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Since turning 40, I have been making a lot of conscious choices that my younger self wouldn’t have dreamt about. These things show up as much in my daily life as a high school teacher in Thailand as they do in my travel habits. From the places I pick to the pace I choose now, I like to think I have learnt a lot and come a long way. And after 13 years of travelling solo, at least most of the time, I have learned that the best solo female travel essentials aren’t necessarily the things that make your suitcase look organised on some “pack with me” reel. They are the small, sometimes boring things that make a trip easier when you’re the only person responsible for getting yourself from one place to another.
So, after more than a decade of figuring out what I actually need, what I don’t, and what I really don’t want to be caught without, here are the things that have earned a permanent place on my solo travel packing list. Some are practical, some are about comfort, and a few might seem completely unnecessary until the day you desperately need them.
Safety, Money & Documents
When you’re travelling alone, a little preparation can save you from a lot of unnecessary stress. These are the things I sort out before every international trip because I would rather have them and never need them than need them and not have them.
Travel Insurance
I never travel internationally without travel insurance. I check the coverage carefully rather than simply choosing the cheapest policy, including hospitalisation and outpatient care, which hospitals are covered, emergency evacuation, and things like lost luggage. Thankfully, I’ve never had to use it. But that’s not something I’m willing to leave to chance.
Emergency Fund + Backup Card
I keep some emergency cash separately from my everyday spending money, along with money available on a backup debit card. I also carry a credit card, but the important thing is that none of my backup options are kept in the same place as my main card and cash. If a bag is lost or stolen, I don’t want to lose every way of accessing my money at the same time.
Copies of Important Documents
This may seem like old-school advice in an era when everything is digital, but I still carry both physical and digital copies of the documents I might need in an emergency. That includes my passport and visa, other important IDs, travel bookings and insurance details. The physical copies are particularly useful if my phone dies or I find myself somewhere with no internet. They take almost no space, so there really isn’t much reason not to have them.
Health & First Aid
There are some things I am much less willing to leave to chance when I travel, and personal hygiene is one of them. As women, we have a few more things to think about than simply remembering to brush our teeth: periods can arrive at inconvenient times, public bathrooms aren’t always the cleanest, and irritation or a UTI can turn a perfectly good trip into a miserable one. I’d rather carry a few extra things I may not need than spend a day of my holiday trying to find them.
A Small Travel First-Aid Kit
I keep a small kit with the basics I am most likely to need: bandaids, painkillers, common cold medication, anti-allergy medication and antacids, which have become something of a best friend at 40. I also carry my personal medicines and supplements, including things like hormones, magnesium, calcium and melatonin.
Also, if you are going to carry some personal medication, it is best to carry your prescription along with it because you can never be sure of immigration laws and what you can or cannot carry without prescriptions. Last but not lest, local medicines are often relly cheap to get so if you are travelling long term, carrying one week’s worth of commoon medicines should be enough.
Electrolytes
I like walking when I travel, and it isn’t unusual for me to clock 18,000–20,000 steps on a busy day. Add tropical heat, humidity or a day of trekking into the mix and electrolytes become a very useful thing to have in your bag, particularly when you aren’t eating and drinking at your usual routine.
Sanitary Products & Panty Liners
I carry plenty of panty liners because, honestly, I don’t go a day without them. Yes, you can usually find sanitary products in supermarkets, but I would rather have what I need with me, especially when I’m travelling during my cycle. I also keep a couple in my bags because you never know when another woman might need one.
Hygiene Wipes & Toilet-Seat Spray
Public toilets are one of those unavoidable realities of travel, and I don’t see any reason to take unnecessary chances with feminine hygiene. I carry hygiene wipes and a small toilet-seat spray because the last thing I want to deal with while travelling is a UTI that could have been avoided with a little extra care.
Sunscreen
Yes, sunscreen is an essential. There is the obvious reason that prolonged sun exposure can increase your risk of skin cancer, but there is also the much more immediate misery of ending a holiday with burnt, peeling skin. I would rather spend a few minutes applying sunscreen than spend the rest of my trip looking like a shedding lizard.
Electronics & Connectivity
There are plenty of gadgets you can choose to travel with, but my solo female travel essentials in this category are really about one thing: staying connected when you need to. When you’re travelling alone, a dead phone isn’t just inconvenient if you’re relying on it for directions, bookings, translations or contacting someone in an emergency.
Portable Power Bank
A power bank comes with me on every trip. You never know when your phone will run out of juice, particularly if you’re on an overnight bus or train with no socket anywhere near you. Being able to keep your phone charged means being able to stay connected when you need it most.
Universal Travel Adapter
If you travel between countries, a universal travel adapter is one of those things you will be very glad to have. Different countries use different plugs and sockets, and carrying one means you don’t have to waste time hunting for an adapter when you arrive.
Spare Charging Cable + Backup Phone
I always carry a spare charging cable, and I also travel with a cheap backup phone. Call me paranoid, but I don’t like the idea of losing my main phone and suddenly having no way to contact my family or communicate in an emergency. The backup phone doesn’t need to be fancy. It just needs to work when your primary phone doesn’t.
