Traveling alone as a woman is an empowering experience, as lonely and daunting as it can seem sometimes. So why are an increasing number of women traveling solo? Responding to the Travel Society on Facebook, 46% of women said freedom, independence and the chance to do what they want when they want were  the main motivations for traveling alone, while 22% said they weren’t willing to wait around for others and 15% said to challenge themselves and gain confidence. We know that the number of solo women travelers was on the rise every year prior to the pandemic, and solo travel apps like Tourlina are popping up to cater to this significant travel demographic. 

Make Friends Wherever You Are

If you enjoy making new friends while traveling, yet prefer to travel solo, The Tourlina app might be your newest favorite travel companion. Tourlina was created by two travelers who also enjoy traveling solo, but wanted to figure out how to meet other like-minded travelers before leaving for their trip. When they realized there was not yet an app yet for solo female travelers, they created it. And Tourlina was born!

Traveling Solo and Staying Safe

A recent article published by the New York Times related horror stories about solo travel to warn female travelers about the potential dangers of going on a solo adventure. So we asked Micheal, the Tourlina founder, how Tourlina makes sure that the experience is safe and enjoyable to all travelers. 

“When they register through their email, users are asked to take a selfie with the word Tourlina and the current date along their face. This allows Tourlina to screen people trying to use fake pictures and create fake profiles. Other options are possible to register on the app such as through a Facebook account. When registering through Facebook, the user account will be thoroughly verified and further information will be asked if deemed necessary,” Michael confirmed to us that no safety incident has ever been reported by Tourlina users — nothing stands in the way of users connecting with others travelers and making new friends. 

How Tourlina Helps you Make Friends Abroad

The app currently offers three ways to find a suitable match. The first option involves you  creating a new trip by inputting the destination, the dates of your trip and a description of what you are looking for in a traveling partner. If you like a traveler’s profile, you then swipe right and connect.

The second option is a complex search for travelers that allows you to enter your preferred  criteria in a companion and then send a request to whoever interests you. . The third option allows you to simply explore who is around when you are in the middle of traveling. A Premium membership will also allow you to change your current location if you wish to explore who is traveling in locations you would like to go to.

Solo Success: One Woman’s First Solo Trip

Katrin, a Tourlina app user, used to go on a lot of vacations with her parents and city trips with her friends. These experiences made her realize she wasn’t ready to make the necessary compromises that come with traveling in a group. “Until I heard about Tourlina, I had never thought about traveling solo for extended periods of time without plans or a detailed schedule. I began by reading blogs and connecting with girls who traveled solo or lived abroad permanently. They all encouraged me to go and not to wait for friends from home to join me.”

In 2017, Katrin bought her first backpack and started her solo traveling journey.  

“My main goal while traveling is to meet and make new friends. I love to get to know people from all over the world. By listening to their life experiences and adventures, I get to know so much about their dreams, their lives, and their passions. Through Tourlina, I found travel companions that traveled with me for days and even weeks. We sometimes chose the same hostel, went on tours together or just met for coffee. It felt like I was meeting up with someone I had known for a long time.”  

According to Katrin, the best thing about Tourlina is how easy it is to use. “It connected me with smart, funny and courageous girls from all over the world. The function that I like most is the local search. This allows me to contact girls who are close to where I am staying. I find that girls with the ‘local’ tag always have the best advice about food and hidden attractions.”   

Katrin believes that using apps such as Tourlina gives a solo traveler more opportunities to have positive experiences. “The greatest outcome of traveling solo with Tourlina is simply the confidence to continue doing it. As of now, I have crossed the Alps solo and barefoot. I have just been to Florida and New York City for the annual marathon. Now I’m in Colombia, then off to Panama.’

How to Find Tourlina

According to the recent Tourlina statistics, 80% of the app users range from 25-35 years old; other users are 35 up to 85 years old. The app can currently offer to match you with other solo female travelers in 140 countries. The Tourlina team  will also  add a country if you contact them directly to request it. The app is regularly updated to add new features and adapt to its client base. The app is available for both Apple and Android users and can be downloaded at www.tourlina.com.

Do you have a favorite app for traveling solo? Let us know on Twitter!