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Munich is a hugely popular tourist destination, but you may wonder is Munich safe for solo female travellers?

Germany has a reputation for being extremely safe, and it probably won’t surprise you to hear that Munich is safe.

Even for solo female travellers.

In fact, I’d put Munich near the top of the list of cities to visit for first time solo female travellers who are concerned about their safety.

You’ll feel very safe in Munich and leave with more confidence to travel alone in the future.

In this post, we’ll not only answer the question is Munich safe, but we’ll also talk about some Munich safety tips to help you have the safest trip possible.

Because even though Munich is safe, there are still ways you can get yourself into trouble while in Munich.

And we don’t want that!

Why you’ll hate travelling alone

Juuusttt in case you skimmed the first part of this article (I really don’t blame you), I want to reiterate that Munich is safe for solo female travellers.

Using common sense will be enough for you to visit Munich alone without running into any trouble.

There are a few extra safety tips you should know about when visiting Munich, and we’re going to discuss that next.

But if you’re just here for the answer to the question is Munich safe, thanks for stopping by, and I’m glad I was able to answer you quesiton.

Have a great solo trip to Munich!

While Munich is safe, there are a few extra things I want to let you know about.

Of course, you’ll want to follow basic safety tips like being aware of your surroundings, not leaving your drink unattended, and not getting in cars with strangers (other than taxis or ride share apps).

But here are a few extra things you should know.

This should go without saying, but, sadly, there are still people who are either Nazi supporters or think that making this hand gesture in Germany is a funny joke.

It absolutely isn’t, and it is extremely distasteful and inappropriate to make this hand gesture anywhere in the world and especially not in Germany.

There was a prominent Nazi headquarter in Munich. In the past, there was an issue with people going to the building just to take pictures making the salute. It got so bad that the building was turned into a police station, and there is a 24/7 police presence at the location.

That’s how seriously Germany takes that gesture.

So please, please never ever make that gesture. You’ll get in trouble if you’re caught, and it is in very bad taste.

I know that Munich is known for Octoberfest and beer halls but one of the things that can change the answer to the question is Munich safe from yes to no.

I’m not saying don’t go out and enjoy a drink or two. But please drink responsibly.

You’re in a new city alone, and it is extremely dangerous to get drunk. It puts you at extreme risk. Even though 99.99% of people in Munich are nice and helpful, all it takes it one person that wants to harm you, and you’re assaulted or killed.

When you do go out for drinks, make sure you have a plan on how you’re going to get home. Know what time public transportation shuts down for the night, whether you feel comfortable walking home, or if you’re going to take a taxi.

And please don’t trust the people you meet that night too much. There are nightclub scams where people get tourists to feel comfortable and trust them and then they abduct them.

I’m never one to overemphasize danger or make things seem more dangerous than they are. In fact, I think the world is much safer than we make it out to be.

But getting drunk when travelling alone in a new country is a risk you shouldn’t take. Enjoy a few drinks and stop before you get drunk.

What I wish I knew before backpacking Europe

One aspect of travel safety that isn’t talked about enough is how important it is to be internet safe when travelling. Especially when travelling alone.

You rely on public wifi networks when travelling. From hotels to restaurants to airports, you’ll be using a wifi network every day that other people can access.

This means you’re putting yourself at risk of having your personal online information and data at risk of being stolen.

Including your banking information.

And trust me when I tell you that you don’t want to deal with having your banking information stolen while you’re abroad. I’ve been there, and it isn’t fun.

The good news is that it is super easy to protect your personal information when using public wifi networks.

All you have to do is install a VPN on your devices.

A VPN essentially puts an invisible forcefield around your devices that makes using public wifi networks just as safe and secure as using your home wifi network where only you know the password.

It is an extremely simple step you can take to make travelling so much safer.

I’ve used a lot of different VPNs in my many years of travel and hated all of them except one.

VPNs are notorious for slowing your devices down and making the internet a painfully slow speed. A lot of times I would give up using my VPN and leave myself unprotected just because my VPN was making the internet so slow.

All that changed when I started using NordVPN.

NordVPN is the fastest VPN on the market, and you can really tell the difference when using it. There is no slow down of the internet, and a lot of the time I forget I’m even using it is so seamless.

One NordVPN subscription can protect up to six devices, so you can protect all your devices with one account.

And it is super affordable too!

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

I always say that if you can afford to travel, you can afford to protect your devices with a VPN.

An esim will change the way you travel. It certainly changed the way I travel. It is easy to install and gives you the freedom to travel however you want without worrying about connecting to public wifi while out and about exploring.

An esim is installed on your phone and gives you data in the country you’re travelling in. No need to search for public wifi. No need to purchase a local sim. No need to remove your home sim or change your phone number to a local number where you’re travelling.

All you do is purchase an esim and activate it on you’re phone, and you have local data!

My favourite esim company is Airalo.

It’s very affordable, very reliable, and it has the most esims available versus other esim companies. I use everywhere I travel and am completely obsessed. You can even get a Europe wide esim in case you’re visiting more than just Germany on your trip!

If you don’t use much data, then Drimsim is another great option. It charges you per MB you use. It can end up being less expensive than Airalo if you only use a tiny amount of data.

If you do use Drimsim, I recommend you toggle on and off your data and only have your data on when you’re actively using it. This will prevent your data accidentally activating and running in the background and costing you more money.

Again, this point should go without saying, but Germans are super serious about following the law.

They don’t cross the street unless the walk sign says you’re allowed even if there is no traffic coming.

So another way to change the answer to the question is Munich safe from a yes to a no is by breaking the law. Even small infractions can get you in trouble.

Use common sense, don’t do anything you wouldn’t do at home, and follow the lead of the local people.

Bottom line: be respectful and act appropriately.

There aren’t that many scams in Munich you need to be aware of. It truly is a very safe city.

There aren’t even many pickpockets compared to more other major European countries.

But there are a few scams you should be aware of, and not surprisingly most of them revolve around beer and Octoberfest.

People will try to sell you fake beer tickets, tell you you have to pay an extra fee for something related to the beer hall, or may even try to lure you into a different beer hall.

The best way you can avoid these scams in Munich (other than being aware of them) is by using official channels and purchasing what you can ahead of time.

This means using officials websites, going to the front entrance of beer halls, and asking your hotel or hostel or Airbnb host for advice.

But, in the whole big scheme of things, Munich is extremely safe, and there aren’t many scams you need to be aware of.

There you have it! I hope I answered the question is Munich safe sufficiently, and you feel more comfortable taking a solo trip to Munich than you were before reading this post.

Munich is not only a very safe city, but it is also a beautiful city. I fell in love with Munich when I was there.

It also makes a great city for a first solo trip. Munich is easy to navigate, the people are friendly, and the food is yummy. It truly is a special city.

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Seville is a fairly small city in Spain, and you may be wondering is Seville worth visiting alone?

It can be difficult to decide if Seville is worth visiting. It’s a bit out of the way from the major cities most people visit in Spain.

Is it worth the effort to get there?

Is Seville worth visiting alone or should you visit another Spanish city?

It’s hard to give you a definitive answer. It depends a lot on your travel plans and what you enjoy when you travel.

But, I can give you my perspective of someone who visited Seville alone. There is some important things to know before you decide to book a solo trip to Seville.

Knowing these things will make your decision making process easier. It’s never easy deciding where to visit when there are so many places to see and so little time!

The struggles of a travel lover, eh.

What I wish I knew before backpacking Europe alone

I visited Seville on a whim without knowing much about the city. I found an error fare roundtrip from Canada to Paris for $300CAD.

I then picked the cheapest roundtrip flight from Paris to visit. That city happened to be Seville. It isn’t a city that I had heard of before that point and probably not somewhere I would have picked myself.

I’m glad that the cheap flight travel god decided to send me to Seville. It was an interesting experience.

The city of Seville is absolutely beautiful.

There is ton of stunning architecture, history, and culture. The Réal Alcazar (Royal Alcazar) is a must do when in Seville. It alone makes visiting Seville alone worth it.

You can even see Christopher Columbus’ tomb inside the cathedral.

At this point, I think we’re well aware that Columbus was extremely problematic and did horrendous things to Indigenous people in North America and to women. With that acknowledged, it was still pretty cool to see that tomb because it was so gorgeous. No matter who would have been buried there, it would have been a neat tomb to see.

Plus the food is incredible as long as you know where to look and what to eat.

Try to avoid eating near the most popular tourist areas. You’ll overpay and not get the best food.

The other great thing about Seville is that there are tons of day trips you can take. It is a great city to use as a hub and explore the surrounding are.

I especially recommend visiting Córdoba. It’s one of the most charming cities in Spain.

I didn’t have time to explore the surrounding area, but it is definitely something I’d like to go back and do.

How to plan the perfect solo trip

The downside to Seville for me was that the siesta tradition lives on strong in the city.

This means between the hours of 2pm and 5pm nearly every small shop and even some bigger shops and restaurants are closed.

This means there was a huge chunk of the day where I either walked around and looked at the architecture or went back to my hotel and watch Netflix for a few hours.

This may not impact everybody, but I’m an early bird gets the worm person, and a lot of the sights weren’t open first thing in the morning.

So, I was again wandering around with no purpose.

Eventually you’ve walked the main core and nearby neighbourhoods enough time that it starts to get old.

For me, the biggest issue with travelling to Seville alone was all of the down time I was forced to have because of when things were and weren’t open.

Again, this is a me issue. I only have three days in Seville and wanted to get the most out of my trip.

I’m totally aware that every culture has their own way of doing things, and it is up to the tourist to adjust to their way of life. Just from my experience, it wasn’t quite what I was expecting, and I should have done more research before choosing a random place to fly to just because it was inexpensive.

The other small complaint I have about Seville is that there wasn’t that much to do. It’s a little bit out of the way, and you’re not really able to visit Seville as a day trip from another popular tourist destination.

For me, I’m glad I went to Seville alone, but I don’t think I’ll be going back anytime soon.

It’s a lovely city with great architecture and history, but it just wasn’t for me. It would be a great place to visit as a day trip, but that’s not really realistic.

I would personally choose another city to visit in Spain if you had to choose between visiting Seville and another city.

If you’re able to visit multiple cities on your trip to Spain, then definitely go ahead and add Seville to your itinerary!

Okay. Now that you know my opinion, let’s talk about why you may or may not want to visit Seville alone and answer the question is Seville worth visiting alone more subjectively.

• There are bucket list sights like The Réal Alcazar (Royal Alcazar) 

• The food is delicious and super affordable

• Seville can be used as a hub to explore the surrounding region

• It has a slow pace and isn’t overrun by tourists (yet)

• Seville is super affordable even compared to other cities in Spain

• Nobody bats an eye at solo tourists or people eating alone

• It isn’t an intimidating city to travel in (great for new solo travellers)

• The city is very walkable and easy to get around in

• You have to work around siestas and the local culture. It may lead to a bit of loneliness or boredom during siesta periods

• Early mornings aren’t really a thing, so nothing is open first thing in the morning

• The city comes alive at night, and this may make some female solo travellers nervous about walking back to the hotel alone at night

• There isn’t that much to do in Seville. You can see most of the city in 1 or 2 days

• It isn’t near other major tourist cities in Spain

I hope this article helps you answer the question is Seville worth visiting alone?

My recommendation is that if you have a few weeks in Spain to visit Seville, but if you only have time to visit one city in Spain, you’ll probably want to choose Madrid or Barcelona.

Seville is a great city with an interesting history, but it is the type of city I’d rather go back to with a friend or family member.

That way you can sit around for a few hours in a coffee shop in the afternoon and chat while siestas are happening.

Of course, you can sit in a coffee shop alone and read during siestas as well if you choose to visit Seville alone.

I just personally think the laidback vibe of Seville is better enjoyed with company than alone. I found myself spending more time than normal in my hotel room watching Netflix in the afternoon than I would have if I were there with someone else.

As always, these are just my personal opinions. And opinions are different than facts. Someone else may have a different opinion.

Listen to different voices, weigh what they have to say, and make the right choice for you and your travel style.

Disneyland Paris is the perfect day trip from Paris. It is easy to get to from central Paris and is tons of fun! There a lot of Disneyland Paris attractions. Many of them are similar to attractions in other Disney parks and some of them are unique to Disneyland Paris.

You will want to have an understanding of Disneyland Paris attractions before you go to the parks. You will be better able to optimize your time if you know what you want to ride before you get to the parks.

This article will go through all of the Disneyland Paris attractions available. It should help you create a game plan for your visit. There are a lot of Disneyland Paris attractions to choose from. If you are only in the parks for one day, you won’t be able to ride everything. You will have to pick and choose what Disneyland Paris attractions are most important to you.

I’m going to cover some general Disneyland Paris information before getting into discussing Disneyland Paris attractions. Feel free to skip right to the Disneyland Paris attractions content if you’re a Disney expert and know all about FastPasses and park hopping!

Before I start breaking down Disneyland Paris attractions, there are some general things you need to know about Disneyland Paris.

There are two different parks on Disneyland Paris property. Disneyland Paris park is the main park. It has most of the classic Disney attractions that you know and love. It has a similar vibe to Magic Kingdom and Disneyland California.

The other park is Walt Disney Studios Park. This park has a lot of Pixar-themed areas. It is also home to a number of more thrilling attractions. Disney Studios park is also home to a number of outstanding stage shows that you should try catch if you have the time.

It can be difficult to locate attractions if you are a first-time Disneyland Paris visitor or not familiar with the way Disney lays out their parks.

There are guide maps available at both parks. You can pick one up as you enter the parks. There is a stand shortly after you scan your ticket and go through the turnstile.

The maps are available in multiple different languages, so you won’t have to try to read a French map if you don’t speak French. You only need to pick up one map because the map contains information for both parks, which makes it easy to plan your day if you have a park hopper ticket.

Your guide map will show you where all the Disneyland Paris attractions and restaurants are located as well as what time the shows and parades are running that day. The guide map will also give you information about what characters are meeting that day and where to find them.

It is expensive to buy tickets to theme parks, and Disneyland Paris is no exception, unfortunately. You should consider purchasing a park-hopper ticket. This ticket gives you access to both Disneyland Paris parks on the same day.

The parks are very close to one another. You can easily walk from one park to the next in less than 5 minutes, so you don’t have to worry about building in transportation time like you have to in Walt Disney World.

Purchasing a park hopper ticket gives you a lot of flexibility and freedom. You are able to do what you want throughout the day without being confined to a single park. You are able to hop from one park to the other to avoid crowds and make the most out of your time.

It is important to purchase a park hopper ticket if you’re only going to be at Disneyland Paris for one day. There are unique attractions in each park that you won’t want to miss. There are must-ride Disneyland Paris attractions in each park, so you will definitely want to have a park hopper ticket in order to ride them all!

Information regarding ticket pricing can be found here.

To make the most out of your time at Disneyland Paris, you should use FastPasses. FastPasses give you front-of-the-line access to various Disneyland Paris attractions.

You have to scan your paper ticket at a FastPass kiosk located near the ride. FastPass kiosks are clearly marked, so you shouldn’t have any trouble locating them. Once you scan your park ticket, you will receive a FastPass that has a return time on it. You can return to that attraction during the designated time slot and go through the much quicker FastPass queue.

Your FastPass will tell you when you are eligible to get another FastPass. You normally have to wait 90 minutes or use your current FastPass before you are eligible to get a new one. This helps spread the FastPasses out to all the guests and prevents people from hoarding them.

FastPasses are included in the price of your ticket, so you should make the most out of them! You should try to get FastPasses for the rides that have the longest wait time. You can ride attractions that have a short wait time while you are waiting to use your FastPass at a popular attraction. This is the most time efficient way!

You are able to get a FastPass in Disneyland Paris then go to Walt Disney Studios while you are waiting for your return time and go back to Disneyland Paris to use your FastPass. You have a lot of flexibility with FastPasses. Just be sure not to miss your return time!

You have to take the RER A regional train to get to Disneyland Paris. The last station is Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy, and you will get off the train there. You will be able to see Disney Village when you exit the station.

It will take approximately 30-45 minutes to get from central Paris to Disneyland Paris using public transportation.