Comfort & Downtime
One of the things I’ve become much better at with travel is accepting that I don’t have to be doing something every minute of the day. Some of my favourite travel memories have happened during the quieter moments, which is why I always leave a little space in my bag for things that let me slow down.
A Physical Book/Kindle
I will always choose a physical book over a Kindle. Nothing against the latter but I am just old school like that. Being able to hold a book, turn the pages and even smell it is part of the experience for me. I usually carry one, or two if I’m travelling for longer, and if I finish them, I’ll happily find a local bookshop and pick up something new. If you fall in the latter category, carry that and the charger.
A Travel Journal
I journal every day in my regular life, so naturally my journal comes with me when I travel. It becomes a record of the places I’ve been, the people I’ve met, the things I’ve felt and all those little details that are so easy to forget once you get home.
Face Masks
Yes, face masks. They might not sound like an obvious solo female travel essential, but I always throw a couple into my bag. Changes in climate can be hard on your skin, particularly in hot or dry places, and a face mask is an easy way to give it some extra hydration while also giving yourself a little time to switch off at the end of the day.
Everyday Travel Essentials
These are the things that don’t necessarily make you feel like a particularly savvy traveller, but you will notice their absence very quickly. They’re the small everyday essentials that make moving around, dealing with different climates and keeping your bag organised a little easier.
A Refillable Water Bottle
I always carry a refillable water bottle. It’s cheaper than constantly buying plastic bottles, but more importantly, it means I’m not contributing to the endless pile of single-use plastic that comes with travelling. If I can refill instead of buy another bottle, that’s an easy choice for me.
A Light Shawl + Something Warm
A light shawl has come in handy more times than I can count, whether I need a little extra cover when visiting a temple or simply something to throw over my shoulders. And if you’ve ever experienced the air-conditioning on a Thai train or metro, you’ll understand why I also carry a denim jacket or lightweight sweatshirt.
A Laundry Bag
A simple laundry bag keeps worn or damp clothes separate from everything that’s still clean and dry. It’s one of those completely unexciting things that makes your suitcase considerably less chaotic.
Travel-Size Toiletries
I used to think I needed to bring full-size bottles of everything. I have since realised that unless you’re heading somewhere particularly remote, you can usually buy shampoo, conditioner, body wash and other basics wherever you’re going. Travel-size toiletries are more than enough for most trips and save a surprising amount of space and weight.
Enough Underwear
Yes, you can do laundry while travelling. But I still pack enough underwear that I’m not relying on myself to remember to do laundry at exactly the right moment. It takes up very little space, and having a few extra clean pairs is one thing I don’t regret packing.
Snacks
I always carry a few snacks because travel doesn’t always respect your meal schedule. Trains get delayed, buses break down, everything closes early, or you arrive somewhere at midnight and discover the nearest supermarket is a 20-minute walk away. Being hungry and alone in an unfamiliar place is not a situation I particularly enjoy, so I come prepared.
How My Packing Has Changed Over 13 Years of Solo Travel
My packing has changed quite a lot over the years, and thankfully, so has my ability to recognise what I am actually going to use. There was a time when I would pack five dresses, three pairs of heels and two bags of makeup for a trip, apparently convinced that I was going to transform into someone who changed outfits three times a day.
These days, I can quite happily travel for a couple of weeks with cabin luggage only. Most places have laundromats or laundry facilities nearby, so there really isn’t much point carrying enough clothes for every possible day of the trip. And with checked baggage becoming increasingly expensive, travelling light can save you money while also saving you the joy of standing at baggage claim wondering where your suitcase is.
I’ve learned to pack for the trip I’m actually taking rather than the imaginary version of myself I think might show up once I get there. Less stuff means lighter luggage, fewer things to keep track of and, honestly, a much easier time getting from one place to another.
A Quick Note Before You Go
The longer I travel, the less interested I am in packing everything I might need and the more interested I am in carrying the things that genuinely make travel easier. Being prepared doesn’t mean expecting the worst. It simply means giving yourself a little more independence when you’re the only person responsible for getting yourself through the unexpected bits.
You don’t need to buy every travel gadget on the internet or turn your suitcase into a portable pharmacy. Start with the basics, think about the places you’re actually travelling to, and build your own list around what makes you feel comfortable and prepared.
If you’re planning your first solo trip, particularly if you’re travelling solo over 35, you might also enjoy my other solo travel guides and reflections on travelling alone. I’ve also written about why I no longer travel with a checklist and how my approach to travel has changed as I’ve got older.
If you’d like more practical travel guides, slow travel inspiration and the occasional reminder that you don’t have to travel far, fast or constantly to have a meaningful trip, my newsletter goes out every Tuesday. You can also find me on Instagram, where I share the quieter moments of travel and everyday life that don’t always make it onto the blog.
And now I’d love to know: what is one thing you never travel without that isn’t on this list? Tell me in the comments. There is always room for one more genuinely useful travel essential.
