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I started traveling internationally alone when I was 32. I've always been a loner so to me it was no problem going anywhere alone. In fact when I was in the Navy, during port liberty, I always walked around the city by myself (just too much of a hassle having to go where this person wanted to go, and so on and so forth).
I am a male, but I'm short and not intimidating at all physically, and I've never had an issue anywhere I've been to. But I'm not a particularly adventurous traveler and stay in safer areas.
In terms of what I do as a solo traveler, nothing too in depth in my preparations. I prefer to stay in nicer hotels in mid priced range. I take the usual precautions of buying travel insurance, taking back up credit cards, etc. I do like to book tours ahead of time but other than that I don't mind researching what I want to see online and sticking to my itinerary. But I'm also very flexible in my schedule.
What kind of tips are you looking to get? I did quite a bit of traveling alone in Europe when I was around 28-31 and had a great time for the most part. In most places, once you're there, it's pretty easy to travel by train and bus anywhere you want to go. Lots of cities also have free walking tours that give you a good overview of the city. I did those in several cities (even where I lived) and liked them.
I was on more of a budget and stayed mostly at hostels (although I was on the old end of the age range) and budget hotels, but made sure to read the reviews carefully to find places that would be safe for a single female. I tried to say in a safe neighborhood near a metro/train station whenever possible to ensure that I wasn't going to have to do that much walking in unpopulated areas. If I was staying in the historic district (which was often not as near the train station/metro) reading about the neighborhood was usually sufficient. A lot of European cities will have the red light district, which might not be the ideal for a single female (I tried to avoid that area).
Otherwise, you are much better off than I was since I went before the advent of smartphones and cheap international calling plans you can just buy for a month. I am not sure you'd even need the latter since most rooms will probably have internet and you can facetime/skype with family/friends that way instead of using your minutes.
I have no idea what your temperament is--introvert or extrovert--but if you're shy you will want to jettison that. Think of it this way--what's the worst thing that can happen if you talk to a stranger? I'm quite reserved myself, but once when I was in Scotland I was heading to a restaurant and having a bit of trouble locating it so asked a man walking near me and he was going there too so he showed me where it was. We went in and got separate tables near each other and I fought with myself for about 5 min and then went and asked him to join me and he looked relieved and said he was thinking the same thing. We had a pleasant evening and great conversation and then headed our separate ways. If you make a fool of yourself, you will never see any of these people again lol.
Years ago when I was traveling with my husband, we sometimes had single women join us for a leg of the trip--it was fun for us b/c we got to talk to someone new and was safer for them I think and broadened everyone's experience. It also added an element of spontaneity for all of us b/c they might have heard of something even more cool than what we were thinking of doing. Also, even if you're not on a budget, hostels and campgrounds are great places for meeting new people.
What exactly are you terrified about? I basically have to do everything alone because none of my friends ever want to go to or do the same things as me. It's annoying but if I didn't just shrug & go anyway, I'd be totally homebound. I went to Nicaragua by myself. It was fine, other than not knowing Spanish which would've been helpful, but other than that, no problem. Again, not sure what you're scared of.
I went to college in Holland and went all by myself. I have traveled solo as a young woman and as an adult. There are places/countries I wouldn't go alone just for security reasons (being a woman). However, there are many wonderful places that you can explore by yourself.
Have a check in with at least 2 people back home: Specific times when you will let someone know that you are OK.
Never sit alone at a bar and leave your drink at the bar: I learned this one the hard way. I swear someone slipped me something in London. I left by myself and took a cab to the hotel.
Start with English speaking countries. Just for enjoyment of getting your feet wet so to speak with traveling by yourself. The Netherlands, Germany, Denmark all pretty much speak English from a young age. Of course England, Ireland and that area as well.
You may want to look into women's group travels. You can meet fun people and not travel all by yourself. )
I started travelling alone internationally at the age of 14. If it was really all that dangerous, I would be dead by now. I do try to travel smart. Here are some of my 'rules'.
1) Try to blend in with the locals. That light yellow coat screams American tourist and after 1 day of riding the subway in London, I guarantee it will look filthy for the rest of your trip. Europeans generally dress better than Americans. Google a web cam wherever you are going and take a look.
2) Bring comfortable, broken in shoes. Shoes you can run in that dry quickly.
3) Before you leave make several copies of your passport and visas. Put 1 copy in your suitcase and give copies to a couple friends just in case. Give these same people copies of your itinerary. Call your bank/credit card companies and tell them you will be traveling internationally. If you don't they will probably refuse to approve your charges.
4) Lots of hotels take your passport. Great way to assure they get paid. Generally speaking, carry your walking around money and 1 credit card in your FRONT pocket. Big money, return tickets, and your passport should be in a neck wallet under your clothes. Or in the hotel safe.
5) Dress in layers. And the coat/jacket you bring should be water resistant and dry fast. Bring only washable clothing. No special care items. Leave your expensive jewelry at home. You don't want to look like a target.
6) If you are out alone at night, stay in well lit tourist areas. If you don't see other women out on the street alone, go back to your hotel. Subways late at night alone are not a good idea. Take the cab instead.
7) Always be aware of your surroundings. At all the big tourist attractions you can bet there are a few pickpockets in the crowd(this goes for the US too). So pay attention! A friend of mine lost all her money and documents on the subway in Paris because she failed to zip up her bag. The subway was crowded and someone just reached in and took her stuff. A disaster for her that could have been avoided with a little more common sense.
8) Talk to your cell provider before you leave. If you are overseas just chatting away and you don't have an international plan, you could be racking up a bill in the thousands of dollars. Make sure you have the voice and data you need at a rate you are willing to pay. There are lots of reasonable options.
9) Be intentionally vague if you are asked about your plans for the day. You are just going to walk around and be a tourist. Don't ever tell anyone you signed up for the 8 hour city tour. Don't tell a room full of people they have 8 hours to break into your room! Even if the person you are talking to is completely trustworthy, people listening to your conversation might not be!
10) Once you are in your room for night, put your open suitcase right in front of the door. Or a chair or something. The idea is anyone coming into your room will make a racket. I do this if I have a sleeper compartment on the train too. I have never had a problem but this tip was given to me years ago and it just makes sense.
11) This is the smartest idea ever and it's not mine. It came from a friend years ago. And it makes even more sense today because of all the baggage charges/limits on planes these days. Pack all your rattiest underwear, t-shirts, sleep shirts, etc. When they have been worn and are dirty, throw them away. Everything you toss then leaves more room for the stuff you buy. More than once, I have thrown away clothes at the end of a trip to get my purchases home. And I always pack one of those cheap nylon gym bags in my suitcase. If I have to, on the way home I can fill it with all my dirty clothes and put the good stuff in the suitcase!
Someone else said to start with countries where English is widely spoken. Good advice! Be smart. Be careful. But don't ever be afraid!
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