Solo female traveler in Europe
I love travelling. Since young age I knew my passion and what makes me happy is travelling, exploring and visiting new places, meeting new people and trying different things. That makes me feel free and freedom is key.
By Siyana
Let me introduce myself really quick first...my name is Siyana, I am from Bulgaria. I am studying International Business and Languages in the Netherlands and already living here for two years. I lived in London as well for few months. I love travelling. Since young age I knew my passion and what makes me happy is travelling, exploring and visiting new places, meeting new people and trying different things.
That makes me feel free and freedom is key.
I mostly travel in European countries and the one I have visited so far are, of course-The Netherlands, England, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Turkey and my beautiful country-Bulgaria.
I would like to share with you some tips and my experience as a solo traveler in those countries, so I can help you be prepared as much as possible.
First of all…
I found about Greether from Instagram and I am really happy I did. Most of the times I travel solo and the purpose of Greether I find very vital for people like me who travel solo.
“Hiring a Greeter is an amazing opportunity to, first, feel safer when you visit the new destination, have more local experience, have a company on your trip and make new friend all over the world. I believe that experience like that is unique making new and unforgettable memories with new people while travelling. “
- Siyana
I am really happy to have come across with Greether and definitely would be happy to have a greeter for my next trip.
General tips for the European countries:
Europe has 27 different countries and each is unique and has many different things to see and to do, however there are parts of European countries that has similarities in the culture or cuisine for example
The east part of European countries are mostly cheap for foreigners
The west part is the more well maintained and richer countries
You can visit every country in Europe travelling by bus or train at affordable prices, but that is the slower way to travel. FlexBus for example is the transport that you can use to travel in Europe for affordable prices and has many locations to travel from and to
Flights are also cheap with Ryanair, but it depends on the time and the destination you start from
Every country in Europe has it is own language but the biggest and most touristy cities speak English. However, in some countries even in the biggest cities there may be people who do not speak English. For example: in Spain they hardly speak English but they will still try to do it and help you. In Belgium the Northern part speaks Dutch and the Southern speaks French.
I still haven’t been in France but I know they know English but refuse to some extend to speak it, but for tourist I am sure they will
public transport such as metro/subway and buses are the cheaper way to travel in the city from one point to other. If you are visiting the city from only one day for example, there are single tickets or daily cards
Most of the European countries, I would say, are safe for solo female travelers because I have travelled most of the time by my own. However, in some countries I would recommend not to go out alone during the night. But capitals in the countries and other bigger cities are full with people day and night with I find it safe to travel alone because there are always people around you that can help you. Also, there are police that is looking on everywhere day and night
In Europe you can use roaming for your phone in order to use mobile data and doing calls. You can get a sim card from whichever country in Europe and use it in another one with the roaming service
One thing I always do before I visit any place is making plan of what I want to see and how far they are from one another. I always use Google maps or Maps on IOS. There are also plans of public transport on google of every country and they are very vital part of my travelling. Also, there are a lot of pages in Instagram or posts on Pinterest with recommendations of restaurants, places to visit and food to try of the county you are planning to visit.
In Europe you can use Mastercard or Visa to pay everywhere
Now, I would give some tips and places to visit in the countries I have been to in Europe. xoxo
Bulgaria
Rich country in terms of nature and culture. There is everything for everyone. If you like hiking and camping-we have it, if you like beach-we have that too.
I would say that Bulgaria is a safe country to travel solo. People are very welcoming and willing to help whenever and however they can. But mostly in bigger cities people speak English, so you may need Google translate here and there. In every city in Bulgaria there is the new and old part of the city.
Usually the old part is more touristy and the new part is the more modern part of the city.
Bulgaria has a lot of mineral springs where you can go for heling the body with the water or just relaxation.
One very important thing! Always have cash with you if you go to Bulgaria.
The distance between Sofia, the capital, and the coast part of Bulgaria is around 500km which travelling by train is around 12hrs and by car is around 5hrs, while there are flights from Sofia to Varna which are 40 min.
Cities to visit:
Sofia-the capital. Very touristy so most people should speak English. It is very European city, lots to see such as galleries, churches, buildings. Lots of international cuisine as well. One place to eat for sure is Happy Bar and Grill.
The only city in Bulgaria with subway and the cheapest way to go from the airport to downtown.
From Sofia with train you can go to every other part to Bulgaria. However, I would not recommend to travel alone during the night by train. Most preferably during the day. And do not expect much from the trains as an interior.
