Solo Travel: An Interview with Marie-France Roy

I am delighted to start a solo travel junkies interview series on the Rocky Travel Blog.  As a solo travel addict, I have written hundreds of posts about my adventures. Now I want to share the voice of fellow solo travellers worldwide.

Some time ago, I met Marie-France Roy on Social Media and discovered we have much in common. We both grew up with cats, and we adore cats. We started travelling solo as young women in our 20s. Marie-France, at 29, made her first overseas trip to Europe in 1992.

I went solo to Canada and the US in 1993 on my first overseas trip. I was 29 too! With no travel blogs, no Social Media, no smartphones, and no digital cameras. With a travel guide in our backpack and high in spirit, we were off to see the world on our own.

Today I am interviewing Marie-France to share her story and insight about solo travel.

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Q: How did you start travelling solo, and why did you choose Italy for your first solo trip overseas?

A: I had wanted to travel badly since my early teens. But travelling, I figured, required three things: time, money, and a travel companion. By the time I had saved enough money and vacation time to go to Europe, I was in my late 20s.

However, my boyfriend was still in school and had neither time nor money. When that relationship ended, I asked a few single friends to come with me to Europe, but I could tell that most people had other priorities. And then it occurred to me that I didn’t really “need” another person to travel. I was 29 and didn’t want to wait anymore.

So I consulted guidebooks and travel agents (1992) to organize a three-week trip to France, Switzerland, and Italy. France because my family is French Canadian, and my ancestors came from there. Switzerland because I knew someone who was working there at the time. Italy because it was one of those Mediterranean countries that looked so romantic in movies and had a lot of history and antiquities. And I like Italian food!

Q.: I know that you have been travelling solo for 25 years. Do you think solo travel has changed over the years and how?

A.: I think it’s a lot more common now. In the 90s, people in developing countries seemed surprised to see me travelling alone. In Asia, they always asked where my “husband” or “family” was.
A lot more young people are travelling now, and many go solo.

Many older people also gather the courage to travel solo. You can research, plan and book your own trips online, making the whole process a lot easier than 20 or 25 years ago. In recent years, many “shared economy” options, like Airbnb, EatWith, and the Global Greeter Network, have popped up, reducing the costs for solos but also giving them more insights into the culture and making them feel more like a visiting friend than a tourist.

Q.: What do you think are the benefits for women +40 to travel solo? What about the downsides?

A.: The main benefit is that you engage more with your surroundings, the local culture, and other people when you’re by yourself. With a companion, you spend much time focusing on that other person. Women in their middle years also seem approachable to everybody: young, old, men and women.

I also think older women get more respect when they travel solo in some regions, like the Middle East. When I was in Istanbul two years ago, a young man told me I had reminded him of his mother! Trust me, this is much better than being trailed on the street and asked to go to a bar!

Travelling solo is a great confidence booster, especially if you’ve been part of a couple for a long time and suddenly find yourself single after 40.

You’ll find out what you’re capable of out on the road. Ironically, being solo can be safer because you’re not distracted, and you’re free to follow your instincts when something doesn’t feel right. The main downside of solo travel for anyone is the cost. In most places, the cost of a single room is a lot more than half the cost of a double room. And if you join cruises or tour groups, you’re often hit by a huge “single supplement”.

That’s one reason it’s much cheaper to travel independently than with a tour group if you’re solo. Some tour companies will offer to match you up with another traveller of the same gender to share a room to avoid the single supplement.

The other downside is that nobody can watch your stuff at the beach when you want to go swimming or put sunscreen on your back. Fortunately, I’m not a big beach person. And, of course, once in a while, you wish somebody was there to share that fantastic view, sight, or meal. That’s why I always travelled with a journal to record my thoughts and impressions, which has now become a blog.

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Q.: Did you ever feel unsafe as a woman travelling alone? If so, in which country? Can you tell us about an unsafe situation you have experienced?

A.: I’ve never felt in danger, but on a few occasions, I’ve found myself in places that didn’t feel comfortable. Cape Town in South Africa is a beautiful city, but the streets become eerily empty and creepy as soon as it gets dark. Once in India, in broad daylight, I was walking on a countryside lane on my way to some sight when I caught movement through the corner of my eye.

A man was sitting on his porch who looked like he was masturbating while watching me. Quite creepy. Egypt is a country where I didn’t feel unsafe per se but was continuously harassed by men when I was on my own. This was compounded by continuous attempts by locals to scam me. This is a country that I recommend you visit with a group: get in, see the sights, and get out.

Q.: I know you have been to Australia 3 times alone. Do you think Australia is an excellent country to travel solo women, and why?

