“Choose courage over comfort, ‘cos you can’t have both.”
Brené Brown
I have been traveling on my own for close to 25 years. I’ve made my share of mistakes and have been in some scary situations but more than that, I’ve loved my solo adventures. To me, it is my favorite way to travel. Yet I know it can be intimidating for many.
Solo female travel isn’t about locking yourself away from anything bad ever happening. It’s about learning to deflect and resolve the occasional issue and move forward with confidence.
Use these safety tips for solo travel:
Choose your destination with purpose. When I first traveled to Europe, I was 18. I wanted to go to London to see my favorite painter’s work in a museum. That was my main goal. No one had challenged me to consider why I was going. You can travel better simply by understanding why you want to go where you want to go. The initial inspiration may come from movies or books, maybe even someone you follow on Instagram. Understand why you are going, what’s drawing you to the destination, and you’ll have a more enriching travel experience. You may want to read
Plan your first night. I am not worried about this when I am traveling with others. When traveling alone, if you can, arrive during daylight hours so that in the event you don’t feel safe where you’re staying, you have time to change your accommodation if you determine that this is not the place for you. These days, before you book you can look at Google Street View to look around the street where your hotel is located. As a solo traveler, I’d rather pay more to stay in a good area than take a risk and stay somewhere I wouldn’t want to walk at night. But if you are arriving at night, use your judgment.
For safer destinations: Research in advance how to get to your accommodation. Have the Uber app (or another alternative) downloaded. Pin your hotel on google maps. Study the map before so you can follow it without checking continually.
For less safe destinations: Call your hotel in advance to send a taxi or reserve a car service in advance.
Have a plan B for a new hotel/location. Having backup accommodation is a great idea should you arrive to find your hotel is not as it was pictured online or maybe the A/C is broken while staying in Savannah, GA in the middle of July. Sometimes this happens. I’ve had issues when a room had smokers and I couldn’t handle the smell. I didn’t want to pay for a night of smelling like cigarette smoke. More importantly, if staff ever makes you feel unsafe, I would leave without question. Call a taxi to your backup place. Life’s too short to feel uncomfortable or worry about losing money on a room because you don’t feel safe.
It’s ok to lie. While solo traveling, lying keeps you safe. If a male stranger asks if you’re alone or single, answer ‘my husband, boyfriend, partner, etc is meeting me’. I’ve known season female traveler friends who wear a fake wedding ring to show they’re married. Also, keep your accommodation to yourself. Your accommodation is your safe place. Don’t tell people where you’re staying. If they ask, it’s easy to be vague.
Know when it gets dark. I check when sunset occurs so I can aim to be at my destination rather than still wandering around. Sometimes this isn’t an issue as the plan for the night is to stay in but when I stay at a country inn located deep in the countryside, I don’t like driving at night down narrow country roads I am not familiar with. This doesn’t mean you have to be locked in your room rather have a restaurant or bar picked out en route to your hotel. Recently, I was in Bristol, a city that I don’t know. Even though the restaurant wasn’t a far walk from my hotel (and I secretly worried the Uber driver would judge me) I didn’t feel safe walking back through the city I didn’t know late at night.
Go to the ATM when you land. I am often asked if I arrive in a country with all my currency. No! I always recommend you withdraw from an ATM when you land - at the airport. Your bank can tell you which partner branches have no/low withdrawal fees. Also, the best exchange rate you will get is from the ATM. Always call your bank before leaving to add a travel notification to your account. Know your daily limit allowance. If you don’t do this, your bank could put a hold on your account for suspicious activity until you call them.
Always bring a backup card or two. Losing your debit or credit card and not being able to access your money is the worst feeling. But never carry your cards together. Leave all but one at your accommodation while out for the day or night. These days, you can save your card info to your mobile phone’s wallet. Even if you’re able to access your cards digitally, there is always the chance you lose your phone or it is stolen. Don’t be without a way to access money.
Know the emergency numbers of the country where you are traveling. When I first moved to England, my car caught on fire. Seriously. I was standing with my son on the side of the motorway, hands shaking and unsure what the emergency number was. I had to google the question while my car has flaming shooting up into the sky. That said, save the numbers on your phone. You’ll probably never need them but it doesn’t hurt to have them.
Meet and make friends with other travelers. You can build friendships from all over the world. When I was younger, my favorite way is by staying at hostels. Now that I’m older, I seek out a group walking tour, a creative class like a photo walk, floral arranging, or paper-making. To this day, I have made friends from all over the world simply because I joined groups and stayed curious to get to know people. When it comes to talking to strangers, make sure to always be discerning. Trust your gut.
Learn to say no. Sometimes, you can encounter people who are very pushy. Maybe it’s a street vendor or a restaurant owner. They pressure you to come into their shop or eat at their restaurant or try on a jacket. It can feel overwhelming. Don’t be afraid to say no. Choose the discomfort of rejecting their plea over the discomfort of a situation.
Stick to busy areas vs empty streets at night. I’ve had my share of uncomfortable encounters with men. In this situation, if a taxi or public transportation is not available, I’d rather walk through a busy market or street rather than the empty or quiet street. Always stay where it’s busy if you feel even the slightest bit uncomfortable about a person’s behavior when traveling solo.
Keep people in the loop. Leave a list of your destinations, hotels, and travel dates with your family or close friends.