Plovdiv-the second biggest city in Bulgaria. Beautiful and modern city. There are also a lot thing to see, mostly on the city center. The old town is also located on the city center.
Pamporovo-this is sky resort and the best time to go if it is for skiing is in January
Karlovo-my hometown. I would recommend this for people who like huts and mountains, also camping. The city next to Karlovo is Sopot and there is lift that leads you to the mountain where the huts are located.
Varna and Burgas are the two biggest cities on the coast. I would recommend to visit them during the summer from June to September. They both have airports, so you can directly land there. Other coast cities that are worth visiting are Nesebar, Sozopol, Golden Sands-they are close to Burgas so you can reach them by bus from Burgas, while Varna is more on the south.
Turkey-Istanbul
Turkey is more specific county. During the summer is very hot there so I would say the best time to visit is May, June or September. It is also very cheap and affordable county with rich and very delicious cuisine. There is part of it that is in Europe, but the biggest part is in Asia. The biggest city in Turkey is Istanbul, where I have been, which is located both in the European and Asian part of Turkey. Isn’t that incredible?
Istanbul is very beautiful city, having both Muslim and Christian culture. Of course, the Muslim is the religion practiced in Turkey, which makes them more conservative even though in Istanbul, they are used to tourists and they are more open than usual. However, I would suggest to be careful how you dress because some of them may get offended especially the women if you are more extravagantly dressed.
In the city you can travel with the tram, you can get a card with three tickets or a single ticket
I would say that Turkey is not the best and safest country to travel as a solo female for night experience. During the day I can say it is safe. However, there are group tours which are the best option for solo travelers for the night experience. The group tours are group of people and tour guide with organized city walks and city sights, but at the same time you can make your own plan and visit the city during the day by your own. In case you cannot find group, I would say you can still visit Istanbul/Turkey but be careful during the night and preferably stay in your hotel.
The Bosporus in Istanbul is one of the places that should be visited-there are night and daily cruises with boats. I would recommend more the night cruise. Or you can just sit at a restaurant that is located on the Bosporus as well.
Dolambahce Palace is one of the places that should be visited when you are in Istanbul. It is also located in the Bosporus.
I would recommend one restaurant which is with super typical Turkish decoration and cuisine-The Must Turkish restaurant. It is located in the center close to St. Sofia church
Spain-Valencia and Madrid
Madrid and Valencia are the two cities I have visited in Spain.
Valencia is on the coast. Very beachy city with lots of palms and mandarin trees. Paella is one of the most famous Spanish dish as well as jamon [hamon]-that should be tried! In the city you can travel by bus or metro, but you can rent a bike, which is one of the most used way of getting from one point to other-very easy, cheap and best way to see the city. Worth visiting: The City of Arts, which is in the city, and Sciences and Biopark Valencia is out of the city but very easily reached with public transport.
Madrid is the capital of Spain and a central city. Public transport is very commonly used as well as bikes, but since it is a bigger city it is faster to use the public transport. Places to visit in Madrid: Museo del Prado (Art museum), Plaza Mayor, Sol Madrid (statue of a bear and a tree that make your wishes come true xoxo) which is located on the city center. Madrid is very beautiful during Christmas and it is worth visiting either in December or in summer.
Italy-Rome
Another warm and beautiful place. I am sure that you know also about the Italian cuisine-pizza and spaghetti everywhere xoxo
From my experience, I can tell you that most of the popular sights in Rome can be seen in one day. Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Spanish steps, Trastevere-everything is in one area and it can be reach even walking. It is a lot of walking though, don’t get me wrong, but you can also rent a bike or use the public transport as well.
one thing to warn about-the airport Rome Fiumicino is 50 min by bus out of the city, so make you plan when keeping in mind that. There are buses and places you can buy tickets for the buses outside of the airport
rooftop bars are very popular everywhere, so it is good if you want to see the beautiful view from any rooftop make sure to make reservation before that. I can recommend one rooftop in Rome that I have been to-Oro Bistrot. Amazing view!
the food everywhere is delicious but keep in mind that around the sights and on the city center are more expensive than usual
Belgium-Antwerp and Bruges
For Belgium I would say it is safe country to travel solo but Brussels-the capital I wouldn’t recommend to visit. It is dirty and with a lot of refugees which make it not so safe to go around the city alone and especially during the night. The time best to visit Belgium is spring-summer otherwise it may rain a lot during the other perod. And one fact-Belgium is very famous with their chocolate and waffles! And fries.
