The Top LGBTQ-Friendly Destinations

Pride isn't just for June, but it's a great time to give you another overview of the safest and most accepting travel destinations for queer travelers. Whether you're going to immerse yourself in the community and history, or you just want to know that you're not going to be uncomfortable out sightseeing with your significant other or just being yourself. 

Personally, I like to know that I'm spending my travel dollars in more progessive and tolerant places. Knowing that a destination is queer-friendly is a good indication that it's great for solo women travelers, too. I want my money to go to people who have everyone's best interests in mind and are working to make the world a better place for all travelers, because travel is for everybody. 

What are your favorite cities for queer travel, acceptance, and history?

Infographic by me:

New York City, New York - The birthplace of Pride, it has an established scene of gay bars, drag fests, and nightlife. Visit queer landmarks including the Leslie-Lohman Museum of LGBT Art, CubbyHole, & NYC Aids Memorial, then stop at Big Gay Ice Cream.

Amsterdam, Netherlands - A trailblazer in queer history, it’s home to some of the oldest gay rights organizations, was the first country to legalize gay marriage, and even has a (homo)monument to remember those lost in WWII. Get your queer merch and city info from Pink Point, then hit up some of the best queer bars and nightclubs.

Taipei City, Taiwan - The first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, Taipei has cemented itself as one of the best and safest cities for queer travelers. Specifically, the Ximen and Zhongshan neighborhoods are brimming with bars, clubs, and even speakeasies.

San Francisco, California - The home of iconic Harvey Milk, everyone knows the City by the Bay is a haven for queer activity, but did you know they also have the world’s first transgender district? Enjoy the rainbow crosswalks, the Aids Memorial Garden, and colorful murals.

Bangkok, Thailand - Not only is Bangkok known for being very queer-friendly and progressive, it’s also budget-friendly, so you can party and sightsee for less than most destinations. Take in the nightlife, markets, history, and more!

Sydney, Australia - Called a queer capital the world over, Sydney also puts on the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras and Pride is a BIG deal there. It has the largest collection of queer-owned establishments. You can even head out to Darlinghurst & Surrey Hills for a quieter, rainbow-filled visit.

Barcelona, Spain - Open and accepting to all, the city has it all. Gaixample, the official gayborhood is the heart of the queer community, filled with gay shops, restaurants, and bars, as well as the “hetero-friendly” gay-owned Axel Hotel.

Reykjavik, Iceland - In 2009, the first openly-gay Prime Minister was elected. Already one of the safest cities for women and solo travelers, Reykjavik became a safe haven for queer travelers, too. Pride sees 100K visitors and Rainbow Reykjavik celebrates the nature of Iceland over 3-10 days.

Berlin, Germany - With a long history of LGBTQ community, you can learn about the city’s queer story at the Schwules Museum, see a queer show at House of Presents, pay your respects to those persecuted at The Memorial to Homosexuals persecuted under Nazism, and choose a safe hotel from the Pink Pillow Collection.

Free Road Trip Stops

I'm a road trip girlie. I have been road tripping my whole life, so even on short trips, I look into all the places I could stop along the way. Earlier this month, we were going to an engagment party for a cousin in Vegas, but decided to fly in and out of Burbank to visit my uncle. We were going to rent a car anyway, so this was the perfect blend of fly and drive trip to me.

Now, you already know that I am an expert at finding roadside stops, from using AAA guidebooks before the internet, to using Google Maps now, if there's a cool place to stop, I'll find it. 

We've driven between Los Angeles and Vegas before, so we thought there probably weren't too many things we may have missed, but apparently that's not true. Knowing that, you can imagine how many cool things there are along any route wherever you're driving. One of my favorite things is an outdoor museum or sculpture park.

Sometimes you know a thing is there, because you've driven past it so many times. Sometimes you find out about it from Google or a blog post. Sometimes you just see it from the highway and figure out where to get off to look at it. Here are some cool places we've seen on road trips:

Liberty Sculpture Park - Yermo, CA

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Jacob Two Trees the Troll - Issaquah, WA

The Sunsphere - Knoxville, TN

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Goldwell Open Air Museum - Goldwell, NV

The Original Del Taco - Yermo, CA

International Car Forest - Goldfield, NV

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Bravo Farms - Traver, CA

Seven Magic Mountains - Las Vegas, NV

Old Tonopah Cemetery - Tonopah, NV

Maryhill Stonehenge Memorial - Goldendale, WA

Mine Heritage Exhibition - Wallace, ID

There are so many cool little places to stop when you road trip, and a lot of them are free! There's a whole botanical garden in Southern Oregon along I-5 that I want to visit on another trip down. Free is a good price, and it helps to break up the monotony of a road trip and lets you stretch your legs without having to be at a rest area or a place to eat. Sometimes, you even learn some stuff!

What's your favorite roadside attraction?

Avoiding Jet Lag On Any Trip

Jet lag is the worst. It can lower your energy, make you feel weak and stupid, but ostly it just gives you less quality time on your trip. When you're sluggish and groggy, nothing is fun or interesting. Honestly, budget travelers can't afford to get hit with jet lag. If you're someone that has been a victim of this traveler's curse, there are ways to make sure you avoid it next time. 

I had the worst bout of jet lag in 2006 and I vowed to never again have that problem. Over the years I've learned some great ways to keep my body from rebelling over the time (and environment and weather) changes:

Me with my sparkling water

Easy things you can do

There are jet lag preps that are going to take you some time, but there are some that you can do as you're traveling and the night/day before your trip.

• Stay hydrated - with the dry airplane air, you need to keep your body hydrated more than you would normally. I put ice cubes in a thermos (ice is usually permitted through security), then fill up with water once I'm through TSA. 

