.
Thailand is a super popular tourist destination and has amazing tourism infrastructure. It makes solo travel in Thailand super easy.
Even though it’s easy to travel through Thailand and the country has amazing sites, there are some things I need you to know about solo travel in Thailand before you arrive in Thailand.
Some of these are mistakes I made on my first solo trip to Thailand. Some of them are things I’m so glad I did, and I want to make sure they’re on your radar too.
I don’t know anybody who has visited Thailand who regrets going there.
I never really had the urge to visit Thailand, but after I went, I started to understand why it’s one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.
Falling in love with Thailand isn’t something I planned to do, but I did, and I’m already planning my next trip.
This may seem like a weird tip to start with, but it’s one of the biggest tips I can people who plan to travel solo in Thailand.
It’s so convenient and saves you a lot of time. Two things that are so important when you’re travelling alone.
A lot of people who want access to phone data while in Thailand get a physical sim at the airport. I’m here to tell you that’s not what you should do.
I highly recommend you install an esim on your phone before you arrive in Thailand.
It’s the easiest and most convenient way you can get phone data in Thailand. This is especially important for people travelling alone in Thailand.
You install the esim on your phone before you leave for Thailand then turn it off as soon as you land. This is so convenient when standing in the long immigration line. You can scroll on your phone and let your loved ones at home know you land safely.
With your esim already installed on your phone, you also don’t have to worry about finding wifi in the airport to purchase and install an esim when you land in Thailand.
I used an esim while in Thailand. It was one of my first times using an esim, and I didn’t realize I was able to install it on my phone in advance. I wasn’t able to get my computer or phone to connect to wifi in the airport for some reason, so I wasn’t able to install an esim on my phone at the airport.
This meant I couldn’t request a Grab and had to argue with a taxi driving who was trying to scam me. That could have been avoided if I had installed my esim ahead of time. I also would have saved money by using Grab instead of a taxi.
Live and learn. Now I always install my esims before I arrive in a new country.
Esims are a newer technology and not everybody knows about them just yet. I have no doubt they’ll become more and more popular as more people learn about them.
An esim is an electronic sim that you can install on your phone. It gives you access to the local network’s data without having to take out your home country’s sim card and install a sim card for the country you’re travelling in.
You get to keep your home phone number. You still receive texts, iMessages, and WhatApp messages that are sent to your home country’s phone number.
They make getting data in foreign countries so convenient. I don’t think I’ll ever travel without an esim again.
If you want to get a physical sim in Thailand, most people get their sim when you land in Bangkok.
That’s the most convenient place to get it, but it is often very busy. Everybody is trying to get their sim at the airport.
To avoid waiting in long lines, pre-order your Thailand sim card online. You’ll pre-pay for your sim card, so all you have to do is pick it up at the airport.
Plus you save a bit of money when you purchase your sim online in advance versus buying it directly at the airport.
Who doesn’t love more convenience and saving money?
Pre-Order Your Thailand Sim Card
Grab is the Uber of Southeast Asia. It’s a ride hailing service, and I recommend everybody who visits Thailand use Grab. This is even more true for people who are travelling alone in Thailand.
There are two great things about Grab:
1. It saves you money. Grab is more affordable than taxis. We love to save some money!
2. It’s safer. Especially for solo female travellers. You pay a set price, so you don’t have to worry about being scammed by taxi drivers. It also have in-app tracking. The driver knows they can’t go off course or abduct you because of the in-app tracking. You can even share you location with a third-party (like a family member back home) if you want to. If you have an esim or physical sim, and you’re not feeling safe, you can also chat with someone at Grab or report the driver in real time.
Grab also has food delivery through the app. That may not sound like something you need, but it’s nice to have in case you get in late one night or don’t have the energy to go out for dinner after resting in the hotel after an early morning.
Travelling in Southeast Asia is so much easier when you have Grab. You don’t want to travel without it.
Now that I’ve convinced you that you need Grab in order to solo travel in Thailand effectively, you’re probably wonder why you need to install it in advance.
And trust me when I say you need to install it in advance.
You need to be in your home country when you install Grab. If you try to install Grab when you land in Southeast Asia, you won’t be able to.
The app doesn’t accept a foreign credit card while you’re located in Southeast Asia. And changing your VPN to your home country won’t help you either.
I have no idea why the app will accept your credit card while you’re in your home country then won’t accept the exact same credit card if you’re already in Southeast Asia. But it won’t.
If you find yourself in Thailand without Grab installed on your account, you may be able to have someone at home create an account for you and add your credit card to your account. Then you just have to download the app and log into your account on your phone.
I’ve heard quite a few people have success with that, but I’ve also heard of the odd person where that didn’t work for them. Plus you have to deal with time zones and time changes and arranging a convenient time for the person back home to help you.
Now that you know about Grab, stop reading this article, install it on your phone, and then start reading the article again.
This isn’t something you want to accidentally forget about!
Bangkok is the most popular tourist destination in the world. Over 22 million tourists visit the city every year.
Too many people go to Thailand, visit Bangkok, and then go back home. They don’t take the time to see any other part of the country.
When you take a solo trip to Thailand, you have the flexibility to plan the trip exactly as you want it. You don’t have to worry about what anybody else wants to do and see. You have complete control of what your Thailand trip looks like.
This means you have no excuse to just visit Bangkok and then leave.
Honestly, Bangkok was my least favourite part of my solo trip to Thailand.
Please don’t cancel me for saying that!
Thailand has so much more to offer than just Bangkok. There is beautiful nature, hiking, beaches, laid-back small towns, rich historical centres, and the best temples are outside Bangkok.
I know it’s tempting to spend all your time in Bangkok. Especially if you don’t have much time to solo travel in Thailand.
But trust me when I tell you it’s 100% worth it to get outside Bangkok and experience another part of Thailand.
You need travel insurance. More importantly, you need the right travel insurance.
I spent far too many years travelling with the wrong travel insurance, and I want you to do better than I did.
If you’re going on a short trip to Thailand and have a job, you probably don’t have to worry about travel insurance. Most companies include short-term travel insurance in their medical benefits package.
However, that doesn’t work for everybody.
Thailand is a hugely popular destination for young backpackers, digital nomads, and people taking a gap year.
If you fall into one of those categories, you need to think about what travel insurance to get. It’s not always an easy choice.
There are lots of things to consider including price, coverage, and reliability of the insurance you’re getting.
It’s not always best to go with the cheapest option. It’s cheap for a reason, and lots of times there are tons of exclusions or it’s nearly impossible to make a claim.
My dad got injured sand boarding in Dubai and had to go to a clinic. He tried to make a claim, was told he was able to make a claim, and then had to submit his entire medical history and fill out dozens of pages of paperwork to get reimbursed for the treatment. He ended up not completing the claims process because it was too much work and too invasive.
So, having the right travel insurance matters.
I personally use Safetywing as my long-term travel insurance.
There are a few reasons I love Safetywing and recommend it as the best digital nomad travel insurance.
You can start your coverage even while abraod.
You pay monthly and can cancel at anytime. This sets Safetywing apart from a lot of other digital nomad travel insurance companies.
Your policy includes coverage in your home country for 30 days after you’ve been out of the country for at least 90 days.
Safetywing is the most comprehensive, flexible, and reliable travel insurance company for long-term travellers.
Learn More About Safetywing Nomad Insurance
You’ve probably seen at least one video or picture of the streets in Thailand when planning your solo trip to Thailand.
They’re chaotic and busy. There are scooters everywhere, and they don’t always stop even when pedestrians have the right of way.
I just want to remind you to be extra safe when crossing the streets in Thailand.
A lot of streets don’t have pedestrian crossing areas, so you just walk across when you can. You need to walk quickly and keep your eyes on a swivel. In every direction.
Cars and scooters won’t run you over when you’re walking across the street. But they will honk and drive closer to you than you may feel comfortable with.
Of course, if there is a dedicated area for pedestrians to cross, use it. But even then, be aware. Keep your head on a swivel and be aware of your surroundings. Scooters have the right of way, and you need to be aware as a pedestrian.
I’m not trying to scare you. You get used to crossing the street very quickly, but it can be intimidating the first few times you try it.
You’ll have to cross the street at some point while you solo travel in Thailand. Just be careful and alert when doing it!
Thailand is hot, and you’ll be tempted to pack shorts, tank tops, and dresses. Those aren’t the right clothing options when travelling to Thailand.
Thailand is a fairly conservative country, and they dress modestly. It would be very rare to see a Thai woman wearing an outfit that showed off her shoulders.
Even though you’re a tourist, it’s important to respect local customs as much as possible. I like to wear skirts that fall past my knees and t-shirts that cover my shoulders when travelling through Southeast Asia.
You’ll see a lot of tourists that aren’t dressed as modestly as that, so it’s completely your choice what you wear.
Just know that there will be places you’re not allowed to visit if you’re not dressed appropriately.
This is mainly temples but also includes other tourist attractions like the Grand Palace.
There are signs outside temples and sites that warn you that you won’t be allowed to enter if you’re not dressed appropriately.
There will also be lots of street vendors yelling at you that you’re not dressed properly and then try to sell you proper clothing.
To enter temples, you need to have your knees and shoulders covered. The rules apply to everybody no matter your gender.
Sometimes they are more lenient with men and allow them in if their shorts aren’t completely covering their knees, but they’re not lenient with women.
So, if you’re planning on doing some solo travel in Thailand, make sure you pack appropriately.
Have at least a few outfit options that follow the modesty guidelines for temples. Something that will cover your knees and shoulders. You can put a shawl around your shoulders to cover them, but it makes walking around the temple and taking photos a little more difficult.
Also be aware that you have to take you shoes off to go inside the temples. If you’re like me and hate the feeling of having your feet touch the ground, make sure you always carry around an extra pair of socks if you wear sandals.
It’s also probably better for hygiene purposes to always have socks and not walk barefoot through the temples.
Northern Thailand is my favourite part of Thailand.
Chiang Mai is the most popular city to visit in Northern Thailand, but there are so many other places to see. My favourite is Chiang Rai.
I know a lot of people who visit Northern Thailand only visit Chiang Mai, but it’s worth it to visit some of the smaller towns.
There is a lot of nature in Northern Thailand. Not so much beaches like you see in Central and Southern Thailand, but lots of mountains and green nature.
It’s a nice contrast to other parts of Thailand and gives you a different taste of what the country has to offer.
Even if you just visit Chiang Mai and do a day trip to Chiang Rai or Pai, you’ll get to experience a different part of Thailand you wouldn’t have experienced otherwise.
Thailand is a huge country. It takes a lot longer to travel from one region to another than you might think.
For example, it takes almost 11 hours by train to travel from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. That’s a long journey.
That’s a long time to sit on a train and stay entertained, but it’s even worse when you solo travel in Thailand because you don’t have anybody to talk to and pass the time.
I like to take public transportation and overland when I travel as much as possible, but I have my limits. There is never any guarantee that public transportation will run on time, and I’ve been in far too many scenarios where a bus or train ride said it would be 6 hours and ended up being 10.
I have a basic rule of thumb that if overlanding with public transportation is scheduled to take more than 6 or 7 hours, I’ll fly.
It’s so much more convenient and easier.
Flights within Thailand are very affordable and fly multiple times a day. It’s worth it in a lot of instances to fly to a different part of the country and then overland to other cities that are within a reasonable distance.
Just like anywhere else in the world, you need to be aware of local scams in Thailand. You’re at a higher risk of being scammed when you solo travel in Thailand.
You’re an easier target, and you’re more likely to be approached by scammers. You need to be aware of what scams to watch out for and try not to fall for any of them.
Easier said than done sometimes.
Below is a short (but not exhaustive) list of the most common scams in Thailand.
It seems like everywhere in the world some taxi drivers give the rest of taxi drivers a bad reputation because they try to scam people. Thailand is no different. Especially at the airport.
You have to take a number to get into a taxi at the airport in Bangkok, but that doesn’t mean the taxi driver won’t try to scam you. I don’t really know why they make people take a number, but they do.
The best way to avoid being scammed by taxi drivers is by taking Grab. You know the price before you get into the car, and it doesn’t change unless you go through a toll booth.
If you do take taxis, be sure that the driver turns on the meter. Most taxi drivers don’t and try to get you to pay a flat fee of their choosing.
They always charge you more with their flat fee than it would cost to use the meter. They won’t want to turn on the meter, but if you keep insisting, they will eventually turn it on.
There is an increasingly popular scam in Bangkok that happens around the Grande Palace.
You’ll be walking towards the palace, and someone will come up to you and tell you that the palace is closed. It’s either closed for lunch or for a local Thai prayer ceremony.
They say you won’t be able to enter the palace and that instead you should take their tour of other temples in Thailand.
Don’t listen to them. Go to the palace. If it is closed, there will be signs and officials will tell you. Most of the time it isn’t closed.
If you get in their Tuk Tuk and go on their temple tour, you’ll be driven around the city, likely never see anything, and then be told that the tour is actually three or four times more expensive than the personally originally told you it would be.
It’s a very profitable scam, and lots and lots and lots of tourists fall for it every day.
Sadly, there is a fairly common scam in Thailand where someone will dress up like a government official, stop tourists, ask to see their passport or ID, and then tell them they’re in the country illegally.
Not surprisingly, the charges against the tourist are dropped when the tourist gives the “officer” some cash.
It’s a scary scam for tourists. They think they’ve done something wrong and get nervous about being put into Thai jail.
You’re especially at risk for this scam when you solo travel in Thailand. You basically have a giant arrow pointing at you that you’re an easy target.
You don’t have a travel companion who can step in and suggest that something doesn’t seem right. And you’re more vulnerable as a solo traveller. Especially if you’re a solo female traveller.
If you’re stopped by someone dressed as an official, always ask to see their ID before you get too far in your engagement with them. If they refuse to show you their ID, there is a strong chance that they’re scamming you.
You also want to be cautious on who you give your ID or passport to. You don’t want to give it to just anybody. It’s important to make sure that if you give your ID or passport to someone, it’s someone who has a right to ask to see them.
If you are stopped by a legitimate police officer or government official and have to show them your ID or passport, be sure you don’t let them walk away with your ID or passport. That’s never a good idea. Your passport is one of the most important things you have, and you don’t want to let it out of your sight.
This is one of the most common scams in Thailand. A lot of tourists want to bring gemstones home as a souvenir from Thailand, and 99% of the time, they’re bringing home fake gemstones.
Sellers will swear that the gemstones you’re buying are authentic and real, but they likely aren’t. They’re worthless fakes the majority of the time. Especially if you purchase them in Bangkok or Chiang Mai.
If you want to purchase gemstones in Thailand, make sure you do your research first. Google who sells authentic gemstones in Thailand and look at reviews. You want to make sure you’re buying an authentic gemstone, and it’s worth taking the time to research where to buy them ahead of time rather than making a purchase in the spur of the moment.
There is a misconception that you have to use cash in Thailand. That isn’t true. A lot of places accept foreign cards, but it’s important to have cash on hand as well.
Especially if you’re travelling Thailand alone. You won’t have a friend to bum money off of if you don’t have cash and need to buy something.
You need cash to buy street food, small trinkets at markets, and entrance fees for tourist attractions.
If you eat at small, local restaurants (I highly recommend you do), you’ll also likely need cash there as well. Some of the more popular restaurants with tourists accept credit cards but lots don’t.
You also need cash to pay for public transportation or Tuk Tuk drivers if you don’t use Grab.
There are ATMs you can take cash out of, but it’s best to have some cash on hand before you arrive in Thailand. If you use an ATM, be sure it’s attached to a reputable bank and that nobody is hovering too closely to you when you make your withdrawal.
That’ll give you the best chance of not being scammed, getting a fair exchange rate, and being given legitimate cash and not counterfeit money.
Never, ever exchange your money with someone on the street. I know that sounds pretty obvious, but you’d be surprised by the number of people who do that.
Thai people are very friendly. When you travel solo in Thailand, it’s likely that at least a few locals will approach you and start a conversation.
Most of the time the people who approach you are kind and genuine people who just want to get to know a little bit about you.
Sometimes there is a more sinister reason they’re approaching you. Solo travel in Thailand is generally safe, but talking to strangers who randomly approach you is one way to make it less safe.
I’m not saying not to chat with people who approach you. I’m just telling you to be cautious.
Never give out personal information. Never tell them where you’re staying. And never tell them any detailed plans for the rest of your day or trip.
That’s all information that they can use to target you in the future.
You should also be weary about telling them that you’re travelling alone. This is something you can feel out during the conversation.
It’s often easy to determine who is being genuine in their conversation with you and who is just prying for infomation.
Use your gut instinct to figure out whether it’s safe to be honest and tell them you’re travelling alone or if you should lie and tell them your friend is waiting for you at a nearby cafe.
I love Thai food and was so excited to try it. In fact, it’s what I was most looking forward to on my solo trip to Thailand.
Let me tell you that the food did not disappoint. It blew my mind.
Every single thing I ate in Thailand was amazing. If there is something you want to try, get it. You won’t be disappointed.
And don’t skip out on street food or food at the night markets. The food at the night markets is the best street food. You know it’s made fresh because so many people are buying it, and it doesn’t have time to sit out and get a little questionable.
And please promise me you’ll try mango sticky rice.
I waited until a few days before I left Thailand to try it. I don’t really like mango, so it wasn’t a top priority for me to try. That was a mistake. I wish I ate it every day I was in Thailand.
Bring your appetite and don’t be afraid to try something you’ve never heard of before. All my favourite dishes were dishes I hadn’t heard of or tried at my local Thai restaurant before.
A lot of the information and videos you see about Thailand highlight how affordable it is and how you can get a hostel for just a few dollars a night.
That’s very true, but it also paints a picture that hostels are the best places to stay in Thailand.
As someone who has stayed in one too many hostels as a solo female traveller, I can assure you that they aren’t as glamorous and enticing as people on the internet make them seem.
I’m happy to tell you that if you’re planning to solo travel in Thailand, its completely valid to stay in a hotel if you want to.
The best part is that hotels are very affordable as well, which is great for people on a tight budget. I stayed in pretty decent (and clean) hotels all throughout Thailand. The most expensive hotel was about $45/night in Bangkok. Most of them were about $25-$30/night in the rest of Thailand.
So it’s completely possible to stay in a nice, private, hotel in Thailand without breaking the bank.
You have the flexibility to stay where you want and where you feel safest as a solo traveller because the prices are so affordable. Not every region in the world is a s affordable as Southeast Asia so take advantage of it while you can!
Thailand is known as a party country. Especially Bangkok.
I think this is due to a combination of the younger tourists who tend to visit Thailand, how affordable it is to drink, and the amazing rooftop bars and clubs Thailand has.
I’m not telling you not to drink when you solo travel in Thailand. I’m just telling you to be responsible about it.
You’re alone in a foreign country. Alcohol never makes anybody make better decisions than when they’re sober. Being drunk and alone in a foreign country can be extremely dangerous.
You need to be able to get yourself home safe and sound at the end of your night out. I never have more than one or two drinks when I travel alone.
If I want to drink more, I buy a couple beers from a store and drink in my hotel room or on the hotel rooftop if there is one. It may not be as fun, but it is safer.
The best way to enjoy Bangkok’s famous nightlife safely as a solo traveller is by joining a bar hopping tour.
The tour takes you to three or four different bars in Bangkok including one of Asia’s most famous bars. It includes transportation and a guide. This means you can drink a little more than you normally would but still be in a safe environment.
You also get to skip any lines there are to get into the bar, which is a huge plus.
Taking a nightclub tour is also a great way to meet other people travelling through Thailand. You can make friends, get travel tips, and potentially find someone to go to a few tourist attractions with the next day.
I highly recommend a nightclub tour for anybody travelling alone in Thailand who wants to get a taste for the nightlife but also be in a very safe situation and environment.
It’s truly the best of both worlds. Being able to drink and have a good time without putting yourself at risk.
Learn More About the Nightclub Tour
You rely on public wifi networks when you travel. Even if you have an esim or physical sim, you’ll be using the hotel wifi at a minimum.
Using public wifi puts you at higher risk of having your personal wifi information stolen. Even if the wifi network has a password, it isn’t safe. Anybody with that password can access and steal your private online information (like your banking information) if they want to,
Trust me when I tell you it’s no fun having to deal with cancelling bank cards while abroad because someone stole your credit card.
The only way to stay safe online when using public wifi networks is by installing a VPN on your devices.
A VPN essentially puts an invisible forcefield around your devices that makes it impossible for prying eyes to access your online information. It makes using public wifi networks just as safe as using your home wifi network where you’re the only person who knows the password.
I always safe that if you can afford to travel, you can afford to protect your online information with a VPN.
I’ve used a lot of different VPNs over my many years of travel. Most of them are awful to be honest. VPNs are notorious for slowing down your internet speed, and you can really feel the slow down with most VPNs.
I used to get so frustrated with how slow my internet was that I’d turn off my VPN and put my private online information at risk of being stolen.
All that changed when I started using NordVPN.
NordVPN is the fastest VPN on the market, and you can really feel the difference compared to other VPN providers.
I’ve been using NordVPN since 2018 and have never once noticed a slow down of my internet speed.
I’m able to keep my online information secure without compromising my internet needs. I put my VPN and internet through a lot of tests with blogging and video editing. It’s nice to be able to rely on NordVPN to keep me safe without sacrificing internet speed.
The best part is that NordVPN is super affordable. A two-year subscription costs less per month than a Starbuck’s latte.
It’s a super small price to pay for the peace of mind you get knowing your personal online information is safe from prying eyes, and you don’t need to worry about your personal information being stolen while you enjoy your time in Thailand.
I’m not the biggest fan of joining tours when I travel alone. I normally find them a bit awkward and oftentimes overpriced. That isn’t the case when you solo travel in Thailand.
Thailand is one of the best places to join a group tour. They’re affordable, and they take you places that are often more difficult to travel to alone.
They’re a great way to learn more about Thailand and Thai culture, see something that would be difficult to experience on your own, and learn insider secrets about the best food to try and things to buy.
Tours are also a great way to meet people and make new friends. The people who travel in Thailand tend to be laidback, younger, and eager for new experiences.
I know it can be scary to join a tour as a solo traveller, but there is really no downside to joining on in Thailand. If you don’t enjoy it, you didn’t spend too much money, and now you know for the future.
Bangkok is the most popular tourist destination in the world. I was surprised when I heard that. I always assumed it would be Paris or Italy, but it’s Bangkok.
Bangkok is a huge city, but it doesn’t have a ton of tourist attractions. Especially compared to other capital cities like London or Seoul.
This means there are a lot of tourists trying to see the same attractions every day. There aren’t enough attractions in Bangkok that people are going to different places and no single place is overly busy.
Every tourist attraction is busy in Bangkok (and Chiang Mai).
That doesn’t mean that the tourist attractions aren’t worth visiting. There is a reason Thailand is so popular.
It just means that you have to be patient and expect to deal with crowds.
If you know there will be crowds before you arrive somewhere, you can mentally prepare for it. You won’t be caught off guard.
I get anxious is crowds, so it always helps me better prepare for crowds if I know I’ll encounter them. The crowds is something I wish I was more prepared for on my first solo trip to Thailand.
Hopefully you’ll be better prepared for them than I was now that you know to expect them!
One of the best things about solo travel in Thailand is the freedom you get. You’re alone, so you get to make every choice on what you see, do, and eat.
It can lead to some decision fatigue, but if you’re tired of making decisions, you can just go back to the hotel and rest for a few hours. Easy as that.
The reason I love travelling alone so much is the freedom you get. It’s one of the few times in life where you get to do whatever you want without considering anybody else’s preferences or needs.
It’s one of the most freeing things you can do in your life. It also helps you grow a lot as a person.
I know that travelling alone can be scary at first, but it’s so worth it.
Thailand is one of the best countries in Asia to travel alone for the first time. It’s very easy to travel in Thailand, and there are tons of other tourists around if you want to be social and meet new people.
So, enjoy the experience. Take full advantage of the freedom you get when travelling alone in Thailand.
It’ll be an experience you’ll never forget.
I had no idea I had so much to say about solo travel in Thailand until I started writing this article. I hope I didn’t overwhelm you too much!
Thailand is a beautiful country. It’s diverse in natural beauty, tourist attractions, and food. No two cities are too similar, and you get a new experience everywhere you go.
That’s one of the things I love about solo travel in Thailand. It’s almost like you get multiple different types of vacations and experiences by just going to one country. It has a little bit of something for everybody no matter what your interests are.
I know this article was long, but I hope it helped you plan your solo trip to Thailand and helped you understand what to expect when on your trip to Thailand.
You now know everything I wish I knew before taking a solo trip to Thailand. You’re better prepared than I was, and that’ll help you have an amazing solo travel experience in Thailand.
Be sure to eat some mango stick rice for me while you’re there!
