I stayed in hostels in Cancun and Oaxaca. I had a plan and told people where I was going and when I would return. I was careful to be aware of my surroundings and generally avoided dark alleys or streets. I asked locals and hostel staff about areas that may be unsafe.

I’m a 25-year-old who had always dreamed of going to Mexico for my birthday, so I decided to make it happen this year and travel solo. As my departure date draws near, however, I’m having second thoughts. Everywhere I look I see stories of cartel-related violence, and the thought of me being alone in a foreign country is making me very uneasy. I’ve heard people say that it’s not safe for a solo woman traveler, but I don’t think that’s necessarily true.

I recently went to Mexico by myself and took some simple precautions to keep myself safe. I rented a car and only drove during the day, on main roads and highways, and never alone at night. Whenever I wanted to drink, I made sure to do it during the day, in well-lit areas, and not alone. I stayed in hostels in Cancun and Oaxaca, and took care to be aware of my surroundings and avoid dark alleys and streets. I also made sure to tell people where I was going and when I would return, and asked locals and hostel staff about areas that may be unsafe.

The key to staying safe in Mexico as a solo woman traveler is to use common sense. If you’re aware of your surroundings, stick to main roads and highways, and make sure to tell people about your plans, you can greatly reduce the risk of becoming a victim of violence. Mexico is an incredible country with a rich culture, and you don’t need to miss out on the chance to explore it. With the right precautions in place, you can still enjoy a safe and memorable trip.

Fellow travellers, have you ever come across something unexpected or cool at an airport that made you think “Wow, this is awesome!”? Well, here’s one example. During a layover in Narita Airport in Japan, I discovered the Transit and Stay program where local volunteers would take travelers with long layovers to explore the area. I got to experience the Goma Fire Ritual at Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, which was amazing! You could also participate in tea ceremonies, or take a mini-tour further outside Narita. The tours usually last 3 hours, so it’s a great chance to get out of the airport and stretch your legs. Last year I had a layover in the Seoul airport and was too exhausted to find food. Imagine my surprise when a little robot wheeled up to me and offered – in eight different languages – to bring me a snack! All I had to do was enter the number of the bench I was sitting in and choose from a selection of snacks.

These are just some of the hidden gems I’ve discovered during my travels. I’m sure there are plenty more out there! So next time you have a layover, why not take some time to explore the area and see what you can find? You never know what kind of surprises you might discover – and who knows, you may even end up having a great time!

The hotel was also within walking distance to most of the attractions so I didn’t have to worry about transportation. In the end, it was such a peaceful and restful experience that I’ll never forget.

As a solo traveler, I’m always looking for the perfect balance between affordability and luxury. I don’t want to stay in a hostel or a dorm, but I also don’t want to break the bank on a 4 or 5 star hotel. Fortunately, it’s possible to find the perfect combination of both.

I’m in my early 20s, and I’ve been traveling solo for about 10 years. I’m not Jeff Bezos, but I’m also not going to settle for a hostel or dorm just to save a few bucks. I’m always looking for ways to get the best deal on a hotel, whether it’s through points, discount codes, or just sales.

I want to hear from fellow solo travelers like me who have had great experiences staying in a nice hotel. What were some of your favorite solo hotel experiences? Are there any upcoming trips you’re looking forward to?

Recently, I had a great experience staying at Hotel Mozart in Brussels. I caught a cold on the second day of my stay and had to call the front desk for help. Rather than just giving me directions to the nearest pharmacy, a staff member actually went to the pharmacy for me and picked up a few essentials. On top of that, the hotel was within walking distance to the city’s attractions so I didn’t have to worry about transportation. All in all, it was a peaceful and restful experience that I’ll never forget.

I’m sure there are other solo travelers out there who are looking for a luxurious yet affordable hotel experience, so I decided to start a subreddit for us! r/luxsolotravel is for those of us who are looking for a more luxurious solo travel experience. We can share our favorite hotels, trips, and tips for getting the best deals. So come join us and let’s start planning!

Going, formerly known as Scott’s Cheap Flights, used to be a really great service. Many of us were grandfathered into a lower rate, and the deals often felt exclusive and like true deals. It was a great way to save money on airfare and book amazing trips.

But recently, it seems that Going has shifted its focus and is now sending out more branded editorial pieces and fewer actual deals. Today, for example, a “deal” for flights to Japan was sent out. The deal was $630, which is a great deal but the airline, Zipair, is basically the Spirit Airlines of US travel to Japan.

I used to get amazing deals for $600 on Ana Airlines from the US to Tokyo through Scott’s Cheap Flights. And while Going can’t control the deals, it seems like they are now just passing off normal rates as deals. Zipair has regular flights from the US to Tokyo for between 675 and 800 from almost all the time.

Does anyone else feel the same? Or am I being too critical? Also, does anyone know a better service to subscribe to?

It’s understandable that many people who were using Scott’s Cheap Flights to book amazing trips are now feeling let down. After all, who wants to pay regular prices for flights when you could be getting amazing deals? In the past, Going used to provide exclusive deals that made it worth subscribing to. But it seems like those deals are drying up.

