40+ Safety Tips for Solo Travelers

The Basics

These are some basic tips you can use as a traveler, whether flying solo or
with a friend.

Learn about the local culture. One sure way to stick out
and possibly anger or offend those in your destination country is to not bother
to learn anything about the locals before you arrive. You can also ask others
who have traveled there about what areas to avoid and how you better keep
yourself safe.

Don’t advertise that you’re a tourist. Walking around with
a camera on your neck while sporting an American flag t-shirt won’t exactly help
you to blend in while you’re sightseeing in most countries. Try not to make it
glaringly obvious that you’re on vacation and you don’t know your way around.
The less you look like a tourist, the less likely you are to be a target for
theft.

Avoid flashy clothes and electronics. In many places in the
world, walking around with expensive cell phones, handbags and iPods is
commonplace. But you should be wary when traveling to parts of the world where
these kind of fancy electronics and clothing aren’t the norm. They’ll just make
you look like a desirable target for petty crime, so leave them at home if
possible.

Know the area. Before leaving on your trip, do some
research, whether it’s on the Internet or in a travel guide. Learn what areas
might be dangerous for a solo traveler, where pickpocketing is most common, and
some general safety tips for your destination so you’ll have a heads up when you
arrive.

Always carry a little cash with you. While you certainly
shouldn’t be toting around large amounts of cash, carrying a small amount with
you at all times can help you get out of a hairy situation if you need to. If
you feel threatened, having cash will allow you to take a cab or duck into a
restaurant to order coffee and quickly get out of the situation.

Copy important documents. Before you leave for your trip,
make sure to copy all of your important travel documents like your ID, passport,
credit cards and travel itineraries so that if something happens to the
original, it will be much easier to get a replacement.

Make sure someone knows where you are. Before you leave on
your trip, leave family members with a rough copy of your itinerary. Letting
others know when you are leaving, where you plan to stay, and when you should
return will help them to locate you if something should happen.

Make friends. You may have left home alone, but that
doesn’t mean that you have to spend your entire trip as a loner. Make friends
with the locals or meet other travelers at your hotel or hostel. Who knows, you
could have some great experiences and maybe even make a lifelong friend.

Listen to your instincts. If you find yourself thinking
that a situation just isn’t quite right or that a person seems disingenuous,
chances are good that you might be right. Your instinctive feelings are meant to
keep you out of harms way, to try to pay attention to what they’re telling
you.

Always carry a means of communication. Whether it’s a cell
phone or a calling card, always keep a way to call home or for help handy. Keep
it separate from your other valuables so that if those are stolen you’ll still
be able to ring a cab and get replacements for your lost valuables.

Buy something from a local store. Want to blend in? Try
making a purchase from a local grocery store. The local bag will make you look
more like a native and is much less likely to be stolen than an expensive purse
or day pack.

Read up on local laws and customs. Just because you’re a
visitor and not a native doesn’t mean you’re above local laws and customs. Read
up on these before you go to avoid any possible trouble. Sometimes even things
you think are innocuous other might be grossly offensive and even illegal in
other parts of the world.

Learn the basics of the local language. While it’s likely
that you’ll be able to find at least a few people in your destination country
that speak your language you certainly shouldn’t count on it. Before you leave,
learn basic words and phrases to help you hail a cab, order food, make
purchases, and do other basic day to day activities so you won’t be overcharged
or cause yourself to stick out too badly as a tourist.

Don’t reveal too much personal information. While you do
want to get to know new people that you meet along your travels, you also want
to be careful about revealing too much of your personal information before you
know the person well. If you feel like you’re being grilled on your personal
details, steer the conversation in another direction or get out of it
altogether.

Lodging and Travel

Transportation and hotels are likely to be a big part of any trip, so make
sure you take the necessary precautions when traveling alone to ensure your
safety.

Safeguard your room. When you check into your hotel there
are a number of things you can do to make sure your stay will be as safe as
possible. First, make sure your room number is given to you discretely so other
ill-intentioned persons won’t be able to easily locate you. Also, try to avoid
staying in ground floor rooms where windows and doors can easily be broken into.
Finally, bring a small rubber doorstop with you to help prevent intruders from
entering your room.

Keep your hotel’s phone number and address on you. You
don’t want to end up stranded in a foreign country with no way to get back to
your hotel. Keep your hotel’s business
card with you so you can show it to the cab driver if you don’t speak the
language and have the number handy so you can call if you need to.

Don’t order room service on the doorknob hang tag. Ordering
room service for one on the outside of your door might be convenient, but it
also advertises that you’re staying in a room alone and what time you expect
someone to be knocking on the door so you’ll be willing to open it. If you want
room service, make the call from your room instead.

Only take licensed taxis. Don’t just take a ride from any
old taxi if you can help it. Look for drivers that are licensed to be taxi
drivers. You’ll be less likely to get ripped off and more likely to arrive at
your destination safely.

Lock your suitcase. If you’re going to be leaving your
luggage in the hold of a bus or in your hotel room, make it less tempting for
thieves by locking it. It won’t stop someone from slashing it if they really
want what’s inside, but it will help reduce the temptation of theft if it’s less
convenient to get into your bag.

Ask the concierge. Not sure where it’s safe for a single
person to go to lunch or take a stroll? Ask the hotel concierge to give you
recommendations and help you safely navigate around the city. He or she will be
able to tell you about safe sightseeing as well as make recommendations to
improve your visit.

