Have you got a ticket to heaven? Or a cross-country Eat, Pray, Love type journey in the works? Before you collect your boarding pass, you might want to consider these points. We’re going over some of the dangers out there for a woman traveling solo, and how to avoid them. Most of it comes down to being aware, trusting your gut, and using some common sense. Read on to see our suggestions.
Do some research
You might want to give your destinations’ government websites a look before you leave. Look into the crimes, petty and otherwise, that are common in the area, and prepare for the worst. You can also read a few travel blogs to see about some social and moral faux pas that might get you in trouble while you’re there. The first part of being safe is being aware.
Pockets are your friend
For example, few people are aware that pickpocketing is a big problem in major European cities. It’s vital to keep a hold of your passport and your money, which pickpocketers will swipe while you’re taking a photo of the Eiffel Tower. Make sure your hotel safe works, or better yet, invest in your own and only take out what you need. While you’re out and about, if you have a climate that allows for it, you can wear a jacket or jeans that keep everything in inside pockets, where pickpocketers would have to get uncomfortably close to reach.
Get your travel insurance
No matter what the circumstances of your trip, whether it’s a simple return flight or a connecting trip or a country hopper, you will need travel insurance. The global pandemic is still being felt. Even if the flights are taking off, a lot are still being canceled due to weather, staffing shortages, etc. You’ll need travel insurance that covers you for a canceled holiday due illness or even lost baggage or purse, medical expenses, and more.
Don’t tell people you are alone
This is the most important thing. No matter how much you trust new strangers, you don’t actually know them, so make sure you don’t let anyone know you’re alone. There are a number of ways that strangers can then take advantage of you if they know that your closest people are in another country.
Inflated restaurant bills
Make sure to read every bill you’re given. Waiters are a little more loose in Europe for example so won’t mind emptying a leftover bottle of wine in your glass just to get rid of it, but if they then charge you, they’re playing games.
Plus, in Southeast Asia, it’s common for the locals to make friends with the excuse of wanting to learn English, take their new friend to their favorite restaurant, and have other locals wrack up a bill that you are then left with.
Dress modestly if you need to We don’t mean to get dark here, but if you know the story of how and why the current revolution is happening in Iran, you’ll appreciate why you should cover up when you’re abroad. It differs depending on where you are of course, and in Iran who is in charge, but you might want to do some research anyway. For example, in places like Dubai which rapidly westernized and loosened its morals for the sake of tourists, you might be safe, but if you start to wander outside the tourist-heavy areas into more rural towns, cover-up. That goes double if you’re going into temples or holy areas pretty much anywhere in the world.
As always, thank you for stopping by.
Laura