        I hate water, and I'll pretty much only drink it if it's ice cold or I'm walking a lot on vacation. You want to drink at least one, if not two or three, depending on how long your trip is. I have also purchased a bottle of water at the airport and added it to my thermos for chilling. You can also add a hydration packet to your water for extra oomph, like Liquid IV or Venture Pal, which add a fun flavor. I'm also one to order tomato juice on a flight, because it's hydrating and packed with vitamins, plus flying dulls your taste buds, so it's a little more tasty than you expect.

            

        You also want to bring a good moisturizing lotion and lip balm and re-up every so often. I know some people like to do a hydrating sheet mask on long flights. I could never, but you do you. I bring a tiny hyalauronic acid spray for my face.

• Avoid alcohol - Alcohol is dehydrating - so are most caffeinated drinks, but you gotta live your life - and usually packed with sugar. If you can avoid drinking the night before your flight and your entire day of travel, that's really going to help your body be able to retain moisture and hydration, it'll also help keep your immune system running right and avoid getting sick for no reason.
• Get a good night's sleep - Sleeping is so important for your body to recharge and keep going. Even if you have an early morning flight, go to bed at a reasonable time and try getting as good of a deep sleep as you can. I know that sometimes it's very exciting to know you're traveling, or stressful, if you're always worried you forgot something (make a packing list, or buy my travel planning guide, so this isn't you!), but getting enough rest is going to help you stay alert and also healthy.
• Eat light - The day before my flight, I make sure I'm not eating a bunch of heavy food that's going to make me feel like trash when I'm up in the air and the weird pressure makes your body feel all out of whack. Eat lighter than you normally would. Think fish or chicken, or even a vegetarian dish, with lots of veggies and fewer carbs, fried elements, and sugars. It might be difficult to continue to eat better while flying, but I also bring along light snacks, like fruit, nuts, a little dark chocolate, and protein bars, which all give you a burst of energy, without making you feel full and gross. 

Crafting and listening to a movie

Make-a-plan things you can do

I'm a planner, so I've mapped out our whole trip before we've left home, I've packed 2-8 weeks ahead of time, I've paid for as many things as I can before I get to my destination, and I know exactly how I'm spending my time on the plane, especially, on long flights. 

• Get on "destination" time before you go - If you can, start adjusting your routine to your new time before you leave home. Now, I don't do this, because I will work up until the day of my trip, and I have a dog with a schedule, but even if you make a few slight adjustments to your own schedule, like going to bed a little earlier/later before you are actually on your trip, this can help your body adjust to the time difference before it just gets thrown into it. 

        Here's what I do: I look at when I'm arriving to my destination and I look at how much plane time I have. I know I can do pretty normal on about 5 hours of sleep, so that's the minimum I shoot for. Trust me. You do not want to just get on the plane and sleep for 10+ hours, regardless of what time it will be at your destination. Your body continues to want to sleep or you end up wide awake at midnight and it throws off your whole body's rhythm for half of your trip. You want to get enough sleep, but not too much, so you're still slightly tired, and are able to sleep at a normal time at your destination. This almost ensures that you will sleep really good and wake up totally refreshed.

    I make a plan before I even get on the plane. Example: I'm leaving at 6pm and my flight is 9 hours, which would be 3am at home, but is actually 11am local time. That means I'm getting on the plane at 2am local time, when I should be asleep. Theoretically, you're getting served 2 meals. Maybe snacks, but we aren't going to worry about those, because you brought your own. My plan for these 9 hours is:

• board the plane
• watch a movie, play a game, or read a book for 2 hours and eat dinner
• take a sleep aid (I do Dream Water gummies and my usual allergy pill) right when food is served
• cuddle up in a cardigan, put on slipper socks and an eye mask, pop in my earbuds with a sleepy-time podcast on, and get situated in my travel pillow. (I prefer the FaceCradle, because it allows me to stretch my back while I sleep, but pick your favorite.)
• hope to sleep 4-5 hours
• wake up and watch another movie or read for the remainder of the flight and eat second meal - if you're worried about sleeping too deeply, good for you, but you can always leave a note on your tray or choose on your seatback monitor for the flight attendant to wake you up for food
• be awake and refreshed when plane lands

Sleeping on the plane does take some practice, especially if you're a light sleeper like my husband is. We find that having the correct travel pillow is pretty key. I can sleep anywhere, but I also don't want to wake up feeling like a crumpled up piece of paper. Having body aches, or a neck that you can't turn comfortably, for half your trip kind of ruins the experience. If you normally take something like melatonin, then do it on the plane when you need sleep, too. You can also try eating a banana, if you aren't into sleep aids, that can naturally help you fall alseep.

protein-packed breakfasst!

Once you arrive

When you get to where you're going, you're going to want to just do whatever you normally would during the local time. I usually like to take an overnight flight and get there in the daytime, but that doesn't always work out. If I get there during the day, I check-in to my hotel or Airbnb, drop my bags, change my clothes, and then go do some sightseeing. If you get there in the evening, try to walk around and do things until it's a normal time for you to go to bed. Whatever time you get there, try to get some walking in. I love to do a museum or a walking tour when I arrive. Do what interests you. 

You'll want to continue to drink extra water and avoid alcohol for that first day, until your body adjusts. Eat more protein in the morning for extra energy and save your carb-heavy meals for the evening, when you would normally be winding down anyway.

You don't need to do many of these things for a shorter trip, but any trip can benefit from your sleeping better, eating more thoughtfully, drinking more water, and generally being better to your body. 

What are some of your jet lag nightmares, or wins?

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