With summer approaching quickly, it’s safe to say we are ready to travel the world… on a budget, of course! Here, I’ll share my top three places to travel this summer that are not just solo female traveler friendly but best suited for a college student!
Page, Arizona
Page, Arizona, is home to some of the most beautiful sights in the world, especially its national parks. Take a tour of the Horseshoe Bend and the Antelope Canyon to view wonderful sights and rock formations. Now I know what you’re thinking, “why would I spend my vacation looking at rocks?” Well, for one, the view of the multicolored canyons is absolutely stunning! Antelope Canyon is located on land owned by local tribes like the Navajos. Due to this land ownership, booking a session with a tour group is the only way to visit. This can be a great stress-free trip for tourists who want to do minimal planning. Additionally, you can give back to the community since the local tribes get paid for conducting the tours. Websites like TripAdvisor have many affordable travel options to take you to these sights! To save money, stay at local hostels or Airbnb instead of hotels.
Lagos, Portugal
Lagos is a small town in the Algarve region of Portugal and is by far one of the best places I have ever visited. I felt incredibly safe as a solo female traveler. The people were warm and welcoming, and it was a place that was easy to navigate! Portugal was ranked as one of the top 10 most peaceful countries in the world by the Global Peace Index. Lagos has beautiful beaches up and down the coast where you can visit and see the amazing rock formations and sea caves. Restaurants also provide delicious cuisine for an affordable price and have amazing shopping streets. On TripAdvisor or Expedia, you can also take a boat ride to see the coast for as cheap as 20 euros per person.
How to get there: It is much easier to fly into Lisbon and take a taxi to the Lisboa Oriente Bus Station, where you can then take a FlixBus to Lagos. Book your seats early in advance, and they can be as cheap as 15 euros for a four-hour bus ride from Lisbon to Lagos!
Bruges, Belgium
Bruges is a small town that’s three hours outside of Brussels. It is like a magical, fantasy town from a Disney Princess movie. They have small local shops where you can eat Belgian waffles in scenic parks. There is amazing architecture for pictures and also beautiful bridges overlooking the rivers. Bruges is also ranked as one of the safest places in Europe for solo female travelers! You can easily get to Bruges by flying into Brussels airport and heading to the train station, where you’ll then be taken directly to Bruges. Train tickets can be as cheap as 10 euros round trip. Airbnbs and hostels are great options for accommodation and can be as cheap as 20 euros a night. Bruges can be a perfect weekend trip or a day trip!