I can say that as the founder of Scott’s Cheap Flights and now Going, I take all feedback seriously and I’m committed to doing what I can to ensure that we’re providing the best service possible. I understand the disappointment that many of our customers may feel and I’m here to listen.

We are constantly working to improve the user experience and provide the best deals. As a way of showing our thanks for the loyalty of our customers, we are currently offering a limited time special on our subscriptions for a discounted price.

I strongly believe that Going is still the best service for finding amazing deals on flights, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. We are working hard to make sure that Going can continue to provide exclusive deals and offer amazing savings.

For those of you who are still on the fence, I encourage you to take advantage of the discounted subscription rate and give Going a try. You won’t be disappointed.

We understand that Going was once a great service for finding amazing deals, and we’re committed to bringing back that experience. We appreciate all the feedback and are doing our best to make sure Going lives up to its former glory. Thanks for being a longtime member and for your trust in us.

I’ve been dreaming of taking a trip around the world since I was a kid, and this past year I finally made it happen. I traveled from Portugal to the Indian border, through 15 countries in 80 days.

My mode of transportation was a 1993 Honda Dominator 250cc, designed in 1988 in Japan. I got it for a total of 2300€. I was pleasantly surprised by how well it behaved throughout the journey. I only had minor issues in Iran and Pakistan – the front collapsed in the desert and I had to replace the chain due to wear and tear. Otherwise, it was smooth sailing.

I was able to plan the trip efficiently and did not need a single visa up to Iran. This was mainly due to the geographical freedom provided by the European Union and the no visa agreements with Turkey, Albania and other countries. I did need some documentation at the borders from there on, such as a Carnet de passage, an international driving license, insurance, passport, and other visa specific stuff.

Most of the time I stayed in the great outdoors, camping in beautiful natural parks or even by the side of the road. But I also stayed in hostels, cheap hotels, hosts, and even police stations. All in all, I spent a total of 2500-3000€, which is a great bargain for a trip of this length.

It was a long and beautiful journey, and I’m so glad I was able to make it. To make sure my motorbike stayed safe, I kept it in my sight as much as possible and avoided leaving it unattended in questionable areas. There was one particular stretch of road that was especially questionable – the highway between Albania and Greece – but luckily I made it through without any problems.

If you’d like to see my journey for yourself, check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2X_6eZ9Mw0

My dream of traveling around the world was finally realized this year when I set out on an 80-day journey from Portugal to the Indian border. I purchased a 1993 Honda Dominator 250cc from Japan for 2300€ and was lucky to have a relatively smooth ride throughout the 15 countries I visited.

Thanks to the European Union’s geographical freedoms and the no visa agreements with Turkey and Albania, I was able to plan my trip without having to worry about visas. I did, however, need to get some documentation at the borders from then on such as a Carnet de passage, an international driving license, insurance, passport, and other visa specific stuff.

I mostly camped during my trip, spending about 70% of my time in natural parks or by the side of the road. I also stayed in hostels, cheap hotels, hosts, and even police stations. I spent a total of 2500-3000€, which I think is a great bargain for a trip of this length.

To make sure my motorbike stayed safe, I kept it in my sight as much as possible and avoided leaving it unattended in questionable areas. I was particularly careful when I traveled through the highway between Albania and Greece, as it was known to be a bit sketchy.

Overall, it was a long and beautiful journey that I’m so glad I was able to make. And if you’d like to see it for yourself, check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2X_6eZ9Mw0. So if you’re dreaming of taking a trip around the world, don’t hesitate – just do it!

Having experienced both the highs and lows of AirBNB accommodation in Eastern Europe, I know first-hand that you can find a great place to stay, but it takes a lot of hard work and research. So, if you’re planning a digital nomading trip in Eastern Europe, here are some tips to help you find a great place to stay without getting burned.

First and foremost, make sure you read the reviews. Don’t get fooled by impressive photos or reviews that don’t mention any of the problems you might face. A 5-star rating doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t have to deal with cold showers, insects, or noisy neighbours. Look for reviews that mention these kinds of issues and see how the host responds to them.

Secondly, if you’re looking for a budget-friendly place, don’t expect too much. It’s true that you can find some great bargains on AirBNB in Eastern Europe, but keep in mind that you get what you pay for. If you’re looking for luxury, then you should be prepared to pay more.

Finally, if you’re looking for a longer-term stay, try to negotiate a lower rate. Many hosts are willing to give discounts for long-term stays, so don’t be afraid to ask.

When it comes to digital nomading in Eastern Europe, researching and planning ahead is key to finding a great place to stay. Don’t get fooled by impressive photos or reviews that don’t mention any of the potential issues you could face. Make sure you read the reviews and pay attention to any mention of problems, like cold water, insects, or noisy neighbours. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly place, don’t expect too much, and if you’re looking for a longer-term stay, don’t be afraid to negotiate a lower rate. With a bit of planning and research, you should be able to find a great place to stay in Eastern Europe without getting burned.

