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Intro

In my last post, I provided tips on increasing confidence in traveling solo. I also included some safety tips, but I felt like I needed to expand on this subject since it’s so important.

Before embarking on my first solo trip abroad, I had loved ones express worry because they didn’t know if it would be safe. I was headed to a place most people hadn’t heard of at the time (Accra, Ghana), and they feared that something bad would happen to me. I had to refrain from stating the obvious: Bad things happen everywhere in the world, including in one’s own neighborhood.

Of course, I kept that thought to myself. However, with this energy in mind, I did my best to prepare myself before I showed up at the airport. I wrote this article to share some real-life safety tips for other solo female travelers.

How to Stay Safe as a Solo Female Traveler: A Practical Guide

Be prepared

Some wise person once said, “Piss poor preparation promotes poor performance.” They probably said it in a much different context than solo travel for women, but it still applies. Preparation is a major part of confidence, which you’ll need to remain safe anywhere.

To that end, here are some steps to prepare for an international solo trip:

State Department site research

Before you schedule your flight to that place across the ocean, be sure to check if the country has a travel advisory through the US State Department. You can search for your destination or scroll down the list to see what level of advisory is active at the time.

Advisories go from level 1 (exercise normal precautions) to level 4 (do not travel), to “other” in special circumstances.

When you click on the link to the country you’re looking to visit, you’ll see a lot of important and useful information. Don’t forget to check this before you spend your hard-earned money!

Embassies

On the page of the country you’re researching, there’s a section with the contact information for the US Embassy within that country.

Program that number in your phone and write down the address. It’s better to have this information and not need it, than to need it and not be able to access it.

You may be asking, “Why would I need an embassy?” There are a lot of reasons, like:

• Passport replacement
• Assistance in emergencies
• Visa processing
• Safety, and more.

Familiarize yourself with the website of the US Embassy in the country you’re looking to visit before you leave because it’s a very important resource that can save you time and stress while you’re so far from home.

Learn about emergency departments, costs, and procedures

Wherever you’re going, be sure to look up the hospital system, as well as the procedures to contact law enforcement. Do your best to understand how they work and try not to make assumptions based on what you’re used to at home.

For example, in the US, we’re used to police coming to a location when you call them; however, in Ghana, you’ll need to find a way to the police or have a way to bring them to you when you need them. Understanding these procedures can help to manage your expectations and decrease stress in crucial times.

In terms of medical care, do your best to learn about the costs of medical care. If you do this and have travel insurance, there’s a great chance that you won’t have as high of costs as you would without the insurance.

If you go to Thailand, their medical costs aren’t very expensive, at least compared to American healthcare costs. If you need care, it’s much easier to pay out of pocket. If, when you’re doing your research, you find that healthcare is prohibitively expensive, you may want to reconsider that destination.

Or not…live your life!

Sign up for travel insurance

I know I know…it’s another cost…but it’s necessary. Again, it’s best to have it and not need it, than the other way around.

Travel insurance can help with:

• Emergency evacuation
• Trip cancellation
• Lost luggage
• Personal accidents
• Medical assistance, and more.

Be sure to do your research on the available insurance options, weighing the cost with the benefits you’ll receive.

Buy a ring

Sad to say, some people only respect you when they think you belong to somebody else as a woman.

You tell them you’re not interested, but they persist.

To head this off, I’ve heard of some buying wedding rings or sets so that they appear married. Yes, it’s dishonest, but buying and wearing your ring could keep you safe by avoiding awkward conversations with strange men and heading off into dangerous situations.

Safety gear

As of this writing, there are so many options for solo travelers to pack in their bags to ensure their safety, such as:

• Doorstop alarms – You can jam this under the door and it will sound if someone opens your door.
• Portable door locks – When done correctly, intruders can’t get into your room without your permission. When you use these with the locks on the door already, you’ll be secure.
• First aid kits – there’s nothing worse than needing a bandaid without any access to one. Your hotel may have them in a store, but I can almost guarantee that they’ll be more expensive than necessary. Save yourself some money and frustration by packing your own.
• Money bags and RFID wallets – These can prevent theft of your resources and prevent identity theft when you go anywhere. In fact, don’t wait to use these; people steal money and identities even at home.
• Travel safes – I took one of these with me to Ghana when I studied abroad. My hostel room didn’t have its own safe and it came in handy when I needed to store my passport, money, and other important items. If you’re staying in a hotel, though, your room will probably have a safe available.

Other safety items like stun guns, mase, and tazer devices could be useful, but before you buy, research the rules for packing these in your luggage and whether you’re allowed to have them where you’re going.

Once there

Now that you’ve prepared before you left, you still have more to consider once you arrive, such as:

Don’t be too familiar. Keep your business to yourself

Making friends as a solo traveler can be difficult. Some believe that they need to tell people all about themselves, including the fact that they’ve traveled alone.

However, this isn’t the wisest course of action if you want to remain safe. You don’t need to tell others all about yourself or your business to become acquainted.

They may figure out that you’re alone eventually, but give yourself time to figure them out before you volunteer any information that could put you in danger.

If you’re on a tour, this information may become obvious, like it did when I went on a tour in Thailand. This was ok because we had a tour guide who was concerned with everyone’s safety.

If the hotel check-in says your room number, request a new one

One time, after a long flight, I arrived at my hotel to check into my room. Unfortunately, the front desk agent said my room number out loud.

Chagrined, I believed that this was against the rules, but maybe they never were trained to avoid this behavior.

If this happens to you, have enough confidence to ask for another room and ask the front desk agent to write it down and not say it aloud.

Luckily, I haven’t run into this issue all of these years later; front desk agents just write the room number on the envelope containing my room keys.

Some hotels have even leveraged high-tech solutions like sending your room number to your phone and allowing you access to your room by touching your phone to a sensor on your door.

Act like more people are there with you or are coming later

Sometimes solo travel safety requires lying, either actively or by omission. When in a location on your own, it’s perfectly fine to tell people that others will arrive later, even if it isn’t true. Never let anyone know that no one knows where you are because it’s extremely unsafe.

It may be morally wrong, but safety is key. You may not need to volunteer this information at all; if nobody asks, just act as you normally would.

Act like you belong everywhere you go

This one is self-explanatory. Try your best to walk around confidently, like you belong wherever you go.

Looking like a tourist, walking around gawking, taking too many pictures, etc can mark you as someone who doesn’t belong, which could attract people looking to take advantage of you in so many ways.

Instead, do your best to square your shoulders, stand up straight, and walk confidently. There are no guarantees, but this could keep you out of danger in a foreign place.

Be aware of your surroundings

Do your best to enjoy yourself while being aware of where you are and who you’re around at all times.

Try to stay out of your phone as this can help you avoid theft of it and other valuables.

Always remain aware of where you are to avoid unsafe situations.

End

Safety is one of the biggest concerns for travelers, solo or otherwise.

Do your best to prepare before you leave and stay wily when you get to your destination. This will help you to come home safe and sound, which is what we all want, at the end of the day.

Now it’s your turn. What safety tips have you found outside of those in this article? Comment below!