Single Ladies: How To Travel Frugally and Where to Stay

I’ll never forget the day that a friend of mine told me that she hated traveling on her own. The idea that people didn’t enjoy exploring the world on their own was a completely foreign concept to me. In fact, when I was around seven years old, I began flying on my own to visit my Grandma. I loved it.

And, as I grew older I never wanted to wait for my friends to be ready to go on an adventure, I would just go on one on my own. And, each adventure connected me with amazing new people, friends for life, boyfriends (LOL!) and a deeper understanding of the world around me. But, I discovered that there were a lot of single ladies sitting at home intimidated by the idea of single travel. I’m going to break down how to travel frugally and where to stay as a single female travel and have fun while seeing the world!

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Deciding Where to Go

At the time of this post, I have a pretty exciting tentative travel plan including both national and international travel. Some of the trips are combined with conferences that I’m attending as part of my professional development. Those trips are pretty straightforward because I know that there will be a huge number of friends (who I consider family at this point) attending those events. The biggest decision that I’m making right now is deciding if I should have a roommate or not in order to save money on the event.

There are a few other events that I’m attending that land in the hybrid area. I am potentially attending a conference where I know no one and it’s overseas. This hybrid trip presents some opportunities to visit a couple of new countries and meet new people.

Finally, there are a couple of trips planned for destinations that captured my imagination-including some local trips here in Colorado that I can’t wait for.

What’s Your Trip Criteria? 

When figuring out where to travel, figure out what your criteria is for a fantastic trip.

• Do you know people where you’re going? Will they be there when you’re visiting?

• How much are you looking to spend on accommodation/food/fun?

• What is the transportation like? Does the location have access to:
  • Lyft/Uber
  • Safe and reliable public transit?
  • Walkability
  • Scooters
  • Bike shares

• What is the purpose of the trip? Relaxation/Business/Family/Adventure

• What’s the food like? Some trips can be ruined by the inability to access good food. As a food, this is a non-negotiable. I have to eat well.

• Best times of year to visit for your wallet/schedule/purpose of the trip.

• What type of accommodation you would like to stay in

• Will a friend or family member join you for part of your trip?

Once you’ve figured out your trip criteria (which is basically the framework of your trip) then start paying attention to the types of places that capture your imagination. For the past couple of years, I’ve really been excited about taking trips to remote, dreamy places with endless skies. It’s not a coincidence that several of my smaller trips this year will be to places like that.

Staying at Hostels as a Single Woman

I’ve had the pleasure to stay in accommodation ranging from hostels to 5 star hotels and I love them all. But, hostels have a special place in my heart and continue to do so for several reasons.

• Instant Community-Sometimes your significant other or friends can’t go on a trip with you. Every single time I’ve stayed in a hostel I’ve made new friends, hung out with them, explored the town and had a great time. If you are not 20 years old and you’re reading this post that’s not an issue. Please note, I wrote hostels vs. youth hostels. I stay at hostels that cater to all ages. One of my favorite hostels in Colorado had tons of 60 year old women staying at it last summer as they walked the Colorado Trail (ON.THEIR.OWN) they would get their resupplies and rest up and keep going. There were also families, Millennials and GenXers just hanging out and having a great time. As long as you avoid saying the following you’ll be fine.
  • “I feel so old”-no one asked how old you are so let it go.
  • “I could be your mother.” Umm…you aren’t, stop being weird. Also, you don’t know if that guy likes Cougars LOL!

• If someone is creepy-TRUST YOUR GUT. We have intuition for a reason. It makes me crazy when people second guess their “gut feelings.” If you feel like someone is: creepy, weird, scary, etc. They are. Period. Do not second guess your intuition. Believe people when they show you how they are…the FIRST time. This advice is for any situation, whether you’re traveling or not.

• Many Hostels Include Breakfasts-There is nothing better than waking up, going downstairs and eating some breakfast before tackling your day.

