13 Travel Safety Tips for Women Traveling Alone
If you want to feel confident and at ease in your solo travels, these travel safety tips for women are a must-have in your travel toolkit!
Let’s be real: traveling alone is one of the most empowering and exhilarating experiences you can have, but there are a lot of unknowns—especially for first-time solo travelers! While my travel experiences have shown me that most of the world and its people are kind, it never hurts to be vigilant and prepared with travel safety tips for women.
In this blog post, I’m sharing 13 essential safety tips that’ll help you roam the world with confidence. From picking the perfect place to stay to keeping your wits about you in unfamiliar spots, I’ve got your back. We’ll cover how to connect with fellow travelers, using tech to stay safe and trusting your gut. So, grab your passport and let’s dive into how to make your solo adventures not just fun but safe too!
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13 Travel Safety Tips for Women Traveling Alone
These are the safety tips I live by when traveling solo. I learned them on-the-fly through years of traveling solo through four continents!
When you follow these solo safety rules, you can travel through anywhere with confidence and ease. Whether you’re visiting Mexico, Israel, Australia, Turkey—or anywhere in between—these tips will serve you well.
1. Don’t say you’re traveling solo.
If you get a bad feeling or feel uncomfortable around someone, don’t tell them you’re traveling solo. Say you’re meeting a friend/boyfriend/husband shortly.
2. Walk with purpose.
Walk like you know where you’re going and make eye contact with people while walking (unless eye contact is culturally disrespectful in the destination, like in Japan).
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3. Stay alert when walking.
Don’t look down at your phone or wear headphones while walking around. If you need your phone for directions, make an effort to stay aware and not draw attention to it. Remember, being aware of your surroundings is key to safe travel.
For an extra layer of security and peace of mind, carry a She’s Birdie Personal Safety Alarm. This genius little keychain has an extremely loud alarm and blinking light that you can easily activate in the event of danger. The simple keychain design is also convenient for travel.
4. Wear a crossbody purse.
Carry your purse across your body or carry a backpack on your front side in crowded places.
If you want to take it a step further, I love the Canvas Crossbody Purse by Travelon. It has tons of safety features without taking away from style or making it bulky. It’s a versatile travel bag.
5. Don’t use your back pockets.
Never put money or your phone in your back pocket or coat pockets. It makes you an easy target for pickpockets, or just having something fall out when you’re in transit.
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6. Disperse money and cards.
Disperse your money and credit cards throughout your person and at your accommodations. For example, $50 in your purse, $20 in your bra, $20 in your front pocket and the rest back in your room. This way, if you get robbed or pickpocketed, you don’t lose everything and you have money to get home or get the necessary resources to contact family back home.
For added security in your accommodations—whether it’s a hotel or Airbnb—this portable door lock is easy to use and even easier to pack thanks to the compact size!
7. Protect your drink.
Keep your drink with you at all times and never accept a drink you didn’t watch someone make.
RELATED POST: 6 Benefits of Traveling Solo (From Years of Experience)
8. Better yet, don’t drink.
Don’t drink or limit consumption of alcohol so you stay in your right mind and avoid blacking out. Staying sober can help you maintain control over your surroundings, especially when traveling for work or during a solo trip.
9. Only use registered cabs.
Not all destinations have Uber or Lyft! If that’s the case in your solo travel destinations, remember to never get into an unmarked cab or a cab because the driver solicits you. Have the hotel or restaurant call you a trusted cab service or choose a marked cab yourself.
10. Beware of the water.
In places with water that’s not safe to drink, such as South America or Southeast Asia, only drink from bottled water or at restaurants that cater to tourists and use purified water and ice. Brush your teeth with fresh water from a bottle rather than sink water. Only eat fruit that you can peel or wash really well with purified water. I learned this the SERIOUSLY hard way when I ate apples (that I didn’t wash) all throughout Egypt and ended up extremely sick.
11. Make your whereabouts known.
Never go home with someone without telling someone else where you’re going and who you’re going with. Even better, get the contact information from the ID of the person you’re going with and share that with a trusted person in your destination and back home.
RELATED POST: Why YOU Should Travel Solo (Yes, Even as a Female!)
12. Don’t do drugs.
Don’t do drugs. Different countries have different laws regarding drugs and it’s better to be safe than sorry. Not to mention, doing drugs generally puts you in more dangerous situations just by the people and places it puts you around.
13. Listen to your gut! If you have a bad feeling, listen to it.
This is your rule to live by! Your body and brain can sense things that you can’t understand. That’s why it’s so important to always listen to your gut or any bad feelings you have about a person, place or situation. You’ll never be sorry you did but you might be sorry you didn’t.
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Conclusion
With these travel safety tips for women, you can confidently embark on your next adventure. Whether you’re traveling solo for leisure or traveling for work, preparation is key. Remember, a little vigilance goes a long way in ensuring your journey is not only enjoyable but also safe. Happy travels, girls!
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