Prague is quickly becoming one of the hottest destinations in Europe, but there are a few things you need to know before you start to solo travel in Prague.

The good news is that I’ve travelled to Prague alone, and I’m sharing all my top tips and tricks for solo travel in Prague with you!

Hopefully these tips and tricks will help you plan the perfect trip to Prague!

And help you not make sure of the mistakes I made when I was visiting Prague alone!

Tips for planning your first solo trip

This is the biggest mistake I made when I was travelling alone in Prague!

I was on a multi-month European trip and was in the habit of booking accommodation a few days before I showed up in a particular city.

That works in a lot of cities, but it bit me in the butt when I was partaking in my solo travel in Prague.

All the decent places were completely booked, and I was stuck in a hostel on the outskirts of Prague. It was a decent place, but I hate hostels and was not happy about having to stay in one.

Definitely my mistake though, but I want you to avoid it at all costs!

I highly recommend you book your accommodation in Prague at least two to three weeks before you arrive in Prague.

The earlier the better!

You don’t want to be booking accommodation that is out of your price range and also don’t want to be stuck staying someplace you’re not too keen on.

Especially when you consider you’re on the hook for the entire bill and can’t split it with a friend or family member if it is a little bit more expensive than you would like.

PS- my favourite place to book accommodation is through Hotels.com. It has an amazing loyalty program that rewards you free hotel nights!

This probably seems like a dark thing to do on your solo trip to Prague, but I think it is extremely important that we as tourists take the time to visit sights like this and see the horrors with our own eyes.

Terezín Concentration Camp is a short train ride from Prague.

During the time Terezín was in operation, it held over 150,000 Jewish people while they waited to be taken to other concentration camps such as Auschwitz.

It wasn’t an extermination camp, so there are no gas chambers or anything like that, but tens of thousands of people did die in Terezín.

You can and should take a half day tour from Prague to Terezín.

It is important you go with a guide, so you can learn about the significance of Terezín and the history of the city both before, during, and after WWII.

I know it is a heavy thing to do, but, again, I think it is important.

One of the best things about solo travel in Prague is that it is extremely affordable!

It is the perfect destination for people who want to get a taste of Europe without breaking the bank in places like London or Paris.

Your money goes a lot further in Prague than many of the other most popular cities in Europe.

This is a huge plus for people planning to do some solo travel in Prague! It is a great destination to college students, retirees, or anybody who doesn’t have a large budget.

You don’t have to sacrifice any of the experiences you want to have in Prague just because the cost is prohibative!

This goes for food too!

Don’t be afraid to eat out while in Prague. The food in delicious and very affordable.

Top tips for eating alone at restaurants

Unfortunately, public wifi isn’t readily available in Prague. 🙁

You have to either rely on restaurants providing complimentary wifi when you visit or bring your own pocket wifi device.

You can either rent a pocket wifi device for your time in Prague or if you’re an avid traveller purchase your own Skyroam pocket wifi device that works pretty much anywhere in the world!

Complete Skyroam review

Or you can just go the old fashioned way and rely on public wifi. But do know you won’t have a ton of access to the internet while you’re out and about during the day.

If you need reliable access to the internet, then you need a plan on how you’re going to get access to it during your solo trip to Prague.

If you’re just an average tourist, then you can most likely live without having a pocket wifi device with you while in Prague.

The important thing to know is that public wifi isn’t the easiest to find so you may have to go back to your hotel if you desperately need to access the internet.

Or just visit a McDonald’s. They always have free wifi!

No matter what your plans are for accessing the internet while on your solo trip to Prague, you need to be internet safe.

You will be relying on public wifi one way or another, and that puts you and your personal information at risk of being stolen and sold.

Yes. Wifi networks with a password are still considered public and put you at risk. Everybody and anybody can get those passwords!

The only way you can been you and your private information safe while using a public wifi network is by installing a VPN on your phone, laptop, and tablet.

A VPN essentially puts a forcefield around your devices that keeps prying eyes out (including those dang Google bots).

It makes using public wifi just as safe and secure as using your personal home wifi where you’re the only one who knows the wifi password.

As you can image, I’ve used a ton of different VPNs over my many years of solo travel.

And hated them all!

Until I discovered NordVPN that is!

I started using them in 2018 and have never looked back! They are the only VPN I enjoy using and the only one I recommend to my friends and family.

They are the fastest VPN on the market, which is so important for travellers.

It is painfully annoying when you have a VPN on your devices that slows your internet down to a snail’s pace.

I normally end up turning off my VPN and just leaving myself exposed because most VPNs are so slow.

But that’s not the case with NordVPN!

They are the fastest VPN on the network, and I hardly notice any slowdown in the internet speed when I have it turned on.

Plus it allows you to cloak your location. You can appear to be in another country than you actually are, which allows you to access Netflix and the like for another country!

You never have to worry about running out of things to watch and can discover a bunch of new, amazing Netflix libraries. I highly recommend checking out South Korea’s Netflix catalogue. It is the bomb!

My philosophy is that if you can afford to travel, you can afford to install a VPN on your devices.

It costs less than the price of a single latte for a month’s subscription, so there is no excuse!

I know I said solo travel in Prague is inexpensive, but if there is one thing you should splurge on it is the Prague Castle Circuit ticket.

Prague Castle is without a doubt a must visit for everybody who visits the city, and you want to get the full experience!

The Prague Castle Circuit ticket allows you to visit every part of the castle including the cathedral, which is spectacular.

I suggest spending at least half a day at the castle to get the full experience and visit everything you ticket entitles you to.

As of May 2021, the cost of a Prague Castle Circuit ticket is 250 Czech Koruna. That is approximately $12.50 USD.

So, it isn’t that much of a splurge, but if you’re on a tight budget, that price can definitely make you wonder if it is worth it.

Let me tell you that it is!

As an extra tip, make sure you visit the cathedral early in the morning to avoid a long line and don’t visit on a Sunday as you’ll have to wait until the morning service is complete.

The old city in Prague is stunning!

It is full of narrow alleys, winding streets, small shops, and has a fantastic vibe.

You can (and should) spend hours wandering around and getting lost exploring the old city.

You never know what you’ll stumble upon, and that is what makes it so much fun!

You’ll most likely get lost with all the twists and turns you take, but that’s part of the fun. I promise you’ll always eventually find you way back to the main square!

If you really want to get a sense of the history of Prague and the old town, you should take a free guided tour.

They take place every morning and last for about two hours. Your guide takes you through the old town and shares some of the hidden history you’d never know about if you didn’t take the tour.

Just be sure to give your guide a tip at the end of the tour as a thank you!

Learn why Prague is one of the most overrated cities in Europe

There is so much more to Prague than just the old city.

Unfortunately, so many people miss out on the other side of Prague because they never get outside the old city and the most popular tourist attractions.

Don’t be that person!

There are 280 museums in Prague. Find one you’re interested in and check it out.

You can visit a Jewish cemetery, a Synagogue, a cathedral, the second ugliest building in the world.

The possibilities are practically endless!

Just be sure to get outside the main tourist area and see a different side of Prague. It is well worth the effort, and you’ll leave with a better understanding of the city.

One of the best parts of solo travel in Prague is that it is super safe.

Even for solo female travellers!

You don’t feel on edge, uncomfortable, or like you need to be on the lookout. You can enjoy the city freely and feel comfortable as a solo traveller!

Of course, you still need to be aware of your surroundings and be aware of local scams.

But, in general, you are 100% safe in Prague as a solo female traveller!

Even at night after enjoying the famous Prague nightlife scene (if that is something that interests you).

The city is definitely a great choice for people who are new to solo travel and want to feel safe, secure, and be able to enjoy the city freely.

Things nobody tells you about solo travel

This may be the best tip I can give you for your solo trip to Prague!

Prague is a great city, but there are a bunch of great towns and cities just an hour or two away from Prague that deserve to be explored.

They show you a different side of Czechia that you don’t get in Prague. A more laid back side of the country.

My personal favourite day trip from Prague is Karlovy Vary.

It is about 90 minutes from Prague by bus and is my favourite town in Czechia (that I’ve been to so far!).

It is a small town, and the main tourist attraction is the hot springs. They are all over the town!

And by hot springs I mean thermal drinking fountains not thermal bathing fountains.

You can buy a special mug from one of the many kiosks in the town and drink as much thermal water as you want!

It is super fun wandering through the city and finding all the thermal fountains.

The city itself is beautiful. It is surrounding by hills that you can go hiking through it you want, and the architecture of all the buildings inside the town is unbeatable.

If thermal fountains aren’t your thing, Brno, Cesky Krumlov, and Olomouc are some of the most popular day trips from Prague.

No matter where you choose, you should take the time to get outside of Prague for at least a day and explore another part of Czechia!

If you haven’t gathered by now, solo travel in Prague is very easy! You can definitely go on a solo trip to Prague without being an experienced solo traveller!

And the transportation system in Prague makes you solo trip even easier!

There is an extensive transportation network throughout the city, and you can quickly and easily get anywhere and everywhere you want to go.

There are buses, trams, and an underground metro for you to choose from!

Plus the city is very walkable!

I love walking when I travel, and you can easily walk anywhere you want to go in Prague without much issue.

There are some hills in Prague though.

If you have mobility issues, you’ll want to stick to using public transportation rather than walking everywhere.

All of the public transportation in Prague is easy to navigate and has English options.

So, are you convinced that you should take a solo trip to Prague?!

If it is on your bucket list, you should get there before it becomes even more popular and crowded!

I highly recommend you visit Prague during off-peak times and avoid the summer holiday season if at all possible!

You’ll never be able to experience Prague with no crowds, but if you can avoid it when it is busiest, your trip to Prague will be that much more enjoyable.

I hope this post showed you that solo travel in Prague is very easy and anybody can enjoy a solo trip to Prague.