Every single person I told my plans to visit the Philippines asked whether it was safe, so I want to answer the question is Manila safe for solo female travellers as a woman who visited Manila alone.
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It doesn’t have the beaches or waterfalls that the Philippines is known for, and a lot of people skip it. Or just use it as a jumping off point to visit the rest of the country.
I think that’s a mistake. Manila is my favourite city in the Philippines, and I wish it was more popular with travellers.
That being said, when you tell people you’re visiting Manila, they often ask is Manila safe? Especially when you’re travelling there alone as a woman.
It’s a common question because not as many people visit Manila as they do other capital cities in Southeast Asia like Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
People (especially from Canada and the United States) tend to have an idea in their head that the Philippines and Manila are dangerous.
Just like anywhere in the world, there can be dangers associated with a city. There are always less safe neighbourhoods and things you shouldn’t do when you visit a city.
Manila is no exception; however, in general, Manila is safe for solo female travellers. Especially if you’re staying firmly on the tourist trail.
A lot of the time safety when travelling boils down to being aware of your surroundings, knowing local scams to watch out for, and being able to read a situation or location and assess whether it’s somewhere you should be or not.
I can honestly say that I never once felt unsafe while in Manila. Everybody I met was super kind, and I never had that gut feeling that you sometimes get when something just isn’t right.
There are definitely some Manila safety tips you should know about before arriving in Manila, and we’ll talk about those in this post.
But if you’ve always dreamt of visiting the Philippines and Manila but the one thing holding you back was the fear of it being unsafe, I’m happy to say you can book that trip and not be any more worried about your safety than you are anywhere else in the region or around the world.
I’m a bit biased because I love the city so much, but it always makes me sad when people tell me they visited Southeast Asia or the Philippines and skip Manila.
Just in case you skimmed the first part of this post (I don’t blame you), I want to reiterate that the answer to the question is Manila safe for solo female travellers is yes.
Manila is a safe city for tourists to visit.
There are safety things you should be aware of before visiting Manila that will make it easier to be safe in Manila, and we’ll talk about those. But as a general rule of thumb, Manila is safe.
You don’t have to worry about visiting Manila as a solo female traveller. You’ll be just as safe in the Philippines as you are in other countries in the region like Thailand and Singapore.
The Philippines is a very religious country. 92.5% of people in the Philippines identify as religious, which is a huge percentage.
Currently there aren’t a ton of legal protections for gay people in the Philippines. There is discrimination against gay people in some places, but there is a large movement and push towards giving members of the LBGTQIA+ community more legal rights.
Manila is the capital city and largest city in the Philippines. It’s also quite a diverse city. There are gay pride events, support from many political officials, and the Philippines is often considered one of the most LBGTQIA+ friendly countries in Southeast Asia.
There are tons of gay clubs and gay communities in Manila.
Overwhelmingly, people in Manila are accepting of the LBGTQIA+ community even if their governmental policies are lagging behind the social acceptance.
While it’s more or less socially acceptable to be gay in Manila, it’s still probably best if you refrain from any PDA if you happen to meet someone while on your solo trip to Manila.
You probably won’t face any backlash if you’re holding your partner’s hand in public, but it may not be worth the risk. Plus it’s so hot that you may not want to being holding their sweaty hand in any event.
So, I guess what I’m trying to say is that even though the laws in Manila aren’t on the side of the LBGTQIA+ community, the community overwhelmingly is, and you shouldn’t face any outward discrimination if you visit Manila as a member of the community.
Manila is a safe city for solo female travellers, but there are a few safety tips you should keep in mind.
None of these safety tips are too serious. As in they won’t make you not want to visit Manila. Or scare you away from visiting Manila.
They will, however, ensure that you’re safe while you’re in Manila.
Taxis are very affordable in the Philippines. They’re one of the best ways to get around. Public transportation isn’t always the most reliable or convenient. And walking can get very hot very quickly.
I used taxis all the time throughout my trips to the Philippines, but I didn’t use them in Manila.
I was planning on using them in Manila, but I changed my mind when I got there. I walked to the taxi stand at the airport in Manila, and there was a huge sign saying that I was assuming the risk of taking a taxi and that the police wouldn’t help if something happened.
That scared me off a little bit. Especially as a solo female traveller.
I hadn’t seen a sign like that anywhere else in the Philippines, and I took it seriously.
I walked back to the airport and ordered a Grab. Grab is a bit more expensive than taxis in the Philippines, but I felt like it was the best choice for me at the time.
I asked the woman who checked me in at my hotel whether it was safe for me to use taxis in Manila, and she said that she didn’t recommend it. I stayed at a hotel near the airport on my last night in Manila, and the woman who checked me in there said it was safe to use taxis.
So, the jury is still out on whether or not taxis are safe for solo female travellers in Manila, but I like to be extra cautious and use Grab instead of taxis.
That way you know you’re not going to be scammed and that you’ll get to your destination as planned without any detours or stops along the way.
I know not everybody has the financial means to take a Grab or taxi from the airport. There is an alternative I wanted to share with you.
It’s called the NAIA Premium Bus.
The bus is super affordable. You pre-book your ticket online in advance. You actually save a little bit of money when you buy in advance, so that’s a big plus!
You select what part of Manila you want to be dropped off at when booking your ticket. Then when you arrive in Manila, you go to the bus stop number listed on the confirmation email and get on the bus.
It’s very reliable and very safe. You know exactly where you’re going to be dropped off, and there is no way you can get on the wrong bus.
Unfortunately, at the time of writing, the metro doesn’t go all the way out to the airport. There are plans to bring to the train to the airport, but it isn’t available yet. I’m not sure when it will be available.
Once it is available, the metro is probably the best way to travel from the airport to metro Manila safely and affordably. As long as you’re staying at a hotel near the metro line. If you’re not staying near a metro station, the NAIA Premium Bus will still be your most convenient affordable way to travel to metro Manila.
Be careful when taking taxis. Be careful when walking. I bet you’re wondering how exactly you’re supposed to get around Manila.
I love walking and think Manila is a very walkable city. Excluding how hot it is.
But you do need to be careful when walking. Especially when you’re crossing the road. Scooters don’t always stop at red lights so make sure to look both ways before crossing the street even if you have a walk light.
Sometimes you’ll need to walk on the street to get where you want to go. Most of the time these are less busy side streets, but they’re still pretty busy. Have your head on a swivel. Make sure you know what’s coming up behind you and walk as close to the side of the street as possible. Don’t be that person who is walking in the middle of the street!
Finally, you’ll be walking on the sidewalks. Lots of the sidewalks are very busy. Watch out for people and carts selling food. Also be aware of what’s going on under your feet.
The sidewalks aren’t always level, and you don’t want to step on an uneven part of the sidewalk and twist an ankle.
My last day in Manila, I was walking down a busy street. People carry umbrellas everywhere in Manila to keep the sun off their skin. One of the umbrellas got caught in my hair and pulled out a chunk of it.
So, be aware of your surroundings when walking. You never know what safety concerns will pop up.
I know this may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how often people knowingly partake in illegal activities.
Like taking drugs. Don’t do that.
If you’re caught taking illegal substances, you’re most likely going to jail. And jails in the Philippines are not somewhere you want to be.
Use common sense and don’t do anything you think may be illegal. If you’re not sure whether or not it’s illegal, either don’t do it or Google whether it is legal before doing it.
Again, I know this seems obvious, but for a lot of people it isn’t.
The police in Manila have the right to stop tourists and ask to see their passport. They don’t have to have a reason to ask. They can just ask you.
You’ll get in trouble if you don’t have your passport to show them.
You can either show them your original passport or a copy of your passport. It doesn’t really matter.
The important thing is that you have some version of your passport on you at all times when you’re travelling in Manila.
It’s unlikely that the police will stop you and ask for your passport, but it isn’t unheard of. There are police officers stationed basically everywhere in Manila, and you’ll pass them multiple times every day.
Any one of them can ask to see your passport for any reason.
I personally like to carry my passport on my person instead of leaving it in the hotel, but you may prefer to carry a copy of it. Whatever works best for you.
Just like anywhere else in the world where there are Tuk Tuk drivers, they’ll likely call out to you constantly to get you into their Tuk Tuk.
They’ll often follow you around for a block or two asking you to get in. I had one driver follow me all the way from the Old Town to the Museum of Contemporary Art. It was quite a way for him to follow me and a waste of his time.
Just keep saying no thank you or ignoring a Tuk Tuk driver if you don’t want a ride.
If you do want a ride, be sure to agree on the price before you get in. Otherwise you’ll likely be scammed at the end of the ride. The driver will demand a very high price, and you can’t really say no since you already completed your ride.
Okay. There are a few things you need to know about money in Manila. I’m going to cover them all in this section so be ready for a lot of information.
One of the ways the answer to the question is Manila safe can go from a yes to a no is how safe you are with money.
If you go on a shopping spree at one of Manila’s many markets and run out of cash, the shop owner will probably suggest you go to a money changer. This happens a lot if you’re shopping in Green Hills.
Most shops at markets don’t accept cards and only accept cash. If you run out of cash and still want to shop, you need to find a way to get more cash.
Don’t go to one of the independent money changers that are around the shopping centre.
One of three things will happen (or maybe all three if you’re unlucky):
You’ll get a terrible rate
You won’t be given the proper amount of cash you were promised
You’ll be given counterfeit money
None of those things are good.
If you need extra cash while you’re out and about, either go to an ATM or to a legitimate bank to exchange your money.
Don’t trust the independent money changers. It isn’t worth the risk.
I think ATMs are the best way to take cash out in Manila. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some risks associated with them.
Sometimes people will hang out near ATMs and linger a bit too close. They’re either trying to get your PIN or steal your money when it comes out of the machine.
The best way to stay safe when taking money out of the ATM is by using an ATM inside a bank.
I like to take my money out at HSBC if there is one nearby. They don’t charge any fee to take money out of their ATM even if you’re not using an HSBC card.
But any bank with an inside ATM will work.
Every bank I’ve been to in the Philippines has at least one guard near the ATM, so they’re very safe to use.
A lot of people tell you not to use credit cards in Southeast Asia because of credit card skimmers.
I’ve spent a lot of time in Southeast Asia and have never had a problem with skimmers. That doesn’t mean there aren’t skimmers out there, but they’re not as common as they used to be.
Most of the time you just tap to pay for your purchases, and you can even pay with Apple Pay in a lot of instances to make it even more safe.
I think I’ve only had one scenario where I had to put my card inside a machine to pay for something in Southeast Asia. The rest of the time I just tapped it.
One thing that surprised me (and a lot of other tourists) is the need to show my passport when I used my credit card in the Philippines.
Anytime I used my credit card in the Philippines, I had to show my passport. No matter how big or small the purchase was.
A lot of tourists who used their credit card in front of me weren’t aware of this and didn’t have their passport on them.
Sometimes the cashier would let them off with a warning and other times the person wasn’t allowed to pay for their items and was told to come back later with their passport.
I’ve never seen this anywhere else in the world, and I was just lucky that I always carry my passport with me and never leave it in the hotel.
If there is any chance that you’ll be using your credit card to purchase something, be sure to have your passport with you. You’ll be asked to show it. I’m not sure if a copy of your passport will be sufficient, but I’m guessing it would be since it is sufficient if the police stop and ask you for your passport.
It’s very common for people to approach you in the Philippines and start chatting with you. Especially if you’re a solo female traveller.
It’s always best to be wary of these people. Most of them have good intentions, but some of them don’t.
Always be polite to the people who approach you but never give them any personal details or information.
It’s also best not to tell them you’re travelling alone. That immediately puts you at high risk if you are talking to someone with bad intentions.
Keep the conversation light and fluffy. If (when) they ask if you’re alone, tell them your friend is waiting for you at a nearby cafe or taking a nap in the hotel and meeting with your shortly.
Again, most of the time, it’s just locals being friendly. They love chatting with tourists and seeing whether or not you’re enjoying your time in Manila. It’s a great way to get some local insight into what’s good to see in the area, but don’t give out any personal information during your conversation.
Don’t feel bad about ending the conversation if you start to get a bad vibe. And don’t go anywhere with them if they invite you somewhere. That’s a red flag for them having bad intentions.
I know I’ve said multiple times in this article that Manila is safe for solo female travellers. I stand by that, but the one time of day when things start to get a bit less safe is at night.
I’m not telling you not to go out at night. I’m just telling you to be extra cautious and have a solid plan on how you’re getting back to your hotel in the evening.
And that plan should either be walking if it’s only a few blocks away or taking a Grab. Those are your safest options for being out and about at night and needing to get from place A to place B.
You should also never get too drunk. Especially as a solo female traveller.
You need to have your wits about you and still be able to make quick, smart decisions during the evening. If you do want to get drunk, either drink at the rooftop bar at your hotel if it has one or go on a guided pub crawl.
Also please, please, please always keep an eye on your drink. There is an issue in Manila where women are having their drinks spiked at a higher rate than most other parts of the world. As a solo female traveller, you’re at an even higher risk of having your drink spiked.
There is a popular scam in the Philippines where someone will plant a bullet in your luggage and then demand a super high fee to make the charges associated with having illegal bullets dropped.
Luckily, it’s easy to avoid this scam.
Make sure you have a secure and reliable lock on your luggage that only you know the combination to. The other important thing is to make sure you don’t let strangers handle your luggage.
The only people who should be handling your luggage are you, the person helping you lift your luggage in and out of the taxi or Grab, and the person helping you check in your luggage at the airport.
Some hotels have porters who bring your luggage up to your room. If you can, insist that you take your luggage yourself. Some higher end hotels won’t let you take your own luggage, but you should at least try to insist you take your own luggage to your room.
One of the most overlooked travel safety tips is being internet safe. You rely on public wifi when you travel. Even if you have an esim on your phone, you’ll still use public wifi at the hotel at night.
This puts you at high risk of having your online personal information stolen. Even if the public wifi has a password associated with it, you’re still at risk. Anybody who knows that password (e.g. everybody in the hotel), can access the network. All it takes is one bad person, and your personal information is stolen. This could include your banking information.
And trust me when I tell you that you don’t want to go through the hassle of dealing with canceling bank cards while you’re on holiday. It’s not a fun time.
The only way you can be internet safe when you travel is by installing a VPN on your devices.
A VPN essentially puts an invisible forcefield around your devices that makes it impossible for prying eyes to see your personal online information and data. It makes using public wifi just as safe as using your home wifi where you’re the only person who knows the password.
I know it isn’t the most obvious travel safety tip, but it’s one you want to take seriously.
I always say that if you can afford to travel, you can afford to protect yourself with a VPN.
I’ve used a lot of different VPNs during my years of travel and hated most of them. VPNs are notorious for slowing down your internet speed, and you can really feel the slow down with most VPNs on the market.
I used to get so frustrated with how slow my internet was with my VPN that I’d turn off my VPN and put my information at risk of being stolen.
All that changed when I started using NordVPN. NordVPN is the fastest VPN on the market, and you can really feel the difference compared to other VPNs.
I’ve been using NordPVN since 2018 and have never once felt a lag in my internet speed. I love how fast it is and have no plans of ever switching to another VPN provider.
You can protect up to six devices with a single NordVPN subscription, so you can keep all your devices safe with one account and for one low price.
A two-year NordVPN subscription costs less per month than a single Starbuck’s latte. So you have no excuse not to protect your online information.
It’s a super small price to pay for the peace of mind you get knowing your personal online information and data is safe from prying eyes.
Whew. This article is way longer than I thought it would be. I was planning on answering the question is Manila safe for solo female travellers then got a little carried away sharing all the Manila safety tips I think you need to know before your trip.
Manila is a special city. I absolutely love it and can’t wait to go back.
If you’re planning a trip to the Philippines, you can’t skip Manila. It’s so different from the rest of the Philippines and well worth taking the time to explore.
There are so many good (and free) museums, historical sites, and places to shop and eat. I truly believe that no trip to the Philippines is complete without exploring Manila.
And now that you know that Manila is safe, you have no excuse not to go!
Antalya is one of the most popular cities in Turkey for tourists to visit, but is Antalya worth visiting or is your time best spent somewhere else?
Most people who visit Turkey visit Istanbul and Cappadocia and don’t explore the rest of the country. That’s a shame because Turkey has so much to offer.
If you only have a short time in Turkey and want to add a third city to your itinerary, I think Antalya is the perfect choice.
It’s very different from Istanbul and Cappadocia and gives you a taste of the beaches and water Turkey is famous for. Antalya also has a rich archeological and history you can learn about.
I also think Antalya is a great place to start if you’re doing a trip up the west coast of Turkey like I did in 2022.
So, no whether you’re only in Turkey for a short period of time or a month or two, the answer to the question is Antalya worth visiting is yes.
Okay. I’ve told you the answer to the question is Antalya worth visiting is yes, but now I should defend that answer.
Antalya is the biggest and most popular destination on the west coast of Turkey. This means you not only have access to some of the most beautiful beaches in Turkey, but it is also very friendly to tourists.
There is excellent tourist infrastructure, great public transportation, museums, and a major airport. Many tourist cities near the beaches don’t have airport access, and you need to land in Antalya and take a bus to them.
Antalya is also just one of the most stunningly beautiful cities in Turkey. The old town is breathtaking, and the cities has multiple levels to it, which means the photography is unbeatable.
The main road outside the old city (near the tram station) is elevated from the old city. You walk along it for a few minutes and then get the famous view of the beach and ocean from above.
You know. The famous photos that make people add Antalya to their bucket list.
One of my favourite things about Antalya is that there is something for everybody. There is the water and beaches, archeology sites, waterfalls, shopping, one of the most beautiful old towns in Turkey, nightlife, and a modern city to explore.
No matter what your interests are, there is something for you.
I’m not a beach girly. In fact, I hate the water and the beach, and I spent four days in Antalya exploring everything else it had to offer and wasn’t bored for a second.
I’m a museum girly and loved the Antalya Archeology Museum. It was one of the best museums I went to in Turkey. I highly recommend you take a half day and visit it!
Another of my favourite things to do in Antalya is visiting Duden Falls. I visited in October, and there wasn’t a ton of water flowing through the falls. They were still fantastic, and I can only imagine how much better they are when there is more water running through them.
Antalya Archeology Museum
Wander through the Old Town
Have a traditional Turkish bath experience
Explore the water in a submarine
Take a boat and explore an island
One of the best parts of Antalya is that it is super easy to navigate. Not only is there a major airport in the city, but there is also a comprehensive tram network. Plus it’s a very walkable city.
The only time I used public transportation was from the airport, to the bus station, and to Duden Falls. The rest of the time I was easily able to walk wherever I wanted to go.
I didn’t go to the cable car. You’d have to either go on a tour or take public transportation if you wanted to experience it. It isn’t walkable from the Old Town.
I’ve argued so far that the answer to the question is Antalya worth visiting is yes, but Antalya may not be the right fit for everybody.
There’s a lot to love about Antalya. It’s one of the best cities in Turkey for tourists for a reason.
That being said, Antalya wasn’t my favourite city in Turkey. It was about middle of the road for me. Granted, I visited some of the best places in Turkey like Ephesus, so it’s pretty much impossible to be at the top of my list.
The only downfall to Antalya in my eyes is just how touristy it is. Especially in the Old Town. Old Town are always super touristy, but the Old Town in Antalya is next level.
Don’t get my wrong. The Old Town in Antalya is stunning. It’s absolutely gorgeous, but it just loses a little bit of it’s charm when you’re walking around and seeing burger joints and pubs rather than Turkish restaurants that you’d typically see in other Old Towns in Turkey.
It definitely felt more like it was curated for the foreign tourist rather than other Old Towns that felt like they were made for Turkish tourists and foreign tourists.
I hope that makes sense.
Now, just because it’s a little more focused on foreign tourists doesn’t mean Antalya isn’t worth visiting.
I think the pros of Antalya widely outweigh the cons of Antalya.
I really recommend you spend some time outside the Old Town wandering through the modern city to get a better idea of what Antalya is really like.
You should also take the time to find a good place to eat that has good reviews and no mention of being scammed in the reviews.
I recommend 3-4 days in Antalya. That gives you enough time to see all the major tourist attractions without being rushed.
I recommend staying in the Old Town. You’ll pay a little bit more than staying in the modern part of the city, but it’s more convenient and walkable to stay in the Old Town.
It’s hard to say whether or not Antalya is expensive because what expensive means to me may be affordable to you and vice versa.
That being said, Antalya is the most affordable city when comparing Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Antalya. It isn’t the cheapest city I visited during my month in Turkey.
I paid about $35USD/night for a hotel right in the heart of the Old City. You can find cheaper hotels and more expensive hotels, but, overall, I would say compared to a lot of places in the world, Antalya is very affordable.
In fact, I found Turkey to be more affordable than Southeast Asia.
The thing that is going to be more expensive in Antalya is the food. I found Antalya had some of the highest prices for food in Turkey. Antalya and Bodrum. Probably because they’re tourist resort towns right on the water.
Luckily, Antalya has a tram line directly at the airport. You have to leave the airport building and walk a little bit to the left past a parking lot, but it’s super easy to find.
You’ll take the Antray Tram line all the way to the Old Town. The tram doesn’t go into the Old Town, but it gets you very close. Within walking distance of the Old Town.
If you don’t want to bother with the tram, you can pre-book an airport shuttle to drop you off at your hotel. It’s super affordable and convenient.
The airport shuttle is honestly what I’d recommend to my friends and family who were visiting Turkey for the first time and/or weren’t confident navigating from the tram station to their hotel.
The convenience of being dropped off right at your hotel door is hard to beat. Plus you know exactly what you’re going to pay and don’t have to worry about being scammed by a taxi driver.
Plus the shuttle is super affordable and won’t break the bank.
One of the most overlooked travel safety tips is the need to be internet safe. You rely on public wifi as a traveller, and that puts you at a high risk of having your personal online information stolen.
Even if you have an esim on your phone, you still rely on public wifi at your hotel (you’d burn through your data otherwise).
Trust me when I tell you that you don’t want to have your online information stolen. Especially your banking information. You don’t want to deal with the headache of calling your bank and having your card cancelled while you’re abroad trying to enjoy a holiday.
The only way you can be internet safe when you travel is by installing a VPN on your devices.
A VPN essentially puts an invisible forcefield around your devices that makes it impossible for prying eyes to access your online information. It makes using public wifi just as safe as using your home wifi where you’re the only person who knows the password.
It’s the simplest safety measure you can take in preparation for your trip to Antalya.
I’ve used a lot of different VPNs over my many years of travel. I hated most of them. VPNs are notorious for slowing down your internet speed, and with most VPNs you really feel a difference in speed.
I used to turn off my VPN and put my online information at risk just because the VPN I was using was so slow I couldn’t handle it.
That all changed when I discovered NordVPN. I’ve been using it since 2018 have no thoughts of ever changing.
It consistently ranks as the fastest VPN on the market, and you really feel a difference in speed compared to other VPNs. I’ve honestly never noticed a slow down in my internet with NordVPN, and my internet is just as fast as if I were using it unprotected.
You’re able to protect up to six devices with a single NordVPN account, so you don’t have to worry about having different accounts to protect your phone versus your laptop versus a tablet.
A two-year NordVPN subscription costs less per month than a single Starbuck’s latte, so you don’t have to break the bank to stay internet safe.
I always say that if you can afford to travel, you can afford to protect yourself with a VPN and stay safe when travelling.
I hope this article has helped answer the question is Antalya worth visiting. In my opinion, it is 100% worth visiting Antalya.
It’s the gateway to the stunning west coast beaches Turkey is famous for. Even if you only have a short time in Turkey, it’s worth adding Antalya to your itinerary.
Chances are it’ll be much different from the cities you’re already planning on visiting. It’ll gives you a different taste of Turkey and a different experience from the other most popular tourist cities.
Even though Antalya is very much a tourist city, it’s still worth visiting. Plus the tourist infrastructure makes it the perfect city for new travellers or solo travellers.
I don’t know anybody who has visited Antalya and didn’t have a good time. I hope you enjoy it if you choose to add it to your Turkey itinerary!
Lisbon is Portugal’s capital city and is quickly becoming a hot tourist destination in Europe. With it’s rising popularity, and lot of people wonder is Lisbon safe? And is Lisbon safe for solo female travellers?
I’ve been to Lisbon as a solo female traveller and have first-hand experience on what it’s like to travel Lisbon alone.
I’m very happy to report that Lisbon is a very safe city. All of Portugal is very safe.
Even though Lisbon is the capital city, it doesn’t have the same feeling as other capital cities. It feels a bit like a cozy town where you know your neighbours and go about your daily life without any worries.
That being said, there are a few safety things you should know before visiting Lisbon. We’ll get to those later on in the article.
For now, all you need to know is that the answer to the question is Lisbon safe is 100% yes. It’s a great city for new solo travellers to feel comfortable and gain confidence.
