What's New at Women on the Road?

This What's New? page keeps you updated on new information on solo travel for backpacking women. How?

• It alerts you when new Web pages appear on my Women on the Road website
• It provides you with information and resources on solo travel for women as these become available
• It highlights essential information you might have missed - about money, safety, health or backpacking in general

To subscribe to What's New? and stay abreast of the latest in solo travel for backpacking women, simply right-click (or ctrl + click on a Mac) on the orange RSS button below left, then copy and paste the URL of this page into your RSS reader. Or click on the My Yahoo! button or My MSN or Add To Google button if you have a personalized page there.

If RSS still sounds like a bit of a mystery (and it did to me the first time), just click here for more information.

A simple copy, paste and click will get you set up - and the rest will take care of itself. It's that easy!

How to Learn a Language

How to learn a language when you don't speak a word isn't all that difficult, as long as you don't expect to become fluent. You can easily learn enough to get by on your travels if you try a few of these simple tips.

Travel with Kids

Travel with kids shouldn't stop you from seeing the world - even if you're a single mom.

The Via Francigena to Rome

The reanimation of the ancient pilgrimage route between Canterbury and Rome began in the 1990’s after the discovery of a diary written by Archbishop

Teaching English in Spain: Flamenco, Tapas and Don Quixote

Teaching English in Spain is easy if you're an EU citizen, much less so if you're not. Still, that doesn't stop plenty of non-EU backpackers from arriving in Spain each year to try their luck.

Teaching English in France

Teaching English in France is a great way to see the country, get to know its people, and get paid for the privilege!

Female Hitchhikers

Female hitchhikers are extremely rare, but they do exist - despite tales of rape and murder, women continue to hitchhike, some of them even solo.

Travel On Foot

Travel on foot isn't quite the same as hiking - it replaces other modes of transportation to get from one place to another. For women backpackers, it's an unusual but perfectly acceptable form of transport.

How To Trace Family Roots When You Travel

Why not try to trace family roots when you travel? You can do a lot of research on the Internet, but you can also take advantage of being in the country to do some first-hand investigation.

Money Saving Travel Tips

Getting into high gear on the savings front isn't always easy. Planning a round-the-world or other long-distance journey does require funds - sometimes a lot of them. These money saving travel tips will help you get started on that road to saving for your lifetime trip.

Backpacking Tips

Planning for a long-term or round-the-world trip is complex and can be scary - these few backpacking tips may help smooth the way during the planning stages.

Dark Tourism

Dark tourism, or grief tourism, is a growing phenomenon where tourists visit places associated with tragedy and death. It's not that simple though - plenty of ethical considerations surround dark tourism.

Pilgrimage to Santiago

A pilgrimage to Santiago is the trip of a lifetime - and despite the four weeks it takes, many people have walked it not once, but twice and often more.

International Travel Tips

Traveling or moving abroad can be quite a culture shock, especially for first-time backpackers: avoid some of the most glaring by following a few solid international travel tips.

Travel Phobias

Travel phobias are far more common than most people think - even inveterate and irrepressible backpacking women can suffer from these debilitating anxieties. Yet they can be treated and even cured.

WWOOF - Volunteer on an Organic Farm

Why not volunteer on an organic farm with WWOOF, an international association of organic farmers and volunteers? You'll help out on the farm in exchange for room and board, and learn organic farming techniques as well.

Travel Fitness Tips

No matter how active you are when you travel, you still risk getting out of shape when you leave your gym routine behind. These travel fitness tips will help you get fit before you go and keep you fit once you're on the road.

Travel to Sacred Sites

Some travel to sacred sites leads to those built by people, but other journeys seek out mystical natural wonders - like sacred mountains or sacred rivers.

Share Your Travel Stories!

Stay in a Monastery

After months on the road in drab surroundings, a stay in a monastery might be just the thing - historical buildings, clean rooms, peace and quiet. A bit over the standard hostel price, but usually worth every penny.

Housesitter

Becoming a housesitter is an outstanding way to see the world, without paying over the odds for the privilege. Housesitting may be your solution to long-term travel.

Should You Quit Your Job?

Should you quit your job to travel? It's a difficult decision but most people who have done just that - including myself - don't regret it. In fact, they'd do it again!

Reverse Culture Shock

Culture shock is what you feel when you go abroad - and reverse culture shock is what you experience when you come home after a certain length of time away. The best way to beat it - is to assume you'll feel it and be prepared.

Travel by Bus

Travel by bus is a great way to get almost anywhere - there are few corners of the planet that aren't to some extent serviced by a bus.

Self Defense for Women

Self defense for women is one of those skills all backpacking women should have. It has nothing to do with fear and everything to do with feeling empowered, aware and knowledgeable.

Avoid Crime Abroad

Most travel is crime-free, but it is wise to take precautions to avoid crime abroad while you're on the road, especially if you're a woman traveling solo.