I’m a friendly person, but I don’t think of myself as being flirty. That’s been confusing for some of the guys I’ve met in hostels, who think I’m interested in them because I’m so welcoming. In the past, if I’ve been too nice, they’ve tried to make moves on me. It’s happened so often that people have told me not to expect anything else. I’ve even had to give in and let them have their way with me because I felt like I’d led them on.

That’s not how I want to make friends, so I’m wondering, what do other women do when they want to make platonic friends with guys? How do you handle it when they start getting too persistent or make a move?

I’ve been in a lot of awkward situations with men in the past, so now I’m more careful about how friendly I am. But I don’t want to distance myself from potential friends, either. I want to be able to make friends with anyone, without worrying about it being interpreted as something else.

The only way I can think of to handle this situation is to be direct with the guy and let him know that I’m just looking for a platonic friendship. I also try to be aware of my body language and make sure that it’s clear that I’m not interested. But it can still be hard to know how to handle the situation when it does happen.

It’s important for women to be able to make platonic friends with men without worrying about it being misconstrued as something else. We should all be able to have the same level of comfort and safety in our friendships, no matter what gender our friends are. So, what do you do to ensure that your platonic friendships stay platonic? How do you handle it when someone starts making a move?

It’s all paid for, I’ll just take this one. I took it, thanked her and walked off. I got to the metro station and the card didn’t work, I had to buy another one in the machine, so at least I had the experience of how to do it. It was only until later I realised what had happened. So that’s my bad start to Paris, feeling really silly.”

My first day in Paris certainly did not go as planned. I was expecting to jump in a taxi and be driven to my hotel, only to find that the driver was trying to charge me nearly double what I had expected. I knew I was being scammed, but I paid the original fee and hoped he would take me to my destination.

But when I needed to purchase a Paris Visite Pass to get around the city, I was scammed again. At the Metro station, a woman with an official badge approached me and offered to help me get the pass I wanted. I saw the pass pop up on the machine, but the card reader wasn’t working. She told me it was paid for and gave me a card. I thanked her and went on my way, only to find out later that the card didn’t work. I had to buy another one at the machine, which left me feeling embarrassed and silly.

It’s safe to say that my first day in Paris wasn’t the best. I’m usually good at avoiding scams, but I got caught off-guard this time. I’m just glad that I was able to use the experience to learn how to purchase a Paris Visite Pass correctly. I’m hoping that the rest of my trip goes more smoothly.

Staying at a hostel in Barcelona on a Friday night can be quite the experience. It’s a lively city, especially on weekends, and it seems like almost everyone is out and about. Last night, I was looking forward to some much needed rest, but it wasn’t meant to be. At around 2am, some British girls came back from the club (or wherever they were) and started babbling and laughing very loudly. I was in a shared dormitory of 24 people, so this woke all of us up. I wanted to yell at them to shut up, but I was thinking that maybe I had signed up for this by staying at a hostel on a Friday night.

It can be tricky to handle situations like this, especially if you don’t want to be confrontational and offend anyone. It can be tempting to just tell them to shut up, but it’s often better to try and ask them nicely. That said, it sounds like you may have chosen a party hostel, and in Barcelona, 2am isn’t even late. 24 beds in one room sounds hellish, so it’s a good idea to book a private room or at least a smaller dorm if you want to guarantee some peace.

But even if you do, there will probably still be some people who don’t care if they’re disturbing others. It’s always annoying to be woken up, regardless of the time, by people who are being loud and rowdy in a shared hostel room. You can ask them to be quieter, but there’s no guarantee that they’ll listen and respect your wishes.

So, this is what I did: I noticed that the passwords are 5 digit combinations. So I was testing combinations in the range of 00000 to 99999, but that didn’t work. Then I realized that maybe some numbers were repeated, so I started testing combinations with repeated numbers, and that’s when I got in.

As a female solo traveller, I had a few days staying at a hostel. Everything was going fine until the night before, when I got back and tried to enter the premises with the code I had been given. I tried several times, but the door wouldn’t open. I even contacted the hostel owners to no avail. I was so exhausted that I took a power nap in the stairs before going back to test some more codes. Lucky enough, I eventually managed to get in.

The next day, I spoke to the people of the hostel about the incident and they explained to me that they change the code from time to time in case some old residents keep staying without paying. They also informed me that they usually inform the current residents when this happens, but yesterday there were many people and they just omitted it. All I got was an apology, and no reimbursement whatsoever.

I was left wondering how I should go around this. Is it possible to ask for a refund through booking.com? I wouldn’t feel right just leaving a bad review without taking any kind of action.

Many people have asked me how I managed to get in. I was not under the influence of anything, and I had the code note in my pocket. What I did was, after trying the combinations from 00000 to 99999 and with no luck, I figured that maybe some numbers were repeated. So I started testing with repeated numbers and that’s when I cracked the code.

If it wasn’t for my luck and my wits, I would have ended up sleeping in the stairs. That’s why I’m looking into other ways to get some kind of reimbursement for the inconvenience this caused me. I’m considering asking booking.com for a refund, but I’m open to other suggestions.