I'm a female travelling alone to South America - tell me it can be done!!

Hello all, I'd love to hear from any females who've travelled alone to South America. I'm planning to go in January 2009 and would like to stay for 2, 3 or 4 months (to be determined.)

I've already started learning Spanish so I will have been studying for 6 months by the time I get there.

I was thinking of spending the first month studying a bit more Spanish at a language school - hopefully somewhere more rural and picturesque (ie, not a big city) and then spend some time travelling in Argentina and Peru.

I also have a relative in Sao Paolo and thought it would be a good idea to swing by there for Carnival.

Any stories to share? Inspiration? Suggestions? Thanks! Reply to this

Hi Emma,

Two years ago I went to South America, alone, for six months. I traveled through Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, & Chile. I also did not speak any Spanish or Portugese. Sometimes it was a little tough but I met a ton of great people (quite a few females traveling alone) and had a lot of fun. Just be smart about things and be aware of your surroundings. Reply to this

I am leaving for SA in a little less than a month, and am also traveling alone. So you are not alone in your nervousness. 😊 Reply to this

you'll be fine. no worries. You'll meet people in hostels and travelers tend to be amazing/super nice people. Once you're there you'll realize how many people do it, and how simple it can be. Speaking spanish is a definately plus, and makes the experience altogether different. I started traveling with really bad spanish and then I took classes in Buenos Aires for 2 months, and it completely changed my experience. Instead of hanging out with fellow travelers, I was spending time with locals and with their families. If you're looking for more infomration I added a lot of my own advice/information about argentina/peru to

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Traveling in South America was surprizingly easy. It was the first place I ever traveled alone. I had been living in Chile for a year and a half when I took off South for 2 months. I was scared at first but everyone was so friendly and things jst fell into place. Often you will find that there is only 1 bus to take, or one hostel to stay in (in the more remote places of CHile and Argentina) which end up making things easier. YOu WILL meet tons of people along the way and may find you won't be traveling alone at all. Good luck and have fun!! It will be better than you ever dreamt Reply to this

I have been traveling alone for over two weeks in Peru, and it has been a great experience. Try to stay in hostels with dorms, or places with good hang out areas so you can meet people easier. Go on organized treks or group things since that will get you meeting people too. I have met a ton of people and am heading to Bolivia with three other travelers tomorrow.

You will love it here, it is amazing and I never want to go home!

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Hello Yvonne 😊

You could post a thread on 2008 TravelBlog Office Christmas Parties to find out if there will be somebody in Chile on those dates.

Or you could also try the Looking for Travel Companions Forum

Mel Reply to this

I feel backpacking is one of those things that is scarier before you do it. For me, it made me wonder what else is this easy and fun, that I have a mental block about. props to all those people still traveling. Tell all the south american peoples I say hello. Reply to this

Guess it's not so tough to travel alone as a female as I thought it would.

In my experience, most of what makes travelling as women difficult are annoyances, rather than real danger. Most of the time it is just that you get more attention that you want, which gets tiresome after a while. Reply to this

That sounds brilliant. Reply to this