Tips for Choosing an Airbnb as a Solo Female Traveler
/Is Airbnb safe for solo female travelers? I say Yes. As someone who’s stayed in dozens of Airbnbs by myself in a handful of countries over the years (and been an Airbnb Superhost for multiple properties in Southern California), I’ve had plenty of great experiences and can definitely recommend it to other solo female travelers. If you are a woman planning to travel alone, the following tips are topics to keep in mind when choosing an Airbnb, as well as some some practical suggestions to make sure you have a positive experience that meets or exceeds your expectations. These tips are based on my own experiences and comfort level, and while you may be more brave or more cautious than myself, it’s helpful to keep each in consideration.
1. Look for listings with high reviews (4.5+ stars)
Hosts with highly rated listings are very motivated to keep the positive reviews coming in. You can count on these hosts to be professional, helpful, and will ensure your expectations are met or exceeded during your stay. Definitely stay away from listings with bad reviews (lower than 4 stars), and also be sure to avoid listings that don’t have any reviews. If a listing doesn’t have any reviews it may not necessarily mean that the host is new to the platform- it could mean that they have gotten bad reviews in the past and had to delete their old listings or old profile and start over. It may be a little cynical to think this way, but when it comes to your safety while traveling its better to not take any chances.
2. Choose a listing from a Superhost
Similarly, hosts that have earned a Superhost badge on their Airbnb profiles are highly motivated to keep their status. In addition to staying with a highly experienced and positively rated Superhost, another major benefit for the guest of a Superhost is that it will be extremely unlikely for their reservation to be canceled. In order to earn or maintain Superhost status, the host must have a cancelation rate of less than 1%. If a host cancels their guests’ reservations, they risk losing Superhost status which could potentially have a negative affect on their future bookings and earnings as a host. By making an Airbnb reservation with a Superhost, you eliminate the possibility of being subject to a last-minute cancellation that could leave you scrambling for alternatives amongst very slim pickings. You can conveniently filter for listings by Superhosts when searching through the Airbnb platform.
The view from the balcony of an Airbnb I booked in Prague, Czech Republic
3. Find the location on Google Maps
Though a listing won’t give you an exact address prior to booking, Airbnb’s map will give you a pretty good approximate indication of the cross streets or location of the property. I like to find that same location on Google Maps, where I can drop a pin and map out the distance and recommended routes to places I intend on visiting. If possible I’ll scope out the area on Google Street View and decide if it looks like an area I would feel comfortable walking in, alone or at night if I had to. On Google Maps or Street View, you could also get a sense if the accommodation is in an area that’s accessible by cars, and if you could easily get dropped off or picked up by a taxi or rideshare, or the distance you would have to walk in order to do so. Google Maps or Street View are especially helpful because even if an accommodation looks close to main attractions or a city’s center on Airbnb’s map, there may be a major highway, a heavily trafficked street, or a walled-off area that you may not feel comfortable crossing on foot.
I personally like to stay in or near a city’s center, and have a balcony so I can feel like part of the action even if I’m relaxing, reading, or working by myself in the apartment. By staying in or near a city’s center, it’s less likely that I would have to walk down any dark or eerily quiet streets in order to go out for food or get home from a day of exploring.
4. Find out if you need to climb stairs
Though a listing may describe that you will need to climb stairs to access a unit once on the property, it may not describe any stairs you may also need to climb to access the property itself from your drop off point. Knowing ahead of time if you need to climb many stairs will better prepare you in a number of ways: you could pack lightly and wear comfortable shoes so carrying your own bags will be easier, or you could coordinate transportation to take you directly to your accommodation and assist with luggage. If you arrive by car to your accommodation as closely as you can be driven and are unprepared to walk the rest of the way and in need of physical help to carry your bags, you may attract unwanted attention from bystanders or neighbors. This advice is particularly helpful in very hilly destinations like Dubrovnik or Hvar in Croatia or the Amalfi Coast in Italy where many streets are accessible only by foot and up many flights of stairs. If the accommodation happens to be particularly strenuous to access, a highly-rated listing will likely have this mentioned in the description- or a quick message to the host can have any doubts addressed or questions answered.
5. Look closely at the photos of the windows
Because every Airbnb unit is different, looking closely at the windows in a listing’s photos will provide clues to how private a unit is and how much natural light it receives. Natural light is very important to me so I tend to avoid dark and dungeon-like accommodations with few windows, but privacy is also a top priority of mine so the positioning of any windows is something I will always pay close attention to. I’ll inspect a listing’s photos for any indications that the windows face the public on the ground floor or even a common area, staircase, or a neighboring apartment. I avoid places like these because I know if I have to always keep the curtains or blinds closed for privacy or to feel comfortable I wouldn’t enjoy it. Airbnbs that allow for more privacy are more secure for solo female travelers, as you are less likely to have strangers or neighbors peering inside the unit as you go about your day. If you are looking for apartments in a city or town, I suggest choosing an Airbnb that is on a second story or higher to avoid being on a ground floor. If it’s not apparent in the listing’s photos or explicitly written in a listing’s description, you could always send a message to the host asking if the unit is on the ground floor or not.