There is a shuttle bus Disney provides from central Paris to the parks, but it is overpriced and not as efficient as the train. I wouldn’t recommend using the shuttle unless you have an impairment that prevents you from riding the train.

Fantasyland is home to some of the most iconic and nostalgic Disneyland Paris attractions. It is filled with bright colours and child-friendly rides. This land is often what people think of first when they think of Disney. It is truly classic.

Fantasyland is located behind Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. It is located in the middle of the park. You are able to access it from Discoveryland, Adventureland, and Main Street, U.S.A.

This is the castle that you see as you are walking down Main Street, U.S.A. when you first enter Disneyland Paris. This castle design is unique to Disneyland Paris, and, frankly, it is one of the most beautiful Disney castles.

You are able to go inside the castle. There are scenes from Sleeping Beauty depicted inside the castle. You are also able to go outside on a balcony where there is a fantastic view of Fantasyland.

Note: You are required to walk up a flight of stairs to visit the inside of the castle. This may be difficult for people with mobility issues.

What would Sleeping Beauty’s Castle be without an evil dragon lurking underneath it?

You are able to walk through the bottom of the castle to see a sleeping (or is it?) dragon. Be sure to wait around for a few minutes: the dragon just might wake up.

You are able to access this attraction from both Main Street, U.S.A. and Fantasyland. It is dark in the cave, but the floor is flat, so this is one of the Disneyland Paris attractions that is suitable for people with mobility issues to participate in without having to be accommodated.

As I mentioned, it is dark in the cave, so children (and adults) with a fear of the dark may not enjoy seeing the dragon. It isn’t pitch black, but there is just enough light to see where you are walking.

This is a classic Disney attraction that is found in every Disney park in the world except for Shanghai Disneyland. This is a slow-paced boat ride that takes you through various scenes that shows people and animals from all over the world.

It is a brightly coloured attraction with tons of animatronics wearing clothing traditional to the part of the world they are representing. It is filled with classic, Disney nostalgia and is great for people of any age because there isn’t a height limit.

While It’s a Small World is popular amongst hard-core Disney fans, it normally doesn’t have a very long queue. It is a great option if you have a FastPass for a different Fantasyland attraction and have a few extra minutes to spare before their return window begins.

This is another classic Disney attraction. The Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups are themed based on the tea party scene in Alice in Wonderland. It is a colourful ride that is perfect for taking a picture of!

This attraction consists of various tea cups. You pick a tea cup, get in, and then spin around and around and around and around. The tea cups themselves spin, but there is also a wheel in your individual tea cup that lets you spin even faster if you choose to.

This attraction is beloved by both children and adults alike. It is a fun attraction that oftentimes doesn’t have much of a wait time.

You can get rather dizzy on this attraction, so you may want to give it a miss if you get motion sick or have just eaten.

Continuing with the theme of Alice in Wonderland, the next attraction is Alice’s Curious Labyrinth. This is a walk-through maze where you get to see all the main characters from the movie.

You get to choose your own path, so be sure to choose wisely otherwise you will have to retrace your steps to find the proper route!

This attraction is a lot of fun- especially if you have children in your group. It allows them to run around a little and burn off some energy.

The maze isn’t too long, so it won’t take you more than 10-20 minutes to complete depending on how long you spend looking at all the theming. It can get busy in the maze during peak times (aka mid-afternoon), so you may want to try to visit it mid-morning or early evening.

This is another one of the Disneyland Paris attractions that people with mobility issues are able to participate in without having to be accommodated. If you are able to walk through the maze, you will be able to experience it! You are able to walk as slow as you want, and you can stop and rest mid-maze if you need to.

There is one section of the maze that requires you to walk up a few stairs. You can easily bypass this portion of the attraction if you are unable to climb stairs. There is often a queue to climb the stairs, so many people bypass it in any event.

You aren’t able to bring motorized scooters or wheelchairs into the maze. You will have to walk by yourself if you want to go through the maze.

This translates to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It is a dark-ride where you board a wooden mine train and go through the scenes from the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

It is a slow-moving ride that is suitable for children of all ages and sizes. Other versions of this attraction can be found in Disneyland California and Tokyo Disneyland.

It can be a popular attraction, and it doesn’t offer a FastPass. If you really want to ride this attraction, I would recommend riding it in the morning before the park gets busy or in the evening after most of the children have gone home for the day.

Warning: This attraction has a number of scenes that may scare young children. The attraction focuses more on the relationship between Snow White and the Old Hag than on Snow White and her relationship with the Seven Dwarfs.

This attraction is the classic carrousel ride that you will find in the centre of every Fantasyland in every Disney park around the world.

Similar to any other carrousel, this attraction allows you to climb aboard a horse of your choosing and spin around slowing in circles. It is great fun for people of all ages. It has no height limit, there are seat buckles for smaller children, and parents are allowed to stand by their small child and help to hold them up.

The best part of the carrousel is that if you’re very, very lucky, you may get to ride with a Disney princess! Occasionally throughout the day a princess (normally Belle) will go for a ride on the carrousel. It makes for a very special memory if you are lucky enough to experience the attraction with a Disney character.

This is undoubtably the most popular attraction in Fantasyland. It is a cult classic amongst adult Disney fans and children love it too. This is one of the most popular Disneyland Paris attractions, so you will want to either ride it first thing in the morning or get a FastPass for it.

Peter Pan’s flight is a dark ride where you board a boat and soar above the story of Peter Pan. You start in the Darling children’s bedroom and end by defeating Captain Hook. You get to float through all the iconic scenes the make this movie the Disney classic it is.

Peter Pan’s Flight in Disneyland Paris is quite similar to other versions throughout the world. If you’re a huge Peter Pan’s Flight fan, you should definitely take the time to ride it. However, if you’ve ridden it in other parks throughout the world and are only a so-so fan, you may want to spend your time riding Disneyland Paris attractions that you can’t find anywhere else in the world.

This is a slow boat ride that takes you through miniature dioramas that depict your favourite Disney fairytales. You see scenes from Tangled, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and more!

The scenes are quite well designed. This attraction rarely has a queue, so it is a great way to relax during the middle of the day when your feet start to ache.

There is no height limit for this attraction, so it is suitable for children of all ages. The is a lot to see, so your young children will have lots of sensory stimulation (I mean, what at Disney isn’t sensory stimulation?).

This attraction is specifically geared towards young children. You board Casey Jr. and go for a fun ride through Storybook Land.

The train allows you to get an overhead view of Les Pays de Contes de Fées and Dumbo the Flying Elephant. You can get some great pictures of Fantasyland while your child is enjoying the train ride!

This attraction does not have a height limit because it was designed with children in mind. It doesn’t normally have much of a queue, so it is another great choice for the middle of the day when you and your child(ren) are getting tired and need a bit of a break.

This attraction is very similar to the Snow White dark ride in Fantasyland. The ride layout and vehicles are the same.

The difference is that you are riding through Pinocchio’s story on this attraction rather than Snow White’s.

This attraction is also a lot less scary for young children because it has brighter colours and fewer scary characters. There are still a couple of scenes that a young child might find scary but not nearly as many as in the Snow White attraction.

This attraction does not offer a FastPass and can be quite popular. You should try to ride it first thing in the morning or in the evening when most of the children have left for the day. This will allow you to experience the attraction without queuing for a long time.

This is the second most popular attraction in Fantasyland behind Peter Pan’s Flight. It is a staple attraction that is found in every Disney park in the world, and is a favourite among children.

The ride vehicles are in the shape of an elephant. You choose your elephant and are lifted into the air. The elephants go in a circle, and there is a controller in your vehicle that allows you to raise or lower your elephant, so it feels like you are flying.

You get amazing views of Fantasyland while riding the Dumbo attraction. You should make sure to have your camera ready to make sure you get a couple of great pictures.

This attraction does not offer FastPasses, which is surprising considering how popular it is. You should ride it first thing in the morning if you have a child that loves Dumbo and has to ride it everything s/he is at the park.

If you can’t ride it first thing in the morning, later in the evening is another good time to ride it. Many children leave the parks early in the evening, so the queue is shorter near the end of the night. There will still be a queue, but it will be shorter than during the day.

There is no height restriction for this attraction, so your entire family will be able to ride it with no problem. It makes for a great family memory and tradition!

Discoveryland is equivalent to Tomorrowland in the rest of the Disney parks around the world. It is home to futuristic attractions and metallic colouring.

It is located on the left-hand side of Main Street, U.S.A. You can enter Discoveryland either from Main Street, U.S.A. or Fantasyland.

This is the newest Disneyland Paris attraction. It is a 4D show that features Donald getting into trouble and Mickey helping save him.

Mickey’s PhilharMagic takes you on a musical journey where you get to hear your favourite classic Disney songs. Other versions of this attraction can be found in Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Tokyo Disneyland.

This attraction doesn’t normally have much of a wait time and can fit a large number of people into one show, so it is perfect for people who are looking for something to do in the middle of the day when the queues are long. Or people who are looking to catch a midday nap (Disney really is exhausting!).

There is seating for people in wheelchairs, so this attraction is accessible to people with mobility impairments. If you have a wheelchair or motorized scooter, you will be shown into the theatre first, so you don’t have to try to fight the crowds and find your designated seating area.

This is a great attraction for people of all ages. It is a slow-moving game where you try to shoot targets with a laser gun to defeat evil Emperor Zurg.

Each ride vehicle has two laser guns, and you are competing to see who has the best score. This is one of the longer non-show Disneyland Paris attractions. The ride takes approximately 5 minutes. You are shooting the entire time, so five minutes goes by pretty quickly, and you might end up with a hand cramp by the end of it.

There is no height limit for this attraction, so anybody in your party can ride it. If you have a small child and two adults, the three of you will go into one car with the child seated in the middle for safety.

This is a very popular attraction in every Disney park around the world- including Disneyland Paris. FastPasses for this attraction don’t run out too quickly, so you can get FastPasses for another attraction you want to ride and then come back and get a FastPass for Buzz Lightyear later in the afternoon.

This is a walk through attraction where you board a submarine and explore the world Jules Verne created with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. You get to explore the submarine and see some of the discoveries the crew has made deep in the ocean.

This is a fun attraction for people who are a fan of the novel or people who love sea-themed things. It isn’t the most engaging attraction at Disneyland Paris. You may want to give it a pass if you’re not into 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea or submarines.

You don’t have to walk up or down any stairs in this attraction, so it is suitable for people with mobility issues. The hallways are wide enough for a wheelchair, but you will have to check with a cast member to see if wheelchairs are allowed in the attraction or not.

You get a bird’s eye view of Discoveryland on the Orbitron! This attraction is based off of one of Leonardo da Vinci’s drawing of the solar system.

You board a space ship and shoot into the solar system. You are able to control the height of your space ship just like on the Dumbo attraction. The two attractions are very similar. The main differences between them are the theming and that the Orbitron lifts you higher into the air.

This attraction is similar to the Orbitron in other Disney parks around the world. If you aren’t a fan of the attraction at any other park, you should give it a pass in Disneyland Paris as well.

There is no height requirement on this attraction, so anybody is welcome to ride it.

This attraction doesn’t offer a FastPass. It can get pretty busy at times, so you should avoid trying to ride it during peak hours to limit your wait time.

Star Tours is a simulator attraction. You board a Starspeeder and go on a thrilling trip through the Star Wars universe.

The best part about this attraction is that the scenes are random. You never know what part of the universe you will be visiting until your Starspeeder takes you there.

This is a very popular attraction. The queue can oftentimes being more than 60 minutes long. FastPass is available, so if you have a Star Wars fanatic in your group, you will want to make sure you get one!

Star Tours in Disneyland Paris is identical to Star Tours in other Disney parks around the world. The characters speak in French, so you won’t be able to understand them if you’re an Anglophile, but you will be able to follow along with the story line through watching the show.

This is a simulator attraction, so you shouldn’t ride it if you get motion sick.

What could be better than a mashup between Star Wars and on the most popular rollercoasters in the Disney universe? This attraction is amazing. It is one of the few Disneyland Paris attractions that is better than the original, classic version found in the US parks.

This attraction not only has a great theme, but it is also a lot more thrilling than the original version. The Disneyland Paris version has an upside down loop and a corkscrew, so it takes the thrill level up a notch.

Hyperspace Mountain is one of the few Disneyland Paris attractions that offers a single rider line. This line is normally shorter than the normal line. The only downside is that you will not be able to ride with anybody else in your group. You will be used to fill an empty seat when a party in the normal line has an odd number of riders.

Unsurprisingly, Hyperspace Mountain is a very popular attraction. It does offer a FastPass. If your party wants to ride the attraction together, you should get a FastPass or ride the coaster first thing in the morning.

If your family doesn’t mind splitting up, the single rider line is a great option. It allows you to ride a popular attraction with a short wait time while having a FastPass for another popular attraction. This is a great strategy for people trying to optimize their time in the parks.

Autopia is a driving attraction geared towards young children. Children are able to drive a motorized car through a closed course.

There is a metal track along the track under each car that prevents children from driving out of their lane, so you don’t have to worry about your child crashing the car or getting crashed into by another child.

Children love this attraction, so a long queue can form during peak hours. There is no FastPass for this attraction. You will have to strategize when you want to ride this attraction around all the other attractions you want to ride that don’t offer a FastPass.

Autopia in Disneyland Paris is the same as the Autopia attractions found in the US parks. There is nothing new or special about it, so you may want to skip this attraction unless it is a favourite of someone in your party.

Adventureland is located to the left of Fantasyland and the right of Frontierland. You can get to it from Fantasyland, Frontierland, or Main Street, U.S.A. It is one of the larger lands, and it has a number of popular and adventurous attractions.

This is a self-paced walk through attraction. You enter the world of Agrabah and get to see scenes from the movie Aladdin.

The theming of this attraction is great, and the dioramas you look at are intricate and colourful.

This is a self-paced attraction, which means that you can wander through it at your leisure. There won’t be a wait. Visiting this attraction while waiting for a nearby attraction you have a FastPass for or in the middle of the day are great options.

The passage you walk through is flat, so it is accessible to people with mobility impairments. You will have to check with a cast member to see if you have to transfer from a wheelchair or if you are able to take it into the attraction with you.

This is an outdoors rollercoaster that can only be found in Disneyland Paris and Tokyo DisneySea, so it is one of the more unique Disneyland Paris attractions.

This rollercoaster has an upside down loop and a couple of big drops (for Disney standards). It is a lot of fun, so you should plan to ride it while you’re in Disneyland Paris if you like coasters.

You are able to get a FastPass for this attraction. The FastPasses aren’t the most popular, so you can normally get FastPasses for another popular attraction and still be able to get a FastPss for Indiana Jones later in the day.

This attraction involves climbing up into a treehouse. It is based on the Family Robinson book. You get to walk through various areas of the treehouse and see how the family would have lived if this was their actual house.

There are a lot of stairs to climb. It is a great attraction for children that need to get rid of some energy, but it is not accessibly for people with mobility impairments. If you struggle with stairs, you will want to avoid this attraction.

There normally isn’t a queue for La Cabane des Robinson, so it is a great midday activity to do if you don’t want to wait in a long queue for a different attraction.

Ah, the classic Adventureland attraction. You board and boat and sail through different pirate scenes. It is a classic attraction that can be found in every Disney park around the world.

The Disneyland Paris version of Pirates of the Caribbean is slightly different from any other version. The layout and sequence of the scenes is slightly altered.

There is also a second small drop. This second drop does cause some disruption to the attraction though. The boats tend to get backed up waiting to go down the second drop, and you often get an extended viewing of the scene leading up to the drop.

This is a fairly popular attraction. It can often have a 30-45 minute wait consistently throughout the day. The wait time does tend to shorten as the day progresses, so riding it in the evening can save you some time standing in the line.

There is no FastPass for this attraction. You will have to wait in the queue every time you ride it, so you should try to avoid it during peak hours.

Frontierland is the smallest land, but it is home to two of my favourite Disneyland Paris attractions. It may be small, but it worth spending some time in!