Just in case you skimmed the first part of this article (I don’t blame you), I want to reiterate that Lisbon is safe. Lisbon is safe for solo travellers, female travellers, and for members of the LBTQIA+ community.
So, if Lisbon is on your bucket list, you can book a trip there without worrying about your safety!
Lisbon is safe, but there are a few minor safety tips you should know before visiting Lisbon. Most of these are generic things you should know about before you travel anywhere in the world.
There are some places where you need to be aware of certain scams before going (like Istanbul for example), but that isn’t the case with Lisbon. There isn’t any location-specific safety tips you need.
Just common sense and being aware of your surroundings.
Just like every other major city in the world, you have to be aware of pick pockets in Lisbon. Be careful when in the popular tourist areas and even more careful if you decide to ride Tram 28. It’s crowded and easy pickings for pick pockets.
Luckily, it’s pretty easy to discourage pick pockets from targeting you.
The best thing you can do is not store anything in your pockets. Keep your belongs in your bag if you’re carrying one. Then keep your bag on your side angled forward or in front of your body.
This makes it extremely difficult for pick pockets to get inside your bag and most won’t even try to.
You also need to be aware of your surroundings and look confident. Pick pockets want to target people who are distracted and not paying attention. If you have your head on a swivel and are visibly paying attention to where you are, pick pockets should leave you alone.
This may sound like a weird thing to include in an article answering the question is Lisbon safe, but hear me out.
I think most people who are thinking of going to Lisbon know that it’s hilly and there are lots of stairs. Almost every TikTok you watch about Lisbon includes this information.
But, even the internet doesn’t prepare you for just how many hills and stairs there are. This is a major problem for people with mobility issues.
It can also be dangerous for people without mobility issues. It’s so easy to accidentally twist an ankle when walking around Lisbon, and you’ll be walking a lot.
Wear supportive footwear like runners rather than flats or wedges. I know it’s not as stylish, but you don’t want to twist an ankle on the first day and not be able to walk the rest of your trip just because you were wearing the wrong shoes.
There is also lots of cobblestone streets in Lisbon. They’re absolutely beautiful, but they can also be a bit dangerous. They’re not even, so you have to watch where you step. One wrong step could end with a twisted ankle.
Just be sure to watch where you’re walking when you’re out and about in Lisbon. If you have mobility issues, you may want to rely more on public transportation than you might otherwise.
I took my older parents to Lisbon, and we used the Yellow Bus hop on hop off bus tour. It took us everywhere we need to go, was affordable, and cut down on most of the walking required. It’s a great option to look into when in Lisbon.
If you want a more unique way to see Lisbon, consider taking a tuk tuk tour!
One of the most overlooked travel safety concerns is not taking internet safety seriously. You rely on public wifi when you travel. Even if you have an esim on your phone, which I highly recommend, you still rely on public wifi at your hotel at a minimum.
Using public wifi puts you at high risk. There is a higher chance of someone stealing your personal online information because tons of people are using the same public wifi as you. Even if there is a password on the public wifi, you’re still at risk. Anyone with that password can steal your online information if they want to.
Trust me when I tell you that you don’t want to be dealing with cancelling bank cards while abroad because someone stole your banking information because you weren’t being internet safe. It’s a headache at the best of times and a nightmare when travelling abroad.
The only way you can keep your online data safe while using public wifi is by installing a VPN on your devices.
It essentially puts a virtual forcefield around your devices that prevent prying eyes from being able to access your personal information.
A VPN makes using public wifi as safe as using your home wifi where you’re the only person who knows the password.
Installing a VPN on your devices is one of the easiest safety precautions you can take. It takes five minutes to install, and you can sleep soundly knowing that your personal information is safe.
I personally use NordVPN and love it. It’s the fastest VPN on the market, and you don’t feel like your internet is slower when your VPN is turned on. That’s not the case with most VPNs. Most VPNs slow down your internet speed significantly and are frustrating to use.
A two-year NordVPN subscription costs less per month than a single Starbuck’s latte. It’s a small price to pay for all the peace of mind and security that comes with it.
I always say that if you can afford to travel, you can afford to protect yourself with a VPN.
Most cities in the world have scams that target tourists, and Lisbon is no exception. But does that change the answer to the question is Lisbon safe?
No really.
Just because there are a few scams in Lisbon that target tourists, that doesn’t mean that Lisbon isn’t safe.
In fact, when you compare it to a lot of other popular tourist destinations in Europe (like Italy or France), there aren’t really that many scams tourists need to be aware of.
You can read a complete article about the top tourist scams in Lisbon here, but below is a quick rundown of the most common scams you need to be aware of.
Appetizers being brought to your table automatically without telling you there is a charge for them. If something you didn’t ask for is brought to your table, be sure to ask if it is free or not.
Someone coming up and asking if you want to sign a petition. There are a couple different ways this scam operates, but all you need to know is that you politely say no thank you and walk away.
The picture scam. Someone will offer to take your picture for a couple of Euro, take a bunch of pictures, and then charge you per picture taken. It ends up costing you a lot of money.
A basic rule of thumb is what if someone comes up to you and offers to do you a favour or help you in exchange for a small amount of money, it’s likely a scam. You’ll end up paying far more than you originally thought, and once the scam has started, it’s hard to get out of it.
Just be aware of your surroundings and trust your gut. If something seems a little bit off, trust your instinct and walk away.
We already had a brief discussion on how the answer to the question is Lisbon safe can be no if you’re walking around carelessly, but we need to talk about the importance of having travel health insurance when travelling to Lisbon.
Lisbon has a great medical system, but they don’t offer free medical treatment to travellers. You’re required to pay for all your medical treatment if you end up getting hurt. Whether it’s to get an x-ray on a sprained ankle, hospital treatment, or anywhere in between, it’s your responsibility to pay for this.
That’s pretty standard in most places in the world. Even if a country has free healthcare for citizens and residents, tourists are on their own.
You may have travel medical insurance through your health insurance at work. Most work policies (at least in Canada and the United States) provide travel coverage for up to 30 days.
If you don’t have travel insurance through your work, you’ll have to purchase it on your own. I purchase my travel insurance through Safety Wing. It’s a company that specializes in travel insurance and has the best long-term travel coverage on the market.
You also look at purchasing your travel insurance through your bank, car insurance company, or company like AAA, AMA, CAA. They all offer affordable travel insurance but often make it difficult and time consuming to make a claim.
So there is definitely trade of between a dedicated travel insurance company and getting your travel insurance through a large company that doesn’t specialize in travel insurance.
I don’t really care where you get your travel insurance as long as you get travel insurance and protect yourself!
I hope this article has helped answer the question is Lisbon safe. More importantly, I hope it helped you better understand that Lisbon is a very safe city. There isn’t really any danger or risk in going to Lisbon.
You just need to use some common sense, and you’ll be alright.
Lisbon is a pretty laid back and relaxed city. Most people are just going about their everyday business and don’t bother tourists.
Lisbon is a beautiful city, and Portugal as a country is quickly becoming a more popular tourist destination. Be sure to get there quickly before it really blows up into a hugely popular tourist spot.
I spent a month backpacking Turkey in 2022 and LOVED it. Turkey quickly became one of my favourite countries, and I already started planning my next trip there before I even left.
Even though my solo trip to Turkey was amazing, there are still a few things I wish I knew before backpacking Turkey. Things that would have made my trip go a little bit smoother or save me time or money.
So if you’re planning a trip to Turkey (which I’m assuming you are since you’re reading this article), I hope the information in this post helps you avoid making the same mistakes I made on my first trip to Turkey.
Just because there are things I wish I knew before backpacking Turkey doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go to Turkey!
It’s hard to describe just how beautiful and friendly Turkey is. It’s the type of the place you have to see to believe. Especially places like Ephesus and Antalya.
Turkey truly is one of the most underrated countries in the world and doesn’t get as much love as it deserves.
Anyways, you’re not here to listen to me gush about Turkey. You’re here to learn how to prepare better for your trip to Turkey!
So, here are all the things I wish I knew before backpacking Turkey. Hopefully they’re of some help to you!
I relied on intercity buses to get between cities while backpacking Turkey. I quickly learned that even though they normally leave on time, they don’t seem to get to their destination on time.
I never had an intercity bus arrive at the destination anywhere near the time it was supposed to.
The most on time bus I was on was an hour late. The latest was 5 hours. It was painful. What was supposed to be a 5 hour bus ride turned into a 10 hour bus ride. People were not pleased at all.
I’m not entirely sure why the intercity buses would arrive at their destination later than scheduled. There didn’t seem to be any unscheduled stops or super long stops at bus stations along the way.
It’s not really a big deal that the buses run late as long as you’re aware of it an plan for it. Here are a few tips:
Take the first bus of the day if you’re on a long bus ride. This will ensure you have a better chance of arriving in your next city while it’s still daylight.
Don’t plan anything for right when you’re scheduled to arrive in your next city. Allow at least two to three hours of leeway before you have any plans.
Make sure you bring water, snacks, and entertainment for the bus. I have Libby and rent audiobooks from my library!
Most buses has a two by one seating arrangement. If you can get a single seat, your bus journey will be so much more comfortable.
I found the buses in Turkey to be quite comfortable. They have big, cozy seats, and you don’t feel squished.
They’re also extremely affordable and in my opinion the best way to travel around Turkey. That is, of course, you’re only in Turkey for a few days and travelling long distances. Then flying is probably the way to go.
Turkish people are super friendly. Hotel workers, shop owners, restaurant servers. Everybody I met in Turkey was just the nicest.
However, there is a bit of a downside to that as well.
With the Turkish people being so nice, it may lure you into a false sense of confidence that everybody is super nice and friendly and just wants to say hi.
That’s true for most people, but there are a few people who have decided to use how friendly Turkish people are and turn it into a scam.
Luckily, it’s super easy to figure out who is likely scamming you and who is just being friendly and helpful.
If someone offers to tour you around their favourite parts of the city, that’s likely a scam. They’ll end up taking you to a carpet shop and try to pressure you into purchasing an expensive carpet.
The people who do this (in my experience) are often older men who seem very friendly and helpful. When someone tried doing this to me in Selçuk, he saw me walking from the bus stop to my hotel. He asked where I was staying (I didn’t tell him) and tried to continue making conversation.
Later that day, I walked by him again on my way to dinner, and he once again tried to strike up a conversation with me. Giving me tips and information on the city and Ephesus. Then he invited me in to learn about how he makes carpets in a traditional way.
So, if a random person comes up to you on the street and starts making small talk, just assume they’re trying to sell you something.
The people you’d meet in normal circumstances like people at cafes or shops who are being friendly are just nice people!
It’s pretty easy to figure out who may be trying to scam you and who is just nice.
Almost every blog post I read before backpacking Turkey told me that I’d have to barter for any souvenirs I wanted.
I don’t like to barter. I avoid it at all costs and do everything in my power to avoid it. I thought based on what I was reading that I’d have to barter in Turkey.
That definitely wasn’t the case.
I had no trouble finding souvenirs that didn’t require any bartering. If you enjoy bartering, there are lots of places you can do that, but if you’re like me and hate it, there are also lots of places that you can just pay the sticker price.
Here are some of my best tips for finding places you don’t have to barter:
Purchase souvenirs at museum gift shops or at tourist attractions. This may sound weird because those places are normally very overpriced, but that wasn’t the case in Turkey. I found more unique souvenirs at museum gift shops than in most places in Turkey, and they didn’t break the bank.
Avoid souks and markets. You’re pretty much guaranteed to have to barter there.
Take a peak in the shop windows. If you see prices, then you likely don’t have to barter.
If you walk into a store or stall where you realize you have to barter and you don’t want to, just walk out. The store owner may call at you trying to get you to stay, but you’re under no obligation to stay.
Don’t purchase souvenirs at the airport. You won’t have to barter, but they’re significantly more expensive than outside the airport. Probably the highest markup I’ve ever seen at an airport.
Every single city I visited in Turkey was extremely walkable. This includes Istanbul. I only took public transportation twice in Istanbul. Once to get from the bus station to my hotel and to get to the Asian side of Istanbul and back to the European side.
You can get most places in Turkey with your own two feet and not have to rely on public transportation. I even walked from my hotel to Ephesus in about 30 minutes!
The only outlier to the walkability of Turkey is the bus stations. They tend to be way out of the main part of town, and you can’t walk to wherever you’re staying. I typically took a taxi rather than the bus because it was faster, more convenient, and still very affordable.
So, make sure you have your walking shoes packed when backpacking Turkey because you’ll be using them a lot.
I’m by no means complaining. I love walking and try to avoid public transit as much as possible when I travel. Turkey was a dream. It was so dreaming walking around the old streets and see all the architecture.
You always see way more by walking than when taking public transportation.
I took out enough cash for my entire trip backpacking Turkey before I left Canada, so the love of cash over cards in Turkey wasn’t an issue for me.
I did, however, see lots of tourists scrambling to find an ATM machine or bank because the merchant they were purchasing from didn’t accept credit cards.
Many stores and restaurants in major cities like Istanbul and Antalya accept credit cards. It is less common in smaller cities and in souks or markets.
I highly recommend you always have cash on you when travelling in Turkey. You don’t want to be in a situation where you can’t pay for your food or entrance ticket just because you don’t have cash.
I had about 14,000 Lira (approximately $525 USD) with me for my month backpacking Turkey in 2023. It was more than enough for restaurants, entry fees, grocery store snack runs, transportation, and taxis. I even ended up spending a lot of money on Turkish towels the day before I left because I had a lot of cash left over.
Note: This is just what I spent in 2023. Please don’t use it to base your information off of. Inflation is high in Turkey right now, and you may travel and spend differently than I do.
Moral of the story is bring some cash to Turkey. You’ll need it.
I never had Turkish delight before visiting Turkey. The two things I knew about it was the little boy in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was willing to betray his family for them and that Lorelei and Rory in Gilmore Girls hated them.
Two very polarizing opinions.
I had no idea what to expect when it came to Turkish delight. I was honestly a bit nervous about trying them because they seem like a love it or hate it item.
Let me be the first one to tell you that Turkish delight is incredible. You’ll become obsessed with it and want it all the time. It is so flavourful and light and just delicious. Leave room in your suitcase to bring some home!
My favourites are from Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir in Istanbul. They’re the oldest Turkish delight makers in the country, and you can’t beat the flavour of them. They’re also very affordable as well.
I would try to stay away from the ones being sold by street vendors that are six packages for a couple of dollars. They tend to be lower quality and won’t give you the best impression of Turkish delight.
But even those are way better than what you’ll likely find in your home country.
Please just promise me you won’t leave Turkey without trying Turkish delight. Unless you have an allergy of course!
You can probably tell that I’m very passionate about Turkish delight and dream about them all the time seeing as I’ve dedicated a whole section to it in this article that’s supposed to be about backpacking Turkey and not how amazing Turkish delight are.
I honestly don’t quite understand the pricing at tourist attractions in Turkey.
Some of them are extremely affordable like Ephesus (they should really be charging more for it). Some entry fees are super expensive like Troy and Dolmabahce Palace are more expensive than they should be.
I suggest you bring a fair amount of cash with you on the days you visit tourist attractions that have an entry fee. You never really know what the entrance fee will be until you get there.
You may be thinking just Google the entrance fee. That seems logical, but from my experience, what is listed online isn’t always correct. The internet said the entrance fee to Troy was one price, and when I got there, it was twice the price listed online.
Gotta love inflation!
So, be prepared to be surprised about how much some tourist attractions cost. Sometimes you’ll feel like you’re getting a good deal. Sometimes you’ll feel like you’re overpaying.
It all balances out in the end, and this is likely your only time backpacking Turkey, so you may as well do what you want and not have regrets when you get home.
I normally think that the museum or city passes are a bit of scam. You rarely get your money’s worth out of them.
That isn’t the case with the Istanbul museum pass. It is 100% worth the money, and I highly recommend everybody consider getting it on their trip to Turkey.
Heck the entrance fee to Topkapi Palace is about half the cost of the museum pass in one single attraction.
You have to be very careful when buying your museum pass though!
There are two different passes you can get in Istanbul. The museum pass that gets you entry to 10 different museums and Topkapi Palace. And the Istanbul pass that gives you access to something like 85 different attractions in Istanbul.
You want to purchase the museum pass not the Istanbul pass.
At the time of writing, the museum pass is 700 Lira (approximately $26 USD).
You used to be able to purchase the museum pass online and have it delivered to your hotel when you arrived in Istanbul, but that stopped during Covid.
Now you have to purchase the museum pass in person when you’re in Istanbul. Luckily, it’s very easy to purchase.
There are museum pass stalls all over Istanbul near the popular tourist attractions. Especially the attractions included in the museum pass.
I purchased mine right near Hagia Sophia. The location was surprisingly very quiet compared to the one near Galata Tower. If you’re able to, I’d recommend purchasing your museum pass there.
Your museum pass is valid for 5 days after purchase and allows you entry to the 10 locations once.
My favourite museum included in the museum pass was Great Palace Mosaics Museum. I highly recommend you take half hour out of your day to visit it!
I’m from Canada, and taxis here are very expensive. Since that’s what I’m used to, I kind of think of taxis as a luxury and not something that should be used on a regular basis.
That’s not the case in Turkey.
Taxis are very affordable in Turkey. That’s a good thing since bus stations tend to be located quite a distance out of town, and you might not want to wait an hour or so to catch a bus.
If you need to get somewhere quickly in Turkey or don’t want to wait for a bus, you can take a taxi without breaking the bank. It’s quite nice to know you can rely on taking a taxi without stressing about how much it’s going to cost you. A nice luxury indeed.
I found the taxi drivers to be very helpful and didn’t really have an issue with being scammed, which is always a bit of a concern as a solo female traveller.
The only time I got mildly scammed was my ride to the Istanbul airport, but that was only for a couple of dollars. Not a big deal in the whole big scheme of things.
Just make sure the taxi driver turns on the meter and that the meter actually starts counting upwards.
All the blogs I read in preparation for backpacking Turkey told me that Turkey was affordable. I took that with a grain of salt because they were written before Covid, and I knew Turkey was dealing with a major inflation problem.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Turkey was a lot more affordable than I thought it would be. Even when I was in Istanbul and ate in a touristy area where the prices are always way higher, the prices were still very reasonable.
In a lot of cases, I found Turkey more affordable than some Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia and even Cambodia.
It is definitely a country you want to visit if you’re on a budget and love history. Even if you’re not on a budget, it’s always nice to have your money stretch a little more than you thought it would.
I found that if I took information from a 2019 budget guide, I could often expect to pay about 50% more for food. That was in 2022 at least. Prices have probably increased a bit since then as well.
Even though the prices have increased a fair amount in the past couple of years, it’s still very affordable in Turkey compared to other nearby countries and especially Europe.
In most countries you need your passport to check into hotels and into flights, and that’s pretty much it. China’s a big exception to this rule, but, in general, you don’t really need your passport all that often when you travel.
Turkey is also an exception to this rule. I found myself pulling out my passport way more than I normally have to when I travel.
You need your passport to book bus and train tickets and sometimes even to purchase entrance tickets to tourist attractions.
The most strange thing is that oftentimes my passport number was the login for the wifi. This meant I had to wait quite a while before I could access the internet in my room (that wasn’t an issue since I had an esim) and that I ended up memorizing my passport number. That is not something I ever thought would happen.
Be sure to carry your passport on you when backpacking Turkey. You never know when you might need it.
One of the most important travel safety tips that most people ignore or don’t know about. You rely on public wifi when you travel. Even if you have an esim (highly recommend!), you’ll still be using public wifi at your hotel at a minimum.
Public wifi puts you at risk of having your personal online information and data stolen. Even if it has a password on it, everybody else who knows the password is able to access the internet. Anybody who wants to and knows how can access your online data.
Trust me when I tell you that you don’t want to deal with cancelling your bank cards while abroad because someone stole your banking information. It’s a headache I don’t wish on anybody.
The only way to keep your online information safe when using public wifi is by installing a VPN on your devices.
It essentially puts a forcefield around your devices that makes it impossible for prying eyes to access your online information.
A VPN makes using public wifi networks just as safe as using your home wifi where you’re the only person who knows the password.
Its’ the easiest and quickest safety precaution you can take when travelling!
I’ve used a lot of different VPNs over my many years of travel. VPNs are notorious for slowing down your devices and making the internet painfully slow. A lot of the time I would turn off my VPN and put my information at risk just because the VPN was slowing down the internet so much.
All that changed when I started using NordVPN. It’s the quickest VPN on the market. I’ve never noticed any internet slowdown and forget I’m using a VPN most of the time. It just feels like I’m scrolling the internet like normal.
Not only is it the fastest and most reliable VPN out there, but it’s also super affordable. You can install NordVPN on up to six devices on a single subscription, so you can protect all your devices for one price.
The price per month of a two-year subscription is less than a single Starbuck’s latte!
I always say that if you can afford to travel, you can afford to protect your online information with a VPN.
I really hope this article helped you decide whether backpacking Turkey is right for you or not. I love Turkey and really want to encourage more people to visit it.
It’s one of the most beautiful and historically rich countries on the planet!
Turkey is also extremely safe and a great place to start exploring as a solo traveller. It’s easy to get around, affordable, and full of bucket list experiences.
I know a lot of people just visit Istanbul and Cappadocia, but I encourage you to spend more time in Turkey and explore some of the less popular tourist areas. You won’t regret it!
Istanbul is quickly becoming a more and more popular tourist destination. Many people wonder is Istanbul safe? And is Istanbul safe for solo female travellers?
I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Istanbul and travelling around Turkey as a solo female traveller.
I can honestly say that I never felt unsafe in Istanbul. In fact, I felt more safe in Istanbul that I have in many other cities. And definitely more safe at night than in Paris.
But is Istanbul safe just because I found it safe? I’m an experienced white solo female traveller, so travelling alone is objectively easier and safer for me than for some other groups of people.
I’m going to take your through my experience travelling alone in Istanbul and give you some safety tips, so you can decide if Istanbul is safe for you or not.
Just in case you skimmed the intro to this post (I really can’t blame you), I was to reiterate that Istanbul, in my opinion, is very safe. It’s a huge metropolis and most people are just trying to get on with their day and make a living.
Most of the time when I told people I was going to Turkey alone for an extended period of time, people were horrified. The first question they always asked was related to safety in some way or another.
I think there is some prejudice from people about the part of the world Turkey is in. Most people will never see Turkey or a country with a majority Muslim population. People are scared of what they don’t know, and, let’s be honest, as a Canadian, there is a lot of propaganda being fed to us about Muslim majority countries.
Turkey is a secular country by the way.
In some ways I understand why people ask is Istanbul safe. Especially when you’re travelling there alone.
That’s probably why you’re Googling whether Istanbul is safe or dangerous and reading this article.
You can sleep easy knowing that Istanbul is safe for tourists. It has a great tourism infrastructure, is very walkable, and there are always tons of other tourists around in case you need to blend in and not look alone for a minute or two for any reason.
That doesn’t mean that nothing could go wrong on your solo trip to Istanbul. Of course things could go wrong, but you really only have to worry about the normal tourist traps and scams like everywhere else in the world.
Later on in this article I’m going to give you a few safety tips and tricks to make sure you’re safe while travelling Istanbul solo. First I’m going to answer a few other top safety questions that most people ask me when I talk about travelling alone in Turkey.
I’m always surprised by the number of people who question whether the Istanbul airport is safe. It’s such an odd question to me. It’s a huge hub airport. Of course it’s safe!
In fact, it’s one of my favourite airports in the world.
They did an incredible job designing it and making it feel like a high-end experience rather than a typical airport experience. It’s bright, open, and has tons of shopping.
If you can get into the business class lounge, I highly recommend it. Even if you can only get into the “normal” lounge, it’s still a great experience.
If your credit card doesn’t give you lounge access, consider whether or not getting a Priority Pass is worth it for you based on how often you travel.
If you’re worried about getting from the airport to your accommodation, consider hiring a private transfer. It’s not much more expensive than getting a taxi, but this way you know exactly how much you’re paying and don’t run the risk of being scammed.
There is one really odd thing about Istanbul airport you should be aware of though. At least it’s odd to me and not something I’ve seen anywhere else in the world.
Most international flights (especially going to Canada, the US, or Europe) require you to go through lots of additional security screening in addition to the normal airport screening.
Your passport will be scanned before you check in, but that’s only the start.
Once you get to the gate, you have to have your passport scanned normally two more times, empty your carry on bags and have them searched and tested for bomb residue, and be patted down by a security agent.
It’s definitely overkill, and people tend to get annoyed really quick because it takes a long time to get through the line.
I recommend you go to your gate as soon as it says “go to gate”. That is when the security line will be the shortest.
The downside to being at the gate right when it opens is I’ve never been in a gate area that has a bathroom in it. You can’t leave the secure area either unless you want to go through the entire additional security screening process again.