Avoid geotags until you’ve left. Never tag yourself in a specific location or restaurant until you’ve left. If people are you to share your hotel name online, tell them you will once you leave.
Don’t give out your details. This may seem harmless but once someone has you on social media, they’re aware of your movements. Consider having your social media accounts set to private while traveling solo, especially if you’ll be giving out your full name when making bookings. If you’re wary, consider changing your last name or leaving your last name off social media accounts for the duration of your solo female travels.
Public Wi-Fi is never secure. Use your phone data rather than wifi. If you can’t access your data and need wifi when you’re out, never login to your bank apps or share your banking info online. This is never safe and you risk having your bank info stolen.
Travel with a VPN. This allows you securely access the same websites you do at home and are blocked by countries you’re visiting. This is also another protective layer for when you’re staying at hotels.
Download offline maps. To find your way around when your data is gone or there’s no signal, make sure you download a map to where you are going. Your options include:
Maps.me – this is the most popular offline maps app for traveling. You can download maps for whole countries and navigate around without data or Wi-Fi.
Google Maps – Because all of my pins are saved on Google Maps, I often choose to download the area I’m visiting. Drop a pin, scroll to the left and click ‘download’. Select the distance from the point you want to download. It’s temporary so remember to check the expiration date when it finishes downloading.
Keep your values close during transit. Make sure your valuables are with you in your purse or your hand luggage.
Practice dining alone. This may sound strange but it amazes me how many women have mentioned to me they are afraid to dine alone. So, if you aren’t used to eating along, you can begin by going out for coffee or lunch in your hometown before trying this out on your trip. Bring a book or journal along. Having something to do while dining out gives you a distraction but also gives you a purpose and shows you’re there to enjoy yourself.
You do not have to eat alone. You can join cooking classes, themed dinners, or even pop-up events in the city you’re visiting.
Book activities in advance. You don’t need to book everything but having a few pre-booked activities in a new location can help you feel more confident and excited when you arrive.
If you are feeling lonely, call a friend. Even though the point of traveling solo is to be alone, it is still normal to grow lonely. I can remember days would go by and I’d hardly open my mouth to speak to someone. Call your friends rather than messaging them so you hear their voices.
Ask family or friends to check on you. Sometimes I would get down thinking no one checks on me when I travel. Ask friends or family to check in with you.
Facebook groups. Join Girls Love Travel on Facebook. This is a great place to connect with other travelers and share solo female travel tips and advice. Another site, Host A Sister where users offer spare rooms to travelers and offer to show them around their city. MeetUp is another way to connect with people in cities who have similar interests. Again - ALWAYS use discernment when connecting with people.
Journal. I’ve been journaling for decades now. My travel journals are some of my most cherished possessions. I encourage you to take time throughout your trip to write down what you’re experiencing, what you’re feeling and seeing.. the stories you’ve heard along the way, and the things you’ve realized about yourself. Trust me you’ll be glad you did.
Travel insurance. It is worth investing in and will save you grief. World Nomads covers all regions and have different options for valuables and gadgets. It’s easy to get in touch and make claims. Once you’ve booked your insurance, don’t let the details get lost in your inbox. Print it out, save a copy to your phone and send a copy to your family. If ever you’re in an accident, make the details as easy to access as possible.
Make sure you have a copy of your passport. In the unfortunate event, your passport is lost or stolen, have a photocopy. I recommend saving a copy in your email, downloading it to your phone, AND have a physical print-out in your luggage. Trust me, this helps expedite the passport process in the event you have to get a copy made. I often am asked if people should carry their passport on them or leave it at the hotel. I almost always recommend leaving it at your accommodation, preferably in a safe or something with a lock.
Set up an ‘In Case of Emergency (ICE) contact on your iPhone and have the details filled in while traveling.
Carry a list of your medical conditions. You should least know the local word for your conditions and medication. If you have a serious or life-threatening condition, this can ensure you are never caught in a situation where you cannot communicate your medical condition to someone. Learn the local word and have it as a note on your phone or printed out.
Have data or download Uber Before going out for the night, check that you have data and Uber is installed and a click away. If Uber isn’t available, know the number for a taxi service. If you find your data gone at the end of the night, ask the bar or restaurants staff to use the Wi-Fi or call a taxi for you.
Ask the hotel staff for help. If you’re wondering if an area is safe at night, the best people to ask are the locals. Check with the staff at your accommodation if it’s safe to walk alone in the evenings or if you should take a taxi. Let them know the area where you’re going and have them tell you how safe it is.
Get takeaway. When I’ve been traveling all day or I am in a city at night without many food options nearby, I often get takeaways in the evenings rather than walk around alone looking for restaurants.
Avoid listening to music with earbuds in while walking around in a city. It makes you less aware of your surroundings and easily when in an unfamiliar place.
Self-defense classes. It doesn’t hurt to sign up for a few self-defense classes before you leave. If this makes you feel more in control and safe, it is worth the time and investment.
Visualize the necessities but no more. Traveling solo does require attention to detail. Visualizing how the practical aspects of your trip fit together, from departure to transfers to accommodation, help you travel with less stress. But stop imagining what the trip will be like at that point. Be open to opportunities as they arise. It’s impossible to travel without any expectations of a destination, however, the less you are driven by specific expectations the freer you will be to travel in the moment.