It is on the lefthand side of Main Street, U.S.A. and is the first land you come to on the left when you enter the park. You can access Frontierland from Adventureland and Main Street, U.S.A. There is also a fairly quick way to get there is you leave Fantasyland near Peter Pan’s Flight and keep to the lower part of the path.

This is the classic boat ride that is found in most Frontierlands around the world. You board a life-size boat and sail around Frontierland. You get excellent views of Big Thunder Mountain, and you can snap some good photos on it.

This attraction sometimes has a long(ish) queue mostly because there is only one ride vehicle. You will have to wait the length of the attraction if you miss the boat by a few seconds.

People using wheelchairs or motorized scooters will have to transfer and walk onto the boat, so it isn’t totally accessible to people with mobility impairments, unfortunately.

This is one of my absolute favourite Disneyland Paris attractions. It is similar to the other Big Thunder Mountain attractions found in other parks in the world, but it is so much better!

It is longer and has more dips and turns than any other version in the world. This attraction is truly a highlight of Disneyland Paris. You should definitely make riding Big Thunder Mountain a priority.

It is outside and doesn’t have an upside down loop, so it is pretty tame compared to the other rollercoasters in Disneyland Paris, but it still extremely fun. Adults and children will love it, so it is perfect for the entire family!

Big Thunder is a popular attraction, so it has a long wait throughout basically the entire day. It is best to get a FastPass for this attraction. There is no single rider queue, and the queue area tends to get very warm and humid during the summer months. It can make for an uncomfortable wait.

Phantom Manor is Disneyland Paris’ version of Haunted Mansion. You board a doom buggy and tour through a old manor that is inhabited by ghosts.

It is a slow, dark ride, and there is no height restriction. It is a popular attraction that most guests visit during their Disneyland trip, but it often has a fairly short wait time. They are able to usher large numbers of people into the attraction at once, and that really helps cut down on the wait time. It does not offer a FastPass.

Just like Haunted Mansion, there is a narrator; however, this narrator speaks French. Not being able to fully understand that narration takes a little bit of the fun out of the attraction, but it is still worth going on.

The scenes you go through are similar to the scenes in the US parks, but there are a number of differences.

There is a lot information to sift through surrounding Disneyland Paris attractions, and it can be difficult to decide what is worth riding and what isn’t.

These are my list of must-ride Disneyland Paris attractions. Obviously this is subjective to my opinion and what style of attraction I enjoy, but it can be used as a starting point to get a quick sense of what attractions a young woman enjoys.

• Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain
• Big Thunder Mountain
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Sleeping Beauty Castle
• Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast
• Phantom Manor

This is the largest and most popular land in Walt Disney Studios. It is home to some of the most popular Disneyland Paris attractions, which means it is often very busy in this area.

Toon Studio is located at the back righthand corner of the theme park. You will turn to the right after you enter the park and follow the path. Toon Studio is narrow at the front of the land, but it widens out significantly the deeper into the land you get.

You can easily access the back portion of this land by walking straight when you enter the park to the Backlot area and taking a right. This will give you quick access to the Toy Story attractions.

This is one of the most unique Disneyland Paris attractions. You board a turtle shell and go on an ocean journey with Crush the turtle from Finding Nemo. The ride starts off slow and calm then picks up when you start riding the East Coast current.

It is a rollercoaster-type attraction with dips and turns. The unique part is that your turtle shell spins as well, so you are turning in circles as you go along the coaster track. It is an amazing attraction. I hope one day it comes to another Disney park.

Crush’s Coaster is a very popular attraction, and it doesn’t offer a FastPass option. The queue is normally 45-60 minutes throughout the entire day.

There is a single rider line, but it is slow moving as well. The single rider queue is often 30-45 minutes long. You shouldn’t let the long line deter you from riding Crush’s Coaster. It is an amazing attraction, and one of the few Disneyland Paris attractions that I am willing to wait in a long queue for.

This attraction is designed for young children. The ride vehicle is a giant Slinky Dog chasing his tail. You go around and around in circles trying to catch Slinky’s tail.

Children seem to enjoy this attraction, and it regularly has a long wait. It is not unusual for the wait to be 30+ minutes. There is not FastPass offered, so you will have to watch the wait times on your Disneyland Paris app and try to ride it when there is a shorter wait time.

Les Tapis Volants is the same as the Dumbo ride in the Disneyland Paris park. The only difference is that this attraction is themed around the Aladdin movie.

You board a flying carpet and flying over Agrabah (or at least this section of Toon Studio). It is bright and colourful just like Dumbo. The views aren’t as great as the Fantasyland views you get on Dumbo, but they are still pretty good.

This attraction isn’t as popular as the Dumbo attraction, so it is a good option if your child loves this type of attraction, but you want to limit how long you wait in line.

This attraction allows you to board a giant car and room up and down a half-pipe. It is basically the same as the boat half-pipe attractions that are in nearly every local theme park.

If you like the feeling of your stomach dropping time and time again, you will enjoy this attraction. The theming is cute, and you get a thrill, but it isn’t any different than the standard version of this attraction. You should skip this attraction if you don’t like this style of ride.

This attraction is hit-or-miss in terms of wait times. Sometimes it has a short wait times and other times it can be close to an hour. This is another one of the Disneyland Paris attractions that has a single-rider queue, so that is a great option if you don’t mind being split from your party.

This is another one of the Disneyland Paris attractions designed specifically with children in mind. It is themed around the Pixar Cars franchise.

You choose which car you want to ride in and the cars move in a circles. There are three smaller circles that the cars run on, and they weave in and out of each other. The cars also swing a little bit to the left and right as they are moving.

It uses the same ride track as Alien Saucer Swirl at Disney World or Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree in Disneyland California.

There isn’t a FastPass offered for this attraction, but the line is often fairly short, so you shouldn’t have to wait too long if it is something you want to ride.

This is the last of the Disneyland Paris attractions that are themed around the Toy Story franchise. It is a child-friendly version of the drop of doom-type attraction.

You sit on a green seat that looks like it has a parachute above it, so it looks like you’re one of the green toy soldiers from Toy Story dropping into action.

It is very mild and designed for children.

There is often a fairly long queue. It can get upwards of a 60 minute wait, but that is pretty rare.

There isn’t a FastPass offered, but there is a single-ride line. If your child feels comfortable riding without you beside him/her, this is a great way to save some time. Each bench holds 4 people, so the single-rider line tends to move pretty quickly if there are lots of groups of 3.

This is one of the most popular (and best) Disneyland Paris attractions. It is so good, that Walt Disney World is bringing it to Epcot. You should 100% make this attraction a priority.

You shrink down the size of a rat and help Remy prepare a special meal. It is a trackless ride, so you never know where you will end up! Each time you ride the attraction, it will be a new experience. It is also a 3D attraction, so that adds another element of fun to the ride!

This attraction is, understandably, a very popular attraction at Disneyland Paris. It offers a FastPass, but they often run out early in the day- especially because not many attractions in Walt Disney Studios have a FastPass option.

There is a single-rider line that moves very quickly. The ride vehicle seats 6 people, so nearly every vehicle has a single rider in it. This is definitely a quickest moving single-ride line, so you should take advantage of it!

This is the smallest land in Walt Disney Studios. It consists of only one attraction and serves more of a gateway to the Backlot than an actual land.

You can get to Production Courtyard by taking the path that go to the left when you first enter the park. You will be able to see the single attraction in this land when you enter. It is quite tall, so you can use it as a visual reference point.

This is a thrill attraction where you board an elevator that stops working and you drop. It is basically a highly-themed drop of doom-type attraction. It is based on the Twilight Zone television show.

A version of this attraction can be found in many Disney parks around the world. It is always a fan favourite and normally has a long(ish) queue. There is now a Fastpass option available for Tower of Terror so be sure to snag one if you’re a huge fan of this attraction!

This version of the ride is similar to the versions found in Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios and Tokyo DisneySea.

If you love this type of attraction, you will want to make time to ride it. However, if you aren’t a huge fan of this attraction at the other Disney parks, you’re probably better off getting a Fastpass for a different, unique attraction.

This is the final land in Walt Disney Studios park. It is located behind and slightly to the left of Production Courtyard. You can access it either through the Toy Story portion of Toon Studio or by walking past Production Courtyard.

You can easily miss this land if you don’t know how to get there. Walt Disney Studios isn’t built in a circle like Disneyland Paris, so you won’t just stumble upon a land in this park. It isn’t difficult to find when you know where you’re going though.

This is basically a guided walk-through tour where you learn about special effects. You go through various rooms and see how some of your favourite movie effects were created.

The attraction ends in a room where everybody stands in a circle and experiences an explosion effect. It is very loud, and you shouldn’t participate in this attraction if you have sensitive hearing.

This is a walk through attraction, but people using mobility devices such as wheelchairs or motorized scooters have to transfer and walk through the attraction.

There isn’t a FastPass offered for this attraction, but it isn’t a very popular attraction, so you won’t have a long wait.

The attraction itself is quite long, so it is best to avoid it if you are running short on time and need to get to a FastPass or dining reservation.

Overall, this attraction falls flat for me. It isn’t terribly engaging, and it feels tacky. I wouldn’t make this a priority. There are better Disneyland Paris attractions that you should focus your time on.

There are far fewer attractions at Walt Disney Studios than at Disneyland Paris, but it can still be difficult to choose what to prioritize. Many of the attractions at Walt Disney Studios often have a long queue and don’t offer a FastPass.

This is my list of attractions that are worth spending time waiting for at Walt Disney Studios. Again, this is coming from the perspective of a young woman. Your priorities will change if you have a family.

• Crush’s Coaster
• Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster
• Ratatouille

There are a lot of Disneyland Paris attractions to choose from, and it is difficult to know where to begin- especially if you’re not an experienced Disney addict like I am.

Everybody’s Disneyland Paris experience will be different based on what they prioritize and the style of attraction they prefer. Disneyland Paris attractions range from extremely thrilling to tame enough that an infant can ride.

Disney offeres FastPasses and single-rider lines to help limit how long you have to stand in a queue to ride a popular attraction. These are huge time savers and should be taken advantage of whenever possible. A properly-planned day that takes advantage of these two time savers will be a lot more productive than a day that doesn’t.

In terms of attractions, I hope this guide helped you better understand what each attraction is about. Knowing what an attraction is will help you choose what you do and don’t want to ride before you get to Disneyland Paris. This knowledge will also help you have a well-planned day at Disney.

Overall, planning a trip to Disneyland Paris is no more complicated than planning any other Disney trip. There are a number of Disneyland Paris attractions that are unique to the park that you should be sure to visit, and now that you know what they are, you will be able to make sure you visit them!

Disneyland Paris is one of my favourite Disney parks in the world. I hope you enjoy your time there. Have a magical day!

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!

2021 was a sad year for all Disney fans. The Disney fastpass system was retired and a new paid option to skip the line called Disney Genie Plus was introduced. This had most Disney goers wondering is Disney Genie Plus worth it?

This is such a difficult question to answer. It’s all subjective, and there isn’t an answer that fits across the board.

I’ve used Disney Genie Plus a number of times.

Sometimes I feel like it is worth it, and I got my money’s worth. Sometimes I feel like I wasted my money.

There is no cut and dry answer, so I want to give you my perspective on all things Disney Genie Plus to help you decide if you want to invest in it on your trip.

So, buckle in and hold on tighter than you do on Tower of Terror because we’re going on a ride.

Before we get too deep into whether or not Disney Genie Plus is worth it, I thought I would briefly go over what it is in case you’re not 100% sure.

Disney Genie Plus is a paid upgrade to your Disney day that allows you to skip the lines at many but not all attractions at Disneyland and Disney World parks.

You purchase Disney Genie Plus on the My Disney Experience app and reserve lightening lanes directly through the app. It’s very similar to how you would book Fastpass+ before they went extinct.

Once you have your lightening lane and are ready to redeem it, you simply scan your magic band, apple wallet, or ticket at the entrance of the attraction.

After that, you pass all the people standing in the regular line and basically walk onto the attraction.

So, you know how I mentioned that buying Disney Genie Plus will get you to the front of the line on most attractions, well there is another type of lightening lane you can purchase if you want to get to the more popular attractions.

Think Seven Dwarves Mine Train, Rise of the Resistance, and Flight of Passage.

The second type of lightening lane you can purchase are called Individual Attraction Selections (IAS).

You have to pay for each ride separately, and each ride costs between $8 and $20 per person.

So it can add up really quickly if you’re a family of four!

You purchase an IAS in the app the same way you reserve a standard lightening lane.

The only difference is you’ll be redirected to pay for the lightening lane when reserving IAS rides.

It’s important to note that you can only purchase two IAS per day so be sure to consider all the IAS options before deciding what to purchase.

If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by all this information and want a more detailed description of what rides are included in the standard Disney Genie Plus purchase versus the IAS rides, check out this website directly from the Disney World website.

I know this article is long, so here’s a quick chart to help you decide if Disney Genie Plus is worth it at each park.

Make sure to read the entire article for tips, tricks, and explanations as to why I think Disney Genie Plus is worth it or not in each park.

Now that we have the introduction out of the way, it’s time to get into the nitty gritty of what you came to this article for.

You want to know whether you should spend your hard earned money on Disney Genie Plus or if you can still have an amazing Disney World vacation without it and stand in the normal line.

Well, I’ve got you covered!

I’ve tried Disney Genie Plus, so you don’t have to, and I’m sharing everything I learned to help you make the right decision for you and your travel group.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a definitive answer I can give you.

It depends on what park you’re visiting, your goals in that park, the size of your party, and your budget.

But we’ll break that all down next, so you make an informed decision and have a plan before you arrive in Disney World.

FYI- Disney Genie Plus costs $15 per day per person at Disney World.

Complete guide to wifi at Disney World

Magic Kingdom is the only Disney World park where I would say yes for sure Disney Genie Plus is worth it for pretty much anybody.

Even people travelling with small babies will benefit from having Disney Genie Plus at Magic Kingdom.

There are plenty of baby-friendly rides that you can get a lightening lane for and skip the line.

Magic Kingdom is by far the busiest park at Disney World, and it has the most attractions included in Disney Genie Plus.

But just because Magic Kingdom has the most Genie Plus selections doesn’t mean it is all rainbows and sunshine.

A lot of people use Disney Genie Plus at Magic Kingdom, and most people want a lightening lane for the same very popular rides (like Big Thunder Mountain and Jungle Cruise).

This means that even first thing in the morning at rope drop, the return time for some rides will already be booking a return time six or eight hours in advance.

Which doesn’t mean you can’t book a ride with a later return time and then you’re screwed for the rest of the day.

You just have to abide by the 120 minute rule, which means you have to wait two hours after booking one selection before booking another one.

Or you can book another one after you used the lightening lane your already have if it hasn’t been 120 minutes since you booked it.

You just need to make sure you’re being strategic about the lightening lanes you book and decide if booking a lightening lane so far in advance is worth it for you.

While I’m glad I purchased Disney Genie Plus at Magic Kingdom, it was a bit frustrating.

I didn’t get as many rides in as I wanted, and it felt like the return times were so far in advance. Especially once it was midday.

At rope drop, the return time for Jungle Cruise was already 6:50pm.

Now, I am speaking about a very busy day at Magic Kingdom, so it likely isn’t always like this, but it is something to keep in mind.

You won’t be running from ride to ride jumping on everything with a lightening lane.

I got to the park at rope drop and left around 3pm, and I was able to get a lightening lane for four attractions.

They weren’t the most popular attractions, but it was still better than nothing. I ended up not riding Big Thunder that day because the line was too long, and the return time was too far in advance for my liking.

My biggest piece of advance when using Disney Genie Plus at Magic Kingdom is to have a strategy going in.

Decide if you’re like me and selected whatever ride had the closest return time or if you want to book your favourite attraction with a later return time and then wait 120 minutes until you can book your next one.

Both strategies are valid.

You just have to decide what works best for you.

But, overall, I think Disney Genie Plus is worth it at Magic Kingdom, and I will continue to purchase it every time I visit Magic Kingdom.

Epcot is my favourite Disney World park, but I don’t think Disney Genie Plus is worth it at Epcot.

There aren’t that many rides that offer a lightening lane, and most of the ones that do normally don’t have a long line.