Antwerp in in the southern part of Belgium and it is the second biggest city in Belgium and it is much more worth it visiting than Brussels. I would say it is even safer and calmer, also much more arty. The center and the buildings are very beautiful, there is one big long shopping street, a lot of different restaurants with different cuisines-Asian, Italian, fast food, Mexican. Everything. One restaurant I would recommend is an Italian restaurant called Arte, but it is not very cheap.
As a transport-there are also every kind of transport-subway, tram, buses, bikes and even electric scooters that you can rent trough an app and go around the city, but I would say that everything is close by and it can by reach by foot if you are not sure about the public transport.
Bruges is another beautiful city in southern part of Belgium but it is smaller and cuter. Everything you can see is in walking distance and mostly on the city center. There is a canal tour that is a nice experience. It is very touristy place that Is for sure safe and good for solo traveler.
Austria-Vienna
Vienna was one of the cities in Europe I really wanted to visit. I would say that it is safe for solo travelers but the things I didn’t like there are their public transport organization and especially the subway/metro. In addition, many people Austria do not speak English which is a bit uncomfortable.
However, since Vienna is the capital and many tourists go there, in shops and restaurants they do. Another thing I did not really take into account was the time I went there. I went in November and it was pretty cold. There was a fog the whole day as well and it made my experience there not really pleasant. So, I would recommend visiting Vienna during spring/summer. Which automatically means more tourists.
If you arrive late evening, make sure to stay in the central part of the city where there are more people.
The airport in Vienna is outside of the city but there are trains and buses that travel from the airport to the city center. I travelled by train for 4 euro and it took around 40 min.
For people who like art and museums I would recommend Kunsthistorisches Museum and Maria- Theresien-Platz and Belvedere Palace. The opera and the St. Stephen's Cathedral which is on the center and it is everything on walking distance.
Their traditional dish that should be tried is Wiener Schnitzel and for the sweet teeth Sachertorte (Sacher Cake).
The Netherlands
very safe and organized country
most of the cities have the same outlook of buildings which I would say that if you have seen one city you have seen most of them. However, there are of course things that are not the same everywhere. Cities worth it visiting are Amsterdam, of course, Utrecht, Rotterdam and The Hague.
tour on the canals are very popular and a must do here
tulips fields are also something very beautiful to see but the start beginning/middle of April
you can use Mastercard or Visa to pay everywhere but for Netherlands for example, there are places that they accept only their cards like ING or Rabo, so make sure to have cash as well
England-London
I love London. That’s the city that I would go again and again and never getting tired of. So much to see and to do. So many different people. So many different cultures. If you visit Europe, London has to be in the list. Few things about London:
lot of people everywhere so mind their own business so most of the time even if you are solo traveler, no one will bother you. However, London is a big city so you should be careful mostly during the night, but there are always police everywhere and even the metro is full after midnight or early morning
speaking about the metro, that is the best option to travel around the city in addition to the buses. Metro opens at 5:30 am and it closes at 1am. The busiest time to use the metro is around 4-5pm when everyone is going back home from work
I would suggest to get an oyster cart from the metro and get a week “subscription”. It is around 40£ but I think it is worth it especially if you will go here and there a lot, it works for metro, buses and I think trains as well. You can also put 10 paunds which works for the whole day if you won’t stay for a long period
There is a sim card that you can get and charge it for 5 or 10£ to use for mobile data. I use “Three”’s sim card.
There is an app “citymapper” that is green and it is really useful to put the address you want to go and it shows you the options for the transport, also how long, at what stop and so on which is my saver when I travel in London and it is super easy to use
if you are student for example, for a lot of landmarks you can get discount or even to see it for free
there are also a lot of museums or galleries that are free to see
I use Instagram pages (London.travelers, londonplacestogo) to plan my days where to go and what to see, or even where to eat
Hyde park is a huge and free park to go and have a picnic or just enjoy the day
Oxford street and Picadily circus are very famous
Soho is the party part of London, I have been there even alone so I wouldn’t say you can’t enjoy it if you are solo traveler
landmarks of course to see are Big Ben, The London Eye, Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf
Sky Grden is a free rooftop where you can see the whole city from the 35th floor
most of the restaurants in London has cheap set menus like 3 or 5 course menu for 20/30 pound which is a normal price, especially on the center where everything is way more expensive than outside parts
there are a lot of places as well that has vegetarian or vegan menus and dishes which I find great
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Instagram: siyana.k_