It has great tourism infrastructure and in very affordable.

You won’t regret booking that solo trip to Prague!

I promise.

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Gamcheon Culture Village is one of my favourite things to do in South Korea. That’s right. It isn’t one of my favourite things to do in Busan but one of my favourite things to do in the entire country!

Gamcheon Culture Village is so bright and colourful. It’s one of the most unique things you can do in Korea. I’ve been to hundreds of cities around the world and never experienced anything quite like Gamcheon Culture Village.

It is the top thing to do in Busan in my opinion. In fact, it’s the main reason I took my parents to Busan in 2023 when I took them on a three week tour of South Korea.

In this post, I’m going to give you all the information you need to plan a trip to Gamcheon Culture Village as a tourist.

There are definitely some things you should know before visiting this tourist attractions that will help save you time and possibly frustration.

Gamcheon Culture Village is a small area of Busan known for it’s bright colours, winding streets, and copious amount of stairs.

It’s been a fixture in Busan for many decades. It used to be known as a poor area where a lot of people didn’t want to go.

However, in the 1990s, the residents of Gamcheon Culture Village and the Busan government put in a lot of effort to revitalize the area and make it a desirable place to go. In 2009, there was an art contest, and that’s when the area became the bright, colourful place we all know and love today.

That little history lesson is interesting, but it doesn’t really answer the question what is Gamcheon Culture Village for tourists.

Today it’s a huge tourist attraction.

Tourists get to walk through the village and explore the artwork and vibe. There are tons of cafes, shops, art instillations, and street food.

It’s honestly one of the best places to buy typical tourist souvenirs in Busan in my opinion.

Gamcheon Culture Village is more or less a really cool neighbourhood that tourists explore. It’s unique and has a great tourism infrastructure around it.

The answer to this question really depends on what you want to get out of your visit to Gamcheon Culture Village.

If you’re sticking to the main tourist walking path and not doing much shopping or eating, you will probably need 60-90 minutes.

If you’re doing the full scavenger hunt, doing a bit of shopping, and snacking on street food, you’ll probably need 2-2.5 hours. I’ll talk more about the scavenger hunt in the next section!

If you want to do everything there is to do in Gamcheon Culture Village and explore every inch of it, dedicate at least half a day to it. Most people don’t need that long, but if you have the time, it is definitely worth exploring the area as much as possible.

I think most people can experience the Gamcheon Village and not feel like they missed anything in 2 hours. That’s how long I would personally recommend you allot yourself to spend there.

This, of course, doesn’t include however long it takes you to get there or to your next destination. I’d give yourself about three hours total including transportation time.

There is a surprising amount of things to see and do at Gamcheon Culture Village. They’ve done a really good job at creating a place tourists and to go and keep coming back to.

Here are a few of the top things to do in Gamcheon Culture Village:

• Enjoy coffee with a view at one of the many cafes in Gamcheon

• Fill up on delicious street food (including the famous toasted marshmallow ice cream)

• Shop till you drop. You can find the biggest selection of souvenirs at a fair price

• Enjoy the view at one of Gamcheon Culture Village’s many scenic viewpoints

• Wander around hunting for street art

• Take part in the scavenger hunt

• Enjoy the modern art instillations scattered throughout the village

My favourite thing to do in Gamcheon Culture Village is the scavenger hunt. It’s so much fun, and I do it every time I visit.

You purchase a map right at the entrance of the village. It’s only 2,000 Won as of mid-2023 and makes your visit to Gamcheon so much more fun.

The scavenger hunt is actually a map of Gamcheon Culture Village, which is quite useful because it’s super easy to get lost in the neighbourhood. There are different places in Gamcheon marked on the map, and that’s what you’re hunting for.

The map takes you all around the village and helps guide you through the more narrow places where most of the residents live.

You get to stamp your map at each location, and it makes for a very fun souvenir.

Three of the locations on the scavenger hunt are the “big” locations. When you collect your stamp at those locations, you’re given a small prize!

Yes! Lots of people still live in Gamcheon Culture Village. I couldn’t find an exact number online. There was a lot of contradicting information. Some places only count the people living in what the tourists call Gamcheon Culture Village, some count everybody who is in that small area, and some places count the people living in the whole district.

I don’t know what the right number to use is, and it’ll probably be outdated by the time you read this anyways!

But there are anywhere between 120 and 3,000 people living in Gamcheon Culture Village.

That means as a tourist you’re walking around and exploring a normal neighbourhood where people live their daily lives.

This means you have to be respectful.

There are signs around the neighbourhood that remind you to keep your voice down so please respect them.

There are also many signs as you get deeper into the village that tell you that someone lives there and to please not enter. Please, please, please respect those signs.

You wouldn’t want countless strangers walking on your front step and looking into your house every single day. So don’t do it to the people who live in Gamcheon.

You may accidentally stumble into a place that’s clearly someone’s front porch. It’s easy to do. I’ve done it before. As soon as you realize, turn around and go back to the main route.

People are understanding if you make an innocent mistake but please respect all the signs and anything you’re told by the residents or people who work at Gamcheon.

It’s their home. You need to be super respectful.

Telling you how to get to Gamcheon Culture Village is a bit more complicated than it appears at first glance. Because I don’t know where you’re staying in Busan!

So, I’m just going to give you a brief overview of how most people get to Gamcheon. In all honesty, I recommend you just pop Gamcheon Culture Village into your Google Maps or Naver when you’re ready to visit. That way you’ll know exactly where to go from wherever you’re staying.

Just in case you’re looking for a general idea of how to get to Gamcheon Culture Village, here are the two main things you need to know:

• You want to take either bus Seogu 2 or Seogu 2-2. These are small little green buses that take you up the winding road to Gamcheon Culture Village. You can pick this bus up at Seomyeon or closer to Gamcheon.

• That brings us to important information number two. If you’re grabbing the bus closer to Gamcheon, you should take metro line 1 and get off at Jagalchi Station. Leave via exit 1, which is the closest exit to Gamcheon Culture Village and the bus stop.

You can also walk to Gamcheon Culture Village from Jahalchi Station. I’ve done it and don’t recommend it.

It’s quite a steep climb and takes close to an hour to walk from the metro station to the entrance to Gamcheon. Google Map will suggest that it is only a 30-40 minute walk, but it is longer in my experience.

Not really. Gamcheon Culture Village is kind of out on it’s own. No other major tourist attractions are nearby. You’ll have to catch a bus or the metro to get to your next destination.

Gamcheon Culture Village is open 7 days a week from 9am to 6pm for tourists.

Please be respectful of these hours and don’t stay after 6pm. As you know, people live in the neighbourhood, so you need to respect when it is their time to have their neighbourhood to themselves and not share it with tourists.

Accessibility means a lot of different things to a lot of people. I’m going to try to answer this question to cover the most common physical disability accessibility questions people have. I’m sorry if I don’t answer your specific question!

Unfortunately, Gamcheon Culture Village is fairly inaccessible.

If you have a wheelchair, you’l find visiting Gamecheon quite difficult.

There are a lot of steps and walking at Gamcheon. The walkways get quite narrow the further into the village you go, and the spaces can get quite small.

I’m not blind, but I imagine it would be a very difficult terrain to navigate as a blind person unless you have a sighted person assisting you.

If you use a mobility aid, there may be parts of the village you’re not able to go to because your mobility aid doesn’t fit.

If you have a disability that makes walking or doing steps difficult, Gamcheon Culture Village will be a challenge.

That being said, if you have a mobility aid or trouble walking or doing stairs, that doesn’t mean you can’t visit Gamcheon.

It just means that your experience will be limited.

The main part of Gamcheon Culture Village is where most of the shops and cafes are. It’s also the widest and most accessible part of the neighbourhood.

You should be able to navigate the first little bit with most mobility aids. Including possibly a wheelchair.

There are a few areas where you can choose to go up stairs, but it is completely necessary. You’ll just miss out on a couple viewpoints.

You will eventually need to turn around and go back out the way you came instead of continuing to walk along the path like most people do. But you’ll be able to experience the most vibrant and active part of the neighbourhood.

You’ll probably need 30-45 minutes to explore the top part of Gamcheon Culture Village if you have a mobility aid and are only exploring the wide part of the neighbourhood.

Please also note that you have to take a small bus up to Gamcheon Culture Village. I’m not sure how accessible the bus is. It’s quite small, so I imagine you wouldn’t be able to get a wheelchair on it.

There is a metro station close(ish) to the neighbourhood. You have to go up quite a large hill to get to the entrance of the village though. It is about a 45-minute walk and can be quite strenuous. You’ll have to consider whether you’re wheelchair (and possible friend or family member who is walking) can make it up the hill.

I’m not sure if there are accessible buses or taxis in Busan. I did some Googling and didn’t find very good answers. I apologize for not being able to help you in that regard!

You will be relying on public wifi when in Busan. If you have rented pocket wifi or have an esim, there will still be times when you rely on public wifi. Mostly at hotels.

Pretty much anybody can access hotel wifis in Korea because most hotels don’t put a password on their wifi. This makes you even more susceptible to having your online data stolen than you normally are when using public wifi.

When you use public wifi, all your private online data is out there for someone with bad intentions to steal. Trust me when I tell you that you don’t want to be dealing with the headache of having to cancel all your bank cards while abroad because someone stole your banking information!

The only way you can keep your private online information safe while using public wifi 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 private information. It make using public wifi just as safe as using your home wifi where you’re the only one who knows the password.

Installing a VPN is one of the easiest ways you can keep yourself safe while travelling. You take precautions to make sure you’re physically safe while travelling, and you need to do the same for your online safety.

I always say that if you can afford to travel, you can afford to keep your online information safe with a VPN.