It’s a hassle and an annoyance for sure. But now that you’re aware of it, you can make sure you get to your gate early, go to the washroom before arriving at the gate, and know what to expect when you get to the gate.
I’m not a fan of the process either, but you have to go through it, so just be nice and patient with the people who are doing the additional screening.
Yes. It is safe to walk around Istanbul at night. Even as a solo traveller.
You just need to take reasonable safety precautions. Don’t go down any dark and mysterious roads, try to stick to a main route you know, and be aware of your surroundings.
For example, if you’re walking home from your Bosphorus Dinner Cruise, know what route you’re going to take in advance and stick to the main streets. Don’t try taking any shortcuts. The good thing is the Google Maps normally takes you on main streets anyways, so it should be a problem.
You should have no problem walking around Istanbul at night and should feel safe the entire time. I never felt the need to watch my back or like I needed to walk quicker to get home.
No city is ever guaranteed to be safe from terrorism. But it isn’t something you need to be actively worried about terrorism, and it shouldn’t be something that stops you from visiting Istanbul.
I’m writing this in mid-2023, and there has only been one terrorism event in the past five years. Statistically, there is more than one mass shooting every day in the USA, so if you’re comfortable and confident being in the US, then Istanbul won’t be an issue for you.
You don’t normally consider terrorism attacks when planning a trip to, say, Italy or the UK, and it doesn’t need to be a consideration when planning a trip to Istanbul either.
Yes. Absolutely. 100%.
Istanbul is a very safe city, and being a woman doesn’t make it any less safe. Everybody in Istanbul is incredibly kind and helpful. It’s an extremely safe city, and a very easy city to travel around.
I actually think it’s a great city to visit if you’re new to travelling alone. Most attractions are within walking distance to one another, the city is super safe, the food is delicious, and it’s a great place to build up your solo travel confidence.
Now that I’ve hopefully answered most of the questions you have about safety in Istanbul for tourists, let’s move on to some of the safety tips you should know when visiting Istanbul.
Since Istanbul is such a safe city, most of these tips are generic safety tips you should use whenever you travel.
Pick pockets are probably the biggest thing you need to worry about while in Istanbul.
The city is busy, the streets are crowded, and there are tourists everywhere. This makes for the perfect combination for pick pockets to thrive.
Luckily, it’s super easy to not be a victim of a pick pocket.
Keep an eye on your belongings, wear your bag on the side close to the front of you not so it is slipping backwards, keep items out of your pocket, and don’t carry valuable in your hand unless you have a firm grasp on them.
It’s shocking how many times I see people carelessly whipping out their phone to take a picture or video and don’t have a tight grip on it. Definitely not the best safety practice out there.
The other thing you need to do is be aware when people bump into you. Because they will. There are a lot of bottle necks in Istanbul because there are too many people walking on narrow sidewalks or through underground passages.
Most people who bump into you are just normal people trying to make it to their destination. The odd one may be a pick pocket. Follow basic safety rules, keep your head on a swivel, and look aware.
Those simple steps will make you a far less likely target for a pick pocket. They want someone who is mindless and not aware of their surroundings. Look confident, and you shouldn’t have an issue.
This probably sounds like a really weird thing to bring up in an article asking the question is Istanbul safe but hear me out.
As I mentioned, the sidewalks in Istanbul are very narrow, and there are a lot of people using them. This means you’ll often spill out onto the street. At a minimum just when you want to pass someone.
On some of the main streets that people walk, there aren’t cars. Only trams allowed. These streets often see the most people walking on the streets and not the sidewalk. Makes sense since there are no cars.
That’s all fine and good until a tram comes along.
The trams will ring their bell to let you know they’re coming, and then it’s up to you to get out of their way. The hard part sometimes is finding a place on the sidewalk to go.
Sometimes it’s difficult to hear the tram’s bell because it’s so loud.
The moral of the story is that you need to be really aware of your surroundings and be prepared to get off the street at any given moment.
Even after reading this, you probably think this is a weird tip, but you’ll understand better when you’re in Istanbul.
One of the most important safety precautions you can take as a traveller is being internet safe. Unfortunately, not enough people know the risks of being online while abroad (or even out and about in their own city), so it’s not something most people think about.
You rely on public wifi when you travel. Even if you have an esim and are using data while out exploring Istanbul, you’ll still be relying on public wifi at your hotel and the airport.
Public wifi networks aren’t secure. Pretty much anybody can get into them. Even if they have a password associated with them. This means that your personal online information and data is at risk of being stolen.
Trust me when I say you do not want to have to deal with canceling bank cards while you’re abroad because prying eyes stolen your bank information while you were using a public wifi network.
The only way to keep your private online information safe and secure while you travel is by install a VPN on your devices.
A VPN essentially puts an invisible forcefield around your devices that makes it impossible for prying eyes to access your information. It makes using public wifi networks just as safe as using your home wifi network where you’re the only person who knows the password.
Installing a VPN is truly one of the easiest things you can do to protect yourself while you’re abroad.
I always say that if you can afford to travel, you can afford to protect your online information.
VPNs are notorious for slowing down your internet speed. I’ve used tons of different VPN providers over my many years of travel, and I’m embarrassed to admit that I often turned my VPN off and put my information at risk just because the VPN I was using slowed my internet down so much.
That all changed when I started using NordVPN.
It’s the fastest VPN on the market, and you can really tell the difference between it and other VPNs. I’ve never noticed a difference in my internet speed when using NordVPN.
Another great feature of VPNs is the ability to cloak your location. You can set your location to any country in the world, and the internet thinks you’re actually in that country.
This gives you access to that country’s Netflix, sporting events, and can sometimes save you lots of money when searching for flights.
The very best part is that VPNs are affordable and won’t break the bank. The cost per month for a two-year NordVPN subscription is less than a single latte at Starbuck’s.
It’s an extremely small price to pay for the peace of mind you get knowing that all your personal online information and data is safe from prying eyes.
Seriously. We have so much of our personal information online nowadays that it’s too much of a risk to use public wifi without a VPN.
Just like any city, there are a few scams you should know about in Istanbul. Most of them are pretty standard scams, but there is one you may not know about.
The most common scam is the taxi scam. This happens in a couple of ways.
Often the taxi driver insists on not starting the meter and agreeing on a price before you leave. You never get a good price when this happens. If a driver starts doing this, just say no and walk away. There are plenty of drivers in Istanbul that won’t do this.
The next two scams are harder to get away from because you’re already in the car when they happen.
The first is the scenic drive. This happens in nearly every city in the world. The taxi driver gets a tourist in their car, and they start taking the longest way possible to increase their fare. You don’t really know the proper way to go as a tourist, and you may not ever realize you’ve been scammed if this happens to you.
The second is the most common taxi scam in Istanbul. Especially when going to or from the airport. That’s the toll fee scam.
Taxi drivers will say they went through tolls, and you have to pay for them. That’s fair enough, but they always tell you the toll costs way more than it actually did. The first time this happened to me, the taxi driver said the toll fee was 50 Lira (about $2 USD). I Googled it, and the toll was actually only 8 Lira (about $0.30 USD).
It isn’t a huge amount of money you’re being scammed out of, and it’s often better just to pay it rather than argue about it.
The way to avoid these scams is by using Uber. You’ll still get a taxi when using Uber, but using the app gives you the rider the safety of knowing what the price should be and not getting scammed. And if you think you have been scammed, you can deal with Uber not the taxi driver.
This is the scam you’re probably not aware of. It’s very common in most countries that are famous for selling carpets, and it’s something you should be aware of.
This happens where a nice older man starts chatting with you and then offers to show you around the city or to his favourite tourist spot. Then as you’re walking to wherever he’s going to show you, he stops at a relative’s carpet shop and wants to show you around.
You’re greeted kindly, given a cup of Turkish tea, and shown around the store.
Then you’re trapped.
They go on trying to sell you the carpets including shipping them back home for you. You’re probably not in the market for a carpet, but they keep pushing, and you can’t leave.
When you do eventually leave, they get really angry with you. But don’t give in, you don’t have to purchase anything from them. If they ask you to pay for the tea, don’t. Just leave.
It may sound like a silly scam. Why would anybody take a stranger up on their offer to tour them around? The person doing the offering is always very nice and chatty, and you always don’t want to be rude and just walk away.
But that’s exactly what you should do. Walk away. Never go with the stranger. That’s just unsafe no matter where in the world you are.
Now I don’t want you to get the idea that all carpet sellers are scammers.
Most aren’t.
If you want to purchase a carpet while you’re in Istanbul, do some research online ahead of time and find a reputable store with good reviews.
Ah. This is a classic. It happens in many countries around the world.
Someone comes up to you and just starts shining your shoes without asking or saying anything.
If this happens to you, pull your shoe away while they’re bending down. Don’t let me make contact with your shoe. Say no and walk away.
If they make contact with your shoe, you’re going to have to pay them way more money than you should.
It’s an unfortunate scam, but it’s an oldie and a goodie and happens all over the world.
The final scam I’m going to tell you about makes me seem a bit mean. And that is the child beggar scam.
This is where a small child begs on the street for money. In most cases, the child and their family is indeed poor, but you shouldn’t give any money to a child begger.
It just encourages the parents to continue to keep their kid out of school or other child activities, so they can make money for the family. It’s not fair to the child.
Just like the shoe shine scam, this scam happens all over the world. It’s hard to say no to a begging child, but it’s in their best interest. If they stop making money, hopefully their parent will stop making them go out and beg.
This is another one where it’s going to sounds weird to you before arriving in Istanbul. Tour groups in Istanbul are wild. I’ve never seen so many tour groups anywhere else I’ve travelled.
They’re everywhere, they’re huge, and they’ll run you over. They have mob mentality, and they just keep walking without being aware of their surroundings.
The group leaders stop wherever they want with no regard for other people. I had a tour leader stop right at the exit of a ticket booth where there was only a single door to get out. Blocked the entire door and wouldn’t leave. I had to push my way out.
The tour leader will stop right where you’re standing if that’s where they want to stop, and they don’t make their tour group stand off to the side to make room for other people to get through.
It’s very chaotic at big tourist attractions like Topkapi Palace.
I know this information isn’t really an Istanbul safety tip, but it’s important information to know. It helps you know what to expect and stay calm when you’re being overrun by the tour groups.
And in places like Basilica Cistern it actually is a very important safety tip to know. It’s extremely crowded in the Basilica because of all the tour groups. There is pushing and lots of crowds.
There are even a few places where there aren’t guard rails. I saw a small child almost fall into the water because their adult wasn’t watching them closely enough.
So, please be prepared to navigate your way through tour groups and be extra careful when touring the Basilica Cistern, which is 100% a tourist attraction that is worth doing while in Istanbul!
A lot of people just assume that tap water in Istanbul isn’t safe to drink, but it is. Tap water isn’t safe to drink in every city in Turkey, but major cities like Istanbul have safe tap water.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll want to drink it though. I tend to stick to bottled water while in Istanbul. It’s very affordable, and you normally get a couple bottles per day from your hotel for free.
So, if you’re in a pinch, feel free to drink the tap water, but bottled water will taste better.
You also don’t have to worry about brushing your teeth. I know a lot of people like to use bottled water to brush their teeth when the tap water isn’t safe to drink, but you don’t have to worry about that when you’re in Istanbul. Brush away!
I really hope this article helped answer the question is Istanbul safe?
For me and everybody else I know who has gone to Istanbul, the answer is YES! Istanbul is a very safe city even for solo female travellers.
Turkey as a whole is a very safe country, and it’s one of my favourite countries in the world. It’s such a special place, and if you get the chance to visit, I highly recommend you do.
You won’t regret it!
Japan is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Most people dream of going to Japan, but there are a few important things you need to know before planning a solo trip to Japan.
Compared to lots of other Asian countries, Japan is super easy to travel in and great for people who are new to travelling alone.
Don’t get too confident yet though because there are tons and tons and tons of mistakes I made when I was in Japan solo, and I’ve been travelling alone since 2015.
Japan is unique. Things that typically hold true for travel in other parts of the world don’t always hold true in Japan. Even things that work in Japan’s neighbour South Korea don’t necessarily work in Japan.
So, I’m going to share everything I learned on my solo trip to Japan with you to hopefully save you some mistakes.
Actually, at this point, I’ve been to Japan three times and feel like I definitely know what mistakes not to make. I’ve made nearly every mistake you can.
Let’s get into the nitty gritty of solo travel in Japan! Hopefully by the end of this article you’ll feel confident and prepared and be able to travel in Japan solo like a pro.
The biggest mistake I made on my first solo trip to Japan was not staying near a major train station.
I know when you travel to most countries around the world, you don’t really have to stay near a major train station. As long as you’re near some sort of public transportation, you’re good to go.
That isn’t the case in Japan.
If there is only one thing you take away from this post, it is that you need to stay near a major train station. Ideally, about a ten minute walk away. That way you’ll be super close to the train station but far enough away that it’s quiet.
Most Japanese cities have one major train station. It’ll typically be the name of the city followed by the word station. Like Osaka Station or Kyoto Station of Fukushima Station. You get the point.
Tokyo is a huge city. Huge doesn’t even describe it. Since it’s so large, there are many major train stations.
The two I recommend staying near are either Tokyo Station or Shinjuku Station. They’re pretty central and have access to lots of different metro and JR lines.
There are two main reasons it’s important to stay near a major train station:
Access to lots of different metro and JR lines so getting around is quick and easy
Lugging luggage around on Japanese metros is a hassle. Even if you only have a carryon bag, the trains are often crowded and have lots of stairs. Staying near a major train station means you can just leave the train station and easily walk to your hotel or Aibnb and avoid having to transfer to the metro, JR, or bus to get to your hotel.
Trust me. It’s 100% worth it to stay near a major train station even if it means you have to pay a little bit more for your accommodation.
It is the one tip I give everybody when they’re planning a trip to Japan. Whether it’s a solo trip to Japan or a group trip to Japan.
Tokyo Station: Via Inn Prime Nihonbashi Ningyocho
Shinjuku Station: Hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku
Kyoto Station: Hotel Kanra Kyoto (definitely a splurge but worth it!)
Osaka Station: Hotel Monterey Le Frere Osaka
Kanazawa Station: Hotel Resol Trinity Kanazawa
On my first solo trip to Japan, I only went to Tokyo, and that was a big mistake. Tokyo is nothing like anywhere else in Japan. It’s extremely busy, hectic, and overwhelming.
Kyoto is the next most popular city in Japan for tourists, and I honestly found it a big overrated. Please don’t crucify me for that!
I think that one of the best things you can do when in Japan solo is get outside these two major tourists hubs and see a little bit more of what Japan has to offer.
Osaka is super close to Kyoto, and it has a totally different vibe to Tokyo and Kyoto. It is way more relaxed and laid back and has a lot of interesting tourist attractions. Including Universal Studios Japan!
The food in Osaka is also top notch, and it’s known as the foodie capital of Japan.
If you visiting Kyoto is your dream because it looks beautiful and full of ancient temples and things to do, I recommend visiting Kanazawa.
It’s everything I thought Kyoto would be and more. Kanazawa is my favourite city in Japan and one I wish more tourists visited. Plus it’s way more affordable than Kyoto, which is a huge plus for solo travellers on a budget.
I don’t really care where you go, but I do highly encourage you to get outside of Tokyo and Kyoto and see a little bit more of Japan.
You won’t regret it. There are so many interesting things to do in Japan that most tourists don’t know about because most people only go to Tokyo.
And trust me when I say that I don’t know a single traveller who says Tokyo is their favourite city in Japan.
Having access to the internet with data on your phone is an essential part of your solo trip to Japan. It’ll make your life so much easier.
To easily travel around Japan, you need access to the internet. To get around, to figure out what train to take, find tourist attractions, and make sure you pick the perfect place to eat.
Luckily, there is an easy solution on how you can have data on your phone everywhere in Japan.
That’s by installing an esim on your phone. An esim allows you to purchase local data for whatever country you’re visiting. In this case, Japan. You buy an esim, and you can use your phone’s data just like you do at home but without any high roaming fees.
All you have to do is purchase an esim either online or through the app, install it on your phone, and make your esim your main source of data. The entire process takes less than five minutes and is very intuitive and easy. You can even install an esim on your phone before you arrive in Japan, and it’ll automatically activate when you turn on your data in Japan, and you phone connects to a Japanese network.
I like to purchase my esim online because it gives you a QR code. You just scan the QR code on your phone, and your esim is set up in a few easy clicks.
Esims allow you easy access to phone data without having to rent a wifi egg, purchase a local sim card, or incur high roaming fees with your local carrier.
I recommend esims to all my friends and family when they travel, and they all love it as much as I do.
Since esims are a relatively new technology, there aren’t a lot of reliable companies offering them yet. And you do not want to purchase an esim from an unreliable company and be stuck stranded without phone data.
I love Airalo. It’s my go-to esim provider, and I purchase all my esims through them.
They have the most esims available for the most countries compared to competitors. They also offer incredibly good prices and always have reliable data. You purchase a certain amount of data up front. If you’re close to running out of data, you can purchase more data to be added to your esim with one quick click in the app.
Another option you can look into is Drimsim. Unlike Airalo, Drimsim charges you per MB used rather than charging you for a certain amount of data up front.
If you don’t plan on using much data, Drimsim may be the better option. I highly recommend if you choose Drimsim to turn off your data whenever you’re not using it. This will prevent data accidentally being used in the background and running up your bill.
I tend to use a fair amount of data when I travel between Google Maps, texting, and scrolling social media while eating alone, so Airalo is my esim of choice.
I’m normally in a country for three to four weeks at a time and purchase the 5GB plan. I’ve never gone over before, but there have been a few times when I’ve been close. If you’re only in Japan for a week or two, you should be fine purchasing a 1GB or 3GB plan.
The 3GB plan is probably your best choice. It’s only a dollar or two more than the 1GB plan and gives you the peace of mind that you won’t accidentally run out of data while out and about exploring one day.
Plus it’s likely more expensive to purchase a 1GB top up if you run out of your pre-purchased 1GB data than it is to purchase a 3GB plan.
Anyways, whatever amount of data you choose to purchase is up to you. The important thing is that you install an esim on your phone, so you can easily access the internet when out exploring. This is especially important as a solo traveller!
You’re probably already acquainted with Google Maps, but it’s going to become your best friend when you’re travelling Japan solo.
Google Maps in Japan has some of the most comprehensive information of any country I’ve visited.
Especially when it comes to public transportation, which some people find overwhelming and confusing the first time they come to Japan.
Here is some of the information Google Maps tells you when riding the metro in Japan:
What entrance to take to get to the metro
What exit to take when leaving the metro. This is very important information. Please don’t ignore it!
The exact train car number you should get on for the quickest transfer or exit
What platform your train is departing from. This is very helpful in major train stations where there can be over 20 platforms
How busy the train is, is the train has AC or not, and whether or not there are delays on the route
Google Maps can also navigate indoors in Japan. This is super useful when trying to find a store in a massive shopping mall. It’ll guide you to the nearest escalator to the store you’re looking for and take you right to the entrance.
It’s fabulous. Google Maps may be your most used app while on your solo trip to Japan!
Major train stations are extremely difficult to manage. You 100% need to use Google Maps if you’re trying to find what exit to use or something inside a train station.
Before you start thinking I’m dramatic and how hard could a train station possibly be, Shinjuku Station has 200 different exits.
So, yeah, complicated. You can easily get lost and spend an hour or two wandering around trying to find what you’re looking for.
Trust me. I once spent half an hour looking for a tempura restaurant in Tokyo Station and ended up giving up and leaving.
Whenever you have to exit a major train station, be sure you know what exit you want and watch the signs carefully.
Some major train stations like Kyoto Station and Kanazawa Station are easier to manage. Some like Tokyo Station and Osaka Station are more complicated.
Be prepared. Be patient. And if all else fails, find your way to an information booth, and someone will be happy to help you find what you’re looking for.
I hate waiting in lines and avoid waiting in them at all costs. The Japanese don’t seem to have the same aversion to lines that I do. There are lines everywhere, and people don’t mind waiting for them.
There are lines for food (these are often the longest lines at popular restaurants). Lines for tourist attractions. Lines for no apparent reason.
It’s just something that comes with a solo trip to Japan.
Hopefully you don’t have to wait in too many lines but bring your patience just in case. If you know you’ll be waiting in a line on a particular day, consider bringing a book (or audiobook) or something to entertain yourself with.
Golden Week is a national holiday in Japan where people get an entire week off of work. Japanese people use this as an opportunity to travel, and a lot of people travel within Japan rather than going abroad.
This means three things:
The most popular cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto are very, very, very busy
If you’re visiting a less popular tourist destination, things like restaurants may be closed
It will be difficult to find an affordable hotel even if you’re booking months in advance. I wanted to go be in Sendai durning Golden Week and couldn’t find an affordable hotel even though I was looking 5 months in advance.
I was in Japan during Golden Week in 2023 and experienced both those things. I spent the majority of Golden Week in Fukushima. Not the most popular tourist destination. A lot and I mean a lot of the restaurants were closed. Some were open until 2pm, but many were closed all day. Not great.
Then I was in Tokyo for the last two days of Golden Week. It was madness. I’ve never seen a city so busy in my entire life. I cannot imagine how busy it was during the height of Golden Week because I assume some people already went home to get ready for work in a couple of days.
Moral of the story is to avoid Japan during Golden Week at all costs. Don’t think to yourself that it won’t be too bad because it will be. Trust me.
On the flip side, going to Japan right after Golden Week is probably the best time of the entire year to be in Japan. I was at Tokyo Disney Resort the four days following the end of Golden Week, and I’ve never seen it so quiet before. It was magical.
Golden Week changes dates every year and is sometime in either April or May. Just do a quick Google search before planning your solo trip to Japan and make sure you aren’t planning it during Golden Week.
You’ve probably heard a lot about the JR Pass and how it is essential when travelling in Japan. How you’ll save so much money with the JR Pass.
But, honestly, that isn’t the case for most people.
If you’re only travelling between Tokyo and Kyoto, you likely won’t get your money’s worth out of the JR Pass.
If you’re in Japan for two or three weeks and spending more than a day or two in each city, you probably won’t get much value out of the JR Pass.
You need to be using the JR a lot in a short period of time to get value out of the JR Pass. Especially now that the price is increasing by about double!
I spent 3 weeks in Japan in 2023 and took the JR or Shinkansen between each city I visited. I used JR trains to travel within each city. Even though I would have used the JR Pass a lot, it still didn’t make financial sense for me to get one.
That’s because I wasn’t using the JR enough or on expensive enough lines that purchasing a JR Pass made sense.
Be sure to do the math and use a JR fare calculator before purchasing a JR Pass to make sure you’re getting enough bang for your buck by buying the pass.
The benefit of the JR Pass is that you can pre-reserve seats on the train, which is a huge plus if you have luggage and have to reserve luggage space.
Although, when I was in Japan, I never had to reserve luggage because you only have to reserve it on the most popular and busiest routes like Tokyo to Kyoto or Tokyo to Osaka.
You don’t have to reserve luggage space on most Shinkansen trains.
And if you’re going from Osaka to Kyoto without a JR Pass, just get on the slower JR train rather than the Shinkansen. It’s a third of the price and only takes 10 or so minutes longer if you get on a super rapid train.
Even if you get an esim for your phone, you’ll still be relying on public wifi during your solo trip to Japan. Even if it’s only while at your hotel.
Please don’t waste your esim data and use it at the hotel rather than the complimentary hotel wifi!
And since you’re going to be using public wifi at least part of your trip, I’m going to lecture you about the importance of using public wifi safely.
Public wifi networks are just that. Public. That means anybody with the code can access the wifi. From my experience, a lot of hotels in Japan don’t have a password on their wifi. Anybody can access the wifi even if they aren’t staying at the hotel.
This means that there are countless people using the same unprotected wifi network as you. That puts you personal online information (like you’re banking information) at risk of being stolen.
All it takes is one person with bad intentions, and you’re dealing with the headache of cancelling bank cards while abroad. Trust me when I say that’s no fun.
The only way to protect yourself when using public wifi networks is by installing a VPN on your devices. A VPN essentially puts an invisible forcefield around your devices that makes it impossible for prying eyes to access your personal online information.
A VPN makes using public wifi networks just as safe as using your home wifi where you’re the only person who knows the password.
One of the most important things you should so when preparing for your Japan solo trip is install a VPN. It’s the simplest safety precaution you can take.
The cost per month for a VPN subscription on a two-year plan costs less than a latte and cake pop at Starbucks. You have no excuse not to protect your online information.
I always say that if you can afford to travel, you can afford to protect your online information with a VPN.
I’ve used a lot of VPNs over my many years of travel. Most of them, frankly, suck. VPNs are notorious for slowing your devices down, and you really feel the different in internet speed when using a VPN.
That’s not the case for NordVPN. It’s consistently ranked the fasted VPN on the market and the only VPN I’ve ever consistently used. You don’t feel like your internet speed is slowed down at all when using NordVPN.