Soarin’ is the major exception to this, but you can normally time it right and only have to wait 15-20 minutes to ride Soarin’ in the regular line. Soarin’ normally gets really busy and then really dead then really busy again throughout the day.

If you do want to save some time waiting in lines at Epcot, I would suggest splurging and purchasing an IAS instead.

Epcot is home to two new and very popular rides: Ratatouille and Guardians of the Galaxy Rewind.

If you’re looking to save the most time at Epcot, skipping those lines is the best way to do it.

It’ll cost you a pretty penny, but you need to decide if it is worth it or not for you and your party.

Overall, I have not and will not be purchasing Disney Genie Plus at Epcot.

Epcot, to me, is more about walking around, enjoying the food and festivals, and riding Spaceship Earth.

I don’t think I would get my money’s worth out of Disney Genie Plus at Epcot.

Sigh. This is the most difficult park to decide if Disney Genie Plus is worth it or not.

On one hand, Hollywood Studios has some of the most popular rides with the longest lines.

On the other hand, the lightening lanes sell out super fast at Hollywood Studios, and you basically need to be there at rope drop to make it worth the money.

And if you’re there at rope drop, then you can get pretty much everything done first thing in the morning and not need to stand in long lines.

I think if you want to do every ride at Hollywood Studios and don’t have access to early morning magic hours with the hotel you’re staying at, Disney Genie Plus may be worth it.

You still need to get there at park open and make your first lightening lane selection ASAP, but it should still save you some time waiting in line.

You also have to be okay dedicating your entire day to Hollywood Studios and not jumping to another park.

On the other hand, if you’re able to get into the park 30 minutes early with the hotel you’re staying at, I don’t think you need Disney Genie Plus.

I’ve found that I was able to ride everything I wanted once and sometimes two or three times by being at the park super early to get on rides the minute the park opens.

The one exclusion is I didn’t ride Rise of the Resistance or Tower of Terror because I have no interest in those rides. I also used single rider for Smugglers Run later in the day.

I didn’t have a problem getting everything done and was done everything I wanted to do in Hollywood Studios by 11am.

It’s an early day, but I think it’s well worth it to get up early and get everything done without standing in lines for ages or running the risk of the lightening lane I want being booked up.

My normal routine when I rope drop Hollywood Studios with extra magic hours is:

• Start at Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

• Head to Rockin’ Rollercoaster (ride twice)

• Go to Toy Story Land. I normally ride Midway Mania and then try to sneak onto Slinky Dog Dash before the line gets out of control

Sometimes I’m not able to get on Slinky Dog Dash, but that isn’t a big issue for me. If it is a must-ride for you, you’ll want to head to it first or right after Runaway Railway.

Plan the perfect solo trip to Disney World

Disney Genie Plus is absolutely not necessary at Animal Kingdom.

There aren’t enough attractions to make getting Disney Genie Plus worth it, and just like Hollywood Studios, if you rope drop Animal Kingdom, you’ll be able to get everything you want done in the morning without too much of a wait.

Just be sure you start in Pandora! That’s always the busiest land.

The only thing you may want to consider is purchasing an IAS for Flight of Passage. Even that isn’t necessary. It’s normally a short 30 minute wait first thing in the morning.

I’m not sure I’m willing to pay $12 per person to avoid a 30 minute wait, but I may just be a cheap person. Haha.

This is one of the easiest questions for me to answer.

Yes!

1,000 times over yes.

I’ve found that purchasing Disney Genie Plus at Disneyland/Disney California Adventure has been the best use of Genie Plus.

At least it has been for me.

Disney Genie Plus in Disneyland is very similar to the old Max Pass option at Disneyland. If you liked Max Pass, you’ll like Disney Genie Plus.

FYI- Disney Genie Plus is $20 per person per day at Disneyland, and it includes Photopass!

The truth about wifi at Disneyland

At this point in the article, you may be confused why I was more weary about Disney Genie Plus at Disney World but whole heartedly recommend it at Disneyland.

There are two main reasons for this:

• It’s easier to park hop and get the most out of your money

• There are a lot more attractions to use Disney Genie Plus on in Disneyland/DCA, and you’re more likely to get a Lightening Lane for the ride you want with a shorter return time than at Disney World

Yes the lines for attractions is still long, but it’s much easier to get on a ride with Lightening Lane in California than in Florida.

I’ve never had an issue where I couldn’t get a return time for an attraction that was reasonable.

I’ve never had to abide by the 120 minute rule in Disneyland.

The longest I’ve waited for a return window was about 90 minutes, and that was in the middle of the day on a very busy day.

Using Disney Genie Plus is Disneyland requires much less strategy, and you can be more spontaneous without worrying too much about not getting a Lightening Lane for your favourite attraction.

Okay. I know that was a lot to take in, and you probably have some questions.

I’m going to do my best to anticipate what your questions will be and answer them. If I don’t answer your question, drop a comment, and I’ll try my best to give you the information you’re looking for.

No!

You don’t have to purchase Disney Genie Plus for every day you’re at Disney.

In fact, if you’re going to Disney World, I wouldn’t recommend you purchase Disney Genie Plus for your entire trip.

There are two ways you can purchase Disney Genie Plus:

• In advance for every day of your trip

• On the day you’re planning on using Disney Genie Plus

For example, if you only want to purchase Disney Genie Plus for your day at Magic Kingdom, you can’t purchase it in advance.

You have to wait to purchase it until the day you plan to use it.

I personally purchase Disney Genie Plus on the day I want to use it in Disney World.

But I purchase it in advance when I’m going to Disneyland because I know I want to use it every day of my trip.

Disney Genie Plus costs $15 per person per day in Disney World and $20 per person per day in Disneyland.

You also receive free Photopass photos in Disneyland when you purchase Disney Genie Plus.

No.

Disney doesn’t require everybody in your party to purchase Disney Genie Plus. You can purchase it for just one person in your party if you want to.

However, only the person who purchases Disney Genie Plus can book Lightening Lanes and skip the line.

If you have somebody in your party that doesn’t enjoy rides, then you may want to skip purchasing Disney Genie Plus for them. You may not get your money’s worth.

You may also want to only purchase Disney Genie Plus for one person in you party at Disneyland if Photopass is important to you.

Depending on how many days you spend in Disneyland, it may be cheaper to purchase Disney Genie Plus than it is to purchase a Photopass package.

It’s important to note that if you don’t want to purchase Disney Genie Plus for everybody in your party, you can’t book it in advance. You need to purchase it on the day you want to use Disney Genie Plus.

If you purchase Disney Genie Plus in advance with your tickets, it will be applied to everybody in your party for every day you have a park ticket.

Unfortunately, there is currently no discount on Disney Genie Plus for annual pass holders or Magic Key holders.

There isn’t an option to pay and add on Disney Genie Plus to your pass either.

You have to pay daily just like everybody else.

Whether you purchase Disney Genie Plus in advance or on the day you use it will impact how you purchase it.

If you purchase it in advance, it’s all done through the website when you purchase your tickets. You simply select the Disney Genie Plus add on and pay for it when you purchase your tickets.

If you purchase Disney Genie Plus on the day you want to use it, the purchase it made in the My Disney Experience app.

This article gives you a complete run down of how to purchase Disney Genie Plus inside the My Disney Experience app.

It’s super easy, and it only takes a few seconds. Especially if you have your payment method saved in the app.

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This is the part that threw me when I got home from my Disney World trip.

I’m not sure if this is the same for everybody, but the Disney Genie Plus purchases I made showed up as WDW All-Star Resort.

I didn’t visit an All-Start Resort on my trip and spent a lot of time trying to figure out what the charge was for before it dawned on me that it was on the right dates I purchased Disney Genie Plus and for the proper amount.

So, moral of the story, if you purchase Disney Genie Plus on a day-by-day basis, the charge on your credit card may be a little strange.

Be sure to track the days you purchase Disney Genie Plus and how much you should be charged.

This will help you piece your credit card statement together.

If you purchase Disney Genie Plus in advance with your tickets, it will show on your statement as a normal WDW purchase. No decoding required.

I figured this out the hard way.

You cannot book Lightening Lanes if you have a VPN turned on on your phone.

You need to turn your VPN off, make the Lightening Lane selection, and then turn your VPN back on.

It’s a small hassle but worth it.

If you’re been around my blog for a while, you know I’m always harping on you to protect your online information and data with a VPN.

You don’t want to risk using a public wifi network like the one at Disney World without a VPN.

A VPN essentially puts a forcefield around your phone that keeps prying eyes out of your private online information.

I personally love and use NordVPN and would encourage you to get a VPN if you don’t already have one.

Whew. That was a very long article. Congrats on making it to the end!

There is a lot to learn about Disney Genie Plus and whether Disney Genie Plus is worth it.

I hope this overview helps you decide if you want to invest in Disney Genie Plus or just rely on the traditional standby line.

There are definitely pros and cons to each, and pros and cons of using it in each park.

No matter what choice you make, I hope you have the most magical Disney trip. Please say hi to Mickey from me!

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!

A lot of people overlook Disney’a Animal Kingdom and don’t go into their park day with a plan. That’s a huge mistake and will cost you a lot of time waiting in line. To help you plan the most magical day in the park, I’m sharing my top Animal Kingdom tips and tricks.

From somebody who has definitely spent more time at Animal Kingdom than most people.

I love Animal Kingdom, but it isn’t always the easiest park to navigate.

If you don’t know what you’re doing, you could end up spending half your day in lines and not get the full experience of how magical the park is.

However, if you take notes and follow these Animal Kingdom tips, you’re guaranteed to have a great day.

You’ll know exactly how to get the most out of Animal Kingdom, and it might just become one of your favourite parks!

Plan your perfect solo trip to Disney World

Animal Kingdom opens early in the morning. You may think that you want to sleep in and relax a bit in the morning and get to the park a few hours after it opens.

That is one of the biggest Animal Kingdom mistakes you can make!

There aren’t a ton of attractions at Animal Kingdom, and the lines can get busy quickly.

If you’re like me and try to avoid standing in lines at Disney, you’ll want to be at the park as soon as it opens.

Actually, you’ll want to arrive before it opens, so you can get through security and be at the front of the line to get in when the park opens. I recommend being at the park at least 30 minutes before it opens.

If you’re staying at a Disney hotel or a good neighbour hotel that offers early morning hours, take advantage of them! You’re able to enter the park 30 minutes before the normal guests.

It is well worth getting up for.

You’ll be able to get so much done in the first few hours and will be very thankful that you got yourself up out of bed early. If you’re tired, you can always go back to your hotel and nap in the afternoon.

I know a lot of people don’t like being at the parks right when they open, but being there for rope drop is one of the best Animal Kingdom tips I can give you.

Disney Genie+ is the new version of Fastpass+. It is a paid option, and it costs $15USD per person per day. One of the best Animal Kingdom tips I can give you is to skip Disney Genie+ for the day.

Disney Genie+ allows you to skip the lines at the most popular attractions and can save you lots of time during your Disney day.

The system can be quite confusing, and you need a full understanding of how it works before you get to Disney World.

Read my in depth Disney Genie+ review here

I don’t think you need to pay for Disney Genie+ when you visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom. There aren’t enough attractions to make it worth the $15, and the most popular attractions run out of return times quickly.

I say save your money and get to the park for rope drop.

I’ve never had an issue getting on all the attractions before noon when I get to the park right when it opens and take advantage of early morning hours.

If you do arrive to Animal Kingdom later in the day and want to purchase Disney Genie+, be sure to check the return times before you purchase Genie+.

You don’t want to be in a situation where you won’t get to skip the line at any attractions because they’re either sold out or the return times don’t work around your schedule for the day.

Flight of Passage is the most popular ride at Animal Kingdom, and it always has the longest line.

Rightfully so because it is an incredible ride!

To avoid standing in an absurdly long line, you should prioritize Flight of Passage when planning your day at Animal Kingdom.

If you’re like me and get to the park for rope drop, head right to Flight of Passage.

The line will look super long, but don’t let that fool you. They keep the line mostly outside at the start of the day, and once you’re inside, you’re almost at the front of the line.

Most of the time, I have to wait between 20 and 40 minutes for Flight of Passage when I rope drop Animal Kingdom.

That may sound like a long time, but the line can often be upwards of 3 hours during the day.

If you don’t like getting up early, then you’ll want to stay at Animal Kingdom until the park closes. The second least busy line for Flight of Passage is right before the park closes.

Most people have already left for the day, and the line will be closer to 45 or 60 minutes. Not quite as short as it is at the start of the day but still a reasonable wait time.

Remember, if you get in line for an attraction before the park closes, you get to ride it even if you don’t get on the ride until after the park’s closing time.

For example, if Animal Kingdom closes at 7pm, you can get in line for Flight of Passage at 6:55pm and still be able to ride it even if the wait times is listed at 60 minutes.

As long as you’re in the line, you’re good to ride.

Festival of the Lion King is the most popular show at Animal Kingdom, and every performance is full.

One of the best Animal Kingdom tips I can give you is that if you want to see the Festival of the Lion King, get in line at least 30-45 minutes before the start of the show.

Otherwise you risk not being able to get into the show.

The show runs multiple times a day. Check the My Disney Experience app the day of your visit for the most up to date times.

I know it may sound extreme to line up for a stage show super early, but that’s just how popular this show is.

If you want to reduce your wait time as much as possible, try to see the first show of the day or shows closest to popular timing times (like noon or 5pm).

Fewer people will try to see these shows, so you can probably get away with showing up 20-25 minutes early.

The good news is that they often let you into the theatre 10-15 minutes before the show starts, so you won’t be standing the whole time.

While Festival of the Lion King is a good show, I personally don’t think it’s worth the wait. I’m definitely in the minority with that opinion though.

If you don’t have someone in your group that is dying to see the show, I honestly think it can be skipped.

I prefer the Finding Nemo show between the Asia and Dinosaur Land areas of the park. I think it’s a cuter show, and you can show up 5-10 minutes before the show and most likely find a seat.

No guarantee though!

Top Epcot tips and tricks

I love that Disney World provides free internet access to everybody at the parks. It makes navigating the parks super convenient.

Especially nowadays where you basically have to do everything on your phone.

However, there is a dark side and risk that comes with using Disney’s complimentary wifi.

Disney’s wifi is a public network. This means that every single person who wants to can connect to the wifi network.

If someone wanted to, they could easily hack into your phone and steal all your personal online information and data.

Your banking information, your personal identity information, and anything else you keep on your phone.

It’s quite scary when you think about it.

The only way to keep your personal online data safe when you travel is to install a VPN on your devices.

A VPN essentially puts a forcefield around your phone that makes it impossible for prying eyes to access your private information.

A VPN makes using public wifi just as safe as using your home wifi where you’re the only person who knows the password.

Installing a VPN is a really simple thing you can do but gives you huge peace of mind knowing all your personal information is safe and secure.

I’ve used a lot of different VPNs during my many years of travel.

Honestly, most of them suck and slow your internet down to such a slow speed that I ended up turning off my VPN and putting my online data at risk of being stolen.

The only VPN I’ve ever used that didn’t have that problem is NordVPN.

It is the fastest VPN on the market. That’s why I love it and why I recommend it to all my fellow travel lovers.

It allows you to have the security of having your personal online data protected without giving up too much in terms of internet speed.

I’ve been using NordVPN for years and don’t ever plan on switching providers. In fact, I just renewed by subscription with them!

NordVPN is also super affordable.

A two-year plan costs less per month than a single latte at Starbucks. It doesn’t break the budget, and it gives you peace of mind any time you use a public wifi network.

I always say that if you can afford to travel, you can afford to protect yourself with a VPN.

There aren’t too many table service restaurants at Animal Kingdom. Most of them are either super upscale and expensive (looking at you Tiffins) or have more unique food options.

They’re also quite hard to get dining reservations at.

On the flip side, the quick service options at Animal Kingdom are excellent. I would say behind Epcot, they have the best quick service food.

You can get anything from Asian food to pizza and everything in between.

No matter what you’re craving, you can find a quick service option for you in Animal Kingdom. Plus it is normally quite delicious.

