Privacy Policy

Who runs Solo Traveling

Solo Traveling is a solo-run travel blog. Throughout this policy, “I”, “me”, or “the site” refer to the owner and publisher of solo-traveling.com.

What information is collected

When you visit solo-traveling.com, some information is collected automatically, and some information is only collected if you choose to share it.

Information you choose to share

You may choose to share information in these ways:

• Comments: When you leave a comment on a post, the site collects the data shown in the comment form (such as your name, username, or display name, website URL if you choose to provide it, and your comment), along with your IP address and browser user agent string to help with spam detection.
• Contact or email: If you send an email or reach out through a contact form (if available), your name, email address, and the content of your message are collected so your question can be answered.
• Newsletter or subscriptions (if active): If you sign up for email updates, your email address and any preferences you set (such as types of updates you want) are collected.

Information collected automatically

Like most websites, some technical information is collected automatically when you visit solo-traveling.com. This helps understand how people find and use the content, so it can be improved over time. This information may include:

• Your IP address (which may indicate your general location, such as city and country).
• Device information (for example, whether you are using a phone, tablet, or computer, and your operating system and browser type).
• Pages you visit on the site, how long you stay, and what you click on.
• The website or search engine that brought you here (the “referrer”).
• Basic error and performance information (for example, if a page fails to load).

How your information is used

Your information is used only for purposes that support the blog and your experience as a reader. Specifically, information may be used to:

• Publish and display your comments on posts and respond to them.
• Respond to messages and questions you send.
• Send email updates or newsletters you have actively signed up for (you can unsubscribe at any time).
• Understand which articles and topics readers care about, so future content can better support solo travelers at different stages of their journey.
• Monitor and protect the site from spam, abuse, and security threats.
• Show ads that help cover the costs of running the site (if and when ads are active).

Your personal information is never sold to third parties.

Cookies and similar technologies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help the site remember certain information about your visit. Some cookies are essential for the site to work properly, while others are used for analytics or ads.

Types of cookies used

• Essential cookies: These help with basic features such as security, spam protection, and remembering your preferences (for example, when you leave a comment, the site may offer to remember your name and email for the next time).
• Analytics cookies: Used by Google Analytics (via Site Kit) to understand how visitors use the site, which pages are popular, and where visitors are coming from.
• Advertising cookies: If and when ads are shown, ad networks may use cookies to show more relevant ads and to measure how effective those ads are.

Your cookie choices

Depending on your location, you may see a cookie banner when you first visit the site. This banner lets you accept or reject non-essential cookies (such as analytics or advertising cookies) where required by law.

You can also control cookies through your browser settings by deleting existing cookies or blocking new ones. Please note this may affect how well some features work.

Third-party services used on this site

Solo Traveling uses a few trusted third-party services to keep the site running, understand how it is used, and, where relevant, show ads. These services may collect and process your data under their own privacy policies.

Google Analytics (via Site Kit)

This site uses Google Analytics, connected through the WordPress Site Kit plugin, to understand how visitors use solo-traveling.com. Google Analytics collects information such as your IP address, device and browser information, and how you interact with the site.

Google Analytics may set cookies on your device. The information collected is used to create aggregated statistics, such as how many people visited a page, how long they stayed, and which countries visitors are from. These reports help improve the content and layout of the site.

Where required, IP addresses may be anonymised so that Google Analytics does not store your full IP address. For more details on how Google handles data, please see Google’s own privacy policy and documentation about Google Analytics privacy.

Jetpack

This site uses Jetpack, a service provided by Automattic, to support features such as site statistics, security, performance, and spam protection. Depending on which Jetpack features are enabled at any given time, Jetpack may collect information such as:

• Page views and basic usage statistics.
• IP addresses, browser information, and device details for security and performance monitoring.
• Information used for spam filtering when you submit a comment or form.

Jetpack processes this data in line with Automattic’s own privacy policy, which explains in detail what they collect and why.