I’ve used a lot of different VPNs during my years of travel. Most of them, frankly, suck. VPNs are notorious for slowing down your devices. Most VPNs I’ve tried are so slow and frustrating that I end up turning them off and putting my online data at risk. Not smart, I know.

That all changed when I started using NordVPN. It’s the fastest VPN on the market, and I never notice any internet slow down when using it. I can browse the internet just as quickly with my VPN activated as I can without it.

You can install your VPN on up to six devices, so you can easily keep all your devices safe from prying eyes with one subscription.

Plus you can cloak your location, which allows you to watch Netflix and sports from different countries.

The best part about NordVPN (other than it keeping you safe) is that it’s super affordable. A two-year subscription costs less per month than a single Starbuck’s latte.

It’s a small, small price to pay for the peace of mind and security you get from knowing that your online information and data is safe from prying eyes.

Gamcheon Culture Village is truly a must-do activity while in Busan. You haven’t experienced Busan if you haven’t explored Gamcheon.

I hope this article has helped you plan your perfect day at Gamcheon Culture Village and helped you understand what to expect while you’re there.

Most importantly, I hope you have an amazing time at Gamcheon Culture Village and fall in love with it just like I did!

PS- Don’t forget to make sure you have travel insurance before arriving in South Korea!

Seoul is the capital of South Korea, and it is home to many historical palaces. Gyeongbokgung Palace is the most well known and visited palace in Seoul.

There is a lot to see and do at Gyeongbokgung Palace, and you can easily miss things as a first-time visitor if you don’t know about them beforehand. This guide aims to help you plan your trip to Gyeongbokgung Palace and give you all the information you need to get the most out of your visit.

The changing of the guards is probably the most well known things about Gyeongbokgung Palace. The ceremony takes place at the top of every hour at 10am and 3pm.

It reacts the traditional changing of the guards ceremony that was performed daily when it was an active palace. There is narration in both English and Korea that explains the ceremony and the importance of each step, so you will be able to understand the history of what is taking place.

The changing of the guards takes places in the courtyard inside the main entrance where you purchase tickets. The ceremony is free to watch, so you don’t need to purchase a ticket to tour Gyeongbokgung Palace if you just want to watch the changing of the guards.

The ceremony takes approximately 10 minutes from start to finish. It is a popular tourist attraction, so I recommend getting to the palace 5-10 minutes before the ceremony to get a good viewing location. You can show up right before it begins, but you risk having to stand on the side and not getting a full view of the ceremony.

The changing of the guards ceremony features a lot of bright colours, and it is always fun to watch no matter how many times you’ve seen it before. You should definitely plan to watch the ceremony when you’re at Gyeongbokgung Palace.

You can’t purchase tickets to visit Gyeongbokgung Palace online. Tickets have to be purchased when you get to the palace. You don’t have to worry about standing in line too long to purchase a ticket because the queue moves quickly, and there are a lot of ticket windows.

The price for an adult to enter the palace is 3,000 won. This is approximately $2.50 USD. It is an incredible deal, so there is no reason not to visit Gyeongbokgung Palace while in Seoul.

The ticket booths are located on the right-hand side of the courtyard if you’re entering the palace from the main gates. If you are using the side entrance that is closest to Insadong, the ticket booths are directly to your left when you enter.

You will easily be able to find the ticket counter no matter what entrance you use.

You have the option to purchase the Integrated Ticket of Palaces when you visit Gyeongbokgung Palace. This ticket costs 10,000 won (approximately $8.75 USD), and it gives you access to all of the major palaces in Seoul.

You will save 4,000 won ($3.50 USD) if you purchase the Integrated Ticket of Palaces rather than tickets to each individual palace.

It is a great deal if you are interested in visiting all the sights included in the ticket. All the sights included in the tickets are located in central Seoul and are walking distance from one another.

The Integrated Ticket of Palaces is valid for 3 months after the date of purchase, so you don’t have to visit every sight in a single day.

• Gyeongbokgung Palace
• Deoksugung
• Changdeokgung
• Changgyeonggung 
• Jongmyo Shrine (be sure to check times before you arrive as you have to take a guided tour, and they are only offered at certain times each day)

The palace is open every day of the week except for Tuesdays.

It is open from 9am to 6pm Wednesday through Monday, and it is busiest in the afternoon when a lot of tour groups show up.

You are able to take a free guided tour of Gyeongbokgung Palace. The tour is offered in English at 11am, 1pm, and 3:30pm. The tour takes approximately 1 hour.

You are guided through the main parts of the palace, and the guide explains the importance of the buildings as well as the history of the Korean royal family. You do not go through every building, but you will be shown the most important ones.

The tour moves quite quickly because there is a lot of information. I recommend you soak in all the information the guide gives you rather than worrying about taking pictures. You will be able to go back and take pictures once the tour is over, but you will not have access to the guide after the tour is over.

The guide will give you lots of information about the palace but feel free to ask any questions you have as you are walking from building to building.

The tours are often huge. You should try to stick to the front of the group as much as possible. The guide doesn’t always have time to wait for the entire group to show up to the next location, so you could miss parts of the tour if you are a straggler and not keeping up with the group.

The free guided tour of Gyeongbokgung Palace is a must-do for me whenever I am at the palace. You learn so much more than you do by just reading the information cards. Korea has an incredibly interesting history, and this tour is a great way to learn a little bit of it.

Gyeonghoeru Pavillion is one of the most famous and beautiful pavilions in Gyeongbokgung Palace. It opened to the public in 2018 after it was restored.

Gyeonghoeru is a banquet hall that was used when foreign visitors visited the royal family. It is a two-story pavilion located on a man-made lake, and it is absolutely gorgeous.

You are able to visit Gyonghoeru every year from April 1st to October 31st. The only way to tour the palace is on a guided tour, and you have to reserve a spot on the tour via the Gyeongbokgung Palace website. The tour takes approximately 30-40 minutes.

There are extremely limited spots on each tour, so it is quite difficult to get a spot on the tour. Each tour has spots for 60 Korea citizens and 10 foreigners. The tour is only offered in Korean, so you won’t be able to understand what is being said. You will, however, get to go inside the beautiful pavilion, so there are pros and cons.

There are two museums located at Gyeongbokgung Palace: The National Palaces Museum of Korea and The National Folk Museum of Korea.

Both museums are free to enter and are worth spending some time wandering around after you’re done touring Gyeongbokgung Palace.

The National Palaces Museum of Korea is a museum dedicated to the royal palaces of Korea. It is located on the other side of the main courtyard as the ticket booths.

It is a two-story museum that gives you a lot of information about the traditions of the royal family and the history of Korea. This museum is a great way to gain additional information about Gyeongbokgung Palace and the Korean royal family after you have toured the palace and gone on your free guided tour.

You can easily spend 3 or 4 hours in the museum if you read everything and watch all of the videos. I would recommend budgeting about an hour in the museum.

This museum is located on the right-hand side near the back of Gyeongbokgung Palace. You are able to access the museum either from the inside of the palace or from the sidewalk, so you don’t need to purchase a ticket to Gyeongbokgung Palace to enter the museum.

The National Folk Museum of Korea is free to enter as well. It is partially outdoor with exhibits showing old building and stores and partly indoors.

It is closer to a children’s museum than an adult museum. The museum showcases a lot of the cultural and folk aspects of Korean culture, and children seem to enjoy it. There are a lot of interactive exhibits for children to engage with.

There is a lot to see and do at Gyeongbokgung Palace. You can easily spend an entire day on the property and not run out of things to do.

Gyeongbokgung Palace is an important part of Korean culture and history, and you should make time to visit it during your trip to Seoul. You will learn a lot about Korean culture and have a better understanding of the country and its people.

The palace is extremely reasonably priced, and I always feel like I’m not paying enough to visit the historic sight. It is the perfect tourist attraction for people travelling on a budget because you get a lot more than what you pay for. You will not be disappointed when you spend money to tour Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Gyeongbokgung Palace is constantly undergoing restoration. In fact, less than half of the original palace is rebuilt! You will have a new experience every time you visit Gyeongbokgung Palace, and that is one of my favourite things about it.

The first time I visited the palace, Gyeonghoeru was under restoration. I was able to see the pavilion through a small window in the construction walls, and I fell in love. I knew I needed to go back and see it once it had been restored, and I was not disappointed when I went back. The entire experience was new and wonderful.

Gyeongbokgung Palace is a very special part of Seoul, and your visit to the city would not be complete without visiting it.

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Travelling alone for the first time is both thrilling and terrifying. It is a completely different experience than anything you’ve had before.

I always encourage anybody who can and feels comfortable to travel alone at least once in their life.

To help you with your first solo trip, I’ve come up with the top things everybody should know before travelling alone for the first time.

One of the best ways to ensure a great first solo travel experience is to be prepared and have a bit of an idea how your trip is going to go.

I definitely didn’t prepare before my first solo trip, and I think I would have had a better experience if I had. I’m not saying my first solo trip wasn’t amazing because it was. But I made a lot of mistakes!

Hopefully some of the tips and tricks on this list will help you feel more prepared and confident as you get ready for your first solo trip.

The tips and tricks on this list are rather broad and will help you when you’re travelling alone for the first time no matter where you go or how long you travel for.

Tips for flying alone

One of the most important things anybody travelling alone for the first time can do is have a realistic budget.

This was one of my biggest mistakes, and it really impacted my first solo trip.

I read way too many blogs saying you can travel on $50 a day, and you shouldn’t spend more than $50 per day no matter where you travel.

My first mistake was not converting $50USD to CAD and ended up trying to spend $50CAD per day, which was about $37 a day at the time.

I don’t like to subscribe to the notion that everybody has to be a budget traveller and that you’re travelling wrong if you’re spending more than $50/day.

It can sometimes seem that that is the norm- especially when you’re researching backpacking trip ideas.