• AirBnB Bookings–I recently discovered that I could book my favorite hostel via AirBnB. That was great because I could apply my affiliate earnings towards that booking. SCORE! Sign up for AirBnB with my link and receive $40 towards your first booking if you’re a new user!

• Many hostels have great amenities-Those may range from fire pits and hot tubs like my favorite place in Breckenridge, bikes, surf boards (those were available at the hostel I stayed at in San Diego), dishes and cooking appliances/utensils so that you can save on food. As you decide on your accommodation spend time checking out the available amenities-just as if you were booking a hotel. Some also have washing machines/dryers, irons, etc. Just ask.

• Travel Resources for travelers-Because hostels cater to large numbers of single travelers or people in smaller groups, they have a ton of great resources on site that address single traveler’s needs. If you’re needing help using transit, want to take a day trip, or need tickets for a cool event-most hostels that I’ve visited help or facilitate those requests.

Travel Frugally!

• Activities-If you’re still feeling nervous about visiting a town on your own. The vast majority of hostels schedule events for their clients. These events include the cliche bar crawl, cool day trips, tourist destinations, walking tours , and even adventure related activities. In the past I’ve enjoyed traditional asadas at my Argentine hostel, going to Pompei with friends made at the hostel in Rome, and watching the Christmas Tree lighting with friends from the Breckenridge hostel.

• Meet Friends for life-I met my best friend at my hostel in Paris. We’ve now known each other for a lifetime and I was even in her wedding (she’s English).

• Save Money-Hostels are a great way to save money. AirBnB is great for this as well. But, most AirBnBs are apartment units or hosted by individuals/families. So the energy is a little bit different. Use the money that you save towards eating better food, going on experiences, and plane tickets to your next location.

• Have Fun-Want to stay in and hang out. The last place I stayed at everyone played a 4 hour game of Monopoly, Cards Against Humanity, and more. I soaked in the hot tub LOL!!!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• How safe are hostels? Just like with any place that is not your home, you need to use common sense. I spend a lot of time researching the places that I’m staying at before booking them. What do I look at? Reviews, are there lockers for my stuff, what kind of rooms do they offer, is it a super rowdy hostel? Do they lock the building after a certain time? Do you need key cards?

• In room safety? LOCK YOUR STUFF! I don’t care how nice people seem, keep your stuff locked up. Super easy to do and keeps the room tidy. No one takes it personally. Also, if you opt to stay in a coed dorm try to sleep on the mid or top tier bed. This makes it difficult for people to accidentally get in your bed.  I prefer to stay in single sex dorms whenever possible and depending on what I would like to spend, I also will book my own room with bathroom. It just depends on the specific trip.

• Is everyone 20 years old? NO.  If a hostel is catering to a younger crowd, they will explicitly state an age range. However I focus on staying at regular hostels vs. youth hostels so this isn’t an issue for me. And, even when I was in my 20’s I preferred regular hostels.

• What are the hidden costs? Some hostels have upsells like many businesses out there. They may charge a small fee for towels, flip flops, beer/wine, or any trips that they run for guests. I do find the fees to be significantly less than most upsells I’ve experienced at hotels.

• Bathrooms-Depends on the country, the size of the hostel, and hostel norms. It has been my experience that most bathrooms are segregated by sex. They may have shared restrooms where there is a shower stall and toilet (like a regular bathroom) and one person on the hall can use it any time. Or, there is a mix. Basically, I’ve never taken a shower and had a dude in the stall next to  me. ***ALWAYS bring flip flops to hostels and wear them in the shower***

• WiFi-At the time of the writing of this post it’s 2019. Almost every hostel I’ve stayed at in recent years has internet. But, if you’re needing WiFi-do your due diligence and triple-check this before finalizing your booking.