6. Filter for an “Entire Place”
Depending on your personal comfort level you may not be opposed to shared accommodations, but in my opinion the safest option for solo female travelers are completely private with no shared bathroom. You can easily select “Entire Place” when filtering desired criteria as you search listings on Airbnb, in addition to other categories such as price and amenities. When conducting a search on Airbnb, all options will be shown to you before you set your filters, so be sure to have “Entire Place” selected so you don’t accidentally book a place that’s simply listed as a “Private Room”. “Private Rooms” on Airbnb usually offer a shared bathroom, and will require you to pass through shared spaces in order to access your room. An “Entire Place” on Airbnb can include apartments but will guarantee your own private bathroom within the residence. You also have the option to filter for a “Hotel Room”, as some boutique hotels will sometimes advertise their spaces on the Airbnb platform. As long as they meet the other tips I’ve mentioned in this article such as being highly rated or managed by a Superhost, staying in a Hotel Room booked through Airbnb could be a great experience for a solo female traveler.
Working remotely from the terrace of an Airbnb I booked in Dubrovnik, Croatia
7. Book early if possible
The earlier you book on Airbnb, the more options you will have to choose from. The more options you have to choose from, the greater chance you have of finding a nice unit within budget that meet all your criteria for being comfortable and safe. If you wait too long to book or are in a situation where you have to make a reservation last minute, you risk having to pay higher rates for a place that fits your criteria, or being risk the options being so limited you don’t find an Airbnb you would be comfortable staying in at all.
8. Share only as much personal information with the host as you feel comfortable giving
When making a reservation on Airbnb, guests are required to write a short message to introduce themselves to the host. I typically keep my introduction message short and sweet: by giving a nice compliment to the listing, letting the host know that I’m quiet and respectful of rules and neighbors, and that I’m looking forward to my stay. I prefer to not emphasize that I will be by myself nor that it’s my first time visiting and am unfamiliar with the destination. If you don’t want to highlight the fact that you will be alone, you could casually tell a white lie by making the reservation for 2 people, and including a note in your introduction that you may have a family member or friend joining you. Unless the listing is at a bed and breakfast, most Airbnbs charge the same rate for 1 guest or 2 guests so it shouldn’t be more expensive to list 2 guests on the reservation. A host can be a great resource to help you get to know a destination from a local’s point of view and in most cases is very happy to answer questions, provide advice, or simply chat, but depending on your level of comfort you may prefer to maintain more privacy.
9. Keep all communication and transactions within the platform
Airbnb’s on-platform messaging is not just a convenient way to communicate with your host, it’s also the most secure. Though Airbnb provides guests and hosts with each other’s mobile number once a booking is accepted, I recommend continuing to conduct any correspondence directly within the platform. That way, if a problem arises and you have to contact Airbnb’s customer service, there is a record of all communication between you and your host. Additionally, if there are multiple hosts or co-hosts managing your listing, a message sent through the Airbnb platform will be delivered to all parties involved. Airbnb also discourages communication outside of its messenger, and will usually hide any phone numbers or email addresses that are typed out in a message.
10. Share a link of the listing with a friend or family member
Sharing your location with a family member or friend is always a good idea while you’re traveling solo, and I would suggest making a habit of sharing your Airbnb location with someone as well. Depending on the host’s settings, you may receive the address of the Airbnb unit either as soon as you book or a few days before your reservation begins. Until you have the actual address to share with family or friends, you could always share a link to the listing which in my opinion is better than nothing. Once you make a booking on Airbnb, it may ask you to invite others to the reservation as additional guests- this is only recommended if you will have someone joining you on the reservation, otherwise it’s not necessary.
As a rule of thumb, I never share photos or links of an Airbnb I’m staying in on a public social media channel until I’ve moved on to my next destination. You never know who could be watching and making assumptions about your location, or if you’re staying in a popular listing a past guest could recognize the Airbnb and be familiar with how to access your unit or your building. Depending on your comfort level, you may feel that I’m overly cautious or possibly not cautious enough, but it’s always better to take precaution when you can and these simple tips are easy to keep in mind!
Bonus tip: Earn miles for every Airbnb stay
Let your travels earn you more travel! You can earn 1 mile on Delta for every 1 dollar spent on Airbnb reservations. All you have to do is visit DeltaAirbnb.com and follow their link to the Airbnb website to make your booking. Because this is the only thing you need to do to ensure you earn miles for your Airbnb stays, and because it can some times take me days or even weeks to decide on an Airbnb for my trip, when I’m ready to book I will be sure to add the listing along with my desired dates to an Airbnb Wishlist. Then, I visit DeltaAirbnb.com, click through to the Airbnb website, find the listing on my Wishlist, and complete the reservation.
Are you planning to stay in an Airbnb for the first time as a solo traveler? As someone who has done it many times, I can highly recommend it for many reasons: you’ll be able to see a destination from a local’s point of view, you’ll likely save considerably compared to the cost of a hotel, and you’ll benefit from the convenience and independence of having a place to call home while traveling. If you have any questions or would like to address something I may have left out of this article, leave me a comment below!
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