The Story Behind Madison’s Footsteps
Ciao bella! My name is Madison and welcome to my travel blog, Madison’s Footsteps. I’m a solo travel blogger and digital nomad passionate about solo travel, sustainability, and international cuisine.
During my travels, I discovered so many breathtaking views, thrilling activities, and delicious restaurants that it felt unfair not to share them with the world! I love creating and sharing destination guides and solo travel tips to help women get out and travel solo.
My philosophy in life is: why wait for someone else to join you, when you could go do the thing yourself. If you agree—then you’re on the right site.
Think of me as your online beta tester for solo travel destinations: I plan the trip, take the trip, then write about it so you can decide if it’s the right destination for you—eliminating all your guesswork along the way.
I plan solo trips with four things in mind: safety, affordability, community, and fun! Safety is my #1 concern, so I’ll never recommend that you visit a destination alone if it’s dangerous, unreliable, or experiencing any sort of unrest.
Affordability is also a concern of mine. I prefer to travel to places that won’t break the bank, even if you don’t have travel buddies to split hotel rooms and transportation costs with.
Community is another big one, since it’s no fun traveling to a destination if you’re unlikely to make any friends! (Seriously, half of the accounts I follow on Instagram are random people I met in hostels across Southeast Asia.)
Lastly, they need to be FUN! If it’s safe and affordable, but boring as hell—guess what? I won’t tell you to go there.
If you’re new to solo female travel >> start here.
Madison’s Footsteps provides women with the solo travel tips, destination knowledge, and confidence they need to book solo trips all over the world.
Below are photos of me in two destinations that check all four boxes: Indonesia & Honduras.
If you’re feeling…
- Afraid for your safety as a solo female traveler.
- Overwhelmed by the logistics and planning that goes into a solo trip.
- Unsure how to budget without travel buddies to split costs with.
- Nervous about making friends while traveling alone.
…then I have some good news for you. All of this 👆🏼 is completely normal and every single solo female traveler has felt one or all of these things at some point or another—including myself.
Trust me when I say that these fears can be overcome, and the only thing scarier than finally taking the leap into solo traveling is never taking it—and missing out on a lifetime of fabulous adventures.
Stick with me babe, and the world will be your oyster ❤️
A Little About Me
I fell in love with travel when I was 19 years-old and took my first solo flight from Chicago O’Hare to Roma Fiumicino to start my study abroad semester. I spent four months living in Italy and traveling all over Europe, which was plenty of time to fall head over heels.
After graduation, I ended up taking a job in Florence for a budget-friendly, student travel operator. I spent the next 18 months living in a centuries-old apartment in the Santa Croce neighborhood (almost directly above Dante’s jail cell!) and planning epic weekend trips for study abroad students to seven European destinations + Morocco.
I left Florence in late 2019, weathered the COVID-19 pandemic on the sunny shores of Roatan, Honduras, and then packed up for 8 months “backpacking” around Southeast Asia in 2022.
2023 & 2024 brought me back home to replenish my savings account, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t seen some exciting destinations during that time (like Portugal, Colombia, and Romania)!
A little about me on the personal side…my favorite things include handwritten menus, rooftop bars, and both starting and ending the day with a strong, Italian espresso (I’m an Italian girl at heart).
I have a slight addiction to both Family Guy and true crime (a weird combo, I know), love cuddling my sweet chocolate lab, Vinny, and probably consume too much Prosecco for my own good. I’m also an avid scuba diver and I can’t wait until I’m back near a shoreline with a thriving coral reef.
I’m at home for a bit figuring out my next move…but my heart is saying Rome—so we’ll see what happens!
I’d love to learn more about you! Send me an email and introduce yourself—we can talk travel 🙃 Or better yet, enter your info below and join my email list! I send out a newsletter every week filled with solo travel inspo, my latest travel essentials, travel hacks, and more.
Where I’ve Lived & Traveled
📍 Dominican Republic: Punta Cana.
📍 Mexico: Cancún.
📍 Italy: Rome, Naples, Florence, Venice, Montalcino, Anzio, Cinque Terre, Porto Venere, Sant’Angelo, Sorrento, Positano, Capri, Amalfi, San Gimignano, Milan, Pisa, Siena, Lake Como.
*I lived in Rome for 6 months and in Florence for a year and a half.
📍 Vatican City
📍 Spain: Barcelona, Madrid, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, Seville.
📍 England: London, Cambridge.
📍 Greece: Athens, Santorini.
📍 Austria: Vienna.
📍 Czech Republic: Prague, Cesky Krumlov.
📍 Germany: Berlin, Munich.
📍 The Netherlands: Amsterdam.
📍 Malta: Valletta, Mdina, Paceville.
📍 France: Paris, Avignon, Nice.
📍 Croatia: Dubovnik, Krka National Park, Split.
📍 Montenegro: Kotor.
📍 Bosnia & Herzegovina: Mostar.
📍 Ireland: Dublin, Doolin, Galway.
📍 Switzerland: Interlaken, Wengen.
📍 Morocco: Marrakech, Atlas Mountains.
📍 Portugal: Lisbon, Sintra, Lagos, Porto, Madeira.
📍 Hungary: Budapest.
📍 Thailand: Phuket, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Tao, Koh Phi Phi, Krabi, Khao Sok National Park.
*I lived in Thailand for two and a half months and traveled around the entire country.
📍 Poland: Krakow.
📍 Monaco: Monte Carlo.
📍 Canada: Toronto, Niagara Falls.
📍 Honduras: Roatan, Utila, La Ceiba, Pico Bonito National Park, Tela, Copan Ruinas, Lago de Yojoa.
*I lived in Roatan, Honduras for a year.
📍 Vietnam: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, Ha Long Bay.
*I traveled around and lived in Vietnam for one month.
📍 Indonesia: Bali (Canggu, Seminyak, Ubud, Nusa Penida, Amed), Lombok (Gili Trawangan), Flores (Komodo National Park, Padar Island, Rinca Island.)
*I lived in Canggu, Bali for 4 months and traveled around Indonesia.
📍 United States: Madison, Wisconsin (my hometown), Portland, San Fransisco, Napa Valley, Sonoma, Rosemary Beach, Orlando, Indianapolis, Traverse City, Nashville, Salt Lake City, Denver, Fort Collins, Rocky Mountain National Park, The Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Sedona, New York City, Chicago, Minneapolis.
📍Colombia: Cartagena, Santa Marta, Tayrona National Park.
📍Romania: Bucharest, Sibiu, Brasov, Bran, Sinaia.
As Seen In…
Listen on Spotify / Apple Podcasts
Next Steps
Chances are you’re here to plan your next (or first!) solo travel adventure. Take the quiz below to find out which destination you should visit next. You’ll receive an email corresponding with your perfect destination containing tons of travel tips to help you plan out your solo itinerary!
Or, if you’re new to solo female travel >> start here.
Alternatively, if you’re here doing research for your Roatan trip, head to my Honduras Travel Guides.
Lastly, if you’ve landed on my website out of interest in a brand collaboration, please head over to my Collaborations Page.
Ciao for now,
xx Madison