• Cooking/Communal Kitchens/and the Fridges-One of the easiest ways to save money traveling is cooking your food. The majority of hostels give their guests access to refrigerators and kitchens to cook their food. Upon arrival check and see if there is communal: cooking oil, spices, etc. Then, you know what to purchase when you go to the store.
  • Always label your food-Each hostel has a protocol for this
  • Keep an eye on it
  • Bring Hot Sauce
  • Travel with expandable food containers

• Paying for your room-Depends on the place you’re staying at. All will require a small initial reservation deposit/fee. Some places will charge your card prior to arrival and other places will charge you upon arrival.

Places to Stay

I’ve stayed at hostels all over the world and am constantly looking for both hostels and other types of super nice budget accommodation that’s super cool to stay at. The list below reflects my ongoing search for awesome places to stay that are whimsical, cool, affordable and single woman traveler friendly. These spaces also have character and aren’t boring, cookie cutter places to stay.

• The Jane Hotel–New York City-I actually stayed here with my mom and we LOVED IT!! The rooms are set up like a ship’s berth. There also is an incredible French restaurant on the main floor with incredible coffee and the best avocado toast.

• The Bivvi–Breckenridge, Colorado. I LOVE this place!! I’ve stayed here three times in the past year and it’s my go to for Breckenridge.

• Freehand Hotels–NYC/L.A./Miami/Chicago-I’m planning on staying at the L.A. and NYC Freehand locations this year. They look great and the price point is perfect too!

• The Amigo Lodge-Salida, Colorado. Right now this is one of my obsessions and I plan on visiting sometime this spring. Salida is a great town in Colorado btw.

• Bunkhouse–Texas/Mexico/San Francisco/Palm Springs. I am staying at one of the Bunkhouse locations sometime this spring. I.can.not.wait!!

• The Historic Riverfront Poor Farm-Salida, Colorado. There is nothing poor about this farm. This is a project created by the Dram Apothecary people here in Colorado. Gorgeous, gorgeous place.

• Ace Hotels-Seattle/Portland/Pittsburgh/New Orleans/Kyoto/LA/Chicago/NYC/LondonThese are beautiful hotels and very welcoming. I stayed at the one in Portland and loved it!

• Hostel Fish–Great hostel in downtown Denver. One of my friends stayed in a single room there and it was beautiful. It also on top of an incredible restaurant called Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox with amazing food that used to be a brothel. Check it it out!

• Point Loma Hostel-San Diego. I really loved this hostel in San Diego. Super clean, a few blocks away from the library, grocery store, and about a 15-20 minute walk to the ocean.

• HipCamp–Enjoy super unique experiences across the US that range from: glamping, regular camping, or RV style trips. Get $10 off your first HipCamp stay when you sign up with my referral link.

• Kex Hostel–Reykjavik, Iceland-This hostel is on my must stay list and has been for the past 3 years. I just haven’t had a chance to travel to Europe recently. Well, that’s likely to change this year. I plan on taking a 7 day layover in Iceland, and when I do, I’m staying here. They have a gorgeous library, gastro pub, and incredible looking food.

• Hotel Dylan–Woodstock, New York. This is a great place to stay with a friend to split the cost.

It’s my hope that you’ll stop waiting for other people to be ready for your next trip! It’s absolutely possible to travel as a single woman, meet great people, and have an incredible time. You will have to be open and willing to get out of your own way. The world is waiting for you!

Michelle’s Previous Hostel Stays:

• Los Angeles
• Portland
• Seattle
• New York City
• Paris, France
• Rome, Italy
• Venice, Italy
• Barcelona, Spain
• Breckenridge, Colorado
• Amsterdam
• San Diego
• Miami
• Florence
• Bern, Switzerland
• Buenos Aires, Argentina

Related Posts

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• How to Build Vacation Time Into Your Online Business (Podcast Episode)

• How Creativepreneurs Can Plan Affordable Mini-Vacations

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Michelle

I am an obsessive foodie, but not self-righteous with it, love travel, meeting new people, helping you look good, and am freaked out by people who don't enjoying reading...something! Grab a Perrier, read my blog, feel free to drop me a line! Hope to hear from you soon.

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