Advertising partners and ad networks

Solo Traveling may display ads to help support the work that goes into creating and maintaining the blog. These ads may be served directly by the site’s hosting platform, by WordPress.com, or by third-party ad networks and partners.

These partners may use cookies and similar technologies to show more relevant ads, limit how often you see the same ad, and measure what works. They may also combine information about your visit here with visits to other sites that use their services, in line with their own privacy policies.

Where required by law, you will be asked for your consent before advertising cookies or personalised ads are used.

Legal basis for processing (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, or another region that follows the GDPR, your personal data is processed based on one or more of the following legal grounds:

• Your consent: For example, when you accept analytics or advertising cookies where they are not strictly necessary, or when you sign up for an email newsletter.
• Contract: When it is necessary to provide a service you request, such as delivering email updates you subscribed to.
• Legitimate interests: To run and protect the site, understand how it is used, prevent abuse, and improve content for readers, as long as these interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.
• Legal obligations: When it is necessary to comply with the law or respond to lawful requests from authorities.

Your rights under GDPR and similar laws

If you are in the EEA, the UK, or another region with similar data protection laws, you have certain rights over your personal data. These rights are subject to some limits and exceptions, but they generally include:

• Right of access: You can ask what personal data is held about you and receive a copy.
• Right to correction: You can ask to correct or update inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Right to deletion: You can ask to delete your personal data, for example, to remove a comment you previously left, where there is no good reason to keep it.
• Right to restrict processing: You can ask that your data be used only for certain limited purposes.
• Right to object: You can object to certain uses of your data, including for direct marketing.
• Right to withdraw consent: If processing is based on your consent, you can withdraw that consent at any time (for example, by unsubscribing from an email list or adjusting cookie settings).
• Right to data portability: In some cases, you can ask to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly-used format, or have it sent to another service.

To exercise these rights, please use the contact details below. For your security, you may be asked to provide information to confirm your identity before your request is completed.

How long your data is kept

Your personal data is kept only for as long as there is a clear reason to keep it. For example:

• Comments may be kept for as long as they remain published on the site, unless you ask for them to be removed.
• Analytics data is kept according to the retention settings in Google Analytics and Jetpack.
• Emails and contact form messages are kept for as long as needed to respond to you and maintain basic records.
• Backups of the site may temporarily store copies of personal data as part of normal backup routines.

How your data is protected

Reasonable technical and organisational measures are used to help protect your personal data, such as using secure connections (HTTPS) and trusted hosting providers, and enabling security features provided by Jetpack and other tools. No system is perfectly secure, but care is taken to choose reputable services and keep software up to date.

International transfers

Because Solo Traveling uses services such as Google Analytics, Jetpack, and hosting providers that may operate around the world, your information may be stored or processed in countries other than your own. These countries may have different data protection rules, but steps are taken to work only with providers that commit to protecting personal data in line with applicable laws.

Children’s privacy

Solo Traveling is aimed at adults and older teenagers who are planning or reflecting on solo trips. It is not directed at children under 13, and children under 13 should not provide personal information on the site. If you believe a child has provided personal information, please use the contact details below so it can be removed.

Links to other websites

Solo Traveling often links to other websites, blogs, or resources that may help you plan or reflect on your solo travels. These external sites have their own privacy policies and data practices. This policy applies only to solo-traveling.com, so please review the privacy information on any other site you visit.

Changes to this policy

This privacy policy may be updated from time to time, for example when the site adds new features, uses new services, or when laws change. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page will always show when it was last revised. In cases of significant changes, a short notice may be posted on the site.

Contact for privacy questions

Your trust matters, both on the road and online. If you have any questions about this privacy policy, how your data is handled, or if you would like to exercise your data protection rights, please get in touch:

Email: privacy@solo-traveling.com

When you contact me about your data, please include enough information to help locate your records (for example, the email address you used or a link to a comment you left), but do not include sensitive information in your initial message.