Solo Traveller advice website has been a big hit

Have you ever thought about travelling alone?

A few years after her husband tragically died, Janice Waugh decided it was time again to start travelling.

In 2009, she started her own blog site, Solo Traveller, offering top tips for those wanting to venture abroad on their own.

“The idea came in a moment of realisation that my lifelong love of travel would now have to be fulfilled solo,” she says. “I went on Google to see what was available and there was very little.

“I felt that solo travel needed a personal voice. As a writer I thought I could provide this and that’s what I’ve been trying to do ever since. But it’s not just my voice. Every week readers share their solo experiences as well.”

Janice, 57, from Toronto, Canada, has made more than 35 trips on her own to places like the Lake District, Italy and Chile. Edinburgh is one of her favourite destinations.

“I stay at hostels and B&Bs so I manage to avoid the extra costs of hotel rooms, which are typically for two.

“And I find people more friendly to solo travellers. Because you are alone people feel free to step in and chat, make suggestions, ensure you get the best out of their town.

“I like throwing my backpack on and traveling via bus or train into smaller towns, meeting locals and hiking.

“I’d love to travel more, but I’ll always keep my home base. There is too much family to be a nomad. People and relationships are what really count in life. I set my priorities there and then I travel.

“I stay in Toronto most of the time. I still have one son at home and, while he doesn’t really need me, I like being part of his life. So I take six or seven trips a year travelling for about 10-12 weeks in total.”

Janice recounts her experiences on Solo Traveler, as well as offering tips, safety advice and destination ideas.

The site gets more than 65,000 visits a month and Janice found she had so much advice she put some into a book, the Solo Traveller’s Handbook, top tips on saving and planning a trip, packing light, what types of accommodation to go for, what to wear and where to eat.

For more information, visit solotravelerblog.com.