So, if there isn’t a table service restaurant you’re dying to try, maybe skip the reservation, save a little money, and go for a quick service meal.

Some of the best options to consider are:

• Yak & Yeti Local food Cafes

You can’t go wrong with any of these options. They’re quick, inexpensive, and tasty.

Animal Kingdom lodge is one of my favourite hotels on Disney property, but it is quite out of the way most of the time.

The good news is you can easily take a free bus directly from Animal Kingdom park to Animal Kingdom Lodge.

And this is one of the best Animal Kingdom tips nobody is talking about.

Taking the time to visit Animal Kingdom Lodge is well worth the effort. The theming is stunning, the gift shop has items you can’t find anywhere else, the food is great, and you can get a closer view of the animals than inside Animal Kingdom.

The hotel doesn’t have all the animals you can see at Animal Kingdom. But you can see zebras and giraffes as well as a number of other grazing species.

Plus if you’re not thrilled by the dining options at the park, you can’t go wrong with eating at Sanaa. It is one of my favourite restaurants at Disney.

Please get the bread service.

From Animal Kingdom Lodge, you can take a free bus to any of the theme parks or Disney Springs.

So, while it is a little out of the way to visit Animal Kingdom Lodge, it actually isn’t much of a hassle.

The free bus service Disney offers is great, and makes getting from Animal Kingdom to the hotel and back fairly painless.

If you have a dining reservation, just be sure to leave yourself a little more time than you think you need. Just in case you have to wait a little longer for a bus or have trouble finding the restaurant.

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As much as I love Animal Kingdom, it isn’t a full day park for most people.

I arrive at the park for extra magic hours 30 minutes before official park opening and am normally out of there between 1pm and 2pm.

I suggest you don’t plan on spending the entire day at Animal Kingdom and make plans for the afternoon or evening outside of the park.

This could be park hopping to another park, exploring Animal Kingdom Lodge, or enjoying Disney Springs.

If it’s your first time at Animal Kingdom, you’ll probably send the majority of the day there, but you’ll likely not stay past dinner. You can make a dinner reservation if there is a restaurant you’re dying to try, but be sure to make it an early dinner.

I know this may sound like the weirdest of all the Animal Kingdom tips on this list, but I want to make sure you’re having a good time and getting the most out of your Disney vacation.

If you plan to spend the entire day at Animal Kingdom, you may be a bit disappointed and feel like you’re not getting every bit of magic out of your Disney vacation.

I personally like to plan a more relaxing evening at Disney Springs or a hotel on my days at Animal Kingdom.

You get up so early, and it is nice to be outside the hustle and bustle of the parks after a long day.

You could also make a dinner reservation at one of the many restaurants at Epcot. There is so much food that you won’t be able to try them all on your trip.

There are free buses that take you between parks, so you can easily jump on one of those. You can also get on a free bus to Beach/Yacht Club or Boardwalk Inn.

Those hotels are walking distance from Epcot.

But, not matter what you choose to do, it’s best to have a plan in place and not expect to be there the entire day.

This is one of the best Animal Kingdom tips out there but so few people are talking about it.

Of course Disney offers tours and add ons to pretty much everything they can. Normally they are very expensive and not always worth the price.

That is definitely not the case at Animal Kingdom!

There are a number of tours you can take, but there are two in particular that are a steal of a deal and well worth the extra cost.

Plan the best day ever at Magic Kingdom!

The two tours you should consider doing at Animal Kingdom are:

Each is an hour long tour that takes you behind the scenes and gives you closer access to the animals than normal guests get.

The tours also include a knowledgable guide that will answer all of your questions. The guides are honestly one of the best parts of the tour. They know so much, and you leave with a much deeper understanding of the animals.

Caring for Giants gives you access to the elephants, and Up Close with Rhinos (unsurprisingly) gives you access to the rhinos.

Caring for Giants is offered multiple times per day but Up Close with Rhinos is only offered once a day.

Both tours are less than $50USD per person! Up Close with Rhinos is a bit more expensive than Caring for Giants, but it is the better tour in my opinion.

This is current information but is subject to change. Be sure to check the Disney World website for the most up to date information.

You can find all the current information on the Enchanted Extras portion of the Disney World website.

You need to book your tour in advance because they sell out very quickly. Reservations open 60 days in advance, and you want to book them as soon as they open. Reservations open at 5:45am EST every day.

Grab that cup of coffee and look awake!

These tours at Animal Kingdom are some of the best deals at Disney World, and I highly recommend you try to go on one!

There you have it! Those are my top Animal Kingdom tips.

Knowing these tips will help you better plan your day at Animal Kingdom and get the most out of your day.

It’s an amazing park and doesn’t get as much love as it deserves.

There is tons to see and do. Even outside the typical attractions.

There are animal walking trails in Asia and Africa where you get a great view of the animals. You can see tigers and gorillas! There is even an otter trail near the park entrance you don’t want to miss out on.

I hope these Animal Kingdom tips were helpful to you! I hope you have an amazing day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Be sure to say hi to Mickey and Minnie for me!

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Gyeongju is Korea’s ancient capital. It was the capital of Korea during the Silla Kingdom, which lasted over 1,000 years. Since it is the ancient capital, it is filled with historical sights that can’t be found anywhere else.

Often people visit Gyeongju on a day trip from Seoul. I, however, believe it deserves to be explored for multiple days. There are so many historical sights to see that it would be a shame to rush your time in the city and feel as if you missed out.

This 3 day Gyeongju itinerary allows you to see the best the city has to offer while not feeling too rushed. You also get to visit some of the lesser known places in Gyeongju!

Getting to Gyeongju from Seoul is very simple. You will take a train from Seoul station to Dongdaegu. At Dongdaegu you will transfer to another train that will take you all the way to Gyeongju.

The entire trip (including the transfer) takes approximately 3 hours. Tickets can be booked online here. You need a physical copy of your ticket, so you will need to print your ticket rather than saving a copy of it to your phone.

Trains in Korea are simple to use, and they run on time. Be sure to arrive at the train station at least 30 minutes before you depart. This will allow you enough time to find your gate and go to your platform before the train arrives.

It is important to note that there are two train stations near Gyeongju. Do not get off at Singyeongju Station. This station is 2km from the heart of Gyeongju and will require you taking a bus into the city. The next stop will be at Gyeongju station. Get off there, and you will be able to walk to wherever you are staying.

For a more in-depth explanation of how to get from Seoul to Gyeongju, check out this article. It covers all the different ways you get travel between the cities and the pros and cons of each method.

Travelling from Busan is even easier than from Seoul. There is frequent bus service between Busan and Gyeongju. The trip takes anywhere between 40 and 60 minutes. The buses run very frequently, so you can show up at the bus depot at anytime during the day without having to wait too long before the next bus leaves.

You will either be dropped off at the train station or the bus depot depending on what bus you take. They are both centrally-located, so you can walk to your hotel no matter which bus stop you are dropped off at.

Gyeongju has lots of unique hotel options, and there is something for everybody.

To start off this Gyeongju itinerary, you’ll visit Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond. Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond were the prince’s palace during the Silla Kingdom. The palace was forgotten after the Silla Kingdom came to an end. In 1974 the palace was excavated, and it eventually was opened to the public.

Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond are located just outside the heart of the city. You can take buses 12 or 603 to reach the palace, or you can walk (it is less than 2km from the city centre).

The entrance fee is less than $2USD at the time of writing. This makes it an incredible value because the palace and pond are stunning. Be sure to take your time and walk all the way around the pond. The trees and flowers surrounding the pond add to the beauty.

Your visit will last anywhere between 45 and 120 minutes depending on how much of the information you read and how quickly you walk around the pond.

The Gyeongju National Museum is where you can learn about the Silla Kingdom and Korean history. It is also free to visit. It features both indoor and outdoor exhibits that include history and artwork from the region.

The museum is best known for showcasing the Divine Bell of King Seongdeok, which is a national treasure. You could easily spend upwards of 4 hours at the museum if you take the time to explore every exhibit in depth.

I feel like the museum is missed by a lot of tourists who visit Gyeongju. I think it deserves a lot more love than it gets, and that is why I’ve included it on my Gyeongju itinerary!

Gyeongju has delicious food. No matter what neighbourhood you are in, you will be able to find somewhere to sample traditional Korean food. There is a mixture of street food vendors, food markets, restaurants, and pubs for you to check out.

Gyeongju is known for their bread. Gyeongju bread is the most famous type of bread, but it really more like a bite-sized pastry. You can find it at any bakery, some street food vendors, and often at restaurants as well. So be sure not to miss this speciality treat when in Gyeongju.

Bulguksa Temple is an ancient Buddhist temple that was built during the Silla Kingdom. It and Seokguram Grotto were the first two Korean sights given UNESCO World Heritage Sight status in 1995. Thus is an important part of Korean history.

You can take buses 10, 11, or 700 to reach the temple. Keep in mind that it takes approximately 45-60 minutes on the bus to reach the temple from the city centre, so plan accordingly. The temple is always busy, so it is best to try to get there shortly after it opens.

The entrance fee is approximately $5USD at the time of writing. This makes it one of the most expensive sights in Gyeongju, but it is worth the price.

The temple is located in the mountains and consists of multiple pavilions. Pick up a guide map as you enter the temple because there isn’t much English information in the temple.

It will take you a minimum of two hours to explore the temple, but I recommend you budget three or four hours for exploring.

This is by far the most popular destination in Gyeongju and is on every Gyeongju itinerary you’ll come across, so you’ll want to make sure you get there early to beat the crowds!

And don’t forget to bring your camera! Bulguksa Temple is one of the most Instagrammable places in Korea!

After you’re done exploring Bulguksa Temple, head to Seokguram Grotto. It is home to a 1,000 year old stone Buddha that was not rediscovered until 1909! This is a must-do when you’re in Gyeongju.

To get to Seokguram Grotto from Bulguska Temple you can either walk or take bus number 12. If you are walking, be sure to exit from the main gate as that is where the walking path is located.

The walk is approximately 2.5km through the forest, but it is mostly uphill. Do not walk if you are in poor physical health as it can be a bit strenuous at times. The walk is scenic though.

The entrance fee is approximately $5USD at the time of writing. Once you enter the sight, you will walk through some of the forest then up some stairs to the building the buddha is located. Pictures are not allowed.

Visiting Seokguram Grotto does not take very long because the sight consists of only the one building. However, visiting Seokguram Grotto could take 2-3 hours if you choose to walk up and down the mountain.

How you get back to Gyeonju will depend if you walk back down to Bulguska Temple after your visit, or if you take the bus. The walk down is relatively easy, so even if you took the bus to Seokguram Grotto, you may want to consider walking back to the temple.

If you don’t want to walk down, take bus 12 and get off at the stop for Bulguska Temple. Once you’re back at Bulguska Temple (whether you walked or took the bus), take bus 10, 11, or 700 back to Gyeongju city centre. It is important that you get on the bus on the same side of the street as you got off the bus. If you get on the bus on the wrong side of the street, you will be going in the wrong direction. The bus ride will take approximately 45-60 minutes to reach the centre of Gyeongju.

Gyeongju is home to tombs from the Silla Kingdom. Somebody that isn’t aware of the tombs would think that Gyeongju is unnaturally hilly, but the “hills” are in fact burial tombs of the Silla elite and wealthy.

Tumuli Park contains the largest number of tombs. The entrance fee is approximately $2USD at the time of writing.

The park is home to the most famous Silla tomb in Korea called Cheonmachong. Cheonmachong means sky horse. The tomb got its name because there was a beautiful painting of a horse inside the tomb.

As part of your admission fee, you are able to go inside Cheonmachong to see what the inside of tomb looks like. Tumuli park has a circular pathway for visitors to walk along, and Cheonmachong is located near the main entrance on a side path, so be sure you don’t miss it!

The entire complex is incredibly interesting. There aren’t many English signs, so you will have to do you own research to learn more about the tombs. It is worth the effort though.

There is a double hill in the park. This is actually two tombs as one. A man and wife were both buried there, and their mounds have created one large hill with a dip in the middle.

I spent three hours in the park looking at the tombs. It is incredibly peaceful and makes for a great place to relax while still taking in the sights.

You must respect the rules while you are in the park (and in Gyeongju as a whole). This means that you do not walk on or climb the tombs. It is extremely disrespectful, and if you are caught, a large fine.

Central Gyeongju has a number of other sights worth visiting. You will stumble upon one sight after the next when you’re walking around the central part of the city after visiting the tombs.

Some sights you should be on the lookout for are:

• Cheomseongdae Observatory: This is a star gazing tower that was built in the 7th Century. It is thought to be the oldest star gazing tower in East Asia. You can’t go inside the tower, so you will only be able to look at it while walking by and read the information provided.
• Gyochon Traditional Village: Here you are able to see what traditional Korean buildings look like. This neighbourhood is filled with traditional buildings that have been converted into stores and cafes. It gives you a good sense of what Korea looked like years ago. It does close early, so you may want to stop there early in the afternoon.
• Wolijeonggyo Bridge: This is one of my personal favourite sights in Gyeongju. It is a bridge that was built in the 8th Century during the unified Silla period. You are able to see the bridge from Gyochon. On both sides of the bridge you can climb to the top section and get a magnificent view of the city.

Gyeongju is full of sights. You need more than a day trip if you want to experience all the city has to offer.

For anybody interested in Korean history or traditional architecture, Gyeongju is the place for you. Most of the sights are well-curated and allow you to understand the history behind the places you visit.

Korea is a modern country, but it is important to take the time to learn about its history, so you can appreciate how it developed into the country it is today. Gyeongju is the complete opposite of Seoul. It is filled with short buildings, open park spaces, and it has a relaxed pace and atmosphere.

Make sure you put Gyeongju on your itinerary on your next trip to Korea. It is an amazing city.

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Brasov is one of my favourite cities in Romania. It has something for everyone and is super solo travel friendly. But, there are a few things to do in Brasov that you can’t miss on your trip!

These are the very best things Brasov has to offer and will make your solo trip to Brasov unforgettable.

If you’re nervous about visiting Brasov alone, don’t be!

All the best things to do in Brasov alone are easy to navigate yet stunning. Plus the city is quite small, so you don’t feel overwhelmed trying to navigate your way around the city and public transportation system.

But, without further ado, here are my top things to do in Brasov alone.

I’ve done all of these things on my solo trip to Brasov and loved them all!

Tips for travelling alone for the first time

On your first full day in Brasov, I highly recommend you join a free walking tour.

The free walking tour in Brasov is run by students, and it is one of the most informative free walking tours I’ve ever been on.

I joined the free walking tour in Brasov on my second to last day in the city, and I regretted not going on the tour earlier.

I learnt so much that changed my perspective of the city and made me appreciate buildings that I had walked by my entire stay in Brasov and not given a second glance to.

For being such a small city, there is a lot of history in Brasov, and there are a number of important events that took place in the city.

When you understand the history of Brasov, it makes the rest of your solo trip to Brasov that much more enjoyable and meaningful.

I don’t want to give you a schedule for the free walking tour because it’s bound to change.

Just Google “free walking tour in Brasov” or look for a flyer at the front desk if you’re staying at a hostel.

It is without a doubt one of the best and most important things to do alone in Brasov.

Oh!

And don’t be nervous about joining a walking tour as a solo traveller.

If you’re an introvert like me, just stick to the back of the pack. If you’re an extrovert, take the opportunity to meet your fellow travellers and maybe make plans with them to go on a day trip the next day.

The Black Church is the centrepiece of Basov and no trip to Brasov is complete without touring it!

You’ll visit the outside of the church during the free walking tour (if you choose to join one), but you should take the time to go inside the church later on during your trip.

The murals inside the church date back to around 1477 and are really cool to see.

While the church isn’t as spectacular as some of the other churches you’ll find in Europe, it’s still worth a visit.

Especially after you learn a little bit about the church on your walking tour!

There is no fee to enter the church, and no photos are allowed.

A lot of people use Brasov as a home base while they explore the small towns and attractions surrounding the city.

Brasov is in the perfect location, and there are tons of day trips to choose from.

One of the best things to do in Brasov alone is go on at least one day trip while you’re there.

