Whether you’re thinking about jumping into your first solo trip or a seasoned soloist looking for a good read, there’s something here for all my solo travel loving friends. These books are the top books I think every solo traveler should read. Some offer wanderlust filled escapism, some teach valuable behavior and psychology lessons, and best of all, they’re helpful in their own way to prepare you for solo adventures. Here’s my guide to 5 books every solo female traveler should read (and one you should write.) Happy reading!
5 Books Every Solo Female Traveler Should Read
Disclaimer
There are affiliate links included in this post. This means at no extra cost to you, I earn a commission if you book through the link.
For your convenience
I added the books in this list and a few more of my favorites to an Amazon list which you can find here.
The Gift Of Fear, Gavin DeBecker
This is a book that I think every female should read
, not just every solo female traveler.
I have it listed first because I think safety should be your number one priority.
We want to have fun, memorable travel adventures but, most importantly, safe adventures.
It’s handy because it gives you a good understanding of how to be safe in the REAL world. Not an illusion of everything being all rainbows and butterflies. Not a dream world where bad people shouldn’t hurt others. It prepares you for the real world where bad people exist.
This book helps you understand how to overcome behaviors women are typically groomed to adopt that present a barrier to safety – things like being agreeable and not wanting to be seen as rude or difficult, among others.
It also teaches you how to tap into your intuition to quickly analyze situations around you.
If you want to prepare for the real world, read this one.
Vagabondess: A Guide To Solo Female Travel, Toby Israel
I’ll make a big statement here but Vagabondess is perfect for solo female travelers
.
It’s that book that fills you with wanderlust and makes you want to pack a bag to go somewhere – anywhere new.
But not only that, Toby has jam-packed this book with useful and practical tips for important elements of solo travel.
Things like how to stay safe, use your intuition, and find meaning in your travels – you know to make traveling mean more than just vanity metrics like counting countries.
Every bit of information in the book has a place and purpose, there’s no fluff writing to fill pages.
Best of all, she writes so eloquently and poetically that it’s a pleasure to read the whole way through.
10/10 recommend as one of the top books every solo female traveler should read.
Braving The Wilderness, Brene Brown
The subtitle for this book is ‘the quest for true belonging and the courage to stand alone’ and I think it’s a good read for solo travelers
because, well, you’ll be standing alone.
A lot.
This is the book that reminds you it’s OK to follow your own path.
That it’s OK to be different, to be an outlier. In fact, it’s encouraged.
It will empower you with the courage to do just that and to follow these dreams of seeing the world, even if it means solo and even if people think you’re a little crazy.
If you’re looking for the book to give you the boost to get started, this is it.
The Female Brain, Louann Brizendine, M.D.
Knowledge is power and this is another book that I think every woman should read
, whether you travel solo or not.
It explains what happens to the female brain in each stage of life without being too sciency or difficult to understand.
You get an understanding of what is going on physiologically that may be influencing how we see the world and why we act in certain ways.
Once you have an understanding of some of the biological reasons we do things, you can best prepare for your solo travels and life in general.
It gives you a better understanding of what might be motivating some actions.
This understanding helps you build defenses against any gaslighting (because you know better) and also helps you make good decisions without falling into any of the tricks your hormones might be playing on you.
Candide, Voltaire
I first came across this book
in high school when it was assigned to us as a reading assignment.
Honestly, I don’t remember much from school since I was busier paying attention to WWE wrestling than anything the school was teaching.
But, for some reason, this book stuck out and I paid attention to it.
It follows the story of Candide who travels around and is faced with obstacle after obstacle. Just about everything you can imagine.
Through it all though, he thinks everything happening is as it should be or ‘the best possible world’ as is written in the book and has a positive attitude through it all.
It’s a cool book, but there are also good lessons in it about remaining positive in the face of adversity. Because I can guarantee you one thing, when you travel solo – or travel in general – things are going to go wrong.
You’ll get lost, miss a flight, or get diarrhea at the worst possible time. Things will go wrong, and the only thing you can control is how you react to it.
That’s the reflection of your character. If you can stay positive, everything is an adventure.
What every solo traveler needs
The last one is the one you’re going to write.
Your travel journal.
It doesn’t need to be published and no one else needs to even read it, but it’ll be the most important for you.
It’s your time machine to take you back to these travel adventures. It’ll show you how much you’ve learned and grown from your experiences.
And it’ll preserve these memories forever.
I’ve made my own travel journal
and it’s made with the traveler in mind. It’s super cute and, best of all, lightweight. Get your own copy here and here’s my guide of travel journal prompts to get you started.
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