Podcast: What does solo female travel look like today?

What does “solo female travel” mean now – and why are so many of us still afraid of it? In this episode of The Rough Guide to Everywhere, host Rebecca Hallett tries to get to the bottom of it with three intrepid guests: one-time Rough Guides senior editor turned freelance travel writer Rachel Mills; Jay Abdullahi, a black, disabled travel blogger, freelance writer, charity ambassador and show host; and human rights journalist Rebecca Lowe, who spent a year cycling alone across the Middle East.

Of course, there are as many “women travellers” as there are women who travel, and one podcast episode can’t cover everyone’s experience. We’d love to hear from you – do you relate to our guests’ travel tales? Has the internet changed your experiences on the road over the years? How does travel differ when you’re a trans woman? How about if you’re travelling with children, or without a “golden ticket” passport? Add your voice to the conversation using #roughguidespod.

Subscribe to The Rough Guide to Everywhere now (iTunes; Soundcloud; Spotify). Series Three, Episode 4, looking at the rich aural heritage of England's Northeast, is coming July 16 – tune in for a dizzyingly beautiful audio-walk along the Tyne and to meet the legendary Shanty Jim. We hope you enjoy this episode – don’t forget to let us know what you think. Rate us on Apple Podcasts and get in touch on Twitter using #roughguidespod!

Thanks to our producer Alannah Chance, of Reduced Listening, and researchers Femi Oriogun-Williams and Jessie Lawson.