You can install a single NordVPN subscription on up to six devices. That makes it super easy to protect all your devices for one low price.
One of my favourite feature of VPNs is being able to cloak my location. That allows me to watch Netflix from different countries and watch Canadian sporting events while abroad.
There are really no downsides to installing a VPN on your devices. It’s an extremely small price to pay for the peace of mind you get by knowing your private information is safe and sound while you’re abroad.
One of the first things you’ll notice on your solo trip to Japan is how quiet it is. In terms of volume. Not in terms of people. There are always tons of people in Japan.
It’s a widely known rule that people are quiet and respectful while out in public. This means no talking on the metro and no loud conversations at restaurants.
And please, please never answer a phone call while on public transit. It’s considered quite rude to speak on the phone in nearly every indoor public setting in Japan. But if you talk on the phone on the metro, you will definitely be getting dirty looks.
Just be sure to be quiet, reserved, and respectful while in public in Japan. I know you’re on a solo trip to Japan, but I also know a lot of you like to make friends while travelling alone. So, if you go out with a group (or while you’re alone), please be quiet.
There is a time and place for loud conversations, and in public is not it.
Oh, and small talk isn’t really a thing in Japan. I know my American friends love starting small talk with strangers, but you’ll be getting weird looks if you try that in Japan.
Taxis are never the most affordable way to get around, but in a lot of places they’ve not super expensive. They’re affordable enough that you can justify taking a taxi if it’s going to be super convenient or save you a lot of time.
Japan is not one of those places.
Japan has the most expensive taxis I’ve ever seen in my life.
There is no circumstance I could ever see justifying me using a taxi instead of the metro other than being physically injured and needing to get to a hostpial.
And even in that circumstance, I may still take the metro because the taxi fees are so high.
If you normally take taxis when you travel, you’ll need to get used to the idea of using public transportation or walking.
See point one about staying near a train station if you need a refresher. 😉
The good news is that Japan has one of the best public transportation systems in the world. It’s so easy to get around. You won’t even miss taking a taxi.
Most major cities have large metro systems. Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto all have metros where you can easily get around. Smaller cities in Kanazawa rely on buses. But they’re smaller cities, so it’s easy to walk everywhere if you’re staying in a central location.
Just be prepared to use public transportation and walk a lot while in Japan. Taxis are a luxury not a normal thing to use.
As we’ve talked about in this article, Japan is busy, and there are often queues. To cut down on your time waiting in line, there are two things you can/should do:
Get to attractions earlier in the day to avoid crowds
Purchase tickets online in advance if you can
These two things will save you heaps of time on your solo trip to Japan. You’ve got a lot to see and do while in Japan alone, and you don’t want to be stuck waiting in a line if you don’t have to.
There are also some things you need to pre-purchase tickets for. As in you can’t get them at the door or they’re likely to be sold out. Those two main things are Universal Studios Japan in Osaka and Tokyo Disney Resort.
This is especially true for Tokyo Disney. You have to purchase your tickets in advance. You can’t buy them at the gate. Universal recently reintroduced buying tickets at the gate, but it’s a super small park and sold out in advance more days than not.
Tokyo Tower Observation Deck
TeamLab Planets (hugely popular and likely to sell out)
TeamLab Botanical Garden (Osaka’s version of TeamLab Planets)
Osaka Museum of Housing and Living
Narita is very, very far away from central Tokyo. Haneda is closer to central Tokyo, but the majority of international flights fly in and out of Narita.
This means you need to have a solid plan on how you’re getting from the airport to your hotel. Sometimes it can take up to two hours depending on where you’re staying.
You can either take the metro or a limousine bus. I prefer the bus. You’re guaranteed to get a seat, probably drops you off closer to your hotel, there is no need to transfer, and you don’t have to deal with your luggage. It just sits nicely under the bus.
Taxis aren’t an option unless you’re rich because they’re so expensive. A taxi from Narita to central Tokyo will cost you a few hundred dollars!
And the last thing you want to do on a solo trip to Japan is break the bank taking a taxi just because you didn’t plan properly!
The fact that Narita is so far away from central Tokyo also means that you need to be strategic about when you book your flight.
If you land late in the evening or depart early in the morning, you might have an issue. Maybe the buses aren’t running early or late enough or maybe you don’t want to drag your butt out of bed super early or be trying to find your hotel in the dark.
If you’re arriving late or departing early, I highly recommend staying at a hotel near the airport for a night. It’s so much more convenient. I’ve done it before for a flight departing at 11am and would do it again in a heartbeat.
Plus the hotels near Narita are surprisingly affordable. I loved my stay at the Hilton Narita. It was super nice and seemed like it should have costed more than it did.
Most airport hotels offer a bus to and from the hotel, which is super convenient. The hotels say it takes about half an hour to get to the airport. From my experience, it takes about 15, but it’s better to be early than late!
Tokyo Disney is a must do for any theme park or Disney fan. Heck the theme parks are so well done that even people who hate Disney enjoy them.
Tokyo Disney Resort has two theme parks: Disneyland and DisneySea. DisneySea is the more unique one of the two, but they both have rides you don’t want to miss.
TDR is hugely popular. Not only with tourists but also with Japanese people. This means that it’s always busy. The most popular rides often have wait times between 90 and 180 minutes.
That’s just on a normal day. Not even during the busiest times of year.
So, you definitely need a strategy when going to Tokyo Disney. It may be your only trip, and you want to get the most out of it.
There are way too many tips and tricks about Tokyo Disney to put into this short(ish) blog post. You’ll have to do a deep dive on that on your own. TDR Explorer is a great place to start!
One important tip I will give you is to visit Tokyo Disney on either a Tuesday or Wednesday.
This is when the parks will be the least busy. You’ll be able to get a lot more done on a Tuesday or Wednesday than on the weekend.
Mondays and Thursdays are normally medium busy. I’ve noticed that a lot of the times school groups are filling up the parks on Thursdays leading up to the weekend, and they’re a lotbusier than Wednesdays.
Mondays have carryover from people visiting over the weekend. They’re not as busy as a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday but are still quite busy.
So, if you have flexibility in your schedule, try to arrange your trip to Tokyo Disney for the middle of the week. This will give you the best chance at having lower crowds.
Health insurance is an essential part of travel, and you need to make sure you have health insurance that covers your solo trip to Japan.
You may have travel coverage through your work plan. If you do, you just need to make sure it covers the entire duration of your trip. Most policies only cover the first 21 or 30 days of your trip.
If you’re like me and don’t have insurance through your employer, you have two options.
The first option is perfect for people who are only going abroad for a shorter period of time. This is buying travel insurance from a major company in your home country.
You can normally get insurance through a bank, company that sells house or life insurance, your local healthcare insurer (like Blue Cross), or through a company like AAA or AMA or CAA.
All these places will let you purchase a travel health insurance policy to cover the duration of your trip.
These are normally reasonably affordable. Especially if you’re only gone for a week or two. They offer decent coverage, but they often make it a headache to make a claim.
You can also get a multi-trip policy that covers you for every trip you take abroad in a year as long as the trip is under a certain amount of days. You get to choose the amount of days when you purchase the policy, and they range anywhere from 7 to 60 days.
This is what my retired parents use, what I used when I was a student, and what most casual travellers use.
The second option is for long-term travellers and digital nomads. That’s purchasing health insurance through a specialized company that solely provides insurance to travellers.
There are a couple of companies you can get this type of insurance through. I personally use Safety Wing and think they’re the best option you there.
They’re very affordable, have a low deductible, make it easy to make a claim, and even provide you coverage in your home country for 30 days as long as you’ve been abroad for 90 days.
I love the flexibility of Safety Wing and being able to cancel anytime I want. If I’m going to be in Canada for a few months, I can cancel my policy and then reinstate it when I start travelling again. They even let you purchase your insurance while you’re abroad and already on your trip, which is quite rare.
Again, this option is best for people travelling for a long period of time. It’s much cheaper in the long run than the first option and provides better coverage.
This may sound like a weird thing to throw into this article but hear me out. The Melon Fanta in Japan is the best soda I’ve ever had. And I’m a soda girlie.
I know. I know. It isn’t healthy, but it just tastes so good!
Melon Fanta is incredible. It’s a bit hard to find in convenience stores, so you may have to order it at a restaurant, but it’s so worth it.
I tell all my friends who go to Japan to try it, and they all love it.
I know it sounds like an odd flavour of soda, but please trust me and try it!
This article ended up being way longer than I thought it would! I guess I just have a lot to say about taking a solo trip to Japan and being in Japan solo.
Japan is a super unique country and requires a bit more planning and understanding than a lot of other countries. It’s so easy to accidentally offend someone because you don’t know the social norms.
But I hope this article helps you better understand what a solo trip to Japan will be like and how to best prepare for being in Japan solo.
It’s an amazing country, and I have no doubt you’ll love it. Basically everybody does. That’s why it’s so popular!
Malaysia isn’t the most popular country in Southeast Asia for travellers, so if you’re planning a trip to the country, you may be asking yourself is Kuala Lumpur safe for solo female travellers?
I’ve visited Kuala Lumpur alone before, so I can tell you first hand whether Kuala Lumpur is safe for solo female travellers.
In short, yes Kuala Lumpur is safe for solo travellers.
In fact, everywhere in Malaysia I visited I felt extremely safe. Even in more rural areas.
Just because Kuala Lumpur is safe, doesn’t mean there aren’t things you need to be aware of. There are definitely things you need to know before your trip to Kuala Lumpur to make sure you’re staying safe and protecting yourself.
We’ll go over everything you need to know before your trip to Kuala Lumpur to keep you safe in this post. That way you’ll be fully prepared and ready to explore my favourite city in Southeast Asia.
Yes. I said what I said, and I stand by it. I adore Kuala Lumpur and think it is super underrated and more travellers should make it a priority.
Tips for travelling alone for the first time
Just in case you skimmed or skipped the introduction to this post (I really don’t blame you), I want to reiterate that Kuala Lumpur is very safe.
I never felt unsafe even when out exploring alone at night or in the early mornings.
That nagging feeling that I need to look over my shoulder or double check the people walking near me wasn’t around when I was in Malaysia. I felt comfortable and confident even though it was my first time in the country.
I’m writing this article from the perspective of a white woman who visited Kuala Lumpur alone.
I had an amazing time and felt safe 100% of the time.
That being said, I have heard from a couple of black solo female travellers that they didn’t always feel welcome in Kuala Lumpur.
Some black women have experienced racial prejudice in Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia.
So, if you’re a person of colour, I encourage you to seek out the experiences of other women of colour who visited Kuala Lumpur alone.
Those experiences will give you a better idea whether or not the answer to the question is Kuala Lumpur safe will be yes or no for you and what you might experience in the country.
Again, I’m just telling my perspective as a white woman. I felt safe, and I believe other white woman will feel safe travelling alone in Kuala Lumpur.
But that might be the case for every woman travelling to Kuala Lumpur alone. Seek out diverse voices and make the decision that is best for you and your situation.
Just because Kuala Lumpur is safe to visit doesn’t mean there aren’t things you need to know about before you arrive in Kuala Lumpur.
Knowing these things will make your trip to Kuala Lumpur safer and help you from standing out or unintentionally offending a local.
Some of these are pretty common sense but some of them you may not know about. But hopefully they help you on your trip to Malaysia.
One of the most important things to know before travelling to Malaysia is that Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country. That means modesty is key for women travelling alone to Kuala Lumpur.
Which can also be a bit tricky because you need to balance being comfortable in the heat and humidity with also being covered up enough to not be offensive.
This means no short shorts or short dresses, no tank tops, and nothing that shoes off your stomach.
I wore a t-shirt and long skirt every day I was in Malaysia and didn’t have any trouble modesty wise. It was hot though, but that’s to be expected in Southeast Asia. There isn’t really any way around the heat no matter what you wear.
Even though Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country, there isn’t a requirement for you to be covered fully or for you to cover your hair.
Just please be respectful and cover your shoulders and knees. Unlike Dubai where a lot of tourists were wearing less modest clothing (even though I think you should be modest in Dubai as well), I didn’t see a single tourist during my three weeks in Malaysia wearing something that wouldn’t be acceptable.
Which was nice to see because most of the time there are always a few people who aren’t wearing what would be considered socially acceptable.
Anyways, moral of the stay is to be modest and respectable but complete coverage and covering of the hair isn’t required.
One of the few things that may change the answer to the question is Kuala Lumpur safe from a yes to a no is the prevalence of pick pocketing.
Be sure to keep your belongings close to you and not keep any cell phones, money, or passport in places where people can easily pull them out of your pocket or bag.
Pick pockets are most common in busy tourist places like the Petronas Towers, Batu Caves, and at KL Sentral.
But that’s really no different than any other major city.
The one thing that makes is a bit different is you have to be aware of monkeys that want to pick pocket you.
Yup. You read that right.
At Batu Caves specifically there are monkeys. Monkeys that aren’t super aggressive but will be aggressive if you have something they want.
If you have anything in your hands, you may have a monkey coming to see you. This includes a water bottle, cell phone, camera, or food.
Keep all of that inside bags as much as possible while walking up and down the stairs. Of course you’ll want to take pictures on the stairs because they’re beautiful but please take a look for monkeys before pulling out your camera and store your camera away after you take your pictures.
Monkeys may seem cute and fun when people post them on social media, but let me tell you that when you’re face to face with them (even at a distance), they’re quire scary, and you don’t want them deciding you have something they want.
One of the travel safety tips not enough people talk about is the importance of keeping your internet safe while on the road.
You rely on public wifi networks every single day when you travel. At hotels, at restaurants, and at airports.
Every time you use a public wifi network, you’re putting yourself at risk of having your personal data stolen. This could be something as small as your social media passwords or something as big as your banking information.
And let me tell you from experience, you don’t want your banking information compromised when you’re on holiday. It’s an absolute headache to deal with.
The only way to keep your online information safe while using public wifi networks is by installing a VPN on your devices.
A VPN essentially puts an invisible forcefield around your devices that makes it impossible for prying eyes to access your online information.
It makes using public wifi networks as safe as using your home wifi network where you’re the only person who knows the password.
Installing a VPN on your devices is one of the easiest ways you can keep yourself safe when travelling. Especially when travelling alone when there is nobody else there to help you if your banking information is compromised.
I’ve used a lot of different VPNs over my many years of travel. VPNs are notoriously known for slowing down your internet speed, and I can tell you from personal experience that is the case for most VPNs on the market.
In fact, there have been many times where I stopped using my VPN and put my personal data at risk just because the VPN I was using was slowing down my internet so much.
All that changed when I started using NordVPN.
NordVPN is the fastest VPN on the market. I’ve been using it for over five years on all my devices, and I’ve never noticed my internet speed slow down.
Which is saying a lot since I rely on the internet for work and am constantly asking it to work hard.
Not only is NordVPN very quick and reliable, but it is also very affordable. You can connect up to six devices on one subscription, so you can easily protect all your devices.
A two-year subscription costs less per month than a single Starbucks latte, so you can’t beat the price.
My philosophy is that if you can afford to travel, you can afford to protect your online information and data with a VPN.
It’s truly a super small thing you can do before your trip to add an extra level of safety, security, and peace of mind.
Even though Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country, that doesn’t mean there isn’t an opportunity for drinking alcohol.
Unfortunately, just like many other cities around the world, there are instance of drink spiking in Kuala Lumpur.
As a solo female traveller, you’re even more at risk of having your drink spiked.
It is definitely one of the reasons someone may answer no to the question is Kuala Lumpur safe for solo female travellers.
Luckily, it is very easy to be safe and not have your drink spiked when drinking at a bar or restaurant.
Only accept drinks from the bartender or waiter and never leave your drink unattended or stop paying attention to your drink even if you don’t leave it unattended.
Pretty simple things that you should be following anytime you drink in public. Follow those tips, and you shouldn’t have any problem with having your drink spiked.
And if you do suspect your drink was spiked, please just buy a new one. I know it’s more expensive, but it’s cheaper than the potential consequences of having your drink spiked.
Tips for planning your first solo trip
I love, love, love Grab and rely on it constantly when travelling through Southeast Asia. It’s more or less the regions version of Uber.
You can easily get picked up and dropped off wherever you want to go for a very reasonable price.
It is also one of the tools you can use to make sure the answer to the question is Kuala Lumpur safe is yes.
Grab rides are tracked, and you can share your location with designated people. It is very safe and perfect for solo female travellers.
It’s important to note that when using Grab as a foreigner, you need to download the app and add your credit card to your account before you leave on your trip.
Otherwise you’ll run into trouble and need to have someone back in your home country create and account for you. An annoyance for sure.
Taxi scams aren’t common in Kuala Lumpur, but they are normally more expensive, and the Grab app is move convenient in my opinion.
Now, just because I’m recommending you use Grab over a taxi doesn’t mean I’m telling you not to use public transportation.
Kuala Lumpur has an amazing transportation system, and you can get basically everywhere you need to go very easily on their metro system.
But if you’re going to and from the airport or the bus terminal or out and about after dark and want to be dropped off right at your hotel door, then Grab is your best option. I’ve never had a bad experience using Grab.
I personally love cities that shun smokers, and Kuala Lumpur is one of those cities.
You can only smoke is designated areas that are more or less hidden in corners or alleys. You won’t see anybody walking down the street smoking, which is nice for non-smokers like me.
Unfortunately, just like everywhere else in the world, vapers think they’re immune from the rules of smokers and still vape out and about.
For the most part though, having to deal with someone walking in front of you smoking and blowing smoke into your face isn’t something you have to deal with.
However, if you’re a smoker, be sure you know that you can’t just smoke anywhere. You need to do it in designated areas.
Most hotels are smoke free, but I’m sure they’ll be able to point you to an area you’re allowed to smoke in if you ask.
I’m not exactly sure what the fines are if you’re caught smoking outside designated areas, but I’m sure there is a financial penalty.
Get an esim! Esims are changing the travel game and are the easiest way to access the internet in foreign countries while still using your home number. I get one everywhere I travel! Airalo is my favourite esim. Download the mobile app here!
I personally think the Bukit Bintang area is the best area to stay in (I used points and stayed at the JW Marriott). It’s in a great location, near lots of shopping, and has better metro options the near the Petronas Towers.
Take the night bus tour of the city. It’s a two hour tour of the city in the evening, so you get to see all the buildings lit up. You get to disembark at a few stops, which makes for great pictures. To me, it’s the easiest way to see Kuala Lumpur at night, which is a must. I booked my ticket through Klook and saved the hassle of going to the company in person and buying my ticket.
Stay hydrated! Kuala Lumpur is a very hot city. Please drink more water than you think you need!
The Batu Caves and The National Museum of Malaysia were my two favourite activities (outside the night bus tour).
Klook is my favourite place to buy tickets in advance. I used it three times in Kuala Lumpur. It saves so much time, and you can often save a few bucks booking with Klook rather than paying once you get to the attraction.
I hope this article has helped you answer the question is Kuala Lumpur safe for solo travellers.
From my experience, the answer is absolutely yes. I never didn’t feel safe during my time in Kuala Lumpur and all of Malaysia.
In my opinion, Kuala Lumpur is one of the best and most underrated cities in Southeast Asia. I highly recommend you add it to your itinerary.
You won’t regret visiting Kuala Lumpur. I love it and can’t stop telling people that they need to visit!
Romania is quickly becoming a more popular tourist destination, but Bucharest is rarely on any list of must-visit cities in Romania. That might lead you to wonder is Bucharest worth visiting?
And is Bucharest worth visiting alone?
I’ve visited Bucharest alone, and I’m going to share my first-hand thoughts on whether Bucharest is worth visiting.
Unfortunately, the answer to this question is more difficult and nuanced than it normally is. We’ll compare the pros and cons of visiting Bucharest, so you’ll be able to decide if Bucharest is the right destination for you.
Is Bucharest safe for solo female travellers?
There are a few things that make Bucharest stand out from the rest of Romania. I spent three weeks travelling around Romania, and Bucharest felt different than every other city I visited.
Of course, I didn’t visit every city in Romania, but I got a good sense of what the country was like and what is typical of a Romanian city outside the capital.
But is Bucharest worth visiting just because it has some unique aspects? Let’s find out.
It shouldn’t be surprising that the government operates out of Bucharest. This means there are tons of government buildings all around the main part of the city.
While that alone isn’t that interesting, there are a few things you can only do in Bucharest, and they relate to the government headquarters.
The first is the Palace of Parliament.
It’s the most famous building in Bucharest and maybe the entirety of Romania. You truly have to see it to believe it.
The Palace of Parliament is probably the biggest tourist attraction in Bucharest and is the main draw for tourists.
That and the National History Museum of Romanian History. Although after visiting that museum, I don’t think it is worth going to Bucharest just to see. But if you do visit Bucharest alone, you should definitely check it out.
Bucharest is the biggest city in Romania by a long shot. One of the reasons the answer to the question is Bucharest worth visiting might by yes is if you’re looking for the big city experience in Romania.
You’re not really going to find it anywhere else in the country.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t bigger cities in Romania, but none really have a big city feel to them. They’re very walkable, and you don’t really need to rely on public transportation or have big buildings like in Bucharest.
So, if you want to experience big city life in Romania, Bucharest may be the perfect city for you.
I’ll admit this point isn’t exclusive to Bucharest, but I had to throw it in here.
The food in Romania is outstanding.
Romanian isn’t the typical cuisine you think of when you think of delicious European cuisines, but it should be. I was blown away by everything I ate in Romania.
Do what you will with that information but do know you’ll be having a lot of good meals while in Romania. And for a really fair price.
Tips for eating alone
If you’re planning to spend a decent amount of time in Romania, then I definitely think the answer to the question is Bucharest worth visiting alone is yes.
No trip across the country is complete without a stop in the capital city.
It also has the largest airport, which makes it the most convenient way to enter the country if you’re not taking the bus or train from a nearby country.
It’s convenience is one of the main reasons a lot of people visit Bucharest.
Bucharest is a great jumping off point where you can easily arrive in the country without a bunch of layovers, and you can easily get to other cities in Romania from Bucharest.
There are other airports in Romania, of course, but getting to them will likely require a layover in Bucharest.
So you may as well check out the city if you have the time.
Now it’s time to get into why the answer to the question is Bucharest worth visiting alone may by no.
It all comes down to personal preference, what you want to see, and how long you have in Romania.
If you visit Romania, you’ll quickly find out that it has a lot of personality. Most major tourist cities are small but have quirk and charm.
That’s not the case for Bucharest.
It is basically a big, Soviet-style city that doesn’t have much, if any, charm or personality.
That doesn’t mean Bucharest isn’t worth visiting, but it is worth noting. You won’t leave Bucharest thinking it is a beautiful city or rave to your friends about what a good vibe it has.
It’s a big capital city, and it doesn’t really have much to make it stand out outside the main two or three tourist attractions.
Speaking of tourist attractions, there isn’t that much to do in Bucharest.
It’s main draws are the Palace of Parliament, the National Museum of Romanian History, and the Old Town.
There are also some cute, up and coming neighbourhoods that are developing that are giving the city more personality. They aren’t really much of a tourist draw at this point.
In my opinion, you can see the highlights of Bucharest in two days and then move on to another Romanian city.
It isn’t surprising that there isn’t a lot of nature in Bucharest outside a few parks. It is a major city, and most major cities don’t have tons and tons of green space.
However, Romania is partially known for it’s incredible scenery and nature, and it is a shame you don’t get a taste of that in Bucharest.
Okay. We’ve covered why you may or may not want to visiting Bucharest alone. Now I’m going to give you my honest opinion as someone who travelled a lot of Romania alone.
If you’re only planning to visit one or two cities in Romania, I don’t think Bucharest should be at the top of your list.
There are countless other cities that I think are vastly superior to Bucharest I think are more worth your time.
My personal favourite is Timișoara. I adore that city. Brașov is another city you should definitely visit.
If you’re spending a few weeks in Romania and visiting four or five cities, I definitely think Bucharest is worth visiting.
It has enough interesting things to do that I think you should spend a day or two in the city.
Plus it has the best airport, so that alone could be enough motivation to spend one day in Bucharest at the start of your trip and one day at the end of your trip.
Whether or not Bucharest is worth visiting really comes down to you and what you want to see.
I don’t think there is enough in Bucharest to make me suggest to you that you should just plan a trip to Bucharest and nowhere else in Romania. I think most other people who have been to Romania would agree.
To summarize:
Bucharest is a nice city to visit if you’re planning a larger trip to Romania but don’t plan a trip to Romania just to visit Bucharest.
PS- Don’t forget to download an esim on your phone, so you can access the internet everywhere in Bucharest with zero hassle!
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Taichung is an amazing city in Taiwan that is sometimes overlooked by tourists, which is a shame! Taichung has an amazing vibe and is home to some the best museums and theatres in all of Taiwan.
