Travel Work Living Teach Intern Volunteer Study Language High School

► Travel Abroad ► Solo and Independent Travel Guide

The Solo and Independent Travel Guide

Independent Travel in the green rolling hills of Tuscany, Italy.

Solo and Independent Travel Advisor ▼

Solo and Independent Travel Reports ▼

Solo Woman Travel

Budget Travel

Key Solo and Independent Travel Resources

Transitions Abroad combines the best ideas and info on ways to maximize the overseas experience by avoiding the superficial tourist routine. The most economical and rewarding way to travel and live abroad is to do it like a native. Whether for a short vacation or a longer stay, whether solo or with a travel companion, Transitions Abroad has long been known as the premier tool for intelligent solo and independent travelers — where to go, who to see, what to do, and how to get off the bus tour and beyond the postcards. The featured articles below reflect this perspective on traveling solo and independently as a means of immersion in the host culture. — Founding Publisher and Editor Dr. Clay Hubbs

Solo and Independent Travel Advisor

	Solo Travel: Myths and Realities by Senior Contributing Editor Lies Ouwerkerk As if my sometimes off-limits travel destinations are not frowned upon enough already, my preference for solo travel seems even more reason to doubt my sanity. "You must often feel lonely" friends and colleagues use to say in pity, "don't you hate to eat alone all the time?" The truth is that when I travel on my own, I am hardly ever alone...
	Why I Travel: The Impact of Exploring the World by Lies Ouwerkerk An illustrated essay by a long-time traveler exploring questions regarding what motivates her endless voyages, many solo, to regions across the earth.
	Advice From a Seasoned Solo Traveler: Make the Most of Your Journey by Ted Campbell Inside tips derived from years of solo travel, mistakes and all, by one who has seen the world from many perspectives.
	6 Tips for Solo Travel Abroad The Joys of Exploring the World at Your Own Pace by Volker Poelzl An experienced independent traveler shares his advice about how he makes the most of going solo.
	Rolf Potts on Long-Term Travel: An Interview Rolf Potts, often called the "Jack Kerouac of the internet Age" and author of the inspiring immediate classic Vagabonding, tells Dr. Clay A. Hubbs what motivates his travel writing and ponders the self-imposed limitations which prevent many from traveling solo abroad.
	Safety Tips for the Solo Woman Traveler by Beth Whitman Practical safety tips for solo female travelers based upon extensive experience traveling alone and leading tours in India.
	Traveling Solo as a Young Woman by Isabel Eva Bohrer Practical safety tips for solo female travelers based upon extensive experience traveling alone and leading tours in India.
	Senior Travel Solo: Why Not Travel on Your Own by Arnie Wills Traveling solo as a mature traveler is for many adventurous people far more enjoyable and satisfying than tagging along as part of a group with a rigid itinerary.
	Four Ways You Are Already An Explorer by Amy Gigi Alexander Exploration today is about our own human potential regardless of age or gender — whether it is an inner journey or one based on discovery of the people and world outside of ourselves.
	How to Pack Light for Solo Travel Abroad: Tips and Checklists by Ted Campbell Practical strategies and checklists to help you travel light and avoid the mistakes many make by taking far too much on the road.
	Does Travel Make You “Liberal"? Author and essayist Robert Reid explores whether and how travel may result in more liberal views of the world over time.
	How to Make a Great Travel Itinerary by Robert Reid Some say a trip’s rewards come at an inverse relationship with anticipation. The less you think about it beforehand, the greater it will be. It’s awful advice, really. Planning a trip — and getting excited from all the planning — is half the fun of travel. And that’s the only way you can be sure you’re going to have a personalized trip you really want. So here are some ways to do that.
	How to Be a Travel Show-Off by Robert Reid Robert Reid holds a mirror up to those with a compulsive love for bragging about about their travels, either overtly or through what some have called the "humblebrag," and offers some friendly suggestions.
	How to Dislike a Destination by Robert Reid Good travelers do not treat a destination like a restaurant, like impatient consumers, and offer peoples and cultures every chance with an open mind, even if initial experiences are not always equally overwhelming.
	How to Fall in Love with the Flatlands by Robert Reid Mountains are nice to look at, but they tend to get in the way of a view.
	How to Be an Ugly American by Robert Reid In his new column, prolific traveler and travel writer Robert Reid both brings to light the historical stereotype and debunks the myth of the 'Ugly American' traveler while exploring an image that no longer applies, even using worldwide surveys to support his observations.
	Taking your Laptop Computer Overseas For the past years I have had one faithful companion on many overseas trips: my laptop computer. While this companionship has not been without challenges, I have found my computer to be an indispensable tool on most of my travels, especially on long-term trips. As a travel writer and researcher, my laptop is a necessary tool to work on stories and meet research deadlines...