My biggest advice to you is to figure out what type of travel you’re most interested in and create a budget around that.

For me, I’m a mid-range traveller.

I don’t need anything fancy, but I’m not interested in staying in hostels anymore, enjoy paying to visit attractions, and enjoy a decent meal out.

You may be different.

You may love budget travel. Or want a more luxurious travel experience.

As a first time solo traveller, you may want to spend more money and go on a group tour or group day trip.

It doesn’t really matter.

The important thing is you sit down and create a realistic budget for you. A budget that you can stick to.

Because you’re the only person on this trip and you’re 100% responsible for every penny spent.

You don’t have a friend or family member you can bum money off of if you run out a few days before the end of your trip.

If you run out of money, you’re in a messy situation that you need to find a way out of.

I don’t know if it was just me, but I had very unrealistic expectations on what my first solo trip would look like.

I thought it would be all rainbows and sunshine, but no trip is going to be perfect.

The sooner you let go of the rose-coloured glasses and accept that things are going to come up during your trip, the more prepared you will be for travelling alone for the first time.

I’m by no means saying something terrible will go wrong on your trip. The odds of that are very slim.

But, there is a pretty solid chance that something inconvenient will arise, and you need to figure out how to pivot around that inconvenience.

It could be anything from it raining on a day you were planning to go hiking to attractions being closed all the way to you were robbed.

Although, the last example is very uncommon and not something you should expect to happen.

Even if everything goes 100% to plan, no trip is going to be perfect.

Something as simple as there being heavy crowds could make your trip not perfect.

What I’m trying to get at is no trip is perfect, and you need to stop thinking it will be.

An imperfect trip is more fun anyways! You may experience things you never knew existed a city, meet your new best friend, or stumble on the perfect sunset spot.

If things don’t go exactly as you imagined, breathe and don’t let it ruin your trip.

As someone with major anxiety, I know this is easier said than done. It does get easier with practice though!

Overcome your fear of solo travel

Travelling puts you and your online data at risk of being accessed and stolen. Everybody who travels needs to be internet safe, but it is even more important for solo travellers.

Imagine this scenario.

You’re on an amazing solo trip and are connecting to public wifi networks all over the place. At the hotel, the airport, restaurants. Wherever you can find wifi, you’re connecting to it.

One day you wake up and discover there are charges on your credit card that you didn’t purchase.

Someone has stolen your credit card, and now you have to go through the process of calling the bank and cancelling your cards.

Not to mention that headache of trying to manage the last of your trip without your credit card or (potentially) your debit card.

That is an absolute nightmare.

This entire scenario could have easily been prevented if you had installed a VPN on your devices.

A VPN puts a forcefield around your devices that makes it impossible for prying eyes to access your online data.

It makes using public wifi networks as safe as using your home wifi where you’re the only person who knows the password.

In my opinion, installing a VPN on all your devices is an essential part of travel. You’re putting yourself at too much risk if you don’t use a VPN!

I’ve used a lot a different VPNs over my many years of solo travel and hated them all.

That is I hated them all until I discovered NordVPN.

I’ve been using NordVPN since 2018 and love it. I have no plans to ever leave them and trust them with protecting all my online data.

The reason I love NordVPN and recommend them to my fellow travel lovers is because they are the fastest VPN on the market.

VPNs are known for slowing down your internet connection to the point where you want to throw your phone against the wall it is so frustrating.

Or at least I did!

I’ve never had an issue with slow internet connection when using NordVPN. I don’t even notice that there is a VPN on my phone and laptop, which is saying a lot.

It is foolish to not install a VPN on your devices. It is one of the most important (and least talked about) safety steps you can take when travelling alone for the first time. Or anytime you travel.

There are no excuses not to protect your online data.

You can protect up to six devices with a single NordVPN subscription, and a two-year subscription costs less per month than a latte.

I always say that if you can afford to travel, you can afford to protect your online data and information.

It is just the smart, responsible, and safe thing to do!

Plus it takes zero effort, so you have no excuses not to protect yourself!

This is one of my favourite tips for people travelling alone for the first time.

It is also one of the best ways to make sure your first solo trip is a good experience and makes you want to travel alone again and again.

If you’re new to travel and travelling alone, choosing to go somewhere similar to where you live is a great idea.

For example, if you live in Canada like me, you could visit the UK or New Zealand.

If you live in Hong Kong, Taiwan is a great option.

Choosing somewhere similar (but different) to where you live is the best of both worlds. You get to experience something new but don’t have an overwhelming amount of culture shock.

Once you become more comfortable with travelling alone and navigating a new city by yourself, you can branch out into countries that are way different than yours.

But, I do think starting with somewhere similar is the best option and sets you up for long-term success.

Benefits of travelling alone

This is something I didn’t do on my first solo trip, and I really wish I had. I’m not a huge planner and enjoy showing up in a new city without any plans and figuring it out as I go.

That’s all fine and good, but it isn’t something I would recommend to someone travelling alone for the first time.

I remember walking around and feeling a bit awkward and uncomfortable on my first solo trip. I wasn’t terribly confident and didn’t want people to think I was weird for being alone.

One of the best ways to stop that feeling from coming in is to have a plan and keep yourself busy.

You don’t need a rigid plan (and, in fact, would recommend against that), but having a general idea of what your trip looks like is very helpful.

Figure out things like:

• What countries or cities you’re visiting

• What attractions you need to visit

• If there are any day trips you want to take

• Book your accommodation (at least for the first city you’re visiting)

These may seem like small steps to take, but they can have a huge impact on the success of your first solo trip.

Little things like this help you have confidence and know what you’re going to get up to.

On the flip side, you want to be flexible with your schedule.

There may be a cool festival on while you’re in a city, you may discover another day trip you want to take, the weather may get in your way, or you may meet someone you want to travel with, so you merge your itineraries.

The moral of the story is to have a loose plan on what you want to do on your trip but leave room to change it and go with the flow.

A little yin and a little yang.

You need to keep your money separated and have a stash of extra money just in case something happens.

I cannot emphasize enough how important this tip is for solo travellers.

You can lose your wallet, get pickpocketed, or get robbed, which is bad at the best of times and is even worse when you’re travelling alone.

You’re 100% responsible for paying for everything. If you lose your money (or over spend), you’re going to go hungry and not be able to eat for the rest of your trip.

I highly recommend you have $100 or so stored in a separate location away from your normal pot of cash.

A lot of women are told to keep some f*uck you money to pay for a cab home if a date goes wrong. This is the travel equivalent of that.

It may seem silly or not worth it, but trust me. I’ve solo travelled for years and know first hand how thankful I’ve been to have some extra money when something has gone wrong.

I like to keep my extra money in the inner zipper pocket of my purse.

This way it is on me at all times, and I can use it to pay for transportation if necessary.

Some people prefer to keep it in the safe at the hotel or in their suitcase.

It doesn’t really matter as long as you have some extra money tucked away somewhere for emergencies.

The hidden downside of travel

No matter where in the world you go, there are local scams.

Some of them are innocent like pick pockets in France. Some of them are more serious like the tea house scam in China.

One of the best ways you can protect yourself when travelling alone for the first time is to do a quick Google search and learn about the most common scams in the place you’re going.

I don’t like the idea that solo travellers are more at risk of being scammed, but it is more important to know about local scams as a solo traveller.

When you travel alone, you only have two eyes, and you can’t see everything going on around you. You don’t have an extra pair of eyes (or multiple pairs of eyes) to notice something you may not have.

If you’re aware of the local scams, you know what to look for and can keep an eye out for anything that looks like it might be connected to that scam.

I don’t want you to think that you’re going to get scammed as a solo traveller. I’ve only been scammed two or three times in all my years of solo travel, so it isn’t very common.

I just want you to know what to look out for, so you can keep your eyes open. It would not leave a very good taste in your mouth if you were scammed on your first solo trip!

Travelling alone for the first time definitely pushes you outside your comfort zone, and I think you should keep that momentum going while you’re on your trip.

Do one or two things on your solo trip that push you out of your comfort zone.

It can be something as small as going for a nice dinner alone when you normally wouldn’t. Or something as large as bungee jumping for the first time.

It doesn’t really matter.

One of the best parts of solo travel is that it pushes you to be a better person and grow, but it only does that if you step outside your comfort zone.

But, it is important to know the difference between pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and doing something reckless.

For example, going on a wine tasting adventure alone is getting out of your comfort zone.

Going on a five hour hike when you’ve never hiked longer than an hour is reckless.

See the difference. 😉

So, my challenge to you (and one I give myself as well) is to get outside your comfort zone at least once every trip you take!

Tips for eating alone at a restaurant

Your friends and family are going to worry about you when you’re travelling alone for the first time.

Be a good person and keep in touch with them while you’re gone!

Even to this day I text my mom when I leave my hotel for the day and when I get back. It is sometimes annoying for me, but it makes her feel much better about my travelling alone.

It is a simple thing you can do to put their minds at ease.

Plus you get to brag about how good of a time you’re having!

There is no better way to make someone jealous than by sending them vacation photos! So, update them on how you’re doing and what you’re seeing.

And don’t just post it on social media. Text them and Facetime them as well!

I hope these tips have helped you feel more confident and ready for your first solo trip.

No matter what your first solo trip looks like, it will be full of a variety of different emotions, and I guarantee that at least once during your trip you’ll question why you’re doing it.

But I promise that travelling alone is worth it.

Even if you only do it once!

There is nothing else quite like travelling alone for the first time. It pushes you and makes your grow as a person.

I don’t think I’ve ever talked to a fellow solo traveller who didn’t say they came back from their first solo trip a different person and a better person.

I really hope you get to experience the joy of solo travel to see if it is the right travel style for you.

Solo travel isn’t for everybody, but you don’t know if it is for you until you try it!

