Before I left for Europe in the fall of 2017, I scoured the internet for posts about traveling solo as a black woman. I found a few here and there, but honestly I couldn’t find much that helped me feel comfortable. Now, I felt pretty comfortable to begin with because I knew the places I were going were big, metropolitan cities and also I am comfortable traveling solo. However, I made a mental note to write a blog post about traveling solo as a black woman in the hope that it will help encourage other black women to travel solo.
First of all, I am a definite advocate of solo travel. I travel frequently for work and so I am used to traveling solo. I think if you are planning solo travel, starting closer to home is a good idea just to get you in the mindset for solo travel. I have been traveling solo for years, so planning to travel to Europe solo was not incredibly intimidating.
The things I was concerned about were safety and any potential racism related issues. I knew that as a black woman, I would stand out in Berlin, Prague and Munich. So I did a TON of research about where to stay. As I mentioned in my logistics post, I read the Rick Steves guidebooks (you can pick them up here) for both Germany and Prague and they were incredibly helpful. I knew I would stand out in Germany and Prague but felt pretty well prepared because of the research I had done.
Now I will note one thing that I kept in the back of my mind. In my Germany book, in the Berlin section, the book recommended avoiding a particular area of the city at night if you were black or openly gay. That gave me pause but I appreciated the note – the area of the city mentioned was not a part I had planned on visiting anyway, but still. I am very aware that racism is everywhere, but I will say that I did not encounter any locals that were anything but gracious in Berlin and Prague. Berlin was full of runners for the marathon and runners are a great group to begin with. But I also toured some and met non-running locals who were kind and friendly and helpful and curious (in a nice way). I felt very safe and although I did not see a TON of black women in either city, it was not an issue for me.
Munich was a bit of a different story. When I arrived in Munich, I was followed by three different men within my first hour of being there. Of course, I firmly told each of them “NO!” (complete with a finger wag) and that ended that – but it did not give me the best impression. However – it was Oktoberfest, and I was traveling alone as a black woman. I did not feel necessarily unsafe, but I did not love the attention – although like I mentioned, it didn’t persist after I said NO and it was only that first day. I actually did not love the area of town I stayed in – it was super close to Oktoberfest grounds but since I wasn’t actually interested in all the crazy partying and was solo, I didn’t love the immediate area. I will say that the area itself was super cute and I think I would like it a lot if it wasn’t in the middle of a big huge party, with big groups of drunk men. So there was that. Not the best choice on my part but the hotel was delightful and so that helped.
Overall, if you are a women of color considering traveling to Berlin, Prague or Munich – go for it! I seriously had the best time and would take this trip again in a heartbeat. I hope to be able to go back soon – solo or with friends.
Specific questions about my trip that I haven’t already answered? Curious about solo travel as a black woman? Let me know in the comments!
Thank you for this post, Courtney! I’m registered for the half-marathon in Monterey, California and I may end up traveling by myself. Have you run this race? And, where did you stay? Thanks!
I have not but it sounds great! Message boards or fb groups are another good place to look for recommendations.
This is a great post Courtney. I feel like traveling as a solo female is tough but can see how racism can make it even tougher, especially in other countries or if you’re not traveling there for a run (because runners just seem to be cool people and cool with everyone). I am very sorry that you had that experience where the men were following you. You did the smart thing telling them no and waving your finger, which brings up another point that if you’re in another country, you might have a language barrier (both verbally and body language) to make sure that people know that NO means NO.
It was an odd experience but a good reminder to always be cautious and pay attention to others (which I’m typically pretty good at). Otherwise, the trip was stellar!
I agree with Amy–traveling solo as a woman, in general, is tough. I don’t have your perspective but the way things are right now, I can see that there is a lot to think about. I have a Korean friend and she told us how hard it is to travel solo to Korea! I think it’s important to be diligent and aware of issues for each place you travel. I’m glad you posted this!
Thanks Wendy – it can be tough but also so rewarding. I truly loved my trip and would totally travel solo internationally again!
Great post, thank you. I travel solo very often, for work and also to explore places I wouldn’t get the chance to otherwise. It’s truly no big deal.
That said, I was so curious how travel as a solo black woman would be (I’m whiter than a snowstorm, born, raised and living in a major city where I’m often the only white person in the room). I was kind of worried for you because humans can be awful but at the same time very hopefully and happy and excited that you were doing this amazing thing and having so much fun.
Can’t wait to see how you do at Grandama’s!
Hey Courtney! Thanks for this post. As a black woman, I have been quite concerned about traveling by myself and/or with my son (12 yrs. old) lately here in the states, so I can appreciate this post. Glad you didn’t have any terrible experiences on your trip!
I had a great time and am an advocate for solo travel. Hope you continue to travel!!