15 Places to Take the Solo Trip of a Lifetime
There are lots of cool cities to travel through alone, but my personal fave is the LA > Miami road trip I wrote about for this Thrillist list.
The other day Omar, my podcast co-host pulled up an article and was like, “we should talk about this on the pod this week…” He mentioned the title and started to tell me what it was about and halfway through I was like WAIT, did I contribute to that story?
Turns out that yes, it’s a Thrillist round-up from a few years ago that got updated recently and I still find it really relevant.
So here’s my contribution below (a Miami to LA road trip), but first I wanted to talk about a few of the others on the list, which other writers contributed:
Croatia - 100% agree, I visited with friends in 2021, but could easily spend a week or two here alone. I’m sure, like anywhere, the feeling of safety varies from city to city, but from my experience everywhere we went in Croatia was super walkable, people were helpful and nice, there weren’t really any menacing men/creepers looming in dark alleyways, etc. Below you’ll find my very first substack post from 2021, which happens to be about Croatia.
Berlin - I was in Berlin years ago for 10 days visiting a girlfriend who was living there at the time + again, I 100% agree with the sentiment that it’s a very safe-feeling city to navigate alone, whether you’re walking, on public transportation or otherwise.
Paris - I actually felt really unsafe alone in Paris, but this was years ago and I keep telling myself I’ll give it another shot. Cops seemed aggressive, men in the streets and on the bus and on the subway were aggressive. Maybe Paris feels pretty safe and comfortable for a dude in 2023, but for me in 2015, not so much.
Athens - My first night in Athens I was like “should we be worried?” I was with two other girls and the streets were kind of deserted, other than groups of men going who knows where (you see the common factor here, right?). This article calls the city “gritty” and I concur, but I’ll also say that after quickly googling crime rates on my first night in Athens I felt much better—they’re very low. Once I saw the city in daylight and kind of got into the groove of things, I did feel safe (and there’s lots to do here), but still don’t know if I’ll be traveling to Athens by myself anytime soon.
Morocco—I haven’t been to Morocco, but have only heard scary stories from other women travelers. Maybe it’s fine for a guy traveling alone or for a straight married couple, but not sure how I feel about it otherwise…
Road tripping from Miami to Los Angeles
Start in Miami. Head out early, grab a cafe con leche and say adios to the Magic City. Don’t slow down until you reach St. Augustine, the nation’s oldest city. Visit the Castillo de San Marcos and Ponce de Leon’s “Fountain of Youth.” Next stop: New Orleans. Settle in for a night of solo bar-hopping, beignets, and live jazz. Go for four Hurricanes or one French 75— the world is your muffuletta.
Everything’s bigger in Texas, and that ain’t just something folks say. Eat your fill of Salt Lick BBQ in Austin, tap your foot to a band or two, and then it’s onward to the Hill Country town of Fredericksburg. Marfa is totally out of the way, but it doesn’t hurt to go anyway to see what all the fuss is about. Look out for Border Patrol trucks—with 71 traffic checkpoints near the southern US border, there’s always a chance you’ll be stopped.
You’ll get an uncanny feeling driving on the 10 Freeway through El Paso (one of the safest US cities) and looking over at Juarez (one of the world’s most dangerous cities) on the other side of the Rio Grande’s barbed wire-topped riverbed. The radio stations get a bit fuzzy and confused here, and you’ll probably get that “Welcome to Mexico” message on your cell, alerting you to a change in cost and coverage.
Power through New Mexico (White Sands!) and Arizona (orange rocks!), and stay alert at those sketchy casino gas station rest stops where you will inevitably need to stop and pee. If you can time your trip through Joshua Tree to catch a sunrise, do that. Snap some pics, grab breakfast at an Anthony Bourdain favorite and your final destination is in sight. LA’s hilly hikes, Pacific sunsets, ramen, street tacos, and tattoos might convince you to stay a while.
Read the rest of the story (and blurbs by other writers) at Thrillist here.