All the day trips are super easy to navigate even if you’re new to travelling alone.

While this isn’t an extensive list, these were my favourite day trips from Brasov.

You can easily knock both of these attractions out in a single day, and that’s exactly what most tourists do.

Bran Castle (otherwise known as Dracula’s Castle) is a short bus ride from Brasov but packed full of history.

It’s the castle Bram Stoker was inspired by when he wrote Dracula, and the castle has taken on that persona.

But, you’re not just touring a castle popular in science fiction. There is a surprising amount of history connected to the castle.

I honestly wasn’t expecting much from Bran Castle and expected it to be a bit silly, but I was wrong.

I spent hours wandering up and down the castle reading about the history and looking at the artifacts.

It’s 100% worth checking out and isn’t a tourist trap cashing in on a popular novel.

Râșnov Fortress is easy to visit on your way back to Brasov from Bran Castle.

It’s an outdoor fortress that is kept in mostly ruins.

There are oftentimes demonstrations and events you can take part in at the fortress, or you can just wander around and read the information about the history of the fortress.

I don’t think Râșnov is worth a visit on all it’s own, but if you’re going to Bran Castle, it is well worth a quick stop on the way back to Brasov.

Sighișoara is a small town in the Transylvanian mountains. It’s a stunning town with lots of bright colours, amazing views, and cute streets.

But the town’s biggest claim to fame is having a building where Vlad the Impaler is said to be born.

You know. The man Stoker based Dracula off of.

You can even the house and even have a meal in it (the food is surprisingly good but a bit overpriced).

Even if you’re not into Dracula, Sighișoara is still worth visiting. It’s one of the most beautiful and colourful towns in Romania.

I loved wandering through the narrow streets, popping into stores, and taking in the atmosphere.

Granted, it’s very touristy, and you’ll likely run into a few tour groups along the way, but it’s still worth a visit!

Sibiu is probably my second favourite city in Transylvania behind Cluj-Napoca.

Sibiu is a charming town with one of the most amazing town squares in Romania. It’s like walking into a fairytale.

I love the bright colours, and Sibiu is much quieter than Sighișoara. Not nearly as many tourists visit Sibiu, but that’s starting to change.

Sibiu is starting to get the love it deserves and is becoming an ever popular day trip from Brasov.

Be sure to climb up the clock tower for the best view of the city! It’s well worth the price of admission.

Tampa Mountain is right in the heart of Brasov and walking up it is one of the best things to do in Brasov alone.

It isn’t a difficult walk, and most people can do the hike no matter their level of fitness.

Of course, you know your own body better than anybody. Don’t do anything you don’t think you can comfortably complete. Especially since you’re travelling alone.

Tampa Mountain gives you one of the best views of the centre of Brasov, the Black Church, and Council Square.

It’s free to walk up, there is a marked path, and you’re pretty much guaranteed to pass other tourists along the way since it’s such a popular tourist attraction.

If you can, try to hike Tampa Mountain to catch either sunrise or sunset.

You’ll enjoy the most spectacular views and have an experience you’ll never forget.

If you don’t feel comfortable walking up a mountain when it isn’t fully light out, then try to schedule your walk around mid-morning to try to miss some of the crowds.

No matter when you choose to hike Tampa Mountain, you won’t regret taking the time out of your day to do it.

It’s without a doubt a must-do activity while in Brasov.

What I wish I knew before backpacking Europe alone

I love people watching when I travel. It’s so fun, and you never know what interesting things you’ll see.

There is no better place in Brasov to people watch than in Council Square.

It’s the main square in Brasov and is the heart of the city for both tourists and locals. Find a little café, order a drink, relax, and soak in your surroundings.

Taking the time to relax and experience the city you’re in is super underrated for travellers, but it’s one of my favourite things to do.

Carve out an hour or two one afternoon just to people watch, and I know it’ll add to your experience of Brasov!

Romania might not be the first country to come to mind when you think of delicious food.

I certainly didn’t have any expectation for the food when I first visited the country. And let me tell you that I was blown away by the food!

The food everywhere in Romania is incredible, and Brasov is no exception.

You can stumble into pretty much any restaurant and have an incredible (and hearty) meal. For a very inexpensive price I may add!

The only thing to stay clear of is Western chains. Other than that, you’re in for a mouth-watering meal.

No matter what cuisine you’re in the mood for!

I walked up to a random pizza by the slice window the evening I arrived in Brasov and was blown away by how delicious a simple slice of pizza is.

But, if you really want to get a taste for Brasov and Romania, go to a traditional restaurant.

Wander a few blocks outside of the Council Square and the tourist areas and find the places locals eat at.

You won’t be disappointed!

Here is a list of some of the best restaurants in Brasov.

As a word of warning, I didn’t write the list, nor have I been to every restaurant on the list. I have, however, eaten at different restaurants recommended by this blog in other cities and enjoyed their recommendations.

Use it as a guide and not a bible.

I did eat at Sub Tâmpa and really enjoyed it, so that makes me trust their list a little bit more as well!

One of the biggest things that people overlook when planning a trip is making sure they’re being internet safe.

You rely on public wifi when you travel, and that puts you at serious risk of having your online information and data stolen.

All it takes is for one person connected to that wifi network with bad intentions to steal your banking information or other private data.

And trust me. You do not want to be dealing with the headache of trying to sort out a banking crisis while you’re in a different country!

And I know what you’re thinking. But, no, if the public wifi network you’re using has a password, that doesn’t mean it’s safe to us. Anybody can access that password and access the network.

The only way to ensure you’re being safe when using the internet while travelling is to install a VPN on your devices.

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

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

You may think it’ll never happen to you, but are you really willing to take that risk when it’s super easy to protect your online information?

I’ve used a lot of different VPNs on my many years of travel. VPNs are notorious for slowing down your internet speed and making the internet incredibly slow and frustrating to use.

That’s why I used to just turn off my VPN and risk my online safety.

I can’t handle slow internet!

That all changed when I discovered NordVPN.

It’s the fastest VPN on the market, which is why I love it so much and recommend it to my fellow travel lovers.

In fact, it’s the only VPN subscription I’ve ever renewed, so you know it’s good!

In addition to be the fastest VPN out there, NordVPN is also super affordable. You can protect up to six devices on a single plan.

A two-year plan costs less per month than a single Starbuck’s latte, so you have no excuse not to protect your online safety.

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

It’s a small price to pay for the piece of mind you get!

There you have it: the top things to do in Brasov alone. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it’ll get you headed in the right direction!

I could have included visiting the Black and White Towers, but you visit them on the free walking tour.

If you don’t go on the free walking tour, make sure to visit them. They’re icons in Brasov and shouldn’t be missed.

Brasov is an extremely easy city to travel in. Even if this is your first solo trip, you shouldn’t have much issue navigating Brasov.

Plus it’s one of the best cities in Romania and shouldn’t be missed if you’re visiting the country!

PS- Don’t forget to get travel insurance before your solo trip to Brasov!

Solo travel in Thailand is one of the best experiences many solo travellers have.

Thailand is one of the best countries for new solo travellers and one of the best countries to start your trip around Southeast Asia. It’s super easy to travel through Thailand, the tourist attractions are unique, and the food is incredible.

Plus there isn’t a language barrier in major cities, so you won’t have communication issues if you only speak English and don’t speak Thai.

The only other country in Southeast Asia that I think is as easy to travel through and has the same charm is Malaysia, but it’s more expensive.

Thailand is a super popular tourist destination and has amazing tourism infrastructure. It makes solo travel in Thailand super easy.

Even though it’s easy to travel through Thailand and the country has amazing sites, there are some things I need you to know about solo travel in Thailand before you arrive in Thailand.

Some of these are mistakes I made on my first solo trip to Thailand. Some of them are things I’m so glad I did, and I want to make sure they’re on your radar too.

I don’t know anybody who has visited Thailand who regrets going there.

I never really had the urge to visit Thailand, but after I went, I started to understand why it’s one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

Falling in love with Thailand isn’t something I planned to do, but I did, and I’m already planning my next trip.

This may seem like a weird tip to start with, but it’s one of the biggest tips I can people who plan to travel solo in Thailand.

It’s so convenient and saves you a lot of time. Two things that are so important when you’re travelling alone.

A lot of people who want access to phone data while in Thailand get a physical sim at the airport. I’m here to tell you that’s not what you should do.

I highly recommend you install an esim on your phone before you arrive in Thailand.

It’s the easiest and most convenient way you can get phone data in Thailand. This is especially important for people travelling alone in Thailand.

You install the esim on your phone before you leave for Thailand then turn it off as soon as you land. This is so convenient when standing in the long immigration line. You can scroll on your phone and let your loved ones at home know you land safely.

With your esim already installed on your phone, you also don’t have to worry about finding wifi in the airport to purchase and install an esim when you land in Thailand.

I used an esim while in Thailand. It was one of my first times using an esim, and I didn’t realize I was able to install it on my phone in advance. I wasn’t able to get my computer or phone to connect to wifi in the airport for some reason, so I wasn’t able to install an esim on my phone at the airport.

This meant I couldn’t request a Grab and had to argue with a taxi driving who was trying to scam me. That could have been avoided if I had installed my esim ahead of time. I also would have saved money by using Grab instead of a taxi.

Live and learn. Now I always install my esims before I arrive in a new country.

Esims are a newer technology and not everybody knows about them just yet. I have no doubt they’ll become more and more popular as more people learn about them.

An esim is an electronic sim that you can install on your phone. It gives you access to the local network’s data without having to take out your home country’s sim card and install a sim card for the country you’re travelling in.

You get to keep your home phone number. You still receive texts, iMessages, and WhatApp messages that are sent to your home country’s phone number.

They make getting data in foreign countries so convenient. I don’t think I’ll ever travel without an esim again.

If you want to get a physical sim in Thailand, most people get their sim when you land in Bangkok.

That’s the most convenient place to get it, but it is often very busy. Everybody is trying to get their sim at the airport.

To avoid waiting in long lines, pre-order your Thailand sim card online. You’ll pre-pay for your sim card, so all you have to do is pick it up at the airport.

Plus you save a bit of money when you purchase your sim online in advance versus buying it directly at the airport.

Who doesn’t love more convenience and saving money?

Pre-Order Your Thailand Sim Card

Grab is the Uber of Southeast Asia. It’s a ride hailing service, and I recommend everybody who visits Thailand use Grab. This is even more true for people who are travelling alone in Thailand.

There are two great things about Grab:

1. It saves you money. Grab is more affordable than taxis. We love to save some money!

2. It’s safer. Especially for solo female travellers. You pay a set price, so you don’t have to worry about being scammed by taxi drivers. It also have in-app tracking. The driver knows they can’t go off course or abduct you because of the in-app tracking. You can even share you location with a third-party (like a family member back home) if you want to. If you have an esim or physical sim, and you’re not feeling safe, you can also chat with someone at Grab or report the driver in real time.

Grab also has food delivery through the app. That may not sound like something you need, but it’s nice to have in case you get in late one night or don’t have the energy to go out for dinner after resting in the hotel after an early morning.

Travelling in Southeast Asia is so much easier when you have Grab. You don’t want to travel without it.

Now that I’ve convinced you that you need Grab in order to solo travel in Thailand effectively, you’re probably wonder why you need to install it in advance.

And trust me when I say you need to install it in advance.

You need to be in your home country when you install Grab. If you try to install Grab when you land in Southeast Asia, you won’t be able to.

The app doesn’t accept a foreign credit card while you’re located in Southeast Asia. And changing your VPN to your home country won’t help you either.

I have no idea why the app will accept your credit card while you’re in your home country then won’t accept the exact same credit card if you’re already in Southeast Asia. But it won’t.

If you find yourself in Thailand without Grab installed on your account, you may be able to have someone at home create an account for you and add your credit card to your account. Then you just have to download the app and log into your account on your phone.

I’ve heard quite a few people have success with that, but I’ve also heard of the odd person where that didn’t work for them. Plus you have to deal with time zones and time changes and arranging a convenient time for the person back home to help you.

Now that you know about Grab, stop reading this article, install it on your phone, and then start reading the article again.

This isn’t something you want to accidentally forget about!

Bangkok is the most popular tourist destination in the world. Over 22 million tourists visit the city every year.

Too many people go to Thailand, visit Bangkok, and then go back home. They don’t take the time to see any other part of the country.

When you take a solo trip to Thailand, you have the flexibility to plan the trip exactly as you want it. You don’t have to worry about what anybody else wants to do and see. You have complete control of what your Thailand trip looks like.

This means you have no excuse to just visit Bangkok and then leave.

Honestly, Bangkok was my least favourite part of my solo trip to Thailand.

Please don’t cancel me for saying that!

Thailand has so much more to offer than just Bangkok. There is beautiful nature, hiking, beaches, laid-back small towns, rich historical centres, and the best temples are outside Bangkok.

I know it’s tempting to spend all your time in Bangkok. Especially if you don’t have much time to solo travel in Thailand.

But trust me when I tell you it’s 100% worth it to get outside Bangkok and experience another part of Thailand.

You need travel insurance. More importantly, you need the right travel insurance.

I spent far too many years travelling with the wrong travel insurance, and I want you to do better than I did.

If you’re going on a short trip to Thailand and have a job, you probably don’t have to worry about travel insurance. Most companies include short-term travel insurance in their medical benefits package.

However, that doesn’t work for everybody.

Thailand is a hugely popular destination for young backpackers, digital nomads, and people taking a gap year.

If you fall into one of those categories, you need to think about what travel insurance to get. It’s not always an easy choice.

There are lots of things to consider including price, coverage, and reliability of the insurance you’re getting.

It’s not always best to go with the cheapest option. It’s cheap for a reason, and lots of times there are tons of exclusions or it’s nearly impossible to make a claim.

My dad got injured sand boarding in Dubai and had to go to a clinic. He tried to make a claim, was told he was able to make a claim, and then had to submit his entire medical history and fill out dozens of pages of paperwork to get reimbursed for the treatment. He ended up not completing the claims process because it was too much work and too invasive.

So, having the right travel insurance matters.

I personally use Safetywing as my long-term travel insurance.

There are a few reasons I love Safetywing and recommend it as the best digital nomad travel insurance.

• You can start your coverage even while abraod.

• You pay monthly and can cancel at anytime. This sets Safetywing apart from a lot of other digital nomad travel insurance companies.

• Your policy includes coverage in your home country for 30 days after you’ve been out of the country for at least 90 days.

Safetywing is the most comprehensive, flexible, and reliable travel insurance company for long-term travellers.

Learn More About Safetywing Nomad Insurance

You’ve probably seen at least one video or picture of the streets in Thailand when planning your solo trip to Thailand.

They’re chaotic and busy. There are scooters everywhere, and they don’t always stop even when pedestrians have the right of way.

I just want to remind you to be extra safe when crossing the streets in Thailand.

A lot of streets don’t have pedestrian crossing areas, so you just walk across when you can. You need to walk quickly and keep your eyes on a swivel. In every direction.

Cars and scooters won’t run you over when you’re walking across the street. But they will honk and drive closer to you than you may feel comfortable with.

Of course, if there is a dedicated area for pedestrians to cross, use it. But even then, be aware. Keep your head on a swivel and be aware of your surroundings. Scooters have the right of way, and you need to be aware as a pedestrian.

I’m not trying to scare you. You get used to crossing the street very quickly, but it can be intimidating the first few times you try it.

You’ll have to cross the street at some point while you solo travel in Thailand. Just be careful and alert when doing it!

Thailand is hot, and you’ll be tempted to pack shorts, tank tops, and dresses. Those aren’t the right clothing options when travelling to Thailand.

Thailand is a fairly conservative country, and they dress modestly. It would be very rare to see a Thai woman wearing an outfit that showed off her shoulders.

Even though you’re a tourist, it’s important to respect local customs as much as possible. I like to wear skirts that fall past my knees and t-shirts that cover my shoulders when travelling through Southeast Asia.

You’ll see a lot of tourists that aren’t dressed as modestly as that, so it’s completely your choice what you wear.

Just know that there will be places you’re not allowed to visit if you’re not dressed appropriately.

This is mainly temples but also includes other tourist attractions like the Grand Palace.

