By Dara Katz, PureWow
Traveling solo definitely has its perks: You see what you want to see. You eat where you want to eat. And, most importantly, you wake up whenever the hell you want to wake up. But for women there’s also a constant underlying fear that goes a little something like this: “Don’t get murdered; Don’t get murdered; Don’t get murdered.” With that in mind, we asked eight travelers for the biggest mistake they made while exploring on their own, so you don’t repeat it. From the hilarious to the WTF?! and everything in between, here’s what they told us. You might want to take notes.
RELATED:15 Fabulous Things Every Woman Should Do While Traveling Solo
"When I was studying abroad in Prague, I would go to clubs with my friends. But I would wander away from them on purpose to see if I could meet someone while I was lost. Not. Smart." - Sarah W.
“I was almost convinced by a Slovenian guy to get my first and only tattoo while drunk in Lisbon! It did not happen, but close call.” – Taryn M.
"I got a massage in Egypt...by a 17-year-old boy..." – Lily S.
“I thought a restaurant had a special for $18.99 that involved a sushi roll, soup, app, dessert—but it turns out just the special roll was $18.99. I ended up spending like $50 on dinner, by myself.” – Jesse R.
"In college, I was driving from my school to my parents' house (usually like a ten-hour drive) and, in a fit of madness, decided to start the trip at 2 a.m. when I ended my shift at a movie theater I was working at at the time. I drove like four hours, and needed to stop...so I pulled into a rest stop, kept the car running, locked my doors, cracked my windows, and slept in the car for two hours. I am very grateful I'm not dead." - Beth S.
"I went to Amsterdam with a much older, married male coworker FOR WORK. Got hammered with him, danced ON a bar, then strolled to the Red Light District sharing a joint and chatting about Florence with a topless sex worker...Then, she took out a whip and offered us a great deal. Suddenly, I was as sober as the day I was born.” – Devin B.
“I once read a 17:05 bus departure time as 7:05 p.m. I ended up going to every hostel in Inverness asking for a spare room for the night while buying a new ticket for the next day. (I ended up rooming with three really awesome Australians). Moral of the story: double and triple check anything in military time when you're not accustomed to it.” – Corley M.
“I was alone in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and fully got behind a bar and spent 45 minutes teaching the bartender how to make a traditional whiskey sour only to realize she was scamming me for $$ and charging me for every drink I made (I made like 27 whiskey sours).” – Audrey S.
RELATED:25 Trips That Will Absolutely Change Your Life
Traveling solo definitely has its perks: You see what you want to see. You eat where you want to eat. And, most importantly, you wake up whenever the hell you want to wake up. But for women there’s also a constant underlying fear that goes a little something like this: “Don’t get murdered; Don’t get murdered; Don’t get murdered.” With that in mind, we asked eight travelers for the biggest mistake they made while exploring on their own, so you don’t repeat it. From the hilarious to the WTF?! and everything in between, here’s what they told us. You might want to take notes.
RELATED:15 Fabulous Things Every Woman Should Do While Traveling Solo
"When I was studying abroad in Prague, I would go to clubs with my friends. But I would wander away from them on purpose to see if I could meet someone while I was lost. Not. Smart." - Sarah W.
“I was almost convinced by a Slovenian guy to get my first and only tattoo while drunk in Lisbon! It did not happen, but close call.” – Taryn M.
"I got a massage in Egypt...by a 17-year-old boy..." – Lily S.
“I thought a restaurant had a special for $18.99 that involved a sushi roll, soup, app, dessert—but it turns out just the special roll was $18.99. I ended up spending like $50 on dinner, by myself.” – Jesse R.
"In college, I was driving from my school to my parents' house (usually like a ten-hour drive) and, in a fit of madness, decided to start the trip at 2 a.m. when I ended my shift at a movie theater I was working at at the time. I drove like four hours, and needed to stop...so I pulled into a rest stop, kept the car running, locked my doors, cracked my windows, and slept in the car for two hours. I am very grateful I'm not dead." - Beth S.
"I went to Amsterdam with a much older, married male coworker FOR WORK. Got hammered with him, danced ON a bar, then strolled to the Red Light District sharing a joint and chatting about Florence with a topless sex worker...Then, she took out a whip and offered us a great deal. Suddenly, I was as sober as the day I was born.” – Devin B.
“I once read a 17:05 bus departure time as 7:05 p.m. I ended up going to every hostel in Inverness asking for a spare room for the night while buying a new ticket for the next day. (I ended up rooming with three really awesome Australians). Moral of the story: double and triple check anything in military time when you're not accustomed to it.” – Corley M.
“I was alone in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and fully got behind a bar and spent 45 minutes teaching the bartender how to make a traditional whiskey sour only to realize she was scamming me for $$ and charging me for every drink I made (I made like 27 whiskey sours).” – Audrey S.
RELATED:25 Trips That Will Absolutely Change Your Life
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