The best part is that it is incredibly easy to get from Taipei to Taichung!
There is really no excuse not to visit Taichung when you’re in Taiwan.
There are multiple ways to get from Taipei to Taichung, and it can be difficult for a tourist visiting Taiwan for the first time to pick the best option that works for them and their travel needs.
I have my favourite way to travel from Taipei to Taichung, but it might not be the best method for you and your travel needs.
I’m going to go through all the different ways you can travel from Taipei to Taichung, so yo can decide for yourself what is the best method.
But don’t worry, I’ll break down the pros and cons of each method and then give you my opinion at the end as to what I think is the best way to get from Taipei to Taichung.
I find one of the most frustrating parts of planning a trip abroad is figuring out the best way to get from one city to another. There is oftentimes so little information about travelling between cities, and I have to go to multiple website just to find the answer.
Such a waste of time!
That’s why I love creating these transportation guides for you! I love stumbling across comprehensive transportation guides when I’m planning a trip and wanted to create them to help save my fellow travellers some time.
If you’re planning a trip to Taiwan, here is a list of transportation guides I’ve written and hope they help you in your planning process!
Now back to telling you about how to get from Taipei to Taichung!
The high-speed train (HSR) is the fastest and most convenient way to get around Taiwan. It is fast, clean, efficient, and comfortable.
The only problem is that is it also the most expensive way to travel through Taiwan. You’re definitely paying for the convenience of fast travel, but it can be worth it!
It will only take you 40 to 70 minutes to get from Taipei to Taichung on the HSR!
That is about half the time of the next quickest option! Nothing comes close to competing with the HSR when it comes to speed!
Ticket prices vary depending on what day of the week you’re travelling and what time of day.
You can expect a standard ticket to cost between 650 NTD and 750 NTD. Or approximately $22 USD to $25USD.
A business class ticket is going to cost you quite a bit more. They range in price from 950 NTD and 1,050 NTD. That is about $32 USD to $35 USD. But you don’t need a business class seat. The standard class seating area is quiet nice, and you’re not on the HSR for long!
You can purchase HSR tickets one of these locations:
Both options work perfectly fine, but I prefer to purchase my ticket online and pick it up at the train station the day I’m travelling. It is just easier that way. You don’t have to worry about setting aside the time to ensure you’re at the train station far enough in advance to stand in line to get a ticket.
If you do purchase your ticket online, you’ll either have to print your ticket or pick it up at the station.
There are dedicated ticketing machines for people who are picking up their tickets at the station, so it doesn’t take more than a few minutes. All you need is your booking reference, and you’re good to go!
You can catch the high-speed rail to Taichung at one of these three stations:
Taipei Main Station
Nangang
Banqiao ( located in New Taipei City)
Most tourists will catch the train at Taipei Main Station. It is the most convenient location and tends to be the easiest for people to get to.
No matter what station you choose to depart from, be sure to follow the signs in the station to find the HSR station. The signs are easy to follow and will lead you right where you need to be!
The unfortunate part of the HSR station in Taichung is that it is located in the outskirts of the town. That means you have to take the extra step of taking a separate train to get to the heart of the city.
The HSR station in Taichung is well connected, so it is easy to get from the station into town.
It is only a mild inconvenience.
You can either take the train or a bus from the HSR station into town. The New Wurih Railway Station is only a five minute walk from the HSR station, and you can board a bus directly into the heart of Taichung from there.
Alternatively, you can take a Nantou bus from the HSR station to the Taichung Railway Station in the heart of the city.
Taichung is in the process of building a metro line to the HSR station. Hopefully it is up and running soon, so we can just hop on the metro and get off downtown.
It is fast
The trains are clean and comfortable
The HSR is reliable and hardly ever running late
It is fairly expensive compared to other options
You have to get from the HSR station to downtown by bus, train, or taxi
Taking the train is another great option for getting from Taipei to Taichung. It isn’t as quick as taking the HSR, but it is just as convenient.
The train is a nice combination of price, speed, and comfort. It is a great option for people looking to save a little money on transportation without sacrificing comfort or convenience!
The length of your journey on the train varies a lot more than if you were to take the HSR. It depends on the time of day, what day of the week, and if the train has to stop to let faster trains/HSRs pass it on the track.
In general, you can expect the train ride from Taipei to Taichung to take anywhere between 2 hours and 3.5 hours.
That’s a pretty big difference!
I highly recommend you look at the departure and arrival times for multiple trains departing within an hour or two window of when you want to leave Taipei.
This will allow you to pick the shortest journey that fits within your price point. You may have to leave a little earlier or later than you intended to, but it could end up saving you a lot of time!
There are two different types of trains that travel from Taipei to Taichung:
The local train
The express train
There will, of course, be a price difference between the two types of trains you can take.
The local train is slower and less expensive, and the express train is faster and more expensive.
There isn’t a huge price difference between the two types of trains. If you’re not on a super tight budget, I recommend trying to get a ticket for the express train.
You will arrive in Taichung much quicker than on the local train. The extra money you spent on the quicker train will be made up in the extra time you have in Taichung!
On average, you can expect a ticket to cost:
Local train: 240 NTD or approximately $8 USD
Express train: 375 NTD or approximately $12.50 USD
There are quite a few different places you can purchase train tickets, and they all have their pros and cons.
Here is a list of where you can purchase train tickets:
I personally purchase my tickets through the app. There is an English version, and it is super straightforward and easy to use!
I like purchasing my tickets through the app because the app automatically saves my ticket to my phone, and all I have to do is scan my phone when I arrive at the platform.
There is no need for a paper ticket!
You can download tickets you purchase through the website to your phone as well. You simply enter the booking number into the app, and your ticket will appear.
Buying tickets in person is, of course, great for people who want to pay in cash and don’t want to use their credit card.
You have to arrive at the station early to get your ticket, but it is worth it if you don’t have a credit card or want to use up cash.
No matter how you choose to purchase your ticket, I suggest purchasing your ticket at least a day or two in advance. It will ensure you get a ticket on the train you want, and you have a better chance of getting your preferred seat (window or aisle).
The easiest place to catch the train from Taipei to Taichung is at Taipei Main Station.
You may be able to catch the train at other local train stations in Taipei and New Taipei City, but it depends on the train, so I wouldn’t rely on that.
If you do want to catch the train somewhere other than Taipei Main Station, make sure you use the station you want to depart from when purchasing your ticket.
This way you’ll only see trains departing from your chosen station.
The train from Taipei to Taichung arrive at Taichung Station.
Taichung Station is in the heart of Taichung, so it is a more convenient arriving point than the HSR station outside of town.
Once you arrive at Taichung Station, you simply find you way to wherever you’re staying. You don’t have to worry about the extra step of taking a bus or train into the city, which is really nice!
Less expensive than HSR
Arrives in the heart of the city
Nice blend of inexpensive price but still comfortable and convenient
Can buy tickets on the app
Slower than the HSR
Have to pay attention to travel time to make sure you’re not on a super slow train
The final option to get from Taipei to Taichung is by bus.
Highway buses in Taiwan are convenient and comfortable! They have nice big seats, storage under the bus for bags, and curtains to block the sun. Buses are actually quite a comfortable and stress-free way to travel in Taiwan.
The downside to taking the bus that they have to deal with traffic! You never know when you’ll hit a traffic jam, and your journey could take a lot longer than you anticipated.
It is quite difficult to tell you exactly how long the bus ride from Taipei to Taichung is. The duration of your trip relies heavily on traffic, and that is impossible to predict.
On average, you can expect the bus ride to last anywhere from 2.5 to 3 hours.
There are ways you can try to ensure your bus ride takes as little time as possible.
This includes not travelling during rush hour and avoiding the weekend if possible. That will give you the best chance of not getting stuck in a traffic jam.
The bus is the least expensive transportation option and is perfect for people who count every penny!
A bus ticket will normally cost between 200 NTD (approximately $7 USD) and 275 NTD (about $9 USD).
As you can see, the least expensive ticket price isn’t much cheaper than the least expensive train ticket price, but there is a bigger difference between the more expensive tickets.
You should take the time to price out the train and bus options if you’re on a budget. There may not be a huge difference between the cost.
Bus tickets are purchased at the bus station.
Sometimes there is ticket window where you purchase your ticket and sometimes you purchase your ticket directly from the driver.
You should be able to figure out the protocol when you arrive at the bus station, but if you’re unsure, you can ask any bus station employee, and they’ll be able to help you out!
Buses from Taipei to Taichung depart from the Taipei Bus Station.
The bus station is connected to Taipei Main Station. You simply follow the signs inside the station, and you’ll arrive at the bus station!
The bus arrives at Taichung Station.
Basically, the bus departs and arrives at the same stations as the train. Obviously, the buses depart from a parking lot outside the stations, but you’ll easily be able to find the bus station if once you get to Taipei Main Station or Taichung Station.
The least expensive option
Comfortable
Has storage under the bus, so you don’t have to worry about lifting bags overhead to store
The length of the trip relies on traffic and could take much longer than anticipated
Can’t get up and walk around like on the train or HSR
Purchasing a ticket isn’t as convenient as other options
There are a number of other ways you can travel from Taipei to Taichung. I didn’t go in depth for these options because most people won’t use these methods, but I wanted to include them quickly.
Flying
Driving yourself (car or scooter)
Taking a chartered bus/limousine bus
It is difficult to give a firm recommendation on how to get from Taipei to Taichung.
If I were travelling between the two cities, this is the process I would go through to decide what transportation method I wanted to use:
Check to see if I could get an express train that takes under 2 hours to get from Taipei to Taichung for under 350 NTD (approximately $12 USD).
If I can’t get a quick train to Taichung for under 350 NTD, then I would explore the HSR options.
I would compare the journey length to the ticket price and decide what I felt was the best for me balancing both cost and time.
In all likelihood, 9 times out of 10, I would probably take the train rather than the HSR.
For me, it is worth saving a little bit of money and having a slightly longer journey time than it is to pay the extra price for an HSR ticket.
But it might be different for you.
If you’re only in Taiwan for a very short period of time or are only visiting Taichung for the day, then the HSR is probably your best option.
The only option I’m weary of and don’t really recommend is the bus. I don’t like having my journey time depend on traffic when there is a comparable option for basically the same price.
There isn’t really a wrong way to travel from Taipei to Taichung. Each transportation method is suited for different people with different needs.
The easiest way to get from Taipei to Taichung is definitely taking the HSR or train. It takes a lot of the unknown out of the journey.
Plus you get a much nicer view from the train/HSR than the bus. Who wants to be looking at cars when you could be looking at nature?!
No matter how you decide to travel from Taipei to Taichung, it is well worth the trip! Taichung is a beautiful city that you should add to your Taiwan itinerary!
You won’t regret it!
PS- if you’re interested in learning some great tips to help you navigate Taiwan and not stick out like a tourist, be sure to check out my post on Taiwan travel tips!
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on my affiliate link and purchase something (at no additional cost to you!), I may earn a small commission that helps me keep the blog running. Thank you so much for your support!
Eating alone at a restaurant is the thing most people say makes them the most nervous about solo travel.
As a species, we are social beings, and eating has always been a place to meet up with friends, family, coworkers, whoever and shoot the breeze.
Eating at restaurants, in particular, has become synonymous with socialization and groups of people.
So, it makes sense that a lot of people are hesitant about eating alone at a restaurant and are nervous about that aspect of solo travel.
In this post, I’m spilling my top secrets for eating alone at restaurants. I’m leaving the generic fluff out and going straight into the expert solo dining tips that nobody else is telling you! You’ll be much more prepared to eat alone after reading this post!
The generic tips for eating alone at a restaurant are good, and you should pay attention to them.
But you’re not going to find any of them here.
You can find the same old tips about eating at the bar, brining a book, or planning a picnic anywhere and everywhere on the internet.
Except here!
Get your note pad out because I’m spilling the top tips for eating alone at a restaurant you haven’t heard before!
PS- check out this post for tips on planning your first solo trip
I cannot tell you how important it is to research and understand local customs when eating alone at a restaurant!
Knowing what to expect and how to act in a restaurant in a foreign country makes the whole process so much more enjoyable.
You don’t have to worry about committing a faux pas or doing something that draws attention to yourself.
Before you go to a restaurant by yourself, you should know the following:
What the expectation around tipping is
Whether you seat yourself or wait to be seated
If the check is brought to you automatically at the end of the meal or if you have to ask for it
Knowing just those three simple things will make eating alone at a restaurant in a foreign country so much more comfortable.
It eases your nerves and allows you to enjoy the experience rather than being nervous about doing the wrong thing.
Of course, once you know the customs of the local culture, it makes every other meal you eat alone better.
Plus the more you dine out alone in any particular city or country, the more comfortable you feel and the more confidence you have.
The first meal in any new country can definitely bring up a feeling of nervousness though!
If you’re anything like me, being hangry makes dining alone so much more difficult and frustrating.
I end up getting too hungry, walking into multiple restaurants, walking out because I changed my mind and don’t actually want to eat there, and repeat the process about half a dozen times until I force myself to sit down or just give up on eating.
It isn’t a pretty sight!
You’re all alone, and there is nobody to snap you out of your hangry state and force you to make up your mind or choose where to eat for you.
So, learn how to anticipate your body and feed it before you get to the point of no return when the hangry side of you takes over!
It is one of the most important (and difficult to follow) eating alone tips I can give you!
PS- these are the things nobody tells you about solo travel
One of the biggest eating alone tips that nobody is talking about is to eat at cafés rather than traditional restaurants.
Cafés are filled with people eating alone, and you won’t stick out at all!
Plus they have a much more relaxed vibe. They are the perfect place to relax for a bit and people watch!
Cafés aren’t just Starbucks or other chains where the food isn’t that great. Mediocre at best.
All over the world you can find cafés that serve delicious food.
You can find anything from a simple muffin to a full blown meat entree, or some of the wildest and over-the-top desserts in the world.
Just pop into basically any café in Seoul to see what I mean!
The options are cafés are basically endless, and it is one of the best ways to get comfortable eating alone.
Just find yourself a seat in a corner, and you’re good to go!
One of the best tips I can give people who are nervous about dining alone at a restaurant is to dine at lunch rather than dinner.
Lunch is normally the quieter meal for restaurants, and more people tend to dine alone at lunch on their lunch break or between meals.
You will definitely fit in more when eating alone at lunch rather than dinner.
Plus a lot of restaurants offer deals at lunch, and it is a great way to save money while you travel.
You can often get an appetizer, main, and dessert for half the price the same meal would cost at dinner!
Be on the lookout for those lunch deals!
I guarantee you won’t be the only person eating alone at lunch when there is a lunch deal involved!
PS- here are my top tips for flying alone
I know. I know. This tip sounds really weird and out there.
But trust me!
You will be amazed at the quality of food you can find in mall food courts. Especially in Asia!
Seriously! I ate at mall food courts in Taiwan far more often than I would like to admit.
I’m Canadian, so I tend to think of mall food courts as only having greasy fast food, but I’ve learnt in my many years of travel that that simply isn’t the case everywhere.
A lot of food courts have a mixture of table service restaurants and quick service restaurants where you dine at communal tables.
They are also a great place to look if you’re trying to find a grocery store! You can quite often find grocery stores in the basements of malls!
In my experience, you can find some hidden gems at mall food courts.
I’ve found a vegan make your own ramen restaurant in Taipei, an amazing bibimbap restaurant in Seoul, and amazing mac and cheese in London.
You kind of just need to wander around a bit to find the good stuff, but it is there!
And, again, eating at food courts is a great way to save some money when you travel!
But do be sure to check out local restaurants and street food as well!
Okay. I admit this one is a bit of a stretch.
You’re not eating alone at a restaurant and technically not eating alone at all.
But hear me out!
Food tours are one of the best ways to eat the best food a city has to offer.
You are shown around by a local, get to sample amazing food, and learn about the city’s culture and history alone the way.
You can’t tell me it doesn’t sound amazing to go on a food tour in Italy and sample some pasta, gelato, and some wine!
Yes, technically you’re not eating alone, but it can help you get more comfortable with being alone in a food-related setting.
A food tour helps you get over the initial awkwardness of eating alone by being alone in a group setting.
Weird sentence, but you know what I mean (hopefully)!
You have people around you that you can chat with, but you are still alone. You don’t have any friends or family, and you have to get outside your comfort zone just a little.
It is a great first step to take if you’re nervous about eating alone at a restaurant.
I suggest taking a food tour early on in your trip. That way you can go back to your favourite spots and enjoy an entire meal!
I’m well aware that this is controversial advice and goes against what a lot of other people tell you.
But hear me out!
Dining alone in your hometown is without a doubt the most awkward place you can dine alone.
Even to this day after years of solo travel I will not eat alone in my home city.
Eating alone at a restaurant in your hometown is not the same as eating alone in any other city in the world.
It is far more awkward.
You’re always worried about running into someone you know and having to explain yourself.
Or at least I am!
I personally think the best way to get used to eating at a restaurant alone is to dive into the deep end feet first.
I suggest waiting until you’re on your first solo trip before eating alone at a restaurant for the first time.
It may make you feel awkward at first, but you’re already on your trip, and you have to eat somehow.
Your options are street food, grocery stores, or eating alone at a restaurant or café.
You’re forced to practice eating alone when you wait until you’re on the road to rip off the bandaid.
You can’t use the fact that it feels awkward or uncomfortable at first as an excuse to back out of your trip.
You’re already there, and you’re on your own.
Trust me. It gets easier and easier to eat alone, and it feels completely normal and natural in no time!
So, do you feel more comfortable with the idea of eating alone at a restaurant now?
I hope these tips have helped prepare you for your first solo dining experience.
I’ve eating at hundreds of restaurants alone, so believe me when I say that it isn’t nearly as scary as you’re building it up in your head to be!
It becomes easier and easier with time until it gets to the point where you feel just as comfortable dining alone as you do dining with someone else.
If you use the tips on this list in combination with the advice everyone else tells you, you’ll be a pro at eating alone at a restaurant in no time!
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Trakai Island Castle is an incredibly unique castle in Lithuania, and it is the perfect day trip from the Vilnius! I’ve been to countless castles, and I have to admit that Trakai has one of the most beautiful backdrops (Castle Neuschwanstein still has it beat though). The castle sits in the middle of Lake Galvė and makes for the most stunning photographs.
The castle was built in the 14th Century and restored to its original state in the 19th Century before it was eventually opened to tourists.
The best part of Trakai Island Castle is that it is extremely close to Vilnius, so you can easily see it on a day trip from Lithuania’s capital city. In fact, it is so close that if you wanted to, you could go to the castle in the morning and be back in Vilnius in the early afternoon.
Trakai is only 28km from Vilnius! You need to take a bus from the main Vilnius bus terminal to Trakai. The ride takes approximately 30-45 minutes depending on traffic, and you get off at the last stop. Or the stop where the rest of the tourists get off.
The buses run every 20-30 minutes throughout the day. Between 9am and 10am they run more frequently leaving every 10-15 minutes.
You can show up at the bus station whenever you are ready to leave and not have to worry about waiting a long time for the next bus. The first bus leaves at 5:40am and the last bus leaves Trakai at 9:45pm.
You purchase your tickets onboard in cash, and they cost €1.80 each way, which is a pretty good price! You can’t purchase a return ticket, so you will need enough cash to purchase another ticket on your way back to Vilnius.
There are multiple bus companies that have a route from Vilnius to Trakai and back. They are all basically the same, so you can get on whatever bus shows up first and know you’re in good hands.
Obviously the bus doesn’t drop you off at the castle, so you need to know how to get from the bus station to the castle. Luckily for you it is extremely easy!
It is a short 10-20 minutes walk depending on if you stop to take pictures or look around the town.
There is a large map at the Trakai bus station that you can take a picture of for a reference point while you walk. Trakai is a small town, so it is difficult to get lost. It is nice to have a picture of the map just in case though.
To get to the castle you turn right after you get off the bus. You know you’re going the right way if you pass a grocery store a few blocks away or you’re going the direction of all the other people that got off the bus.
Once you are on the path, you just keep following it through the town. You will come to a point where you have to turn, but there is a sign that tells you where to turn. Once you turn, you’ll be able to see the water. You can’t get lost from there!
You need to follow the same route to get back to the bus station when you’re ready to go back to Vilnius.
You can go inside and explore Trakai Island Castle. The entrance fee is €7 for adults.The castle offers discounts for seniors and students so be sure to about reduce pricing if you fall into one of those categories!
Trakai Castle is a mix of open air and covered areas. The middle portion is open air and doesn’t have a lot to see. Once you get away from the centre, there is more to see. You can explore the main level, parts of the second level, and parts of the underground level.
The exhibits explain the history of the castle and the area as well as its importance. They speak about why this location was chosen and the battles that were fought. The exhibits are interesting, but they aren’t terribly high quality.
I don’t personally think it is worth spending €7 to see the inside of the castle. I was underwhelmed by the experience and felt like I would have been happy just admiring the castle from the outside.
The inside of the castle is quite plain. It doesn’t offer any beautiful architecture or artifacts. The exhibits and information you learn are interesting, but you could also Google it.
For me, I was in awe of the outside of Trakai Castle and the surrounding landscaping, and I lost that enchantment when I walked inside the castle.
If you want to go inside Trakai Castle, you may want to do that first before you explore the outside of the castle. That will prevent you from being underwhelmed when you go inside.
The most obvious and most common this to do is walk around and take pictures from all the different angles. Your friends will be envious of your trip to the castle once they see them- especially if you’re there on a day with a clear, blue sky! You can easily spend an hour or two walking around taking pictures of the castle from different areas.
You can take a 30-minute boat ride around the lake for only €5! The boat trip lets you get a unique perspective of Trakai Island Castle. You will get to experience the castle in a way unlike you are able to while on shore.
You can walk up and book your boat tour. There are a number of people offer them along the pier, and there is no need to book in advance.
There is also a small market near the castle. The vendors sell various knick-knacks and souvenirs. The market isn’t large, and you won’t find anything spectacular there. But it is always fun to stroll through some vendor stalls and look at what they offer.
There are a number of restaurants you can eat at along the water. They offer a great view of Trakai Castle! The downside is that they are very expensive, so you’re definitely paying for the view.
I recommend skipping those restaurants and heading back into town if you’re looking for something to eat. You will have a better meal at a significantly lower cost.
Trakai Island Castle should be on your radar if you’re visiting Vilnius. It is the only island castle in Eastern Europe, and it is well worth the visit!
It is extremely easy to get to Trakai from Vilnius, and even an inexperienced traveller will be able to make the trip without getting overwhelmed. You don’t have to transfer on the bus, and it is a short walk straight through town to get to the castle. It can’t get any easier than that!
Admittedly, the most difficult part of the trip is getting from where you’re staying in Vilnius to the bus station. You can easily arrange for a taxi to take you, or it is only a short walk from the centre of Vilnius.
Visiting Trakai is one of my fondest memories of my time in Lithuania. I hope you get to explore its beauty and make your own memories there!
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London is the city I’ve visited most in the world. I absolutely adore it and continue to go back and and time again. There are countless things to do in London alone, so you’ll never get bored no matter how many times you visit the city.
It may seem like a cliche to say London is one of the best cities in the world and everybody should visit at least once in their life. But some things are cliches because they’re true!
The good news is not only are there plenty of things to do alone in London, but the city is very easy for solo travellers to navigate.
Even if it is your first time travelling alone, London isn’t too big of a beast to tackle.
The city is so used to and open to solo tourists. Nobody bats an eye at you if you’re wandering around alone or eating alone.
Close to 40% of London’s population weren’t born in the UK. Even though it is a huge city, it is a melting pot of culture, food, and people.
Taking a solo trip to London is a choice you won’t regret.
If you’ve already decided you want to visit London alone, here are my top things to do in London alone.
There are tons of other things you can do in London by yourself, but I wanted to create a list of places to go alone in London where you won’t feel weird in the slightest being there alone.
As much as I love going for tea in London, that isn’t on the list. It is totally fine to go for tea alone in London, but it may make some newer solo travellers feel uncomfortable.
This list is for both the beginner solo travellers and the experienced solo traveller!
One of my favourite things to do when I’m travelling alone in London is rent a bike and ride around a park. Hype park is a great option because it is huge and has lots of sights you can stop and look at.
There are bikes you can rent all over London and in multiple places in Hyde park.
You get half an hour free, and then it is quite expensive to pay to use the bike after that.
The good news is that once you return your bike before 30 minutes is up, you can rent another bike 10 minutes later and get 30 minutes for free again!
That’s my sneaky little tip for renting bikes in London and never having to pay! I use this trick quite frequently.
You don’t have to return the bike to the same rental area you got it from. You can return it to any rental rack run by the same company!
There is a little basket on the front of the bike to hold your stuff, and you’re on your way.
Normally, there are quite a few people riding bikes around Hyde Park, so be on the lookout for other bikers, pedestrians, and horses.
