Women solo need not be solitary

April 15, 2007|BOOK REVIEW, Diane Daniel, Globe Correspondent

While the tourism industry's marketing of "girlfriend getaways" is not likely to sprout a subset of "girl-alone getaways," two new books offer female travelers roadmaps to the world of solo travel.

Despite its goofy title, "Wanderlust and Lipstick " by Beth Whitman fulfills its "essential" claim. Readers armed with those essentials should be ready to conquer some of the destinations in "100 Places Every Woman Should Go " by Stephanie Elizondo Griest.

While Griest, an oft-solo world wanderer and writer from Corpus Christi, Texas, doesn't focus on independent travel, she does advocate taking at least one trip alone on "Mother Road," as she calls travel in her introduction. "Be forewarned that she will push you to your physical, spiritual, and psychological limits -- then nudge you a few steps further. But at the end of the journey, you'll be more self-reliant and self-assured, and ever more the woman."

If you are thinking, "That sounds fun! When do I leave?" you probably don't need "Wanderlust and Lipstick." But if all that talk of solo traveling and limit-stretching makes your palms sweat, let Whitman be your guide and cheerleader.

Do women really want the kind of hand-holding Whitman offers? I think many do. I have traveled alone for three decades and during conversations on the road, the comment I hear most often from women of all ages is "You're so brave." I don't feel brave, but the lessons I have learned from traveling on my own have spilled over into every area of my life, and I am sure any solo traveler would say the same thing.

Whitman, who lives in Seattle, is well qualified to coach women on their journeys. For 15 years she has offered workshops and runs the website forwomentravelingsolo.com. She also leads tours and blogs about travel for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper. "Wanderlust and Lipstick" is not the first book about women traveling solo, but it is the latest, which means its information and resources are the most up-to-date.

To Whitman , the greatest rewards of traveling alone are the freedom it affords, the strength it fosters, and the people you meet. "As a solo woman, friendly encounters with other travelers and locals will abound," she writes. "As a result, solo travel is rarely lonely."

She counters a host of common excuses with practical options. For women who say they don't like eating alone, for instance, she suggests eating in their rooms or dining out with a book. For those who feel they are "too old," she advises them to lighten their luggage and their itineraries.