Protecting Your Laptop and Sensitive Information Abroad
Nora Dunn explores ways to increase security for the sensitive information you store on your laptop computer while traveling independently abroad, and interviews an expert.

Preparing for Travel Abroad: Gathering and Traveling with Official Documents
Nora Dunn discusses how to most safely travel abroad with all your legal documents in order and backed up in several ways.

Managing Finances Securely While Traveling Abroad
Nora Dunn offers her practical inside tips.

Seven Wonders: Lots to Wonder About
Rob Sangster reflects on the recent designations of the Seven Wonders of the World and suggests that we at first understand what they represented in times past, while realizing the many wonders which are less well-known or those which are important to our independent hearts and souls.

Featured Solo and Independent Travel Reports

	10 Creative Alternatives for Solo Travelers to Wine and Dine in Paris by Senior Contributing Editor Lies Ouwerkerk Imaginative and off-the-beaten-path experiences for foodies in a city with a very rich and varied culinary tradition.
	Solo Travel in Japan by Lies Ouwerkerk When my plane touches down on Tokyo's Narita airport, I sense a split-second of panic: will I be able to survive in this totally unknown territory without one word of Japanese or the ability to decipher Japanese characters?...
	Budget Vacation Apartment and Home Rentals in Europe by Lies Ouwerkerk Vacation rentals in Europe provide a comfortable, often inexpensive, and immersive way to travel while also allowing you to enjoy local hospitality. You can live in the rhythm of locals, cook when you wish, sightsee when the mood strikes you, meet your budget needs, and experience your trip at the pace you wish.
	Guanajuato, Mexico: Love at First Sight by Lies Ouwerkerk An illustrated guide — with key background information in the form of a narrative — to one of the most beautiful cities in a country with a complex history, people, and a rich culture.
	A Drinking, Smoking, Womanizing Saint by Ted Campbell Ted Campbell describes a paradoxical saint worshipped in Guatemala, San Simon, or Maximon — the same guy with two names. San Simon is the unrecognized Spanish saint, and Maximon is the Mayan shaman. He is the primary saint in Guatemala and you can see effigies to him everywhere, some in special shrines which change houses every year, and some in less likely places like bars or worse. He always looks somewhat the same — with a mustache, cowboy hat, cigarette hanging from his mouth, and surrounded by any number of colorful and odd decorations...
	Five Unforgettable Adventures in South Africa by Ted Campbell Adventures in South Africa, where the realities for a traveler far exceed what can ever be imagined
	Kerala, India and the Maldives on a Budget by Senior Contributing Editor Lies Ouwerkerk Enjoy 12 days of independent travel for less than a grand.
	China’s Ethnic and Cultural Diversity: Along Yunnan’s Ancient Tea and Horse Caravan Road by Lies Ouwerkerk A beautifully-illustrated voyage deep into the diverse Yunnan tea and horse caravan road in China leads to a plethora of interesting rituals and experiences with the many local subcultures.
	Solo Travel in Yogyakarta, Indonesia by Lies Ouwerkerk Yogyakarta, Indonesia is so very rich in culture and natural beauty, and is an ideal destination for the solo traveler.
	Cultural Travel in Tana Toraja, Sulawesi, Indonesia by Lies Ouwerkerk A richly illustrated voyage to the land, culture, and people who practice a unique and very colorful form of animism.
	In the Footsteps of Field Biologist Alfred Wallace: Exploring the Islands of the Indonesian Archipelago by Lies Ouwerkerk An extraordinary and visually compelling voyage following Darwin's contemporary and collaborator path through the islands of Indonesia on a "Pinisi."
	Venturing Along With the Nomads of Mongolia’s Wild West by Lies Ouwerkerk Lies wanders with a Mongolian tribe and immerses herself, to the extent possible, in a ritualized life which is at once simple yet full of symbolism, purity, and beauty. She is taken into the yurt she helps build, and is fed, told stories while witnessing events held by her very hosts, and generally treated with a hospitality that is hard to imagine living in such rough lands.
	Bhutan’s Paro Tshechu Festival An Expression of Gross National Happiness in the Land of the Thunder Dragon by Lies Ouwerkerk Lies takes you inside a sacred festival in the “world’s last Shangri-la," as Bhutan often has been dubbed, and provides an in-depth and illustrated explanation of the colorful dances and rituals.

