According to The Economist Intelligence Unit, only two American cities (Washington D.C. and Chicago) feature in the top ten safe cities in the world in its Safe Cities Index. If you are traveling alone, you’ll probably be put off by these findings. Not to worry, because you can follow the 13 tips below to safely travel alone anywhere in the world. If you are planning to go traveling alone, take a look at this list of thirteen of my best solo travel safety tips and advice.
As you can imagine, traveling alone or solo traveling has many benefits, I have a post and podcast detailing this in deep, check it out!
How to Safely Travel Alone
- Before you plan your trip, first think of your disposition to travel alone. If you start with a worried state of mind, you lose your resolve to travel alone. Remember, you can accomplish anything provided you put your mind to it.
- You should plan your travel by conducting a lot of research from authentic and official websites to get accurate information. Take a look at Travel Health Connect and get all the travel health information you need, complete with an evaluation from a healthcare professional who specializes in travel health, before embarking on your journey.
- Prepare well by taking care to see that you have all the necessary support elements – travel and hotel reservations and confirmations, itinerary, credit and debit cards, cash, addresses and contact numbers, safety helplines, insurance for travel, and health and transit from arriving place to hotel.
- Pack your essentials such as clothes, toiletries, and any medications so as to last for the entire trip and more. You don’t want to get stuck in a new place without a prescription, would you?
- An important precaution you must take if you are a woman solo traveler is not to pack expensive jewelry. Why tempt thieves in an unknown place?
- Before you leave, get a feel of the place you are traveling to by studying the maps and seeing videos. This will help you to orient yourself in general directions (the airport is to the south of the city and so on).
- Once you get to your destination, plan your activities carefully. You should first undertake tours with other members to acclimatize yourself and earmark safe and good places to visit solo if you are so inclined. You should cover as much as possible in public. A reconnaissance of sorts!
- The first few days of your tour in public and with other members that you spend is prudent because you have a safety net when traveling from one place to another, and you have time to yourself when you can see by yourself without getting disturbed by others.
- You should be extremely cautious in sharing your personal information such as the hotel you stay at or your travel plans or your marital status. Why dole out information to passing acquaintances?
- After the acclimatizing period, you can venture on your own. You must chalk out your plan to visit specific places and keep your hotel or friends informed so that they are aware of where you have gone. Once you are back in the hotel, ensure you inform the concerned about your safe return.
- When you are sightseeing solo, safely store your important documents in a proper storing place and always keep them near you and never leave it out of your sight. Always keep your hotel’s address and the city’s map with you. You don’t want to be caught napping without your documents!
- Try to stick to using public transport. Most cities have good public transport touching the most important tourist spots. Avoid taxis as much as possible. Most cities are respectable and safe for pedestrians to walk. Remember to understand the specific rules in the city for pedestrians. If you are hurt in a pedestrian accident and it’s not your fault, be aware that you can often make some sort of claim for pedestrian injuries. Many people aren’t aware of this and end up damaging their finances unnecessarily, advises pedestrian injury claim specialist, Jonathan Rosenfeld.
- If you want to experience the nightlife, it is advisable to team up with friends introduced to you by other mutual friends.
Traveling solo has its own thrill, and many people do travel solo for a variety of reasons. However, it is safer to take care and follow the tips above to have safe travel.
