Travelling alone is an incredible experience that we all have to experience at some point. It’s scary the first few times, but eventually, it becomes one of life’s greatest joys. Nevertheless, travelling alone carries certain risks, despite where you go. Therefore, here we give you tips to travel alone and stay safe.
Needless to say, before travelling, you must do your analysis well about your destination, from how people dress to the type of risks they have (which can be everything from bad weather and heavy traffic to insecurity, scams and diseases).
1. Do your best to look and act like the locals
The first step to staying safe when travelling alone is not drawing attention. Dress and act like the locals and try not to look like tourists (travel light and don’t bring three suitcases). You must respect local cultures and customs, such as not talking on the phone on trains in Japan.
How to dress is especially important. Although there are destinations where it does not matter, there are others where it does, and something as simple as bringing a sleeveless blouse can be considered bad taste and even offensive.
This does not mean that you should dress like the locals because sometimes it would be downright ridiculous, but basically, to be as careful as possible. In general, it is wiser to dress conservatively. Long skirts are usually an excellent choice.
2. Privilege security over kindness
The second tip for travelling alone that you have to remember (and that it also does not hurt in daily life) is that it is okay to say no. It’s okay to say no to someone who invites you to feast, offers you a drink, or wants to help you with your suitcases.
When it comes to being safe, trust your instincts and don’t be afraid to be harsh, direct, and even rude.
3. If you get lost,
If you get lost and don’t bring a map, ask a family or woman with children, or go into a local.
Do you have a map? Please don’t see it on the street; it’s not a good idea to see you lost. A trendy tip is always to look confident, even if you have no idea where you are.
4. Reach your destination during the day.
If you have to arrive at nighttime, try to hire a transportation service before arriving and better still from the hotel itself. Invest in your safety!
If you don’t have a choice, try not to walk alone at night with your bags.
Similarly, if you are not in a safe destination, avoid taking night buses and trains.
5. If you are going to use public transport,
Always try to sit next to another woman. If you go by train, avoid compartments where there is no one.
6. Don’t keep all your money and cards in the same place
One of the tips for travelling solo that you should remember is not to keep all your cash and cards in the same place. You can leave some at the hotel (as long as it’s safe), keep some in your bag, and the rest in your shoe. Find the way that best suits you.
Tip: although the hidden purses (passport holders) are safe, do not keep everything there. It is not a secret that tourists use them and to be taking money from under your clothes is too apparent. One suggestion is to store banknotes in an empty tampon or feminine pad wrap. Nobody goes looking there.
7. Stay safe in the hotel
There are plenty of tips to stay safe, from asking the front desk clerk not to say your room number out loud to put a door stopper.
Extra tip: before leaving your accommodation, write down the address in the local language. Thus, even if you do not speak the language, you can return without a problem.
8. Share your plan with someone you trust
Another safety tip for solo female travellers is to share your plan with someone at home and check in every so often. Thus, in case something happens, it will be easier to find you.
9. Prepare a digital copy of your documents
Before travelling, make a digital copy of your passport, cards and other documents and mail them to yourself or upload them to the cloud. So, whatever happens, you will have them at hand.
10. Talk to the hotel employees
If anyone knows which areas to avoid, it is the people who live and work there. Take a few minutes to talk to them before you go out.