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Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are located in Northern Thailand and are two of my favourite cities in the country. Luckily, it’s super easy to travel from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai!

The easiest way to travel from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai is by taking the bus. You can also take a private transfer, go on a day tour, or fly to Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai. Although I don’t recommend flying. The two cities are very close, and taking the bus is more convenient (and less expensive) than flying.

Since it is so easy to travel from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai by bus, that’s what most people do. We’ll talk about it more later, but there are tons of buses each day that run between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. They’re quite busy, so you need to book your bus ticket in advance.

I’ll explain how to get your bus ticket in detail in the section talking about taking the bus to Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai, but I wanted to mention it up front as well just in case you don’t make it to that section of the post.

Chiang Rai is famous for it’s stunning temples. The White Temple is the most popular, but you also need to visit the Blue Temple.

I know there isn’t tons of things to do in Chiang Rai, but it’s 100% worth a visit. Especially since it’s so easy to get from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai.

No trip to northern Thailand is complete without stopping in Chiang Rai, so let’s go over how to get there from Chiang Mai!

As I mentioned earlier, I think taking the bus to Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai is the best way to travel between the two cities.

It’s quick, has many departures per day, and is comfortable. I don’t know why, but the seats on buses in Asia are so large and comfortable. They’re way better than taking the bus in Europe, North America, or South America.

The two cities are 186km apart, and it takes between 3.5 and 4 hours for the bus to travel between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.

It just depends on how busy the traffic is and the stops along the way. Most of the time the trip is closer to 3.5 hours than it is to 4 hours.

The cost of a bus ticket varies based on a number of different criteria.

There are three different buses that run between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai (all operated by the same company). They are: Greenbus, Greenbus Express, and Greenbus VIP. The Greenbus is the least expensive, followed by Greenbus Express, and Greenbus VIP is the most expensive.

It doesn’t really matter what bus you choose to take. They’re not that different so grab whatever one suits your time schedule the best.

The price also depends on where on the bus you sit. The first two rows of each bus are more expensive than the other seats. I think they’re more spacious, but I don’t think it’s worth paying more for a front seat unless you have motion sickness issues.

You can expect to pay between 250 Bhat and 450 Bhat for your bus ticket to Chiang Rai. That’s approximately $7USD to $13 USD.

When I was figuring out how to travel from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, every blog I read said you can just show up at the bus station the day you want to travel and get a ticket for the next bus.

That was very, very wrong information. There are a lot of people who travel between these two cities- both tourists and locals-, and the buses are busy. I showed up at 8am hoping to get on the 8:45am bus, but the first bus that had available seats was for 1:45! I got one of the last tickets, and there was a long line of people waiting behind me to get tickets.

You absolutely should purchase your tickets in advance for the bus to Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai. Especially if you’re only visiting Chiang Rai for one day and need to arrive at a certain time to see everything you want in the city.

Now that you know you need to purchase tickets in advance, you need to know where to purchase those tickets.

There are two ways you can purchase your bus tickets in advance: at the bus station or online through a third-party provider.

Purchasing tickets at the bus station is pretty straight forward. You just go to the bus station a day or two before you want to travel from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai and purchase your ticket.

The downside to this is that the bus station isn’t walkable from the core part of Chiang Mai where all the tourists hang out. You’ll have to take a Grab to get there and back. Not only does that add to the price of the ticket, but it also eats into the time you have to explore Chiang Mai.

Purchasing tickets online through a third-party provider is easier but a little more expensive. Since you’re purchasing through a third-party provider, there is a bit of a mark up on the price of tickets.

But, in my opinion, purchasing tickets online is worth the small additional price for the convenience. Plus when you add in the cost of a Grab and the time it takes to get to and from the bus station to purchase tickets, it’s probably cheaper to purchase them through a third-party provider.

The most reliable third-party bus ticket provider in Southeast Asia is 12go. They’re honestly the only third-party company I trust to purchase bus or train tickets in Southeast Asia. They’re reputable and reliable. I’ve never had any issue using them.

The bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai departs from Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 3.

You’ll have to take a Grab to the bus terminal, and it takes between 10 and 20 minutes to get to the station depending on where you’re staying in Chiang Mai.

The bus from arrives at the Chiang Rai Bus Terminal.

It’s right in the heart of Chiang Rai. You’ll likely be able to walk to your hotel in less than 10 minutes if you’re staying in the main touristy area and not across the river. You should definitely stay within walking distance of the bus station in Chiang Rai. It’s close to the night market and amazing restaurants.

Getting a private transfer to Chiang Rai isn’t the best option for everybody, but it can be a good option for larger groups or people on a time crunch.

You can select your pick up time, and a driver will arrive at your hotel and drive you directly to your hotel in Chiang Rai.

The selling feature for private transfers is you can customize your trip. If there is a place you want to stop and explore between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, you can arrange with your driver to stop there.

It gives you the ability to see more of Thailand than you would if you took the public bus.

I think a private transfer is best for three types of people:

• Someone who isn’t on a strict budget (we love convenience!)

• People with mobility issues or need to get out and stretch along the way

• People who want to stop and see something between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai

If you’re able to split the cost three or more ways, then it doesn’t feel too expensive and can be within most people’s budgets.

A private transfer from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai is definitely more expensive than taking the bus, but I know a lot of people are willing to pay more for the convenience of getting picked up and dropped off at their hotel.

I took my parents to Vietnam for a month, and they loved the convenience of taking private transfers between cities rather than the public bus. It’s hard to say no to convenience someitmes!

Booking a guided tour to Chiang Rai is the best way to see Chiang Rai if you only have a day to see the area.

Not only do you get to visit Chiang Rai and it’s famous temples, but you also get to explore parts of Chiang Rai province that are harder to get to with public transportation. You’d need to rent a scooter to get to some of the places the tour takes you.

The guided tour to Chiang Rai packs a punch, and it’s a long tour. You leave at 7am and get back to Chiang Mai around 9pm. You’ll be tired by the end of it, but it’s well worth it. I don’t think you should go to northern Thailand and not see Chiang Rai.

The guided tour takes you to six different attractions:

• Black House Museum or Mei Sai city

It’s impressive that they can pack so much into one day. You won’t get to spend tons of time at each location, but you’ll be able to get a taste of them. Seeing them is better than not seeing them.

I do think that spending a couple days in Chiang Rai is worthwhile, but I know not everybody has that type of time in their Thailand itinerary. If you only have time for a day trip to Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai, it’s still worth it in my opinion.

Both Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai have airports. You could fly from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, but I don’t recommend it.

It’s not the best use of your time or money.

It’s way more expensive than the bus and likely a similar price to a private transfer. Flying is time consuming, and there are rarely direct flights between the two cities. You normally have to fly to Bangkok then transfer to another flight to Chiang Rai.

It’s a headache that isn’t worth it so don’t fly to Chiang Rai. Take an overland method!

Your final option is to drive to Chiang Rai.

I don’t recommend this option for tourists.

Driving in Thailand (or anywhere in Southeast Asia) isn’t easy. You have to know the local, unwritten rules of the road, and tourists don’t.

I truly believe that tourists driving make the roads more dangerous in Southeast Asia. I don’t recommend it unless you’ve spent a lot of time in the region, are very familiar with the local driving rules, and hopefully have had some sort of instruction on driving in the region.

So, while you can drive to Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai, I don’t recommend it. It’s better to take any other option on this list.

I hope this article helped you figure out the best way to travel to Chiang Rai from Chiang Mai.

There are lots of different ways to travel between the two cities. It’s up to you to figure out the best way based on your budget, travel needs, and how much time you have to explore Chiang Rai.

I personally like taking the bus, but I know a lot of people opt for a private transfer because of the convenience and relatively affordable price.

If you only have one day to explore Chiang Rai, taking a guided tour is your best option. You’ll see more and have a more relaxing time than trying to put together a day trip by yourself.

No matter how you choose to get to Chiang Rai, it’s well worth it. I loved Chiang Rai. It’s a beautiful and unique city. I don’t know anybody who has visited Chiang Rai who hasn’t loved it.

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!

South Korea is one of my favourite countries, but there are a number of things I wish I knew before backpacking Korea alone.

And for simplicity’s sake, I may use South Korea and Korea interchangeably. Obviously, I’ve never been to North Korea and do not support anybody paying to visit North Korea. There are horrendous human rights abuses, and all the money you pay ends up going into the pockets of the few elites.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

South Korea is the second country I visited in Asia. The first time I visited I only spent a week in Seoul.

I thought I had learned a lot about the country during my time in Seoul.

But, when I went back in 2018 and did a more extensive Korea backpacking trip, I realized I didn’t know as much as I thought I did.

I definitely made a number of faux pas both times I visited South Korea.

I want to share all my knowledge with you, so you hopefully don’t make the same mistakes while backpacking Korea alone that I did.

South Korea is an amazing country, and I encourage everybody to visit it. There are a few things you should know before arriving in Korea though.

Especially if you’re backpacking South Korea alone!

Plan the perfect solo trip to Seoul

Eating is a very social activity in Korea, and not many people eat alone at restaurants.

That is changing as the years go by, but there are still some instances where you find you won’t be served if you’re dining alone.

This has only happened to me once, and it was at a small, local restaurant in a small town.

From my experience (and from talking with other solo travellers), if you aren’t served as a solo diner, it won’t be explicit or rude. It’ll come in the form of someone not seating you or not taking your order if you seat yourself.

If you notice you’ve been seated and ignored for an overly long time, politely get up, walk out, and find somewhere else to eat.

Not being served when eating alone used to be a bigger issue than it is now.

Tips for eating alone at restaurants

Nowadays, you likely won’t run into this issue unless you’re in a rural area. If you’re sticking to the major cities like Seoul and Busan, you won’t have any issue eating alone.