	Traveling Through Laos, At Last by Sheila Signer ...There is plenty to learn...about in Laos, but plenty also to enjoy. Now, with a government softening toward the foreign visitors, its people are finally getting their piece of the tourism pie. Go now, while most of the country retains its pastoral pace!
	Sleeping Beauties of the Far East: Japan’s Ryokan, South Korea’s Hanok, and Mongolia’s Ger by Lies Ouwerkerk In the Far East, traditional inns or guesthouses are some of the best ways to travel independently and immerse yourself in the local culture for a more authentic experience.
	Tales of Trains: Where the Journey is the Destination by Nora Dunn An excerpt from Nora Dunn's new ebook where she offers fascinating travel immersion stories of train trips and routes worldwide, short and long, famous and lesser known.
	Planning a Campervan Trip in Australia by Nora Dunn "Seeing Australia by way of a campervan is a classic road trip. Many areas of this vast country are remote enough that in order to enjoy the quiet splendor of the Australian landscape you need to be relatively self-sufficient. And Australian campervan holidays are not only a popular option for those visiting from overseas, but native Australians are also renowned for loving the campervan and caravan circuit."
	Journey Botswana by Rob Sangster A safari (Swahili for "journey") experience in Botswana reveals not only incredible wildlife but a new emphasis on ecology.
	Solo Backpacking Through Europe Practical tips and perspectives on solo backpacking through Europe.

Explore a Reef Hideaway in Belize
Daniel Gabriel reveals a spectacular and still-affordable location in Belize where beauty and adventure is accessible everywhere.

Inca Trails: Journey Through the Bolivian and Peruvian Andes
Martin Li takes us on a fascinating cultural and historical journey retracing the ancient Inca Trails through the Bolivian and Peruvian Andes.

In the Land of the Gods: Exploring India's Buddhist Heritage
Volker Poelzl travels through the beautiful Spiti valley of Northern India, where he discovers a rich yet isolated culture steeped in Buddhism.

Trekking the Himalayas
Larry Morgan provides inside tips on trekking in the Himalayas and supplements his report with excellent resources and some breathtaking photos from his own journey in Nepal.

Air Travel in South America
Volker Poelzl provides advice, inside tips, and essential resources for planning air travel in South America.

Overland Travel in South America
Volker Poelzl provides inside tips and essential resources for planning independent overland travel in South America via bus, train, car, and even hitchhiking.

Overland Travel in Europe
Volker Poelzl describes the options for overland travel in Europe — where the many great solo travel choices include trains, buses, and cars.

Safety Tips for Travel in South America
Volker Poelzl offers essential safety tips for those traveling to South America.

Travel to Dalat: Gem of Vietnam's Highlands
John Lander conveys in words and pictures his impressions of what is often called the "Petit Paris."

Bolivia's Cordillera Apolobamba: An Inca Trail Less Traveled
Martin Li describes his explorations on an Incan trail.

Independent Travel Along Croatia's Coast: Between the Mountains and the Sea
Travel tips for those visiting the beautiful and historic coast of Croatia.

Travel in Asia: A Guide for First Time Visitors
Amelie de Mahy provides the inside tips for travelers on their initial trip to the Far East.

Walking with Gorillas: Tracking Mountain Gorillas in Southwest Uganda
Thor Hanson reports his experience tracking mountain gorillas in southwest Uganda.

Malta Off-Season: Take a Trip through History
Barbara Bode was so entranced by the multi-layered history and the charms of the island of Malta, she moved there. She has painted for us a fascinating tease in vivid colors.

A Visit to Soweto
Lucy Corne describes her experience in a historically rich township in South Africa as an independent traveler, where she was both overwhelmed by the hospitality of the natives and learned that many of her preconceptions were not based in reality.

About Us
Contact Us
© 1997-2025 Transitions Abroad Publishing, Inc.

California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Opt-Out Icon

Your Privacy Choices Notice at Collection