There are signs outside temples and sites that warn you that you won’t be allowed to enter if you’re not dressed appropriately.

There will also be lots of street vendors yelling at you that you’re not dressed properly and then try to sell you proper clothing.

To enter temples, you need to have your knees and shoulders covered. The rules apply to everybody no matter your gender.

Sometimes they are more lenient with men and allow them in if their shorts aren’t completely covering their knees, but they’re not lenient with women.

So, if you’re planning on doing some solo travel in Thailand, make sure you pack appropriately.

Have at least a few outfit options that follow the modesty guidelines for temples. Something that will cover your knees and shoulders. You can put a shawl around your shoulders to cover them, but it makes walking around the temple and taking photos a little more difficult.

Also be aware that you have to take you shoes off to go inside the temples. If you’re like me and hate the feeling of having your feet touch the ground, make sure you always carry around an extra pair of socks if you wear sandals.

It’s also probably better for hygiene purposes to always have socks and not walk barefoot through the temples.

Northern Thailand is my favourite part of Thailand.

Chiang Mai is the most popular city to visit in Northern Thailand, but there are so many other places to see. My favourite is Chiang Rai.

I know a lot of people who visit Northern Thailand only visit Chiang Mai, but it’s worth it to visit some of the smaller towns.

There is a lot of nature in Northern Thailand. Not so much beaches like you see in Central and Southern Thailand, but lots of mountains and green nature.

It’s a nice contrast to other parts of Thailand and gives you a different taste of what the country has to offer.

Even if you just visit Chiang Mai and do a day trip to Chiang Rai or Pai, you’ll get to experience a different part of Thailand you wouldn’t have experienced otherwise.

Thailand is a huge country. It takes a lot longer to travel from one region to another than you might think.

For example, it takes almost 11 hours by train to travel from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. That’s a long journey.

That’s a long time to sit on a train and stay entertained, but it’s even worse when you solo travel in Thailand because you don’t have anybody to talk to and pass the time.

I like to take public transportation and overland when I travel as much as possible, but I have my limits. There is never any guarantee that public transportation will run on time, and I’ve been in far too many scenarios where a bus or train ride said it would be 6 hours and ended up being 10.

I have a basic rule of thumb that if overlanding with public transportation is scheduled to take more than 6 or 7 hours, I’ll fly.

It’s so much more convenient and easier.

Flights within Thailand are very affordable and fly multiple times a day. It’s worth it in a lot of instances to fly to a different part of the country and then overland to other cities that are within a reasonable distance.

Just like anywhere else in the world, you need to be aware of local scams in Thailand. You’re at a higher risk of being scammed when you solo travel in Thailand.

You’re an easier target, and you’re more likely to be approached by scammers. You need to be aware of what scams to watch out for and try not to fall for any of them.

Easier said than done sometimes.

Below is a short (but not exhaustive) list of the most common scams in Thailand.

It seems like everywhere in the world some taxi drivers give the rest of taxi drivers a bad reputation because they try to scam people. Thailand is no different. Especially at the airport.

You have to take a number to get into a taxi at the airport in Bangkok, but that doesn’t mean the taxi driver won’t try to scam you. I don’t really know why they make people take a number, but they do.

The best way to avoid being scammed by taxi drivers is by taking Grab. You know the price before you get into the car, and it doesn’t change unless you go through a toll booth.

If you do take taxis, be sure that the driver turns on the meter. Most taxi drivers don’t and try to get you to pay a flat fee of their choosing.

They always charge you more with their flat fee than it would cost to use the meter. They won’t want to turn on the meter, but if you keep insisting, they will eventually turn it on.

There is an increasingly popular scam in Bangkok that happens around the Grande Palace.

You’ll be walking towards the palace, and someone will come up to you and tell you that the palace is closed. It’s either closed for lunch or for a local Thai prayer ceremony.

They say you won’t be able to enter the palace and that instead you should take their tour of other temples in Thailand.

Don’t listen to them. Go to the palace. If it is closed, there will be signs and officials will tell you. Most of the time it isn’t closed.

If you get in their Tuk Tuk and go on their temple tour, you’ll be driven around the city, likely never see anything, and then be told that the tour is actually three or four times more expensive than the personally originally told you it would be.

It’s a very profitable scam, and lots and lots and lots of tourists fall for it every day.

Sadly, there is a fairly common scam in Thailand where someone will dress up like a government official, stop tourists, ask to see their passport or ID, and then tell them they’re in the country illegally.

Not surprisingly, the charges against the tourist are dropped when the tourist gives the “officer” some cash.

It’s a scary scam for tourists. They think they’ve done something wrong and get nervous about being put into Thai jail.

You’re especially at risk for this scam when you solo travel in Thailand. You basically have a giant arrow pointing at you that you’re an easy target.

You don’t have a travel companion who can step in and suggest that something doesn’t seem right. And you’re more vulnerable as a solo traveller. Especially if you’re a solo female traveller.

If you’re stopped by someone dressed as an official, always ask to see their ID before you get too far in your engagement with them. If they refuse to show you their ID, there is a strong chance that they’re scamming you.

You also want to be cautious on who you give your ID or passport to. You don’t want to give it to just anybody. It’s important to make sure that if you give your ID or passport to someone, it’s someone who has a right to ask to see them.

If you are stopped by a legitimate police officer or government official and have to show them your ID or passport, be sure you don’t let them walk away with your ID or passport. That’s never a good idea. Your passport is one of the most important things you have, and you don’t want to let it out of your sight.

This is one of the most common scams in Thailand. A lot of tourists want to bring gemstones home as a souvenir from Thailand, and 99% of the time, they’re bringing home fake gemstones.

Sellers will swear that the gemstones you’re buying are authentic and real, but they likely aren’t. They’re worthless fakes the majority of the time. Especially if you purchase them in Bangkok or Chiang Mai.

If you want to purchase gemstones in Thailand, make sure you do your research first. Google who sells authentic gemstones in Thailand and look at reviews. You want to make sure you’re buying an authentic gemstone, and it’s worth taking the time to research where to buy them ahead of time rather than making a purchase in the spur of the moment.

There is a misconception that you have to use cash in Thailand. That isn’t true. A lot of places accept foreign cards, but it’s important to have cash on hand as well.

Especially if you’re travelling Thailand alone. You won’t have a friend to bum money off of if you don’t have cash and need to buy something.

You need cash to buy street food, small trinkets at markets, and entrance fees for tourist attractions.

If you eat at small, local restaurants (I highly recommend you do), you’ll also likely need cash there as well. Some of the more popular restaurants with tourists accept credit cards but lots don’t.

You also need cash to pay for public transportation or Tuk Tuk drivers if you don’t use Grab.

There are ATMs you can take cash out of, but it’s best to have some cash on hand before you arrive in Thailand. If you use an ATM, be sure it’s attached to a reputable bank and that nobody is hovering too closely to you when you make your withdrawal.

That’ll give you the best chance of not being scammed, getting a fair exchange rate, and being given legitimate cash and not counterfeit money.

Never, ever exchange your money with someone on the street. I know that sounds pretty obvious, but you’d be surprised by the number of people who do that.

Thai people are very friendly. When you travel solo in Thailand, it’s likely that at least a few locals will approach you and start a conversation.

Most of the time the people who approach you are kind and genuine people who just want to get to know a little bit about you.

Sometimes there is a more sinister reason they’re approaching you. Solo travel in Thailand is generally safe, but talking to strangers who randomly approach you is one way to make it less safe.

I’m not saying not to chat with people who approach you. I’m just telling you to be cautious.

Never give out personal information. Never tell them where you’re staying. And never tell them any detailed plans for the rest of your day or trip.

That’s all information that they can use to target you in the future.

You should also be weary about telling them that you’re travelling alone. This is something you can feel out during the conversation.

It’s often easy to determine who is being genuine in their conversation with you and who is just prying for infomation.

Use your gut instinct to figure out whether it’s safe to be honest and tell them you’re travelling alone or if you should lie and tell them your friend is waiting for you at a nearby cafe.

I love Thai food and was so excited to try it. In fact, it’s what I was most looking forward to on my solo trip to Thailand.

Let me tell you that the food did not disappoint. It blew my mind.

Every single thing I ate in Thailand was amazing. If there is something you want to try, get it. You won’t be disappointed.

And don’t skip out on street food or food at the night markets. The food at the night markets is the best street food. You know it’s made fresh because so many people are buying it, and it doesn’t have time to sit out and get a little questionable.

And please promise me you’ll try mango sticky rice.

I waited until a few days before I left Thailand to try it. I don’t really like mango, so it wasn’t a top priority for me to try. That was a mistake. I wish I ate it every day I was in Thailand.

Bring your appetite and don’t be afraid to try something you’ve never heard of before. All my favourite dishes were dishes I hadn’t heard of or tried at my local Thai restaurant before.

A lot of the information and videos you see about Thailand highlight how affordable it is and how you can get a hostel for just a few dollars a night.

That’s very true, but it also paints a picture that hostels are the best places to stay in Thailand.

As someone who has stayed in one too many hostels as a solo female traveller, I can assure you that they aren’t as glamorous and enticing as people on the internet make them seem.

I’m happy to tell you that if you’re planning to solo travel in Thailand, its completely valid to stay in a hotel if you want to.

The best part is that hotels are very affordable as well, which is great for people on a tight budget. I stayed in pretty decent (and clean) hotels all throughout Thailand. The most expensive hotel was about $45/night in Bangkok. Most of them were about $25-$30/night in the rest of Thailand.

So it’s completely possible to stay in a nice, private, hotel in Thailand without breaking the bank.

You have the flexibility to stay where you want and where you feel safest as a solo traveller because the prices are so affordable. Not every region in the world is a s affordable as Southeast Asia so take advantage of it while you can!

Thailand is known as a party country. Especially Bangkok.

I think this is due to a combination of the younger tourists who tend to visit Thailand, how affordable it is to drink, and the amazing rooftop bars and clubs Thailand has.

I’m not telling you not to drink when you solo travel in Thailand. I’m just telling you to be responsible about it.

You’re alone in a foreign country. Alcohol never makes anybody make better decisions than when they’re sober. Being drunk and alone in a foreign country can be extremely dangerous.

You need to be able to get yourself home safe and sound at the end of your night out. I never have more than one or two drinks when I travel alone.

If I want to drink more, I buy a couple beers from a store and drink in my hotel room or on the hotel rooftop if there is one. It may not be as fun, but it is safer.

The best way to enjoy Bangkok’s famous nightlife safely as a solo traveller is by joining a bar hopping tour.

The tour takes you to three or four different bars in Bangkok including one of Asia’s most famous bars. It includes transportation and a guide. This means you can drink a little more than you normally would but still be in a safe environment.

You also get to skip any lines there are to get into the bar, which is a huge plus.

Taking a nightclub tour is also a great way to meet other people travelling through Thailand. You can make friends, get travel tips, and potentially find someone to go to a few tourist attractions with the next day.

I highly recommend a nightclub tour for anybody travelling alone in Thailand who wants to get a taste for the nightlife but also be in a very safe situation and environment.

It’s truly the best of both worlds. Being able to drink and have a good time without putting yourself at risk.

Learn More About the Nightclub Tour

You rely on public wifi networks when you travel. Even if you have an esim or physical sim, you’ll be using the hotel wifi at a minimum.

Using public wifi puts you at higher risk of having your personal wifi information stolen. Even if the wifi network has a password, it isn’t safe. Anybody with that password can access and steal your private online information (like your banking information) if they want to,

Trust me when I tell you it’s no fun having to deal with cancelling bank cards while abroad because someone stole your credit card.

The only way to stay safe online when using public wifi networks is by installing a VPN on your devices.

A VPN essentially puts an invisible forcefield around your devices that makes it impossible for prying eyes to access your online information. It makes using public wifi networks just as safe as using your home wifi network where you’re the only person who knows the password.

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

I’ve used a lot of different VPNs over my many years of travel. Most of them are awful to be honest. VPNs are notorious for slowing down your internet speed, and you can really feel the slow down with most VPNs.

I used to get so frustrated with how slow my internet was that I’d turn off my VPN and put my private online information at risk of being stolen.

All that changed when I started using NordVPN.

NordVPN is the fastest VPN on the market, and you can really feel the difference compared to other VPN providers.

I’ve been using NordVPN since 2018 and have never once noticed a slow down of my internet speed.

I’m able to keep my online information secure without compromising my internet needs. I put my VPN and internet through a lot of tests with blogging and video editing. It’s nice to be able to rely on NordVPN to keep me safe without sacrificing internet speed.

The best part is that NordVPN is super affordable. A two-year subscription costs less per month than a Starbuck’s latte.

It’s a super small price to pay for the peace of mind you get knowing your personal online information is safe from prying eyes, and you don’t need to worry about your personal information being stolen while you enjoy your time in Thailand.

I’m not the biggest fan of joining tours when I travel alone. I normally find them a bit awkward and oftentimes overpriced. That isn’t the case when you solo travel in Thailand.

Thailand is one of the best places to join a group tour. They’re affordable, and they take you places that are often more difficult to travel to alone.

They’re a great way to learn more about Thailand and Thai culture, see something that would be difficult to experience on your own, and learn insider secrets about the best food to try and things to buy.

Tours are also a great way to meet people and make new friends. The people who travel in Thailand tend to be laidback, younger, and eager for new experiences.

I know it can be scary to join a tour as a solo traveller, but there is really no downside to joining on in Thailand. If you don’t enjoy it, you didn’t spend too much money, and now you know for the future.

Bangkok is the most popular tourist destination in the world. I was surprised when I heard that. I always assumed it would be Paris or Italy, but it’s Bangkok.

Bangkok is a huge city, but it doesn’t have a ton of tourist attractions. Especially compared to other capital cities like London or Seoul.

This means there are a lot of tourists trying to see the same attractions every day. There aren’t enough attractions in Bangkok that people are going to different places and no single place is overly busy.

Every tourist attraction is busy in Bangkok (and Chiang Mai).

That doesn’t mean that the tourist attractions aren’t worth visiting. There is a reason Thailand is so popular.

It just means that you have to be patient and expect to deal with crowds.

If you know there will be crowds before you arrive somewhere, you can mentally prepare for it. You won’t be caught off guard.

I get anxious is crowds, so it always helps me better prepare for crowds if I know I’ll encounter them. The crowds is something I wish I was more prepared for on my first solo trip to Thailand.

Hopefully you’ll be better prepared for them than I was now that you know to expect them!

One of the best things about solo travel in Thailand is the freedom you get. You’re alone, so you get to make every choice on what you see, do, and eat.

It can lead to some decision fatigue, but if you’re tired of making decisions, you can just go back to the hotel and rest for a few hours. Easy as that.

The reason I love travelling alone so much is the freedom you get. It’s one of the few times in life where you get to do whatever you want without considering anybody else’s preferences or needs.

It’s one of the most freeing things you can do in your life. It also helps you grow a lot as a person.

I know that travelling alone can be scary at first, but it’s so worth it.

Thailand is one of the best countries in Asia to travel alone for the first time. It’s very easy to travel in Thailand, and there are tons of other tourists around if you want to be social and meet new people.

So, enjoy the experience. Take full advantage of the freedom you get when travelling alone in Thailand.

It’ll be an experience you’ll never forget.

I had no idea I had so much to say about solo travel in Thailand until I started writing this article. I hope I didn’t overwhelm you too much!

Thailand is a beautiful country. It’s diverse in natural beauty, tourist attractions, and food. No two cities are too similar, and you get a new experience everywhere you go.

That’s one of the things I love about solo travel in Thailand. It’s almost like you get multiple different types of vacations and experiences by just going to one country. It has a little bit of something for everybody no matter what your interests are.

I know this article was long, but I hope it helped you plan your solo trip to Thailand and helped you understand what to expect when on your trip to Thailand.

You now know everything I wish I knew before taking a solo trip to Thailand. You’re better prepared than I was, and that’ll help you have an amazing solo travel experience in Thailand.

Be sure to eat some mango stick rice for me while you’re there!

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Morocco may not be the first place you think of when planning a solo trip, but solo travel in Morocco can be amazing to say the least.

