When my friend canceled our 40th birthday trip to Paris last minute, I was frustrated. But it led me to meet my French husband.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
Dufflyn Lammers walking the streets of Paris with a bag of flowers
The author met her husband on a solo trip to Paris.

Courtney Bowlden Photography

I've taken solo trips to 22 different countries — here are the 9 things I never travel without

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
Nicole Jones standing in front of clear blue lake and mountains behind her
I've invested in several items, like a water filter and a satellite device, to keep me safe during my travels.

Nicole Jordan

My husband and I take turns going on solo international trips without our kids. The arrangement works for us both.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
Author Melissa Noble smiling at Tiger's Nest Monastery, Bhutan, a series of mountains with a building on the side
Traveling without my family has helped me be a better parent.

Melissa Noble

More women are traveling solo. A luxury cruise line is taking notice with its first $5,000 women-only voyage.

Tech Insider : Travel
2 women sitting on sundeck of river cruise
Luxury river cruise company Uniworld is offering its first women-only voyage, as a growing number of women are traveling solo.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises

I took 36 flights in 4 months, and it was exhausting. These were my 2 biggest mistakes.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
A woman wearing sunglasses crouches down on rocks before a green lake and mountain peaks.
Anu Verma has been on multiple solo trips, traveling to 36 countries in the space of four months.

Anu Verma

Country star Thomas Rhett says traveling without his wife helps him be a better husband and dad

Tech Insider
Lauren Akins and Thomas Rhett pose at ABC's
Rhett said that traveling alone helps him be a better husband and father.

Katie Kauss/ Getty Images

I left my 3 kids behind to celebrate my 40th birthday on a Swiss mountain. Being alone was just what I needed.

Tech Insider : Travel
Woman wearing an orange helmet crossing suspension bridge in Switzerland.
Wendy Altschuler left her kids behind for a solo adventure in Switzerland.

Wendy Altschuler

Forget Barcelona — a full-time solo traveler says this lesser-known Spanish city is a hidden gem

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
Two images. Left: A cathedral on the left side of a canal at sunset on a cloudy day. Right: Right: A woman carries a backpack with trees on either side of her and a Renaissance building behind her.
Claire Sturzaker is a full-time solo traveler who recommends visiting Zaragoza, Spain, a hidden gem.

Claire Sturzaker/Tales of a Backpacker

Disappointing photos show what it's really like to backpack across Europe

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
Left:  young smiling backpacker checking city map on smartphone with downtown buildings behind here. Right: The author in a black backpack walks next to a train with other travelers around her
Business Insider's reporter expected an Instagram-like backpacking adventure in Europe, but the reality was much less glamorous.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The top hidden-gem destinations to visit alone, according to a full-time solo traveler who's been to 43 countries

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
Two images. Left: A cathedral on the left side of a canal at sunset on a cloudy day Right: A woman stands on the steps in front of a grand medieval cathedral
Claire Sturzaker is a full-time solo traveler who shared the most underrated destinations she's visited.

Claire Sturzaker/Tales of a Backpacker

Subscribe to solo-travel