A.: Australia is an excellent country for women travelling solo. Safety-wise, it’s comparable to England or Canada, except sunnier and warmer. The people are very friendly and helpful, public transit in cities is efficient, and they know their coffee.

There is also a wide variety of sights and activities you can participate in, from exploring cities to hiking, beach sports, and wine tasting. It’s just different enough to be interesting but familiar enough to be comfortable. However, Australia is an expensive country with large distances between places. If you’re on a budget, you’ll eat a lot of pizza, fish and chips, and meat pies!

Q.: How did you travel around Australia, and what accommodation did you use?

A.: I travelled around by train and once by plane. Australian cities have excellent networks of urban and suburban trains, and there are a few discount airlines like Virgin and JetStar. I haven’t made any long-distance train journeys, such as The GHAN from Adelaide to Darwin, but I hope to someday.
On my last two trips (2014 and 2016), I stayed with Airbnb hosts and house-sat.

Some of my best Airbnb stays and house-sits in Australia. The first time (2009), I stayed in hostels with someone I had met through VirtualTourist, one of the first communities of travellers established online (way before blogs were a thing).

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Q.: What did you like most about your solo trips in Australia, and what less, if anything?

A.: I loved the different vegetation, animals, and crazy birds. Some birds considered “exotic” in Canada, like cockatoos, are all over the place here. It’s also easy to find good food, wine, and coffee, and Australians are experts at creating brunch and breakfast dishes.

Also, people are very informal. I have yet to meet a stuffy or arrogant Australian. There isn’t much I disliked. I was a little worried about the sun, given the high UV index and the incidence of skin cancer. And, of course, the high prices meant I had to watch my pennies (especially on my last and longest trip).

Q.: How much do you research and plan your adventures before going on a solo trip? What is the most challenging part of planning a solo trip?

A.: I used to cram as many places as possible within my time, and schedule everything, sometimes down to the hour! I’m more laid back now, and I travel more slowly. I’ll start by reading about a destination to make sure it’s affordable, reasonably safe, and has decent weather when I plan to visit.

Next, I’ll book the air tickets a few months in advance or whenever I see a good sale. After that, I may buy a guidebook and keep researching online to figure out which cities and sights I want to visit and how much time I need for each to build some itinerary.

Then I’ll book accommodation for the first week or two. If the trip is longer than two weeks, I book things as I go to be more flexible with my plans. I have a list of highlights I want to see, but I mostly decide on my day-to-day schedule as I arrive in each new place and find out what’s going on, taking tips from my local hosts and the tourist office.

Honestly, I don’t think planning a solo trip is any more difficult than planning a trip for two or more. I would say it’s easier because you don’t have to discuss every choice you make. Booking accommodations is the most time-consuming part, especially with all the choices and reviews found online nowadays.

As a solo, you’re probably not renting a car, so you want to ensure you find a place near the centre of the action and in a safe area.

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Q.: Which are the 3 top destinations you would recommend to a female solo traveller and why?

A.: That’s a difficult question. There are so many places in Europe to travel alone; I loved Portugal because it’s not overrun with tourists (especially the North). It’s beautiful and affordable, and the distances are short. You can combine it with Spain or a trip to France next door. In South America, you can’t go wrong with Argentina, which has an incredible variety of landscapes and something for every female traveller, from hiking to shopping to wine to tango.

It’s a developed country, and parts of Buenos Aires feel European. You can also add Uruguay and Chile on a longer trip, all safe places with good infrastructure.

I’d also recommend New Zealand and Australia. (If you’re travelling this far, why not see both?) I talked about Australia earlier. New Zealand has the advantage of offering pretty much every landscape within a small area, and it’s a little cheaper because of the exchange rate. NZ has excellent hiking trails and the perfect weather for “tramping” (as they call it), but if you want a hot beach holiday, you must go to Australia. These three regions are suitable for starters. When you’re ready for something a little more exotic and challenging, I’d say Bangkok, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, in that order.

Q.: Out of your experience so far, can you share your best tip for a female traveller who wants to embark on a solo trip and is +40?

A.: Pack light. Seriously. You want to make it easy to keep an eye on your stuff in busy places. And you don’t want to wreck your back or shoulders carrying heavy packs or dragging big suitcases up and downstairs.

Marie-France Roy is a freelance writer residing in Toronto, Canada. Her blog bigtravelnut.com focuses on affordable solo travel. After visiting nearly 60 countries and every continent, she helps solos travel cheaper, further and longer while discovering off-the-beaten-path destinations. You can follow her on Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube

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More Related Articles:

How to travel alone as a woman

Solo Travel Over 50

Solo Travel in Australia