There are a ton of rumours about Morocco and have it isn’t safe for solo female travellers.

While there may be some truth in the fact that Morocco isn’t like Europe, and there are different customs and culture, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t plan a solo trip to Morocco.

That being said, it might not be the best place for your first solo trip, but once you have some experience travelling alone, Morocco should definitely be added to the list of places you want to go!

Morocco is a beautiful country with amazing things do so, see, and eat.

If you’re wondering if solo travel in Morocco is right for you, keep reading! Hopefully this article will give you a better idea of what to expect when travelling alone in Morocco.

Is Marrakech safe for solo female travellers?!

A lot of people have this idea that Morocco is a difficult country to travel in, but that simply isn’t the case.

Morocco has a great train and bus system that can easily get you from one city to another. This makes it very easy for solo travellers to see more than one city in Morocco.

However, one important thing to note is that the buses and trains are often very busy, and tickets sell out fast.

You may want to go to the bus or train station a day or two before you travel to a new city to secure your seat. If you don’t, you may have to wait a little while for the next bus or train to depart.

Buses and trains run on a regular basis, so you won’t have to wait long.

Here are a few transportation guides I’ve written to help you figure out how to travel between cities in Morocco:

• How to travel from Marrakesh to Essaouira

• How to travel from Marrakech to Casablanca

• How to travel from Casablanca to Rabat

In terms of getting around within cities in Morocco, that’s pretty easy too!

I’ve found that most cities in Morocco are very walkable. I walked everywhere and didn’t have to rely on public transportation.

If you want to go somewhere that is beyond a distance you feel comfortable walking, there are lots of local buses, or you can take a taxi.

Just be sure to either agree on a price before you get in a taxi or demand they turn on their meter. This will ensure you get a fair price.

But, all in all, getting around Morocco is very easy and not something you have to worry about when you’re on a solo trip to Morocco.

One of the most important things you need to know when planning solo travel in Morocco is that it’s extremely difficult to access Moroccan Dirham (MAD) outside of Morocco.

You’re going to have to exchange your currency inside Morocco (likely at the airport).

Exchange however much you think you’ll need and then a little bit more just in case you fall in love with a few extra souvenirs or eat more than you anticipated.

If you have any MAD left over at the end of your trip, you can exchange it back into a variety of currencies at the airport.

You often get the best rate if you exchange it into Euros so keep that in mind. If you’re going to Europe next or planning a trip to Europe in the near future, you’ll probably want to exchange your MAD into Euro rather than your local currency.

I have heard of some banks giving you a very small amount of MAD before you arrive in Morocco.

I had one coworker who was able to get about $100 CAD worth of MAD from a Canadian bank inside Canada.

That would be enough to tide you over if something went wrong at the airport or if you arrived when the exchange places were closed.

I wouldn’t rely on being able to do that though and would expect to have to exchange all your currency inside Morocco.

One of the biggest surprises for me the first time I went to Morocco was how incredible the food was.

I didn’t know what to expect and didn’t have any preconceived ideas of what the food would be like when I arrived in Morocco, and I was blown away by how delicious everything I ate was.

I even brought home a tajine, so I could make Moroccan food at home!

One of the most important things to do during solo travel in Morocco is indulge in the local cuisine.

Don’t be afraid to eat at a restaurant alone and don’t be afraid to try the local food even if you’ve never heard of it before.

Trying new food is one of the best parts of travel, and you don’t want to miss out on it in Morocco!

If you don’t know where to go, be sure to ask someone at your hotel or hostel. They’ll be able to point you in the right direction.

Tips for eating alone at restaurants

I hate to say this because I don’t like playing into stereotypes, but I want to give you a realistic idea of what solo travel in Morocco might look like.

Or at least what my perspective was as a young, white, blonde woman.

Unfortunately, as a solo female traveller in Morocco, you’ll likely get some extra attention.

It’s important to note that not all of it is unwanted advances or sexual in any way. Oftentimes, it’s just people noticing you’re alone and hoping they can “help” you in whatever you need and be tipped.

If someone is following you or asking to help you, confidentially say no thank you and keep walking.

Some people might still try to “help” you and others will move on to “help” another tourist. The important thing is to keep moving and stand your ground that you don’t need help.

I’ve had a couple of situations where a man walked me all the way to my riad front door and wouldn’t leave without a tip. These situations are few and far between. If that happens, I think it is just better to give them a small amount of money rather than getting into an argument.

Now, in terms of the souks and markets. That’s where I’ve found the unwanted attention to be at it’s worst.

Again. This is just my experience, and I’m not saying this to demonize a certain culture or anything like that. It’s just so you’re prepared.

I found that in the souks, people are more inclined to try to get your attention by cat calling.

This is likely a sales tactic to get your attention and try to lure you into their stall. The best thing you can do is keep walking and not interact if you don’t want to.

All things considered, I think solo travel in Morocco is very safe, and if a little unwanted attention is what you have to put up with to explore this beautiful country, then that’s a small price to pay.

I’ve never felt unsafe when people approached me in Morocco. The people are incredibly kind.

Even if a stranger is following you to your riad, they likely want a tip and aren’t interested in harming you in any way!

This tip goes hand in hand with the last one.

I personally think it is best to never look lost in Morocco even if you are. Looking lost will make people want to come up and help you, and if you’re like me, that just causes even more stress.

So, keep your map in your bag or pocket and walk like you know exactly where you’re going.

If you do happen to be lost, pop into a corner shop, café, hotel, or restaurant to look at your map and ask for directions if you need to.

This may be a bit overkill, but I prefer it to looking lost on the streets and potentially having multiple people come up to me to “help”.

You may not be as introverted as I am and not mind the help, but if you’re like me and find a situation like that stressful, never look lost.

Just like any country in the world, on a solo trip to Morocco you’re going to be relying on public wifi to access the internet.

The problem with public wifi is that anybody can access it, and if someone wants, they can access your personal online information and data.

I’m talking banking information, social media passwords. Anything you can think of can be stolen if you’re not being internet safe.

The only way to be internet safe when using public wifi networks is by installing a VPN on your devices.

A VPN essentially puts up an imaginary forcefield around your devices that makes it impossible for someone to access your online information when you’re using a public wifi network.

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

I’ve used a lot of different VPNs over my years of travel, and, frankly, most of them suck.

VPNs are notorious for slowing down your internet speed, which is not what you want when travelling. It makes using the internet frustrating.

The reason I love NordVPN and continue to use it year in and year out is because they’re the fastest VPN on the market.

You don’t even notice that you’re using a VPN because your internet connection isn’t slowed down!

The best part is you can protect up to six devices with one NordVPN subscription. You can protect all your devices for one low fee.

The price of a two-year NordVPN subscription costs less per month than a single Starbucks latte.

With prices like that, you can’t afford to not protect your online information.

My philosophy is that if you can afford to travel, you can afford to install a VPN on your devices and keep your online information safe.

One of the things you need to know about solo travel in Morocco is that you’re going to have to haggle.

You’ll need to haggle when purchasing souvenirs and if you take a taxi somewhere.

It isn’t a big deal, but if you’re like me, haggling just feels uncomfortable and awkward. I know it’s a cultural thing, and lots of people do it. I was born and raised in Canada though, so I’m not used to haggling.

Haggling can become even more awkward and uncomfortable if you’re travelling alone.

But it’s something you need to be prepared for. Otherwise you’ll be way overpaying.

You’ll likely still be paying more than a local would unless you’re really good at haggling, but at least you’re not paying an absurd amount more than you should be.

Now if you’re like me and are terrible at haggling, here’s an article that’ll give you some tips on how to haggle properly.

The challenge is putting them into practice though!

A tourist’s guide to wifi in Morocco

Just like anywhere else in the world, there are local scams you need to be aware of during a solo trip to Morocco.

The local scams aren’t just pick pocketing, and there are some larger scams you need to be aware of. Some of them seem so innocent that you don’t realize you’ve been scammed until it happens.

This article outlines the top scams in Morocco, and I definitely recommend you give it a read.

If you don’t have time to read that article, here are a few of the top ones you need to be aware of:

• The carpet scam where you’re invited to have a drink of tea then the store owner gets upset that you didn’t purchase a rug and drank his/her tea.

• Fake goods (such as saffron) being sold as if there were the real thing.

• Inflated prices for camel rides (be sure to book online rather than with someone randomly on the street).

• Live animal photos. Someone demands you take a picture with their animal and then demands payment after you take the photo.

Just be safe when you travel alone in Morocco.

Use your best judgement. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. If something seems sketchy, it probably is.

Listen to your gut.

This last one technically isn’t a tip specific to solo travel in Morocco, but it’s still important to know.

Unless you’re Muslim, you’re not allowed to tour the mosques.

There is a mosque in Marrakech that sometimes allows non-Muslims to tour it depending on the time of day and what other functions are going on that day. It isn’t a guarantee though.

I tell you this to hopefully prevent you from accidentally embarrassing yourself if you try to enter a mosque just to tour it.

A lot of us are used to being able to tour any religious building we want. It’s very common in Europe, Asia, and North America to walk into a religious building without practicing that religion and just tour it.

We can sometimes take that for granted and think that’s the case everywhere we travel, but it isn’t in Morocco.

Knowing this information will help you respect the local culture and save yourself a little bit of embarrassment.

There are lots of other amazing things to do and see in Morocco that not being able to tour a mosque won’t make you feel like you’re missing out.

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There you go! All my top tips and tricks for solo travel in Morocco.

Hopefully this guide helped give you a picture of what solo travel in Morocco is like and help you decide whether or not Morocco is the right place for you to visit alone.

I really liked Morocco and am obsessed with their food to say the least, but it was definitely a culture shock when I visited.

I had only been to European and North American cities at that point in my travel career, and Morocco was definitely a different experience.

It took a little bit of getting used to, but it was a different experience in the best way possible.

If you’re up for an adventure and an amazing experience, Morocco might just be the perfect place for you!

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Prague is quickly becoming one of the most popular cities in Europe for tourists to visit, but is Prague safe for solo female travellers?

With the influx of tourists, there has been a steep increase in the number of petty crimes in Prague in recent years.

But that doesn’t mean Prague isn’t safe.

In fact, the answer to the question is Prague safe is yes!

I’ve been to Prague as a solo female traveller and at no time did I not feel safe. That doesn’t mean you can go to Prague and not have your wits about you.

You need to be aware of your surroundings and protect your personal belongings. Pick pocketing is a major issue in Prague, and when you’re packing into the crowds in Prague’s Old Town, you’re a pretty easy target.

Outside of petty theft, you don’t really have much to worry about as a solo traveller in Prague.

The risk of being a victim of violent crime is very low.

So, if you’re wondering if Prague is safe for you as a solo traveller and that is the only thing holding you back from booking the trip, you’ll be happy to know you don’t really have to worry about safety in Prague more than anywhere else you travel.

Solo travel in Prague

Just in case you skimmed the intro, I just want to reiterate that Prague is safe for solo female travellers.

There aren’t any major safety concerns in Prague that should make you wary of visiting the city.

As long as you take normal safety precautions while you’re there, you should be just fine!

Even though Prague is safe, there are still a few safety tips you should know to make sure you’re as safe as you can be while travelling in Prague.

Most of these are generic safety tips you should be following no matter where you’re travelling to.

It’s always good to have a refresher though!

As I mentioned in the intro, the biggest threat you have as a solo traveller in Prague is the risk of being pick pocketed.

Pick pocketing is on the rise in Prague, and it is something you need to be aware of. There are tons of crowds in the main tourist area of Prague, and tourists are easy pickings for pick pocketers.

The good news is that it is super easy to reduce your chances of being pick pocketed.

The most important thing you need to do is always keep your purse or bag in front of you and not hanging at the back of your hip.

Better yet, keep a hand on your purse as often as you can.

This will make it extremely difficult for pick pocketers to easily access your bag, and they’ll move onto another target.

Additionally, try to keep your wallet, phone, and passport in zipper compartments within your purse or bag to add another layer of security.

Finally, if someone distracts you, be sure to keep your hand on your bag and your bag in sight. This is sometimes a scam where multiple people are working together.

One person distracts you (by asking if you dropped something or something along those lines), and their partner picks your pocket when you’re not looking.

Tips for travelling alone for the first time

One of the biggest threats to you when you travel is using public wifi. Not enough people talk about it, but it can seriously put you at risk.

When you travel, you rely a lot on public wifi.

You use it at your hotel, at restaurants, and when you’re out and about. The problem with public wifi is that anybody can access it, and if someone wants, they can steal your online data.

You may be thinking that you’re using public wifi safely because you’re only using wifi that has a password.

That’s not good enough.

Anybody can access the password and use the public wifi network.

The only way to protect your online information and data when you’re travelling is by installing a VPN on your devices.

A VPN puts a forcefield around your devices that makes it impossible for a hacker to access your private data and information. Even if you’re using a public wifi network.

A VPN makes using public wifi just as safe as using your home wifi where you’re the only person who knows the password.

It’s a basic safety thing you need to be doing every single time you travel. You don’t want to risk having your online information stolen from you!

The problem with VPNs is that they’re known for slowing down your internet connection and making browsing the internet a frustrating experience.

I’ve used a number of VPNs during my years of travel and pretty much hated them all.

The only one I’ve enjoyed (and the only one I’ve renewed my subscription with) is NordVPN.

It’s the fastest VPN on the market, and it doesn’t feel like you’re using a VPN when you’re browsing the internet. And we all know how important it is to be able to use the internet to research and plan your days when you’re on the road.

The speed of NordVPN is why I love it and recommend it to my fellow travel lovers like you.

There is no other product on the market that is close to as good as NordVPN (in my opinion).

Plus you can connect and protect up to six devices with one NordVPN subscription. You can protect all your devices for one low price!

A two-year subscription to NordVPN costs less per month than a single Starbucks latte. With prices like that, you don’t have an excuse not to protect your online data when you travel.

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

Unfortunately, some restaurants (especially in touristy areas) try to get a little bit of extra money out of tourists, so you need to read your bill closely before paying.

Some restaurants include a tip or service charge in the bill and make a note at the bottom of the bill about the suggested tip amount.

People who aren’t reading their bill properly will see the suggested tip amount and pay it without realizing that the tip was already included in the price of the bill.

In fact, tipping isn’t necessarily customary or expected in Prague.

It’s becoming more expected as more tourists flock in, but if you’re outside the touristy areas, tips aren’t expected.

If you do tip, round up to the nearest 100 Koruna or tip between 5% and 10%.

But, if there is a service charge or tip included in the price of your bill, you don’t need to tip on top of that.

Technically, the restaurants aren’t doing anything illegal, but it can be very misleading to tourists.

The moral of the story is to read your bill carefully before paying it!

What I wish I knew before backpacking Europe alone

Just like any city in the world, walking home alone in the dark can put women on edge.

Prague is a party city, and it’s easy to stay out late and then have to find your way home in the dark.

Your best option is to just catch a taxi, but if you choose to walk, be extra careful and aware of your surroundings.

Walk on main streets with lots of light, walk quickly, keep your head on a swivel, and keep your bag close.

Basic safety precautions like that will help you feel safer walking home alone and get home safely.

As I mentioned, Prague is a party city, and it’s easy to get caught up in the fun, but please don’t drink too much.

Especially as a solo traveller.

You’re 100% responsible for your safety and getting back to your hotel safely. You don’t have a friend watching out for you.

My rule of thumb is to have two drinks maximum and then stick to water. You can still have fun, but it’s much safer for you.

You know your own limits.

Your solo trip to Prague is not the time or place to test them.

I hope this post answers the question is Prague safe?

I’ve been to Prague as a solo female traveller and felt safe the entire time, and I hope you feel safe in Prague as well.

As more and more tourists flock to Prague, petty crime will continue to increase, but (hopefully) there won’t be a rise in violent crime.

It’s up to you to make sure you’re aware of your surroundings and not putting yourself at risk of being robbed (or something worse).

As long as you follow basic safety precautions that you should be following everywhere you travel, you shouldn’t have an issue in Prague.

So, is Prague safe for solo female travellers?

I’m happy to report that it is!