10 Communities for Solo Female Travelers
With travel becoming a normal part of life again, we’re seeing more and more women decide to adventure on their own. While that’s the case, life on the road can be a bit lonely (not to mention scary). So, whether you’re a seasoned traveler looking for community and connection or are a novice hoping for insider tips to keep you safe, here are 10 of the most helpful communities (mostly in the form of Facebook Groups) for solo female travelers.
1. The Solo Female Travel Network
The Solo Female Travel Network is the biggest online community for solo female travelers. This Facebook group was created in 2016 by Amanda Black with the intention of fostering camaraderie and mutual support among women travelers. Since then, the group has expanded to over 500k+ members and multiple subgroups; they even host meetup tours and (free) membership opportunities off Facebook.
Highlights:
Abundance of resources; just use the search bar for your specific question
Great place for travel stories and inspiration
Plenty of subgroups for additional identities
2. Host A Sister
Host A Sister is one of my favorite Facebook groups for solo travel. It’s well organized and only allows posts in four formats: being a host, being a guest, looking for a travel buddy, seeking a meet-up. This group is one of the best ways to find free accommodations when traveling (though be warned that those posts tend to be extremely popular and free lodging gets snatched up quite quickly). Occasionally, a sister will share a story about an urgent situation and witnessing the amount of compassion and support offered in response is truly moving.
Highlights:
Good place to find free/exchanged accommodations with trusted individuals
Compassionate and highly engaged community
Organized and optimized for search
3. Asian Wander Women
Asian Wander Women is a relatively new group that connects location independent Asian women. This is one of the most career-heavy communities that I’ve been a part of and it’s interesting to see such a group address the intersection of so many needs. This group features lots of sub-chats and meet-ups and also gives back to the community with funding for entrepreneurial projects.
Highlights:
Very specific community of location independent English-speaking Asian women
Lots of networking and meetup events
Tech-heavy approach with a focus on moving into web3
4. Digital Nomads - The Solo Female Traveler Network
Digital Nomads - The Solo Female Traveler Network is a subgroup of The Solo Female Travel Network mentioned above. It’s a much smaller group for female travelers who are location independent or are hoping to become digital nomads. I’ve noticed that while questions posed are much more specific (think internet questions, visa questions, etc), the group in general is much less active.
Highlights:
Specific travel community for woman-identifying individuals who are location independent
Good space to begin connecting with individuals who live a similar lifestyle
Note: In order to maintain the safety and integrity of community spaces, it’s important that we remain respectful of who those spaces are designed for. I am personally not a member of the following groups and therefore will not be sharing specific highlights below. That being said, I’m sharing these in case you identify with the following demographics and are looking for community.
5. Curvy Girls Travel Guide
Curvy Girls Travel Guide is a safe space for curvy and plus-size female travelers! This online community was created in 2017 and currently has over 12.3k members. Their last Instagram post was in 2019 but I’m assuming that the Facebook group is much more active.
6. Black Women Travel
Black Women Travel is a huge community of close to 90k black women travelers. It seems like a fairly active group (15 new posts today, according to Facebook) but there isn’t much information otherwise. The group does not encourage meet-ups but there are other communities for that!
7. Traveling Black Women
If you’re more active on Instagram, Traveling Black Women is for you. While they have over 24k group members on Facebook, the community is much more engaged on the gram. This is a space that shares travel guides, resources, and inspiration for Black women.
8. WOMEN LOVE TRAVEL - A Group For Traveling Women Over 40
WOMEN LOVE TRAVEL - A Group For Traveling Women Over 40 is a subgroup of the larger Women LOVE Travel community. This community has over 14k members and for women over 40 to discuss travel itineraries, places of interest, tips, and photos!
Travel experience can vary greatly depending on how you present and the background you come from, so a community of like-minded individuals makes the experience less lonesome. If you’re a solo female traveler, here are 8 online spaces where you can connect with similar individuals, exchange travel feedback, and gain additional insight into this beautiful world of ours.
