StIt is women who conceive, organize and book holidays even when they travel as a couple and as a family. But more and more often they don’t book for anyone but themselves. The woman who puts on traveling alone it is in fact an increasingly widespread specimen. To the point that, it reports Tramundi, 63% of the total number of so-called “Solo Travelers” are women.
The organizational issue is child’s play for most women traveling alone. They always have. This is what emerges from the analysis of bookings in the last 12 months on the digital travel company’s website, which offers itineraries all over the world in the company of expert local guides. Women buy more trips than men in general. 61% of the total bookings have a woman as organizer – a sign that the management (and even, often, the choice of destination) is in their hands. But that’s not all: 63% of the total number of so-called “Solo Travelers” is female.
The identikit of the woman traveling alone
The identikit of the woman traveling alone? She is between 35 and 40 years old and has a predilection for i off-season trips: February, May, October are the preferred months. Compared to men, women have a larger average booking window: they book first and are more attentive to discounts and promotions. The cost fluctuates between 1300 and 1600 euros (flights excluded), however 10% in less than the men’s budget. The “typical” trip, which has an average duration of 7 days, has nature and culture as prevailing moods and sees between 4 and 5 stages to go through: it’s not exactly a relaxing trip, therefore.
Where to travel alone
Female Solo Travelers have different preferences compared to males: if Europe is the preferred destination for both (3 out of four aim not to leave the borders of the continent), women show greater interest than men in traveling to Italy, Greece, Spain and Norway. While Europe, still in the past 12 months, was perceived as safer with regards to the pandemic, outside Europe female travelers chose to travel more in Middle East (they prefer Jordan more than men, much less Turkey) and North Africa (Morocco is the queen destination of that area).
Adventure, a women’s affair: 7 tips for setting off
«Adventure is therefore no longer a matter for men», explains Alberto Basso, General Manager of Tramundi, «Indeed, when they travel they usually prefer the dimension of a couple or a group».
And he totally agrees, Paola Scaccabarozzi, author of Guys, mom is leaving and a lifelong solo traveler. She from Montevecchia, in Brianza, where she lives (“Because sometimes a solitary walk behind the house is enough) to India (“I go there very often”), passing through the West Bank and the Tigrai, in Ethiopia. The only real break, the first 6.7 years of her children’s life.
The cover of Paola Scaccabarozzi’s book
So here are her tips, in 7 steps, for those who want to try to travel alone or for those who already do it and want to find new inspiration.
1. Traveling alone: how to start
There is always the possibility to start. In the absence of a car, a bike is enough. And, in the absence of a bike, you go on foot. Start with a walk alone among other things, it is an experiment to understand if a possible journey on one’s own business could be congenial to one’s personality.
The alternative to experiment: return alone to a place where you have already been or with family or friends. The known is reassuring and helps to sharpen the gaze. Not only that: the stratification of experiences changes the perspective. For this reason, returning to a well-known place teaches you to understand something more about yourself, as well as the country you are visiting.
2. The benefits of slow travel. Even if you’re short on time
A slow journey, if you are short on time? You can, by choosing to halve the stages: even an intercontinental journey of a handful of days becomes possible. Instead of a whirlwind tour that allows you to put one foot in Laos today, one in Cambodia tomorrow and an elbow in Vietnam the next, better four days in the same city. “Alone you don’t owe anyone an explanation, much less fill a globe with flags. Above all, you don’t have to prove anything, except to yourself.
3. A destination for women
No, really, it doesn’t exist. There are no big preclusions in choosing a destination just because you are a woman. “It simply has to collect as much information as possible on the chosen destination, especially if you opt for a destination that is culturally very distant from that of origin». Books, tourist guides and the Farnesina website they must be allies in the preparation of the journey.
4. The hotel if you are a female traveler alone
The choice of the hotel: to the one of great charm located in a very uncomfortable area, it is better to prefer the central one. Primarily to avoid exhausting walks with luggage or long taxi journeys. But also because the more peripheral areas, especially in big cities, are often also the least safe ones (it is usually better to avoid areas near train stations as well).
5. Luggage, essential
The luggage: «preparing it is a valid exercise for cultivating the cult of the essential. It is and will be at your expense for the entire duration of the trip. It must be minimal to allow you to get off the plane, climb the stairs, run to catch the bus on time or the train connection. Having only one piece of hand luggage can avoid waiting at the airport for hours».
Even the choice of colors for clothes may not be a detail at all. For example, «it is advisable to choose clothing in neutral and preferably light colors if you are organizing a tour in a malaria area. Long sleeved shirts, long pants are essential from dusk till dawn. Better if impregnated, before departure, with permethrin, a very effective substance for keeping mosquitoes away».
6. The pros: shopping, freedom, self-care
From the beaded necklace displayed on a sheet on the floor to the antique, from the vintage dress to the most bizarre purchase: shopping when traveling alone, without a “moaning male in tow”, is a whole different story .
But freedom, when it comes to travel, is much more. “When are you alone, you don’t have to negotiate places and times with anyone. You can decide who to watch and how long to watch. You can sit on a bench for hours. You can stand still and watch passers-by. It’s an amazing pastime.”
Not only that: «Loneliness is an excellent exercise to train attention because there is no one else who takes care of you. Travel is learning to fend for yourself».
7. A departing mother and wife is good for everyone
Offered by a mother of two and wife, the latest piece of advice is reassurance. It can be done and it won’t hurt anyone, actually. «Being there always empties relationships, makes presence for granted. Conversely, a mother and wife away for a week or ten days is a breath of fresh air for everyone». Not only because the journey offers stimuli for new conversations but also because “everyone’s perception of doing it, in his small way, on his own, restores self-confidence”.
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