Yes. Horses!
Another important thing to remember is that you cannot ride your bike in Kensington Gardens, which are connected to Hyde Park.
Be on the lookout for signs indicating where Kensington Gardens begin, so you don’t break the rules.
One last thing to be aware of is people drive on the left-hand side of the street in London (the opposite side that we drive on in North America).
If you take your bike out on the road, be sure you’re riding the right direction and being safe.
I’m not going to share my horror story of accidentally coming across a roundabout when biking in London and trying to sort out how to use it on the fly going the opposite direction I’m used to!
Needless to say, that was the end of my biking for the day, and I walked my bike back to the nearest return rack.
The Queen’s Gallery is one of the most underrated attractions in all of London, and I think it is one of the best things to do in London alone.
The Queen’s Gallery is right next door to Buckingham Palace and is a gallery where the Queen displays items from her personal collection.
The exhibit changes quarterly, and you get to see artwork and artifacts you would never otherwise be able to see since they’re straight out of the Queen’s private collection.
I’ve been there a number of times and had the chance to see some incredible collections including a Leonardo da Vinci collection that included original hand drawings.
Yeah. That was absolutely incredible.
The reason I think this is such a great thing for you to do in London by yourself is because everybody is listening to the audioguide and moving at their own pace.
Even people who come in groups get separated throughout the gallery and meet at the end.
If you’re hesitant about travelling alone, not a single soul will notice you’re alone. And if they do, they’ll simply assume the rest of your group is somewhere else in the gallery.
Plus, the Queen’s Gallery is super affordable, and if you get the back of your ticket stamped, you can reenter the gallery for free whenever you want for a year.
If you’re lucky, you just might be able to catch one exhibit the first day you’re in London and a new exhibit at the end of your trip.
It is rare for that to happen, but if it does, count yourself extremely lucky!
Get over your fear of solo travel
There are 20 free museums in London for you to explore!
There are art museums, history museums, science museums, museums about the City of London, museums about the banks, library, and so much more.
No matter what you’re interested in, there will be a free museum you can wander around for a few hours and explore.
It is so nice that there are so many free museums throughout the city. It is a nice break from paying for some of the most expensive attractions like the Tower of London.
Give your wallet a bit of a rest!
Some of my favourite museums are located in the Kensington area. The Natural History Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum are right next to one another and are two of my favourites in London.
Another hugely popular free museum in London is the British Museum. It is always back full, and you can see some of the most unique artifacts in the world.
Museums are some of the best places to go alone in London because people are so absorbed in exploring the museum that they don’t pay attention to what is going on around them.
If you go during a weekday day, it will likely be pretty quiet and full of school groups. They’re busy running around doing their projects and don’t care about you.
They can get a bit loud and aggressive at times though so be aware of them. I like to leave the room if there are a bunch of little children running about. Come back later, and it’ll be a much more enjoyable experience.
Museums are often a good place to find free wifi in London so keep that in mind if you’re ever in a pinch and in dire need of internet access.
Just like the Queen’s Gallery, touring the House of Parliament is one of the most underrated things to do in London.
You get to go inside Westminster (not the church but the big famous building that has Big Ben) and tour around the actual place bills and laws are debated in the UK.
Before you start dozing off, it is actually quite interesting!
You can either take a guided group tour or go on a self-guided 90-minute audio tour. The audio tour is what I did and what I recommend for solo travellers.
It gives you more freedom to go at your own pace compared to taking a guided group tour.
There are only limited days you can tour the House of Parliament, so I recommend buying your ticket online in advance. You can also show up at the ticket office across the street from Westminster right outside the metro station and try to snag a last-minute ticket.
I will admit that touring the House of Parliament is a bit expensive (as most sights in London are).
Tickets range from £19 to £29 depending on what type of ticket you qualify for. You can find a list of ticket types and prices here.
This is a surprisingly fun and unique way to spend an afternoon in Central London.
Even if you’re not too into politics, the inside of the House of Parliament is stunning and well worth the price of admission alone.
You also learn about a number of interesting historical events that took place in the building.
All in all, this is definitely something you should considering doing when alone in London if you have the money and can get a ticket.
One of the best things you can do alone in London as night is go to a West End show. I go to at least one show every time I’m in London and absolutely love it every single time!
The West End is similar to New York’s Broadway. There are dozens of theatres in the district, and you can choose from a wide variety of different shows.
I don’t recommend you purchase your tickets in advance through the theatre unless there is a specific show you’re dying to see.
There are two different ways to get discount theatre tickets either the day of the show or a day or two before it:
TKTS booth in Leicester Square
I personally use the app 99% of the time. It is so convenient, and you can book your tickets on your phone from wherever you are and not have to worry about going all the way to Leicester Square.
Not only that, but the TKTS booth often has a long line to get tickets. It isn’t uncommon for you to waste an hour or so waiting in line to get tickets.
That just isn’t how I want to be spending my time in London!
With TKTS, you get your tickets right at the booth when you purchase them.
With TodayTix, you have to pick up your tickets at the box office at the theatre. Be sure to arrive at the theatre early enough to get your ticket and bring photo ID.
I’ve never had a problem collecting tickets when I purchase through the TodayTix app.
I just walk up to the box office, say I’m collecting my tickets, and they give them to me!
I’ll always encourage you to go to a West End show. They’re absolutely fabulous and a fun way to spend a night alone in London.
However, there is one thing you need to be aware of, and that is intermission.
I always feel a bit weird during intermission because there is never any wifi in the theatres, and I can’t scroll around on my phone.
I just sit there and wait for the show to begin again.
So, if you’re going to a West End show alone, have a plan to make the intermission time fly by!
Bring a book, go for a walk around the theatre, or grab a snack or drink.
Many London hotels provide guests with a complimentary smart phone they can use during their stay.
If you’re lucky enough to stay at a hotel that offers this, catch up on the news or random Google searches. You won’t be able to access your social media, but at least you have a phone to keep you distracted!
Lastly, if you’re a frequent traveller, you may want to consider investing in a Solis wifi device.
It is your own personal pocket wifi device that gives you access to the internet pretty much anywhere and everywhere you go.
There are a few countries it doesn’t work in, but it does work in the UK.
You always have access to the internet, can scroll social media, keep in touch with family and friends, and use Google Maps to your heart’s content (big selling feature for me).
I got my Solis in 2019 and adore it.
Be sure to use code TRAVELSWITHERICA for 10% off your purchase if you decide it is the right internet solution for you and your travels!
Free walking tours are one of the best things to do in any city you visit! You get to explore part of the city with a local tour guide, and it doesn’t cost you anything except a tip.
Please be sure to always tip your free tour guides! The only money they make is from your tips!
There are tons of free walking tours in London, and you can find a free walking tour for pretty much any interest you have!
There are tours about Jack the Ripper, Harry Potter, WWII, Graffiti, different areas of London, and, of course, the royal family and history.
You can choose from a variety of different tour operators based on what you want to see and what time works best for you.
I’ve used Free Tours by Foot a number of times in London and have had a good experience each time.
But I’m sure you’ll have a great experience no matter who you go with!
This is without a doubt one of the best things to do in London alone because you’re joining a group of other tourist and listening to a guide.
There will be a lot of people on your tour, and it is easy to stay at the back of the pack and go unnoticed if you want.
Free walking tours are also a great way to meet other travellers. Many people who join free walking tours are younger, and you may be able to meet some people to tour around with for the rest of the day.
No matter what, I highly recommend taking a free walking tour near the start of your trip.
I’ve been on countless free walking tours all over the world, and they provide so much valuable information about the city you’re visiting you wouldn’t otherwise have.
A free walking tour can put a city in a whole new perspective and give you a new way of looking at it for the rest of your trip.
Kensington Palace and its gardens are a very interesting thing to do in London. If you have any interest in the royal family or the history of the royal family, this should be a must-do for anybody visiting London.
You get to tour various parts of the palace including the King and Queen’s sleeping rooms, ball rooms, and art rooms.
There are also limited time exhibits that often feature outfits worn by royal family members.
Kensington Palace is a unique opportunity to learn quite a bit about royal history and the modern royals.
Kensington Palace is a popular attraction, so you’ll want to purchase your ticket online in advance.
You can just show up to the palace the day you want to visit, but there is a good chance all the reservations are full, and you won’t be able to tour the palace.
Even if you don’t want to go inside the palace, you should spend some time walking around the gardens.
They are huge and feature a lot of unique sights and statues for both royals from long ago and more recent royal family members.
Kensington Gardens connects to Hyde Park, so you can easily visit both in a single day.
Kensington Palace may seem like one of the odder places to go alone in London, but, trust me, it is worth the visit.
True, there isn’t an audio guide you can hide behind like some of the other attractions, but, just like the rest of the museums, people will assume you’ve just separated from your group.
If they even notice you at all!
Don’t let being nervous about being a solo traveller in London hold you back from visiting the sights you want to see!
Things to do in Kensington
I love people watching, and there isn’t a better place in London to people watch than Trafalgar Square.
It is a hub for tourists, street performers, and all things odd and interesting.
Grab a coffee to go and sit near Trafalgar Square while you drink it. You never know what you’ll see.
The square often has a number of pop-up events and markets, so you may get to experience an even more unique side of London.
Trafalgar Square is definitely full of tourist and not a place you’ll find many locals, but it is an interesting place to take a quick break, watch tourists, watch a few street performers, and take in the hustle and bustle of the area before you move onto somewhere else.
It is a just a short walk from Westminster on the way to the West End and China Town.
Most tourist will naturally walk through the area, so you may as well slow down and enjoy the chaos.
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London is such a small taste of what the UK has to offer. It is super tempting to stay in London and explore everything it has to offer, but you should consider taking a day trip.
There are tons of cities you can visit on a day trip from London that only take a few hours to get to by train or bus.
My top picks are Brighton, York, and Bath.
All three cities give you a taste of a different side of the UK and gets you out of the hustle and bustle of the city.
If you can only choose one, I highly recommend Brighton. I love it so much!
Taking a day trip outside London may seem intimidating when you’re travelling alone in London, but it is actually super easy.
You just need to hop on the train, get off, wander around the city, and hop on the train again when it is time to leave.
Not only is taking a day trip one of the best things to do alone in London, but it also helps you develop your solo travel skills and become a more confident traveller!
41 things to do along the Brighton Seafront
I never miss the chance to watch a show at the Globe if there is one playing when I’m in London. It is an exact recreation of Shakespeare’s Globe, and they put on authentic Shakespearian plays.
Now, I’m not a Shakespeare fan, but there is something completely different about sitting in the Globe watching a Shakespeare play. It is so much fun!
You should purchase your tickets in advance. I like to pay for a seat, but many people choose to pay for the cheapest ticket and stand in front of the stage.
That gives you the best view, but you also have to be at the theatre super early to get a good spot and have to stand before the show, throughout the show, and during intermission.
It is definitely a young person’s game.
If you’re not in London when there is a play running, you can take a tour of the Globe.
You get to go behind the scenes and learn about the history of the building and Shakespeare.
Both are super fun, but if you can only choose one, see a show. It is worth every pence you pay for it!
This is another hidden gem in London and one of the best things to do in London alone.
I adore the HMS Belfast. I actually stumbled upon it by accident the third time I was in London and was looking for unique attraction I’d never done before.
Boy am I glad I found this one!
The HMS Belfast is the most significant surviving WWII Navy Warship, and it shot some of the first shots at the D-Day landings.
It is one of the most interesting things to do in London, but so few people know about it.
The ship sits in the River Thames right in front of Tower Bridge and across from the Tower of London.
Tens of thousands of tourists look at the ship every year and have no idea what they’re missing out on.
You get an audioguide and weave your way through the ship exploring all the levels and learning about what life on the HMS Belfast was like.
I promise even if you’re not into this sort of thing, you’ll have an amazing time and be so glad you did it!
You don’t need to reserve your tickets in advance because it is such an underrated London attraction.
You can show up pretty much whenever you want and tour the ship.
Just like the Queen’s Gallery, it is an audio tour, so nobody will notice if you’re standing in front of an area all by yourself. They’ll simply thing the rest of your group is ahead or behind you and not bat an eye.
Plus, they’re so involved in their own tour that they likely won’t even give you a second thought at all.
Everything you need to know about the Oyster Card (and why it is essential to have one)
The river Thames is one of the most iconic sights in London but so few people take the time to take in its beauty.
A lot of London’s top attractions are near (or on) the Thames, and you should take a little extra time to walk along the Thames.
There are plenty of cafés and restaurants along the Thames. Sit down, have a cup of coffee, and appreciate the Thames.
There is so much history mixed in with the Thames. It has played a huge role in London and the UK’s history, and it deserves to be appreciated.
You can even take a boat ride along the Thames if you want to see more than just what you can cover by foot.
My personal opinion is that walking along the Thames is sufficient, but you may think otherwise!
Watching the changing of the guards ceremony is a classic thing to do in London.
The actual ceremony is quite a long, drawn out process that takes about 45 minutes, but you don’t need to (even be able to) see the entire ceremony.
The part you want to watch is the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, and that takes place at 11am.
You’ll want to get there early though to get a good view! 10:45 should be plenty of time to get a prime view, and 10:50 will get you a decent view.
The best viewing area is near the Victoria statue right in front of the palace. The second best is along Marlborough Road, so you can watch the guards marching before the changing over ceremony.
Don’t be nervous about watching the ceremony alone. The people around you will be chatting with their friends and family and won’t even notice you.
If they do, they’ll either assume you’re saving a spot for the rest of your group or strike up a conversation with you.
This is one of those things to do alone in London that some people are nervous about, but you shouldn’t be.
You don’t want to miss out on an iconic London experience just because you’re a little shy about being there alone!
Oxford street is one of the most famous shopping streets in London. It is filled with both big brands and small shop owners.
There is plenty to see and do on Oxford street even if you don’t spend a dime.
In fact, I think window shopping on Oxford street is one of the best things to do in London alone. You get to people watch and blend in like a local going about their own shopping.
Plus you get to pop in and out of stores to see what is in style or perhaps find a unique gift to bring home to a loved one.
I like to get off the main street and wander around some of the side streets. You get out of the hustle and bustle, and that’s where you’ll find the most unique and local items!
Oxford street is within walking distance of the British Museum, so you can plan to visit both in a single day!
Camden Market is one of the most popular things to do in London for both tourists and locals alike.
It is located near Regent’s Canal and has over 1,000 stalls selling everything and everything you could dream of.
From music to fashion to food, Camden Market has it all!
It is quite busy, so I recommend going earlier in the day on a weekday to not feel so claustrophobic and be able to move around easier.
The market opens at 10am everyday, so try to get there as close to opening time as possible.
Grab a drink and spend a few hours wandering around the market. It is one of the best things to do in London by yourself, and you won’t regret it!
As you can see, there are tons of things you can do in London alone.
London is truly one of the most welcoming cities to solo travellers, and it is a great city to start your solo travel journey in.
I 100% believe you shouldn’t let travelling alone hold you back from anything you want to do.
Your uncomfortable feeling will disappear once you’re experiencing the attraction. You’ll regret it in the long run if you don’t visit the attraction you’re dying to see.
All of the things to do alone in London on this list are very easy for beginner solo travellers. Nobody will care that you’re alone, and nobody will bat an eye at you.
But, these aren’t the only things to do alone in London. Anything you would be keen on doing with a friend or family member can easily be done alone.
I challenge you to put aside the fact that you’re travelling alone and plan your dream vacation to London!
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Iceland is a dream destination for many travel lovers, but it often seems mysterious and challenging to plan a trip to Iceland. Thankfully, there are some Iceland travel tips that will make you feel prepared and confident for your trip.
I’ve been to Iceland a few times, and I learned some very difficult lessons along the way.
Like almost being stranded in the middle of rural Iceland because I ran out of gas type of mistakes.
I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did. I want you to be prepared and know what to expect before you arrive in Iceland.
Which, as a side note, I’m in love with the bathrooms in the Iceland airport. They’re so big and everybody has their own sink! Definitely the most comfortable airport bathrooms I’ve ever experienced.
Anyways, back to what you’re here for.
There are a few very important tips for travelling Iceland you need to be aware of, and I’ve got your back!
As long as you know the tips and tricks in this post, you’ll be all set and ready to have the trip of a lifetime in Iceland.
Be sure to bring an extra camera battery. You’ll be using your camera a lot and don’t want to run out of battery along the way one day!
10 underrated cities in Europe
If there is only one Iceland travel tip you listen to in this whole post, let it be this one!
You do not want to leave booking your accommodation to the last minute.
You’ll be stuck sleeping in your car.
There aren’t many places to stay in Iceland once you get outside Reykjavík. There are long stretches of road without a single town all throughout rural Iceland.
And that town you do stumble across might not have a hotel, and if it does, it is likely sold out if you’re trying to get a room for that night.
I’m definitely one of those travellers who likes to wait until the last minute to book my accommodation because I often don’t know where I’ll be next week.
Iceland isn’t the place to do that.
As soon as you decide to visit Iceland, start making a plan.
Decide what part of the country you want to visit, how many days you’ll be there, and an area where you want to find a hotel in.
Then start looking for a place to stay and book one as soon as you find something you like.
Yes. You can rent an RV and just sleep on the side of the road. That elevates the need to book accommodation in advance. However, most people don’t rent an RV and need to book a hotel to sleep in at night.
One of the things that surprised me the most on my first trip to Iceland was how many times I would randomly pull over on the side of the road to see an attraction I had no idea was there.
There are little signs on the side of the road all over Iceland indicating that roadside attractions are coming up.
They range from small things like a sign explaining a piece of history to large things like a lava field.
I had planned the major attractions to see each day on my road trip, but I had no idea there were so many smaller things I’d never heard of before to do as well!
I highly recommend you leave some extra time in your daily schedule to explore some of the roadside attractions you stumble across.
Allotting an hour or two per day should be more than sufficient.
Sometimes you have to drive a few minutes off the main road to get to them, so it is better to have a little extra time built into your schedule.
You don’t want to have to not stop at a roadside attraction you’re interested in simply because you don’t have enough time and are rushing to get to the next big attraction.
Slow and steady wins the race!
You want to be able to enjoy your vacation and not miss out on spontaneous experiences, so build in some extra time every day.
Solo travel in Iceland
We all know that Iceland is expensive, but most people don’t realize just how expensive it is.
It honestly gets me every time I visit as well. I’m never not surprised by how much things cost in Iceland.
One of the best Iceland travel tips I can give you is to bring more money than you think you need.
If you think you need $1,000 for your trip, budget to spend $1,200.
This gives you a little bit of a cushion on your trip. You don’t want to run out of money and be stuck not eating for part of your trip.
Luckily, most of the tourist attractions in Iceland are free to visit!
You just have to cover the cost of your rental car, gas, hotels, food, and souvenirs.
You’ll know the price of accommodation and your rental car ahead of time, which helps a lot.
So, really, all you have to try to budget for is gas, food, and souvenirs.
All of which are very expensive.
Just do yourself a favour and have a little extra money budgeted for your trip. It’ll make your trip less stressful.
And what’s the worst that can happen? You don’t use it, and you already have a little money saved for your next vacation.
There is no downside to budgeting a little extra money for your trip to Iceland, so there is no excuse not to!
You can probably guess that the wifi coverage in Iceland isn’t that good. Outside of your hotel, you’re not likely to find free public wifi when you’re out and about.
Maybe at a restaurant here or there, but that isn’t guaranteed.
You’ll need some sort of GPS access when you’re driving around Iceland. You can either rent a GPS system from the car rental company or rent a pocket wifi device.
They are similar in price, but I always recommend you rent the pocket wifi device.
You connect your phone to it, and it gives you access to the internet wherever you are.
You use Google Maps on your phone to figure out how to get from place to place and have access to your social media, internet (to Google nearby attractions), and can easily let someone know where you are if you need help.
In my eyes, it is a no brainer, and renting pocket wifi in Iceland is essential.
If you’re an avid traveller, you can consider purchasing your own pocket wifi through Solis before you leave.
I purchased mine in 2019 and can’t live without it. It is one of the best travel investments I’ve made, but it isn’t for everybody. Read my full review here to figure out if it is right for you or not.
A tourist’s guide to wifi in Iceland
Renting a car in Iceland isn’t cheap, but it is worth the money.
If you want to see more than just Reykjavík, you have two options. You either rent a car and drive yourself or you pay to go on guided group tours.
Both options have their pros and cons, but they will both cost a fair amount of money.
Oftentimes, it is more expensive to pay for guided tours than it is to rent a car and drive yourself.
I know that the cost of renting a car in Iceland may make you shy away from it, but it is worth every single penny.
You have the freedom to do what you want when you want. You can get an early start to the day or have a lie in.
You can stop at as many roadside attractions as you want and stay for as long as you want.
And, for the introverts like me, you don’t have to deal with all the small talk that comes with going on a group tour.
If you’re going to Iceland and want the full experience, it is in your best interest to rent a car and drive it around the country.
As you may have gathered, Iceland is remote, and it can be difficult to stop in a grab a snack somewhere whenever you feel hungry.
One of my best Iceland travel tips is to stop in Reykjavík at the beginning of your trip and grab snacks and drinks for the drive.
They’ll come in handy along the way.
It will also help you with your budgeting. You won’t be forced to eat at the only restaurant you come across and pay whatever the cost for what might not even be a good meal.
You can always grab lunch at a gas station when you stop, but a pre-packaged sandwich will still cost you more than you’d like. The options will be limited as well.
Your best bet for lunches and snacks when driving is to grab some food at a grocery store in Reykjavík and take it with you.
It may seem expensive, but it will be less expensive than winging it and grabbing food as your go.
This is another one of the most important Iceland travel tips you need to pay attention to.
Iceland isn’t like many other countries where you can find a gas station anywhere and everywhere.
Most of Iceland is very rural, and gas stations can be few and far between.
If you see a gas station and have anything less than nearly a full tank, you should stop to fill up on gas.
You don’t know when you’re going to run into a gas station next, and you don’t want to be caught running on fumes.
I know it can be a bit annoying to stop for gas when you have more than three quarters of a tank of gas, but it is just the smart and safe thing to do.
Especially if you get caught driving into the Icelandic wind and burn more gas than you otherwise would.
Take the opportunity to stretch your legs, grab a drink, and feel safe and confident as you continue on in your trip around Iceland.
Click here and use code TRAVELSWITHERICA for 10% off my favourite Instagram presets!
Many people look at Iceland on a map and think they can see it all in one trip.
That’s not the right mindset, and one of the best travel tips for Iceland I can give you is to pick one part of the country to visit and stick to it.
You won’t be rushed, and you’ll be able to explore more during your vacation.
If you have a week, choose either the north or south.
If you only have a few days, you need to narrow it down even more. Choose the north eastern part of the country, for example.
One of the worst things you can do when travelling in Iceland is try to do too much.
There are so many surprise pit stops and attractions along the way. You don’t want to be rushing and not be able to stop.
You also don’t want to spend five, six, seven hours per day driving when you’re on vacation!
There are plenty of free Iceland itineraries online.
Find one that has you driving for a maximum of 4 hours per day. That’s what I do when I go to Iceland, and it works out really well.
What I wish I knew before backpacking Europe alone
Iceland is cold. Colder than you think!
You need to pack a warm jacket, gloves, and something to cover your ears from the cold wind no matter what time of year you visit Iceland.
You may not have to use them, but if you do (which you likely will have to), you’ll be happy to have them!
The first time I visited Iceland it was April. I had been in mainland Europe for the past two and a half months where it was warm.
I thought it was going to be the same in Iceland, but I was very wrong.
It was freezing. I ended up having to spend a ton of money to buy warm clothing in Iceland.
It was worth buying the warm clothing, but it is even better to be more prepared and come with warm clothing.
That way you can spend your money on souvenirs you may want more than a toque or gloves.
Most tourist attractions in Iceland are outside, so you can’t get away with not having warm clothes and staying inside all day.
Pack warm and thank me later!
This is definitely one of the most underrated Iceland travel tips, but it is also one of the most important!
You can add this to the list of things I wish I knew before visiting Iceland. It is also one of the most important Iceland travel tips I can give you!
There are a few unmanned gas stations around Iceland. The most popular one is near the airport, and people stop there to fill up before dropping their rental car off.
The problem is a lot of people aren’t able to use the unmanned gas stations.
This is because the pumps don’t accept foreign credit cards, so you can’t prepay for the gas you need to fill your car.
It isn’t a huge issue if you’re trying to use the unmanned gas station near the airport. You just have to turn around and drive back to the manned gas station that is about 5 minutes away.
Even there it is a little bit of a hassle.
You have to go into the gas station and either have a nice attendant who opens the pump for you or buy a pre-paid gift card and use that to pay at the pump.
All in all, it is a minor inconvenience that is easy to get around.
The issue comes in when you’re trying to use an unmanned pump in rural Iceland.
