Solo female travel can be daunting, but it shouldn’t be. Going solo on a selected journey is likely safer than doing so independently, however, there’s practically no better way to discover not only the world but also yourself, than by embarking on a solo trip. It is natural for family and relatives to get nervous and think the worst. In such a case, it is a must to consider certain safety precautions so as your trip would be both safe and well awarded.
Tips for Solo Female Travel
Do a Research
- Solo female travel safety starts much before leaving, so research is significant. Knowledge protects you from the danger of naively wandering into an unsafe area, and misinformation.
- Choose your destination carefully, as this time you would be all by yourself with nobody to watch your bag and look after your things while you probably have to run to get your train tickets or rush to the bathroom. That luxury does not exist so you have to employ different tactics. The arrangement of such a solo female travel journey is very different as you will be getting out of your comfort zone, but it will be an awarding experience for sure.
- Check about the currency and look up safety information you can find. Check the cost of taxis, the best neighbourhoods and those to avoid if there’s a medical centre in the city –just in case something unexpected happens, and get insurance coverage.
Travel Insurance is a Must
If you can’t afford travel insurance, then you cannot afford to be travelling! Imagine if you lose your luggage in an unknown to your destination, or get sick and badly need to see a doctor. Don’t even think of having one such trip without travel insurance!
Book in advance in some places
You would not like to find yourself arriving in a new place at night and looking to find a hotel in the last minute. Book in advance in such moments and make sure they expect you, to avoid unwanted scenarios.
Solo Female Travel
Plan Daylight Arrivals
Schedule your arrival during daylight to be able to see the kind of area you are staying, even have time to find the right accommodation if you haven’t arranged one.
Luggage & Valuables
- Travel Light
- The lighter the luggage the best.
- Have a distinctive mark on it other than a name and address tag.
- Keep your name and address inside the bag for proper identification.
- Save somewhere handy your flight ticket to confirm if asked.
Keeping Valuables Safe
Avoid carrying jewels and valuables, but we can speak of a camera, a smartphone or a tablet as valuables nowadays as well, don’t we? Considering the cost to replace them, they do count as valuables. Have them all together along with the passport, credit cards, and medication, in a bag that you will be holding and never leave any of them in the luggage hold on a bus or the checked luggage on a plane to avoid the risk of losing them.
Solo Female Travel
Money Safety Tips
- Keep your debit and credit cards, passport and money in a belt or in a pouch that can be concealed under your clothing if in transit. Avoid carrying your passport. Carry a copy of it instead!
- Avoid carrying credit or debit cards in your purse. You could have it snatched.
- Stash money in more than one place
- Keep emergency cash hidden. You could have some money tucked away, in a bra or a shoe or anywhere that could work for you, in the case of losing it.
ATM Safety
Your ATM card is precious valuable. Guard it as best as you can and if lost, urgently contact the financial institution that issued it.
Wise Use of Debit Cards
Use them wisely – preferably get money from ATM’s than money exchange kiosk, and take out small amounts more frequently and only the amount you need each time unless they are scarce to find.
Assure that your credit card does not charge foreign transaction fees. Remember, not every card works everywhere, so carry a spare one if possible.
Solo Female Travel
More Tips on Solo Female Travel
- As a solo female traveller avoid mentioning the place you are staying if you meet people. There is no need they know. If you plan to see someone, better do it at a local landmark.
- Moments of Loneliness
- There might be moments that you feel down or lonely. Don’t quit!
- Join a group and have a day trip if you suddenly feel loneliness. There is always a possibility to make new friends.
- Dress appropriately – Respect the Culture
- Avoid dressing in tight clothes or in a way locals find obnoxious, to elicit sympathy leading to help if something negative comes up.
- Don’t show that you are an easy target wearing clothes that won’t help you to communicate, and avoid making eye contact with men walking down the street or men you come across inside late afternoon trains.
- Never give unknown to you men the benefit of the doubt, and avoid being too chatty with people, in general, you don’t know.
- Avoid walking alone by yourself after dark. Be careful about the places you stay and try to befriend with local women because then they will watch out for you.
- Let people you know better, at the hotel perhaps where you stay, where you are going and when you expect to be back.
- The social media can also be of help. Update your Facebook status daily if possible when travelling so if your family and friends do not hear from you in a few days they know something is up.
Read Situations
Learning how to read situations is quite important as a solo female traveller and if suddenly you are somewhere and you start feeling nervous or uncomfortable, make your way out of there as quick as possible. The importance is to stay safe, so don’t feel guilty if you offend them.
Maintain the Appearance of Confidence
- If out walking show confidence in the way you move around, with your shoulders back and head looking forward pretending you have somewhere important to be.
- If losing your way and cannot understand where you are, step in a shop or a cafe to consult your map privately before you move on.
- If you fall prey to street harassment, ignore it and move on.
- Carry along a travel safety whistle just in the case you need it.
Don’t Trust easily Unknown People
- There might be times when you might feel like being part of a group, but if you just got to know somebody who approaches you in a more friendly way than the rest, don’t open up.
- Try to stay in public and don’t risk leaving your bag with him or her even for a minute.
- Remember that the people you just met are strangers.
Trust Your Senses
Confidence and Belief
- You should know your strengths and weaknesses by now. The first thing you should do is believe in yourself and have confidence. Travelling alone is not as scary as it seems. Fear is in your head only!
- Little by little you will build experience on the road as you travel solo. Before taking greater challenges assure that your very first solo journey is an ‘easy’ destination, a tourist-friendly where you understand the language.
Go for it!
To sum up, in the rare case that you discover that solo female travel is not for you, you can always change your plans, visit friends, even head back home. After a short period of time, you will discover how a rewarding experience it is!
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