While it isn’t something you’re likely to face on your solo trip to Korea, I wanted to bring it to your attention just in case it does.

It is definitely something I wish I knew before backpacking Korea!

It can be a bit uncomfortable to not be served at a restaurant, and I wanted to let you know that there is a small chance this may happen to you on your trip.

The odds are slim that it will happen, but at least you’re aware of it now and know to simply leave if this happens to you.

There are lots of places that will serve you, lots of yummy street food, and don’t underestimate the cafés in South Korea.

There is a huge coffee culture in the country, and you can find surprisingly delicious food at cafés.

I’m in a very dependant relationship with Google Maps. I adore it and rely on it heavily whenever I travel.

Unfortunately, Google Maps in South Korea doesn’t work as well as it does in most other countries. This is one of the biggest things I wish I knew before backpacking Korea alone!

Google Maps works great if you want to use public transportation. I’ll give it that.

However, if you’re like me and walk everywhere when you travel, Google Maps falls short of expectations in South Korea.

My Korean friend recommended I use Naver Map the first time I visited Seoul. The app is entirely in Korean, which made it difficult for me to not only read but also input where I wanted to go.

The reason why Google Maps doesn’t work very well in Korea is because the government says information mapping the country needs to be stored on servers within the country. That means Google Maps doesn’t have access to the data and can’t update the walking paths.

Top cultural things to do in Gyeongju

But just because Google Maps doesn’t think you want to walk around Korea doesn’t mean there isn’t a way you can still use Google Maps to walk around.

I’ve found the best way to use Google Maps in South Korea is to input where I want to go. It’ll find your route via public transportation even if you’re in the walking section of the app.

I simply use the public transportation route as a guide on how to walk to wherever I’m going.

Obviously, this involves some common sense.

You’re not going to want to walk the exact same route as the public transportation. That’s often inefficient and takes a lot more time.

Instead, use it as a guide.

See what direction you need to go and then follow the public transportation path until you see you need to turn in a different direction to get where you want to go.

It may sounds a bit annoying, but it is actually pretty intuitive.

Most cities in South Korea (especially Seoul) are really easy to navigate by food. You just need to find the main roads you need to be walking down.

Most tourist attractions are close to main roads, so it won’t be much of a hassle to figure out where you need to be going even though Google Maps isn’t your best friend in South Korea.

I know that’s a fairly large chunk of text talking about Google Maps, and you may think I’m being ridiculous. But, I always feel slightly betrayed when Google Maps doesn’t work flawlessly, and I want you to be prepared for the disappointment.

One of the biggest things I wish I knew before backpacking Korea is that pocket wifi is super affordable and is a great addition to any trip.

Pocket wifi is a small device you can put in your purse or pocket that gives you access to the internet as long as you’re connected to the pocket wifi.

You can access the internet anywhere you are even if there is no public wifi available in that location.

I love pocket wifi. I even purchased my own Solis device, so I can have access to the internet anywhere I am and not have to worry about renting pocket wifi in every location.

But, because pocket wifi is so affordable in South Korea, it’s actually cheaper to rent pocket wifi at the airport than it is for me to use my Solis.

I recommend you pick your pocket wifi up at the airport rather than have it delivered to your hotel or picking it up in the city.

It’s super easy and quick to get your pocket wifi device at the airport.

I rent my pocket wifi in Korea through Klook.

Just beware that you need a credit card with you to rent pocket wifi in Korea. If you don’t have a credit card, they, sadly, won’t be able to rent you a pocket wifi device.

This is a brief overview of pocket wifi. For a more detailed explanation of how pocket wifi in Korea works, how to rent it, and whether it is the right choice for you, read my detailed guided here.

While we’re on the topic of accessing the internet in Korea, now is probably a good time to tell talk to you about the importance of being internet safe whenever you travel.

When you travel, you rely on public wifi networks a lot. While they’re very helpful, they can also put you at high risk of having your online data and information stolen.

Everybody and anybody can access public wifi networks, and all it takes is for one person with bad intentions to access your device and steal your personal, private online information.

Including your banking details!

The only way you can be safe while using a public wifi network is by installing a VPN on your devices.

It essentially puts a forcefield around your devices that makes it impossible for anybody wanting to access your information to do so.

It makes using a public wifi network as safe as using your home wifi where you’re the only person who knows the password.

Installing a VPN on your devices is a small, easy step you can take to protect your online information and keep prying eyes away.

I use, love, and recommend NordVPN.

It is the fastest VPN service on the market, and that’s why I love it. It doesn’t slow your internet speed to a snail’s pace like every other VPN does, which is important when you’re travelling.

The cost of a two-year subscription is less per month than a single Starbuck’s latte. It’s a small price to pay for the safety and peace of mind a VPN brings you.

I always say that if you can afford to travel, you can afford to protect your online data and privacy with a VPN.

I definitely learnt this the hard way my first trip to Seoul and is probably the number one thing I wish I knew before backpacking South Korea.

Most ATMs in Korea don’t accept foreign debit cards.

The only ones I’ve found that do are the ones at airports. I randomly stumbled on a few ATMs that would accept foreign credit cards. That’s not very desirable though since you’ll be paying cash advance fees on the money you withdraw.

The fact that Korean ATMs don’t like foreign cards can be very stressful.

Like panic-inducing stressful. Or at least it was for me.

The first time I went to Seoul, it was the last stop on a four month backpacking trip, and I showed up in the country with no local currency.

That isn’t uncommon for many long-term backpackers, and I never had an issue with showing up without money before.

Luckily, I had to take money out at the airport, and the ATM took my money.

I know that oftentimes the ATMs at airports charge a higher fee, so I only took out a little bit of money thinking I would find another ATM in Seoul and take out more cash.

Well, you’re probably not surprised to learn that I didn’t find another ATM that accepted my Canadian debit card.

I spent hours walking around central Seoul trying every single ATM I could find. Inserting my debit card and then my credit card until one finally accepted my Mastercard.

I could have cried I was so happy and thankful.

Okay. Now that you know that you can’t count on a Korean ATM to accept your debit card, there are a few things you can do to prepare.

• The first thing you can do is to get some Korean Won in your home country and have cash on hand before you arrive in Korea. It’s the easiest way around the ATM issue.

• If that isn’t an option, the next best thing you can do is to take as much cash as you think you’ll need out of an ATM at the airpot.

• Finally, you can find an in-person currency exchange location or a local bank and exchange your money there. This is a bit of a hassle in my opinion, and I see it as a last resort.

The good news is that you can use your foreign credit card pretty much anywhere in South Korea without any issue.

You won’t need to rely on cash in the country and can get away with only having the bare minimum amount of cash on hand.

You can pay for any restaurant meal, souvenirs (unless it is a small rolling stand), transportation, and attraction entrance fees with your credit card.

You’ll want to make sure you have enough cash on hand to pay for street food, street vendors, and for super small purchases that are only a few dollars.

I would suggest that 15, 000 to 20,000 Won per day is the minimum amount of cash you should have on hand.

I prefer to have about 25,000 Won per day on hand, but I’m a bit of a worry wart.

When I told people that I was visiting Korea, everybody told me oh gosh that’s expensive. You’ll break the budget.

I think it has something to do with its modern technology and proximity to Japan that gives South Korea the reputation of being expensive.

And while it is certainly more expensive that countries in Southeast Asia, South Korea is way more affordable than you may think.

And way more affordable than Japan!

I spent significantly less when backpacking Korea than I thought I would.

You can find a delicious meal for less than $10USD, hotels are a decent price, and I was shocked at how affordable the entrance fees for attractions (especially Gyeongbokgung Palace) are.

All things considered, I would say that South Korea is the cheapest country in eastern Asia (excluding China). And even then South Korea isn’t that much more expensive than China.

Tips for flying alone

South Korea is a culture built on rituals, customs, and respect.

I think it’s important for tourists to know a few of the local customs. And to respect them and engage in them as much as possible.

As someone backpacking Korea alone, you probably won’t run into many of the social customs since you’re alone, but there are two in particular I think you should be aware of.

The first is how to properly exchange cash or your card when purchasing goods. And how to properly receive your goods from the person helping you.

You should give and receive things with both hands.

This means if you’re giving a 5,000 Won note to a store teller, you should hold one side of the note with each hand and give it to the teller with both hands.

They will receive it with both hands and return any change with both hands.

They will then give you your package with both hands. You should receive the package with both hands.

It can be a little bit difficult to get used to at first if you come from a culture like I do where everything is done with one hand. It doesn’t take long though, and the locals will really appreciate the effort.

The other custom you should know is there is a deep respect for older people.

If you’re on a bus or train and see an older person standing, offer then your seat.

If you find yourself at a group dinner, you shouldn’t eat or drink until the oldest person at the table has taken the first bite.

It’s all about respect.

Nobody will get upset with you or even point it out if you don’t navigate these local norms. However, they will notice and be appreciative.

South Korea is one of the safest countries in the world and tourists don’t have to worry about their safety while exploring the country.

Even solo female travellers don’t have to worry about their safety! Even at night.

There is barely any crime in the country, and you can feel safe walking around at night alone.

And that’s coming from me someone who hates walking alone at night even at the best of times. I felt extremely safe walking alone at night in Korea when coming home from evening events.

Just like in Japan, you can leave your bag unattended at a café table while you use the washroom and not have to worry about someone stealing it.

There also isn’t much petty crime.

Pickpocketing isn’t common, so you don’t have to keep a close eye on your bags like you have to in lots of European cities like Paris.

If you’re new to travelling alone or are a bit nervous about travelling alone, South Korea is a great country to visit.

It’s extremely safe and will help you get your solo travel skills up to speed before you go to a different destination.

This is one of the things I really wish I knew before backpacking Korea.