There won’t be a nearby manned gas station you can drive to, and if you’re low on gas, you’re in a precarious situation.
That’s why it is so important to fill up on gas whenever you see a manned gas station. You don’t know when you’ll come across one again, and you have to get while the getting is good.
If there is only an unmanned gas station around, and you’re in desperate need of gas, you can wait around and hope someone else comes around shortly.
You can explain your situation and very kindly ask if they would be willing to put their credit card in your pump in exchange for cash.
It isn’t guaranteed to work, but it may be the best way out of a not-so-great situation.
Tips for flying along for the first time
Iceland is an amazing country, and if you have the means, I highly recommend visiting it at least once in your life.
But it can also be a difficult country to plan for in advance. It is unlike most other countries, and you need to know what to expect before you arrive.
Hopefully, these Iceland travel tips help you plan your perfect vacation to Iceland and help you know what to except before you arrive at the airport.
As long as you keep these Iceland travel tips in mind, I know you’ll have an amazing trip and make life-long memories.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on my affiliate link and purchase something (at no additional cost to you!), I may earn a small commission that helps me keep the blog running. Thank you so much for your support!
Congratulations! You just booked a trip to Disneyland Paris and now you have to figure out what items to put on your Disneyland Paris packing list.
Your Disneyland Paris packing list will look similar to your Disney World or Disneyland packing lists, but there are a few changes that you have to make. This guide will help you create the ultimate Disneyland Paris packing list, so you have everything you need with you in the parks!
Disneyland Paris has free, public WiFi you can use in the parks. You can use your phone to view wait times on the Disneyland Paris app and post all your amazing photos!
You’ll be on your phone a lot, and your battery will die quicker than on a normal day.
Having an external battery will be a life saver and should be on everybody’s Disneyland Paris packing list! I prefer to carry an external battery with multiple USB charging ports. You can bring a lipstick external battery if you want one that takes up less room.
I never travel to a Disney park without an external battery! They are small and lightweight, so they aren’t troublesome to pack.
You’ll want to take lots of photos at Disneyland Paris! You can use an iPhone, but I find cameras take way better photos, and you’ll want the best photos possible to remember your trip!
I used this Canon point and shoot camera for years and still use it to this day when I don’t want to carry around my larger camera. It takes incredible photos, is lightweight, and is so small you can stick it in your pocket!
I currently use this Olympus mirrorless camera when I want to get higher-quality photos. I love it because it is shockingly lightweight for a camera of its size. It is so easy to carry in my purse, and I don’t feel like it is weighing me down!
The Olympus is also super easy to use, and even somebody with little to know knowledge of photography and cameras can use it with no problem. It is the perfect starter camera for anybody looking to upgrade to a level higher than a point and shoot.
If you decide on the Olympus camera, I recommend also purchasing the zoom lens. The lens the camera comes with is good and has a decent zoom, but the zoom lens takes your photography to the next level!
You will need a backpack at Disneyland Paris. You’ll have a number of things you want to carry with you in the parks, and a purse probably won’t have enough space.
I prefer a backpack that is a neutral colour and goes with any outfit, but there are tons of cute Disney-themed backpacks you can use too!
I recommend taking a backpack that has a place to put a water bottle on the outside. You do a lot of walking in Disneyland Paris, so you’ll be drinking a lot of water.
You don’t have to worry about where you’re going to put your bag while on the rides. You’re able to take your bag on every single Disneyland Paris attraction and store it at your feet. Even on the more thrilling rollercoasters that go upside down!
It isn’t a day at a Disney park if you’re feet aren’t sore at the end of it!
Comfortable shoes are a must on any Disneyland Paris packing list. You’ll deeply regret it if you happen to bring the wrong shoes to the parks. You want to avoid flip flop sandals, heels, or any shoe your feet get sore it.
I always wear my Columbia hiking shoes to Disneyland Paris. I’ve gone through four pairs at this point, and I keep buying them because they’re so comfortable. They are, admittedly, not the cutest shoes on the market, but you’re at Disney and nobody is looking at your feet.
You’ll be thankful at the end of a long day of walking that you have comfortable rather than stylish shoes!
If you are in the market for a more stylish shoe, I recommend the Sketchers Cleo flat. I wear them all the time when I’m travelling and often walk 25,000+ steps per day and never have sore feet. They’re by far the best pair of flats I’ve ever owned.
Okay. Technically, a virtual private network (VPN) isn’t something you physically packing, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t extremely important!
Disneyland Paris has free public wifi that you can connect to in the parks, which is amazing! You can use the Disneyland Paris app to check ride wait times, post on social media, and reviews menus to see where you want to eat.
I always connect to the free wifi at Disneyland Paris, but connecting to it also puts you at risk of having your data compromised.
Hackers love people who connect to public wifi networks because it is so easy to pop into their devices and steal their data and possibly sell it to people and advertisers.
A VPN protects you from those people!
It creates a security bubble around your device that prevents prying eyes from seeing your data and online activities!
You 100% need a VPN when you’re using any type of public wifi (including hotels and cafes)!
I loveNord VPN and trust it to protect all my devices.
You can connect up to 6 devices to one account, so you can easily protect all your devices (phones, tablets, laptops) with one account.
Plus Nord VPN often runs huge sales, so you can protect your data for just a few dollars a month. Seriously!
Nord VPN
You’ll be walking all day at Disneyland Paris and will need to hydrate yourself throughout the day. You can purchased bottled water in the parks, but it is much better to have a reusable water bottle on your Disneyland Paris packing list!
This will save you tons of money if you’re travelling as a family and is much better for the environment! There are water fountains all over both Disneyland Paris parks, so it is easy to refill your water bottle throughout the day.
Glass water bottles are not allowed in the parks and will be confiscated duringbag check! Be sure you bring a plastic or stainless steel water bottle!
If you’re anything like me, your lips are constantly chapped, and you hoard lip chap like it is going out of style.
You don’t want to get stuck in Disneyland Paris without any lip chap. I’ve had to pay Disney prices for lip chap when I ran out, and it was three times more expensive than buying it at the drug store.
Learn from my mistake and make sure to add lip chap to your Disneyland Paris packing list. It seems like the sort of thing you always have lots of, but you’ll probably run out at the worst time and have to overpay for new lip chap at Disneyland Paris.
You’re outside in the sun all day while at Disney, so you need to make sure your skin is protected! Sunscreen should be on your packing list no matter where you’re going, and it is even more important at Disney.
I love and swear by this COSRX sunscreen. It is a Korean skincare brand, and I love all of their products but especially this sunscreen. I always feel so protected when I wear it, and it doesn’t leave that gross white/greasy layer on the top of your skin.
Your future self will thank you for taking care of your skin now so add sunscreen to your Disneyland Paris packing list. Then bold it and underline it, so you don’t forget!
You’re going to get hungry in the parks, and Disney food is expensive! You should put snacks on your Disneyland Paris packing list if you don’t want to spend a lot of money on food in the parks.
Carrying a few snack bars with you is the perfect way to get rid of that mid-day hunger when you’re not quite ready for a full meal.
This might just be me, but my hair always gets knotted and gross when I’m a Disney. It is a combination of sweat from being outside in the heat all day and going on thrill rides.
A few hours into a day at the parks, and my hair is a disaster in the back. I always pack a hairbrush in my Disney bag and end up using it mostly every day. I’m so thankful every time I pull my hairbrush out and look presentable again after using it!
I think my fellow longhaired people know exactly what I’m talking about!
These are three essentials that need to be included on everybody’s Disneyland Paris packing list! Disney is full of germs, and you’ll want to keep your hands clean in the parks- especially when eating!
Carrying Kleenex, wet wipes, and hand sanitizer in your Disney bag will come in handy more often than you would think. You never know when you’re going to spill ice cream all over the place (guilty) or accidentally touch a sticky handrail (so gross).
Even if you’re totally fine with germs most of the time, Disney is a different animal, and the germs are everywhere!
Disney parks are always moving towards being more sustainable, and you don’t always get a plastic bag with your purchase anymore. I recommend putting a small, reusable bag on your Disneyland Paris packing list.
This way you’re able to forego the plastic bag and carry your souvenir purchases in an environmentally friendly bag. Reusable bags take up no room in your backpack, and you can easily put it back in your backpack with your purchases assuming they are small enough to fit in your backpack.
Disney parks are also transitioning away from providing single use plastic straws, so you either get a paper straw or no straw at all. You should considering bring a reusable straw with you to Disneyland Paris.
You’re able to get tiny travel reusable straws that are so small they easily fit in your pocket! The straw itself is full size, but it collapses into itself and is stored in a travel container that is about has long as your pinky finger!
They’re absolutely perfect for travelling with, and I take one everywhere I go!
It is sunny in Paris in the summer, so you’re going to need a hat to keep the sun off your face! Your hat will not only save you from getting a sunburn, but it will also prevent you from squinting all the time.
There are a lot of outdoor activities, sights, parades, and shows at Disneyland Paris. You’ll be outside looking at things for hours every day, so you’ll need something to help keep the sun out of your eyes and stop you from getting pre-mature crow’s feet.
Minnie ears are an adorable addition to any Disney outfit no matter what age you are! You can bring ears from home, but it is even more fun to buy new ears while at Disneyland Paris!
They’re the perfect souvenir to bring home, and you’ll love wearing them at Disney parks around the world and feel special knowing you got them in Paris.
Technically, this is more of a souvenir suggestion, but if you love Disney ears like me and like to wear a different pair each day, you may want to bring a few pairs from home as well!
I love wearing Disney-themed shirts in the parks, and Disney t-shirts are always on my Disneyland Paris packing list! Disney shirts are super cute and a great way to show off your Disney style and support your favourite movies and television shows.
I like bringing my own Disney shirts from home rather than buying shirts at Disneyland Paris because I don’t care for having super branded and in-your-face Disney apparel.
I love that your’e able to get more subtle Disney shirts that can be worth both in the parks and casually around my hometown.
Pin trading is a popular hobby in most Disney parks, and Disneyland Paris is no exception! You can bring official Disney pins to Disneyland Paris and trade them with cast members and other guests.
It is a super fun way to get new Disney souvenirs and make great memories. Disneyland Paris also has a lot of unique pins that you can’t find anywhere else in the world. Even if you don’t go to Disneyland Paris with a pin collection, it is quite possible you’ll be coming home with one!
Please be cautious about fake pins. Some people purchase fake pins cheaply online and then trade them for authentic Disney pins in the parks. Do your research before you start pin trading and know what to look for in a fake pin!
It is important to always travel with travel insurance. You never know what can happen while travelling, and it would be terrible to have an accident and then be stuck with a large medical bill you can’t afford to pay.
Spending a small amount of money up front and buying travel insurance is the smart thing to do. It doesn’t cost you very much, but it can save you a lot of money in the long run.
I always have travel insurance when travelling, and it is one of the few areas of travel that I’m not willing to skimp on to save money.
Disneyland Paris is one of my favourite Disney parks in the world. I love it’s charm and unique attractions. While you may thing travelling to Disneyland Paris is like travelling to any other Disney park, there are a few things on your Disneyland Paris packing list that may not be on your normal Disney packing list.
The best part of this Disneyland Paris packing list is that everything on it is small enough that you can put it in one medium-sized backpack and not have to worry about carrying multiple bags.
You can enjoy your time in Disneyland Paris and not have to worry about anything else because you have everything you need in one bag!
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on my affiliate link and purchase something (at no additional cost to you!), I may earn a small commission that helps me keep the blog running. Thank you so much for your support!
No trip to Munich is complete without taking a trip to Neuschwanstein Castle. It is one of the most gorgeous castles in the world. It is easy to get to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich, so there is no excuse not to go! It is truly the perfect day trip from Munich.
Over 1.3 million people visit Neuschwanstein Castle every year. With the majority of people traveling to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich, the public transportation system is well developed and easy to us. From solo travellers to family travellers, everybody can been confident travelling to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich because it really is that easy.
Before we get into how to get to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich, we need to talk a little bit about the history of the castle. There is no point taking the time to travel to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich if you don’t know anything about what you’re going to see!
The palace was commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Construction began in September of 1869 and ended in 1886 when King Ludwig II died. The palace was not complete when the king passed away, and no further work has been done on it.
King Ludwig II insisted that the palace be built using his private funds rather than Bavarian tax money. This lead to the complete date for the palace being pushed back multiple times because the cost of building the palace kept going up.
The palace was opened to tourists just 6 weeks after the king died, and there has been a steady stream of tourists ever since.
To get to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich you have to take a train then a bus.
You need to take the train from Munich Haupbaunhof to Füssen. Munich Haupbaunhof is the main train station in Munich and is in the centre of the city. The train ride to Neuschwanstein Castle to Munich takes approximately 2 hours.
To get the most out of your money, you should take the 9:52 train. You will be able to buy and use a Bayern ticket if you take this train.
The Bayern ticket allows you to take a train or bus anywhere in Bavaria for an entire day for only €25! On weekdays, the ticket is valid 9am to 3am the next day. It is valid from 12:01am to 3am the next day.
That means that if you visit Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich on a weekend, you can catch any morning train. You won’t have to until after 9am to be able to us your Bayern ticket.
The best part about the Bayern ticket is that you are able to buy tickets for additional people in your group for only €5 each! It is an amazing deal that you should be sure to take advantage of.
Tip: If you want to be the first off the train and, therefore, the first to get to the bus, sit at the front of the train. This is allow you to be one of the first people off the platform because you don’t have to walk the length of the train.
You will have to take a bus from Füssen to Neuschwanstein Castle. The bus is located on the opposite side of the train tracks from where you get off the train.
You should be able to see the bus as you are leaving the train.
You want to get on bus 78. The bus ride takes approximately 20 minutes. After you exit the bus, you will have a short walk to the castle. Follow the throngs of tourists and you won’t get lost.
Your bus ride is included in the cost of the Bayern ticket, so you don’t need to purchase a separate ticket to ride the bus!
Tours to Neuschwanstein Castle are probably the most common day trips tour agencies sell. There are plenty of tour agencies that offer day trips to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich. They all offer basically the same trip for a similar price.
I am not going to recommend any particular tour agency because I haven’t taken them to know which tours are quality and which ones aren’t. I recommend you do your own research and find a tour agency that has a trip that works for your needs.
If you have a physical limitation that makes it difficult for you to get to Munich Haupbaunhof, ride a train for 2 hours, then ride a bus for 20, and finally walk a short distance to the castle ticketing area.
Many guided tours pick you up at your hotel (or a nearby hotel) and drop you off at the ticketing booth. This significantly limits the amount of walking and transferring you are required to do.
If you’re a new traveller and aren’t confident in navigating the train system by yourself, you may want to consider taking a guided tour.
When you take a guided tour, you don’t have to worry about getting off at the correct stop or getting on the wrong train because there is a guide there to ensure you successfully get to Neuschwanstein Castle and back again.
You will be carefree by taking a guided tour, and you will be able to enjoy the beautiful sights because you won’t be stressed about getting to the castle properly or missing your train home.
Most guided tours allow you to skip the ticket line, which is a huge advantage because the ticket line can get incredibly long- especially during the summer. You essentially pay for front of the line tickets when you take a guided tour. You will still have to wait until your designated entry time, but you won’t have to wait in line to buy a ticket.
Warning: Most guided tours do not include the entrance fee of €13. You will be required to pay the entrance fee above and beyond the cost of the tour.
The castle is open from 9am to 6pm daily from the beginning of April to October 15th. From October 16th to the end of March the castle is open from 10am to 4pm.
Neuschwanstein Castle is open daily throughout the year except January 1st and December 24th, 25th, and 31st.
You can purchase tickets at the ticket centre everyday 90 minutes before the castle opens for tours.
You will be given an entry time when you purchase your ticket, and you must go on the tour at the time printed on your ticket.
Neuschwanstein Castle is undoubtably the busiest during the summer months. Many people from around the world visit Neuschwanstein Castle when they are on holiday in Germany in the summer.
The castle can see 6,000 visitors a day in the summer months. If you can avoid visiting Neuschwanstein Castle during the summer months, you will have a more enjoyable experience.
Fall is a good option for visiting Neuschwanstein Castle. There were be fewer crowds than in the summer. The scenery will be stunning this time of year because the leaves are changing colours.
The only downside of visiting during fall is that weather. It can get cold at Neuschwanstein Castle, so you will want to have a jacket with you. Other than the weather, fall is a great time to visit Neuschwanstein Castle.
Spring is, in my opinion, the best time to visit Neuschwanstein Castle. There are smaller crowds, and the weather is normally pretty good. This allows you to explore the castle without feeling cold and wanting to go inside to warm up.
I would still bring a jacket to Neuschwanstein Castle if you visit in the spring, but you are less likely to need it than in the fall. Neuschwanstein Castle is located on a hill, so it can get windy up there.
Winter is a pretty good time to visit Neuschwanstein Castle. There are not many crowds, so you will be able to spend more time marvelling at the castle without having other tourists sneaking in front of you to snap a picture.
The bad part of visiting Neuschwanstein Castle during the winter is the weather. You have to walk outside a fair amount when visiting Neuschwanstein Castle. The pathways can be slippery and dangerous in the winter. If you have never walked on ice and snow before, winter may not be a good time for you to visit Neuschwanstein Castle.
As mentioned above, the entrance fee is €13. If you are eligible for a reduced fee, is is €12. You are eligible for a reduced fare if you are a student or senior citizen (65+). Children under the age of 18 receive free entrance to the castle.
You can also purchase a King’s ticket. This ticket gives you access to both Neuschwanstein Castle and Hohenschwagau castle on the same day. This is a great option if you get to the castle early and have extra time to explore.
The final ticket option is called Königsschlösser (or combination ticket in English). This ticket costs €26. It gives you access to Neuschwanstein, Liderhof, and Herrenhiemsee. You can visit each location once during a 6 month time period.
Note: More information on the other castles to follow later.
You can purchase your ticket online before you arrive at the castle. It is highly recommended that you do this! You have to purchase your tickets at least 2 days before you visit the castle. If you don’t purchase them at least 2 days in advance, you will have to purchase them at the ticket booth.
You should purchase your tickets online as early as possible. The earlier you purchase your tickets, the more likely you are to get the time slot you want.
You must pick your tickets up at the ticket centre a minimum of 90 minutes early
Your tickets will be given away if you do not pick them up in time
Tickets must be picked up at the Hohenschwagau ticket centre
There is a separate ticket window for you to pick-up tickets that were reserved online
You will be charged a €2.50 service fee per person for booking online
You have to pay for your tickets the day of your visit at the ticket centre. Only cash or credit cards are accepted as payment methods
You’ve made it all the way to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich. Congrats! But now you’ve purchased your tickets and realize that here is a hill between Neuschwanstein Castle and you. There are 3 possible ways to get from the ticket centre to the castle.
If you’re able-bodied, I recommend walking. The walk is 1.5km from the ticket centre to Neuschwanstein Castle. You have to walk up a hill with a bit of an incline so make sure you’re in good enough health to make the walk.
Walking is a great option because you have time to enjoy the sights and not rush. You picked up your tickets 90 minutes before your tour, so you aren’t in a rush to get to Neuschwanstein Castle.
The walk is beautiful. There are trees and foliage all along the way, so you really start to take in the beauty of the area before you even get to the castle.
The walk takes 20-30 minutes. Once you reach the top, there is a bridge to get some great shots of Neuschwanstein Castle. The bridge is always very busy. If you want to get pictures from it, be sure to leave extra time to queue up and wait to get your shot.
You can take a bus to Neuschwanstein Castle if you don’t want to walk. The bus departs just up from the ticket centre a little ways up the hill.
It costs €1.80 for a one-way ticket and €2.60 for a return ticket. Purchasing a one-way ticket is a great option if you don’t want to walk up the hill but can walk down it. This allows you to see the scenery without having to exert yourself walking up a steep hill.
Note: This bus ticket is not included in your Bayern ticket. You have to pay for this bus ticket.
Your third option is to take a horse-drawn carriage to Neuschwanstein Castle.
I don’t support using animals for transportation and do not recommend this option. I’m not going to give you any more information on this option. If you are interested in taking a horse-drawn carriage to Neuschwanstein Castle, you have to do your own research outside of this article.
The only way you can enter Neuschwanstein Castle is by taking a guided tour. The ticket your purchased at the bottom of the hill has a time on it. That is the time of your guided tour. Be sure to show up to the tour meeting place 10-15 minutes to make sure you don’t miss your tour.
Your tour guide will take you through the castle and explain the history of Neuschwanstein Castle. The tour last approximately 35 minutes.
The tour is offered in either English or German. If you don’t speak either of those languages, you can request an audioguide that has 16 languages to choose from.
Only 14 rooms in Neuschwanstein Castle were completed. You will be able to see the most impressive rooms during your tour.
The guided tour can goes by quickly, and you can feel a bit rushed. You should try to stand either at the front or back of your group in order to get the most time in each room.
Note: You are not allowed to take photographs in Neuschwanstein Castle, so put your camera away and enjoy the beauty of the castle.
You should take some time to explore the area surrounding Neuschwanstein Castle after your guided tour. There is a forested area that you are able to walk through and take pictures of Neuschwanstein Castle from different angels. There is also a stream you can walk over.
It is an incredibly beautiful area, and you should not miss seeing it. You should set aside about an hour to walk around the area and take pictures.
Neuschwanstein Castle, unfortunately, not friendly to people living with a physical disability. You have to walk a short distance from the ticket centre to the bus and then again from where the bus drops you off to Neuschwanstein Castle. The tour also involves a lot of walking, and you have to walk up and down stairs.
If you require a wheelchair, scooter, or have troubles walking short and medium distances or using stairs, visiting Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich on a day trip is not a good option for you.
If you are uncomfortable with crowds, there are ways to visit Neuschwanstein Castle while minimizing crowds. You will encounter the least crowds if you take the first tour in the morning or book a tour after 3pm.
The less crowded times, unfortunately, do not coincide with optimal timing for taking a day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich because the train schedule does not fit your needs.
I recommend getting a hotel in the nearby town Füssen. This is drastically cut down your commute time because you will only have to take a 20 minute bus ride from Füssen to Neuschwanstein Castle, which is a lot quicker and easier than travelling to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich.
King Ludwig II only slept in Neuschwanstein Castle 11 nights
Neuschwanstein Castle was the inspiration for Disneyland Castle
Neuschwanstein Castle did not get its name until after King Ludwig II died
It was used during WWII by the Nazis to catalogue and store art
There was a plan by the Nazis to blow up Neuschwanstein Castle, but it was surrendered to allied forces with the artwork inside
Neuschwanstein Castle translates to “New Swanstone Castle”
More than 61 million people have visited Neuschwanstein Castle since it opened to the public
Hohenschwagau Palace is located on the same property as Neuschwanstein Castle. It is located at the bottom of the hill and overlooks a lake.
While it isn’t as beautiful as Neuschwanstein Castle, Hohenschwagau is still worth touring- especially since your are already in the area to see Neuschwanstein Castle.
Hohenschwagau Palace has the same opening times as Neuschwanstein Castle, and you are required to take a guided tour to see the palace.
If you have time on your trip to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich, you should definitely take a tour of Hohenschwagau.
Hohenschwagau was King Ludwig II’s childhood home. After his father passed away, King Ludwig II moved into his father’s room. He disliked living with his mother, so he decided to build Neuschwanstein Castle high above his parent’s castle.
Note: If you use a tour company to get to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich, you will not have the option to tour Hohenschwagau Palace. You will have time to take pictures of it from a distance but will not be able to go inside.
Liderhof Palace is a 50 minute drive from Neuschwanstein Castle. If you rented a car to visit Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich, you may be able to visit Liderhof after you visit Neuschwanstein Castle and Hohenschwagau Palace.
You will not be able to visit Liderhof Palace on the same day you visit Neuschwanstein Castle if you take the train to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich.
Liderhof Palace is the smallest of King Ludwig II’s castles, but it was the only one to be completed during his lifetime. The palace was inspired by Versailles, and you can see a lot of similarities between the two palaces.
Herrenchiesmee is located quite a distance from Neuschwanstein Castle, and it is best to do a separate day trip from Munich to visit it.
This was the last of King Ludwig II’s building projects, and it was also his largest project. Herrenchiemsee was also inspired by Versailles, and, just like Neuschwanstein Castle, construction was not completed during King Ludwig II’s lifetime.
Herrenchiemsee is a very popular tourist attraction in Bavaria, and you should consider visiting it if you have an extra day in Munich that can be used for another day trip.
You should definitely consider taking a day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich. It is a beautiful part of Bavaria and has an interesting history. It should be on every castle lover’s bucket list.
I know this article was only supposed to be about how to get to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich, but I figured I would create a one-stop article that gives you all the information you need to know about Neuschwanstein Castle. I hope you liked it and found it helpful!
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