Traveling solo as a woman doesn’t mean you have to be a target for attacks, scams and thefts. According to Hostel World, the world’s leading hostel-focused online booking platform, female solo booking have grown 45% between 2015 and 2017. Here are some great travel safety tips for women to keep you safe while traveling alone.
Make a local friend– There are several communities and social networks for female travelers worldwide, to connect with one another to share resources and tips, to provide support and to socialize. The more popular ones include Girls Love Travel, Pink Trotters, The Solo Female Traveler Network, Travelettes and Wanderful.
Give someone your itinerary– Before you head out on your travels, make sure someone, who is not traveling with you, has a copy of your itinerary. That way, if something does go wrong, someone will know where you are at all times. This will also make it easier for someone to get in touch with you if needed.
Know the typical tourist scams– Whether you are traveling to Barbados, Barcelona, London, New York City, Paris, Rome or anywhere in between, scammers have found ways to scam tourists. Knowing the most common scams can help you become more alert and hopefully avoid these scam situations. Just the Flight– features a great article titled “40 Tourist Scams to Avoid This Summer.”
Get two hotel room keys– When checking into a hotel, ask for two keys. Why? Because it helps to disguise the fact that you’re traveling alone. Keep one key on your person and keep the other key in your purse. That way, if your purse is stolen, you can still get into your hotel room.
Utilize the “Do Not Disturb” sign– Hang the “Do Not Disturb” sign on your hotel door while you’re away. This will help to discourage anyone from entering your room when you’re not there, since they’ll think the room is occupied.
Use the hotel’s concierge services– A hotel concierge can help you with various tasks like assisting with local tours, booking transportation (limo, plane, taxi), making restaurant reservations, obtaining event tickets (concert, movie, sports game, theater) and recommending local attractions.
Refrain from drinking excessively– When you’re under the influence of alcohol, your judgement is clouded, your reaction time slows down and your sense become dull. This, in turn, makes you extremely vulnerable to others. If you are going to consume alcohol, drink slowly and pace yourself.
Blend in with the locals– Blending in with the locals can help you from becoming a target for thieves and other criminals. Walk with confidence, as if you have walked this area dozens of times before. Avoid carrying around “tourist-y” items, like a camera and a map.