The first time I visited Seoul was in mid-June, and it was extremely hot. I wore my normal clothing I had packed and didn’t think anything of it.

Until I realized after my trip that I was breaking an unspoken dress code for women in Korea.

I didn’t realize that it was taboo for women to show their shoulders, and I was wearing tank tops most days. They had thicker sleeves, but my shoulders were still showing.

Nobody said anything to me, but I felt really bad when I found out that shoulders weren’t normally showed by women in South Korea.

I like to respect local dress codes and customs as much as I can when I travel.

Short skirts and shorts are okay. Showing shoulders or too much cleavage is not.

That’s basically what you need to know when packing for your trip to Korea as a woman.

This is definitely something i knew before backpacking Korea, but it is easier said than done.

There are so many goods screaming for your attention in Korea, and it is hard to say no to any of them.

I had no interest in skincare before I arrived in Seoul the first time and came home with basically an entire suitcase filled with skincare products.

Temptation is everywhere, and everything is super cute.

Whether you like skincare, socks, stationary, or local crafts or souvenirs, it is extremely hard to say no.

Even though it is difficult, you need to walk past and not purchase the first thing you see. There are tons of stores selling the same thing, and you can often find a better price at a different store.

For example, there are many different Etude House stores in Myeong-dong. One may not be offering a sale and another may have 10% off.

It is worth it to resist, have patience, and shop around before you make any purcahses.

The same advice goes for anything you’re looking to buy while in Korea. Take a look around first and then go back to wherever you decide to make your purchase from.

You may think this is odd advice to be including in an article about backpacking Korea but just wait until you land and see all the lights and sounds and excitement.

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Whew. That was a longer article than I was planning. But there is just so much I wish I knew before backpacking South Korea.

I want to share as much as I can for you, so you can have the best trip to Korea as possible.

South Korea is an amazing country. It’s so special and deserves to be explored by more people.

I hope this article helps you decide if backpacking Korea is right for you and helps you plan your trip.

You’ll have an amazing time in South Korea and want to keep going back.

I sure can’t wait until my next trip!

You will use the London Underground when you’re in London. It is incredibly efficient, and makes your trip so easy and efficient.

You can travel basically anywhere in London by using the Underground. If you’re travelling to certain far-away suburbs, you may have to use the Overground, but for the most part, the Underground will serve all of your transportation needs.

Using the London Underground is easy when you know what you are doing. These 5 London Underground tips will help you use the Underground like a local and save time and money in the process!

Getting an Oyster card is essential. This card allows you to tap in and out of the London Underground without having to purchase a ticket each time. You pre-load the card with money, and your card is deduced every time you use the Underground. The card can be re-loaded with money at any station if needed.

You can purchase an Oyster card when you land at the airport, or you can get your Oyster mailed to your home in advance. You have to purchase your Oyster card at a ticket window. But after your initial purchase, you can use the machines to top it up.

There is an option to purchase a Visitor Oyster card. The Visitor card has to be ordered before you leave with enough time for it to be mailed to you. You get a number of discounts if you purchase the visitor Oyster. So you will want to review the discounts to see if pre-buying the visitor Oyster is beneficial to you.

You have to pay a £5 deposit when you get your Oyster card. This is refundable if you return your card when you leave the city. You can get a refund for any money on your card if you return your card when you leave. If you don’t return your card, the money stays on the card, and you are able to use it next time you visit London.

• You don’t need to purchase a ticket for each trip.
• It save you money by giving you a reduced fee each time your ride. You save £2.50 per ride on average when you use the Oyster card.
• Your daily fee is capped. After you spend a certain amount of money on the London Underground in a single day, you are not charged anymore.

It costs more to ride the London Underground during peak hours. You save approximately 50 pence each trip when you ride during off-peak times.

Peak-hours are different depending on whether you have a visitor Oyster card or a regular Oyster card.

For people using the visitor card, peak times are between 6:30 and 9:30am and 4 and 7pm. All day on weekends and Bank holidays are considered peak as well.

Peak times are the same for a regular Oyster card; however, weekends are not considered peak times.

That means you may end up paying more if you choose to get a Visitor card rather than a regular Oyster.

Avoiding the London Underground during peak times will also make for a more comfortable journey. The Underground gets very busy during peak times, so it will be very crowded, and you will have no personal space. It can be an uncomfortable ride- especially if you are going a long distance. You can have a less crowded and more enjoyable ride when you ride the London Underground during non-peak hours.

When you go down to the Underground platform, there will be two different platforms to choose from. The platforms have trains going in the opposite direction of one another, so be sure you know what platform you need.

You can tell what platform you need by reading the signs at the entrance to the platforms. These signs list what stations each train stops at. You need to find your station then go to the corresponding platform.

You will most likely enter the platform in the middle, but you should move all the way down to the end. The end of the platform is always the least busy, so you will have fewer people in your car then you would if you go onto a car in the middle of the platform. This is especially helpful during peak times.

If you’re going to stand on the escalator, always stand on the right. People walk on the left-hand side of the escalator, and they will ask you to move to the right if you are standing on the left.

London is a fast-paced city, and people regularly walk up the escalator. So please stand on the right in a single-file line. You will make the locals so much happier because you will be one less tourist they need to ask to move.

It can be easy to forgot to stand only on the right if you come from a society where it is acceptable to stand on both sides of the escalator. You should watch what the locals are doing and follow their lead. You may not thing this is a great tip, but it is. Trust me.

You should consider walking if you are going from one place in central London to another. The London Underground is great, but it is sometimes quicker to walk than to take the Underground.

I suggest walking if you’re in central London, and the place you are going is less than 3-4 stations away. The distance between stations is often short, so walking the equivalent can mean only having to walk 5 or so blocks.

Westminster station and Leicester Square station look like they are far apart on the London Underground map. However, they are only a 10 minute walk away from one another. You can easily walk from one station to the other in less time than it would take to use the Underground.

You get to see more of London and save money when you walk rather than take the Underground. If you plan your days strategically, you can walk to most places rather than take the Underground from sight to sight.

You will use the London Underground when you are in London. There is no way around using it, so you should know how to ride the Underground efficiently and like a local.

Getting an Oyster card is the most important thing you need to do when riding the London Underground. You also need to know how to save money by walking and not riding at peak times.

If you know where you are going and what platform you need, you have a stress-free experience on the Underground and seamlessly blend in with the locals.

It is easy to ride the London Underground even if you have never used public transportation before. Each station has clearly marked signs, and employees can help you if you have questions.

You should pick up a free paper London Underground map, so you can easily plan your journey before you go down into the station. This will help you easily navigate where you need to go without getting in anybody’s way.

The London Underground is great, and I know you will have no troubles figuring it out!

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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!

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Brighton is one of my favourite cities in the UK. It is so different than London and gives you a different taste of what the UK is like, but a lot of people wonder is Brighton safe?

The answer to that is a resounding and enthusiastic YES!

Brighton is extremely safe and is one of the cities in the UK I’ve felt the most comfortable and safe as a solo female traveller.

That doesn’t mean you don’t have to be careful in Brighton and that there is no chance of anything going wrong.

No city is perfect, and it is up to you as the traveller to ensure you behave in a way that makes you trip as safe as possible.

All things considered though, Brighton is safe, and you shouldn’t let any safety concern stop you from visiting this amazing city!

Essential tips for planning your first solo trip

Just in case you skimmed the first part of this post, I just want to reiterate that Brighton is safe.

There aren’t any serious safety concerns you need to be aware of when planning your trip to Brighton.

Taking reasonable safety precautions will be enough!

While Brighton is safe, there are still a few safety tips you need to know before you visit the city.

These will ensure you’re safe and prepared in case something does go wrong.

The Brighton seafront is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city. If you go to Brighton, there is a 100% chance you’ll be spending a decent amount of your time near the water.

If you choose go into the water, be very careful.

The Brighton seafront is in the heart of the English Channel, and it is more difficult to swim in open waters than it is in the swimming pool.

Only swim in Brighton if you have the proper skills. On top of that, be sure to go swimming during the day when it is busy, and there are other people around.

You’re travelling alone, and you need to make sure there are other people around to see and hear you in case you start having trouble in the water.

If there is one thing that could make me change my mind on the question is Brighton safe or not, it is the swimming. You hear too many horror stories from around the world about people getting caught up in the water and drowning.

It is even scarier if you’re travelling alone and don’t have someone nearby to help you if that happens.

However, as long as you have the skills and swim during the day, you should be fine.

Better yet, stay dry and have a pint along the seafront and people watch. That is definitely more my style!

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Speaking of beer, I know it is tempting to enjoy a beer or two in Brighton, but you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to go from a casual beer to being tipsy.

The combination of being active, the heat, and how good a beer tastes along the Brighton seafront can be a dangerous combination.

Especially if you’re a solo female traveller.

I’ve made the mistake of overindulging when travelling before, and it can be extremely dangerous. One of the most dangerous things you can do while travelling whether you’re alone or with a group.

Just like swimming, a seemingly innocent activity like have a few drinks can make a safe city like Brighton turn into a dangerous city.

Plus, I think we all know the UK has a reputation for enjoying the pubs (which is by no means a bad thing!), so it is easier for you to get caught up in it than it may be when you’re at home.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with drinking, but just be sure to enjoy responsibly and remember you’re likely tired and slightly dehydrated, and that impacts your alcohol tolerance.

Being internet safe is often overlooked when people talk about being safe when travelling.

You never think about protecting your devices and online data, but it is one of the most important safety precautions you can take no matter where you travel.

You rely on public wifi when you travel, and that puts your devices (and your personal online information) at risk of being stolen.

And, yes, even if the wifi network has a passcode, it is still a public network because anybody can get the password.

If you leave your devices unprotected, it’s possible that someone will hack into them and steal all your personal information.

Including your banking information.