Book at least one night in advance. Many people hate taking
trips with set itineraries, but when you’re traveling alone it’s usually a good
idea to have at least the first night of your trip booked in advance. This way,
you’ll know there will be room for you and you’ll know exactly where you’re
heading when you arrive.

Use the do not disturb signs. It’s best when you’re
traveling alone not to encourage anyone to enter your room, not even the
cleaning staff. That isn’t to say that they can’t be trusted, but while they’re
cleaning the room they could leave the door open, allowing anyone to come in.
After all, they don’t know what the person staying there looks like. Hang the do
not disturb sign from your door and get fresh towels from the front desk if you
need them instead.

Traveling alone can be a rewarding and exciting experience, as it forces you
to make new friends and allows you to make your own agendas without worrying
about what someone else wants to do. Unfortunately, traveling solo can also be dangerous if
you don’t take the appropriate precautions. Use these 40 or so tips to help keep
your next solo adventure safe and happy.

For Women

Unfortunately, women often face special challenges when traveling alone that
men might not. Here are some tips to make traveling alone less daunting.

Acknowledge your boundaries. While you want to fit in with
the culture and people of your destination, realize that you might have
different boundaries. If you don’t feel comfortable in a situation, no matter
how normal it is where you’re visiting, don’t do it. Its better to be
embarrassed than end up hurt.

Dress conservatively. Wearing tight or revealing clothes
might fly in some places, but in many it will get you unwanted and possibly
aggressive attention from men. Take your cues on how to dress from the local
women. If they don’t show their legs, you probably shouldn’t either, or you
could be inviting something you don’t want.

Respect the culture of your destination. In many places
that you will visit, there are simply different norms about how women should act
and dress. While you don’t have to lose yourself completely in these, you should
try to respect these to the best of your abilities. It will make life much
easier for you, and prevent unwanted attention.

Don’t invite trouble. You might get away with grabbing
a beer at a bar alone at home or flirting shamelessly with men you meet, but
in an unfamiliar place you could be getting yourself into trouble. Remember that
sometimes visiting another country alone means giving up some of the freedoms
you might have enjoyed at home. It could be a small price to pay to avoid
getting hurt.

Wear a wedding ring. Don’t want men to see you as a single
woman even if you are? Try wearing a wedding ring. It will make you look less
available and drive away some unwanted suitors.

Always walk with others at night. In general, it’s a good
idea to apply this rule no matter where you are, but it can be especially
important when you’re traveling in an unfamiliar city. Find other travelers or
trusted locals to help you get home or if you need to, suck it up and pay for a
taxi toget back to yor hotel.

Keep your guard up. While you don’t want to be rude to
those who could be potential friends, be wary of others when traveling alone.
Keep your guard up when in intimidating or crowded places.

Take cues from local women. Not sure how to dress or avoid
untoward comments from men? Watch the local women to see what they do. Often you
can pick up a few tricks that can make your trip more comfortable and that will
make you look less like a tourist.

Be alert. When walking through even crowded streets make
sure to keep an eye out for anyone that could be following you or appears to be
behaving abnormally. If you feel uncomfortable, get out of the situation
immediately, don’t wait until it’s too late to do something.

Don’t worry about overreacting. If you feel unsafe or that
you’re under attack, don’t worry about running, screaming, or getting out of a
situation as quickly as possible. It’s better to look foolish than to end up
getting hurt by a less than friendly native.

Protecting Your Valuables

While losing your valuables isn’t the end of the world, it sure can ruin a
what would have otherwise been a great trip. Use these tips to help keep your
stuff safe while you’re away from home.

Be wary of people approaching you. This isn’t to say that
you shouldn’t make friends when you’re traveling alone, only that you should be
very careful when being approached by people on the street. Many times thieves
devise stories to distract you while you’re being robbed, so be on the lookout
for anyone you feel might be trying to pull the wool over your eyes.

Research petty crime. Some destinations are known for their
proliferation of pickpockets, thieves and scam artists. Find out statistics
beforehand through a government or independent research site or ask other
travelers about their experiences so you’ll know what to expect and the level of
vigilance you should have.

Hide your valuables. Don’t walk around with your wallet,
purse or money belt in plain view. Hide them inside a jacket, shirt, shawl or
under your clothes. You don’t have to make them inconvenient to access for
yourself, but you also don’t want to be advertising their location to potential
thieves.

Split up cash and credit cards. When traveling, alone or
otherwise, it’s always a good idea to keep at least some of your money and
credit cards separate. This way, if you do lose one set you’ll have another to
fall back on and your trip won’t be disrupted as heavily.

Keep your bags close to you and closed. If you’re walking
around with a bag during the day, make sure to keep it on your arm, looped
around your leg, or otherwise in your possession throughout your sightseeing.
This makes it much more difficult for thieves to snatch and ensures that you
won’t forget it somewhere either.

Have spares. When bringing valuables like credit cards,
medications, and cash along, you should always have a backup supply stored
somewhere separately. You don’t want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with
no way to pay your bills or take important medications.

Use the hotel safe. If you’re worried about leaving
valuables like cameras, laptops and jewelry unattended in your hotel room, then
lock them up in the hotel safe. It might take a little extra time, but it can be
worth the hassle if you don’t have to deal with stolen goods.

Never leave luggage unattended. While it might be a pain to
drag your clunky luggage
with you everywhere you go, even that quick bathroom break, leaving it alone is
just asking for it to get stolen. Always keep your belongings with you or at
least within your line of sight when you’re traveling.

Be careful about using ATMs. Solo travelers should be wary
about removing money from an ATM. Try to only withdraw cash from machines during
the day and in areas where there are other people around.