That’s a nightmare you don’t want to have to deal with then you’re travelling.

Especially when you’re travelling alone and don’t have a companion to borrow money from while you sort out your banking troubles.

The only way you can protect your online information when using public wifi networks is by installing a VPN on your devices.

A VPN essentially puts up a forcefield around your devices that makes it impossible for a hacker to steal your private information.

It makes using a public wifi network just as safe as using your private wifi at home where you’re the only person who knows the password.

It’s a small but essential safety step to take before you travel.

I’ve used a lot of different VPNs in my many years of travel. To be honest, most of them suck and aren’t worth the money.

They slow your internet down to a snail’s pace, and if you’re like me, you get frustrated with how slow your internet is, and you turn off the VPN leaving yourself exposed to having your online information stolen.

The only VPN I’ve ever liked is NordVPN.

I discovered it years ago and have no plans on ever switching providers ever again. In fact, it’s the only VPN I’ve ever renewed my subscription with, so it must be good!

The reason I love NordVPN (and recommend them to my fellow travel lovers) is because they’re the fastest VPN on the market.

It is so important to have fast internet when travelling, and having a VPN that doesn’t slow down your connection is an amazing feeling.

Plus, you can protect up to six devices with a single NordVPN subscription, so you can keep all your data safe for one low cost.

A two-year subscription to NordVPN costs less per month than a single Starbuck’s latte, so you have no excuse not to protect your online information and data.

My philosophy is that if you can afford to travel, you can afford to protect yourself with a VPN.

Brighton is hot in the summer, and you’ll be doing a lot of outdoor activities. Even if you don’t swim, kayak, or rent a bike, you’ll be walking a lot.

That means you’re at serious risk of becoming dehydrated, which is no fun when you’re travelling!

Be sure to drink a ton of water when in Brighton.

Drink water before you leave, at every meal, and rehydrate when you get back to your hotel in the evening.

There is no such thing as too much water!

If you become dehydrated, you won’t be able to enjoy your solo trip to Brighton. You’ll be lethargic, potentially get heat stroke, and can even start feeling dizzy and lightheaded if it gets bad enough.

Dehydration is one of the things that can change the answer to the question is Brighton safe for solo travellers from a yes to a no.

The good thing though is that it is 100% within your control.

You can regulate how much water you drink and ensure you don’t get dehydrated. And if you ever start feeling thirsty, stop at a convenience store and buy a bottle of water.

I know plastic bottles are bad for the environment, but if it is a choice between a plastic water bottle and you becoming dehydrated, it is better to bite the bullet and buy a water bottle.

You can make up for it by picking up some of the trash along the beach later on!

For many people (me included) the cars in Brighton drive on the opposite side of the street than you’re used to.

I’ve seen way too many tourists almost be hit by cars in the UK because they looked the wrong way before crossing the street.

I don’t want that to happen to you!

Be sure to always look both ways before crossing the street and do a double check before stepping out into traffic.

Even if you’ve been to the UK before and are confident in your ability to look the right way before crossing the street, look both ways anyways.

All it takes is for you to slip back into your old habits, and you’re hit by a car you didn’t see.

15 epic things to do in London alone

Brighton is a safe city, but just like many other cities, you may want to be extra cautious when walking alone at dark.

Especially as a woman.

You never know what’ll happen, and while I feel safe 99% of the time in Brighton, I often find myself walking quicker and having my heart pumping faster when walking home alone in the dark.

There are areas in Brighton where you have to walk through narrow, winding street. Try to avoid those as much as possible at night.

Try to walk in well lit areas where there are a lot of people around.

This likely means walking along the seafront for as long as possible until you need to veer off to get to your accommodation.

There really isn’t much to worry about. The likelihood of anything happening to you is very low.

It is more for your peace of mind than anything else. It is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to walking alone in the dark.

Oh, be sure to also have your purse of bag held tightly and preferably close to the front of your body.

You can’t see if someone is walking up behind you hoping to swipe your bag or pick pocket you. The better grip you have on your bag, the less likely it is that someone will try to grab it from you.

There you have it the answer to the question is Brighton safe.

I’m very happy to report that Brighton is extremely safe, and you can go and have an amazing holiday as a solo traveller without worrying about your safety.

I love Brighton and can’t wait to go back!

If you’re on the fence about whether or not to visit the city, I highly recommend you take the plunge and book the trip!

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Château de Fontainebleau is a great day trip from Paris. It is only 55km outside of Paris, and it is extremely easy to get from Paris to Château de Fontainebleau. It is one of the largest royal palaces in all of France and is filled with beautiful decor and lots of history.

Château de Fontainebleau is an interesting piece of French architecture. It was a royal Château then became a palace and one of the many residences for the French monarchs. It was used as a palace from the reign of Louis VII to Napoleon III.

The monarchs would go from Paris to Château de Fontainebleau in order to relax and get away from the capital city. The location was favourable because the monarch could easily go from Paris to Fontainebleau for a short retreat and not have to worry about extensive travel.

The palace is now a UNESCO World Heritage sight and is visited by hoards of tourists every year.

It truly is one of the best places in France to learn about French history!

The most common (and easiest) way to get from Paris to Fontainebleau is by train. The train rides takes approximately 40 minutes, and it is faster than taking a private car!

The first step to getting from Paris to Château de Fontainebleau is to get to Gare de Lyon station in Paris because that is where the trains to Fontainebleau leave from. Gare de Lyon is the sixth largest train station in Paris, and it is very busy.

You have to take the local Paris metro to Gare to Lyon and then transfer to another train to get to Château de Fontainebleau .

The metro lines that stop at Gare de Lyon are:

The RER lines that stop at Gare to Lyon are:

To figure out to get from where you are staying to Gare de Lyon, click here. This is an interactive map that will help you plan the best route for you to take!

Now that you’re at Gare de Lyon, you will have to exit the Paris metro portion of the station and follow the signs to the actual train station portion of Gare de Lyon. There will be lots of signs, so you shouldn’t get lost.

You are now in the train station portion of Gare de Lyon. You’ll need to take a Transition train (that’s the fancy name for the type of train you will be taking to Château de Fontainebleau). You will want to take a train in the direction of Migennes, Montargis or Montereau. All three of these trains will take you to Château de Fontainebleau.

You need to get off the train at Fontainebleau-Avon. This will be either the second, third, or forth stop depending on what train you take.

You will need to purchase a ticket before you board the train to Fontainebleau. Tickets can either be purchased at a ticket machine or at a ticket booth. You cannot purchase a ticket to Fontainebleau-Avon at the metro stations, so you will have to purchase it once you walk to the train station.

The ticket machines will be purple on the side and have SNCF written on the side. The ticket machines accept both cash and card.

You are also able to purchase your ticket online and collect it at a ticket machine. Simply input your reservation number and the credit card used to purchase the ticket, and you’ll easily be able to collect your ticket!

You can also purchase a ticket at a manned ticket booth if you feel more comfortable with that. Make sure to leave a little bit of extra time if you plan on purchasing your ticket at a ticket booth because there is often a queue.

You have to validate your ticket before you board the train! There will be a square metal box as you enter the platform. You have to stick the end of your ticket in the box in order for it to validated.

Once you get off the train, you will have to take a local bus to Château de Fontainebleau. The bus departs across the street from the train station exit, and you will be able to see the bus stop as soon as you walk out of the station.

It is impossible to get lost on your way to the bus. You will be able to see the station, and you can simply follow the other tourists who are heading to Château de Fontainebleau as well.

You need to take the Ligne 1 (line 1) bus in the direction of Les Lilas. Ride the bus until you hear the stop called Château is announced, and you will get off there.

There is a map inside the bus, so you can track where you are on the route and be prepared to get off when your stop is coming up. You can also get off when the rest of the tourists get off.

After you get off the bus, you have to walk about a block and a half before you get to the palace. There will be signs showing you what direction to walk when you get off the bus.

Château de Fontainebleau is right in the heart of the city. The bus stop you get off at is in a residential area, and it can seem a bit odd getting off there, but you are in the right place!

• You need change to ride the bus so make sure you have some with you!
• Make sure you check the bus schedule, so you know what time to be back at the bus stop after touring Château de Fontainebleau
• It is polite to give up your seat for elders, people living with disabilities, and pregnant women (but that’s common knowledge everywhere).

You can drive yourself from Paris to Fontainebleau. It will take approximately an hour and fifteen minutes, but that is subject to traffic, of course.

You take the A6 from Paris (Porte d’Orléans or Porte d’Italia) and take the exit for Fontainebleau. After you exit, you will follow signs that say Château until you get to the palace.

To find nearby parking, visit this link.

You can take an organized tour from Paris to Fontainebleau, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The tours are normally overpriced, and they don’t give you the freedom to do what you want when you want.

That being said, there are instances where it is better for people to take a coach tour rather than travelling to Château de Fontainebleau on their own. People who are living with disabilities and cannot easily take public transportation or people with mobility issues who want to walk as little as possible.

Paris City Vision offers a guided tour that comes highly recommend (although I have never personally gone on it).

It is easy to get from Paris to Château de Fontainebleau, and it is an amazing day trip. Château de Fontainebleau is so close to Paris that it makes for the perfect day trip.

The most efficient and stress-free way to get from Paris to Fontainebleau is by train. I promise that having to take the train then a bus isn’t as difficult as it can seem to an inexperienced traveller.

The journey is extremely easy, and it is nearly impossible to get lost along the way. The only thing you need to worry about is getting on the right train and getting off at the right stop. Even if you get off on the wrong bus stop, you will be able to walk to the palace because it is a small town.

Château de Fontainebleau is a great piece of French history. I actually enjoy it more than Versailles. It is less busy, just as beautiful, and has some amazing history attached to it.

You won’t regret your trip to Château de Fontainebleau!