Tips for Traveling Alone and Staying Safe

Saturday, April 11th, 2009 at 12:32 am

If you are a traveler, you know that safety is important to enjoying your trip. This is even more so the case if you travel alone.

Here are some tips to keep in mind to enjoy your solo travels:

Knowledge Network – Make sure you leave a detailed itinerary at home with family or close friends. Set a schedule to check in with them on a regular basis and make sure they know which authorities to call if they have not heard from you in a set amount of time.

Don’t Announce It – No one needs to know you are traveling alone. If they do know it, they may pick you out as a target. This is especially the case for women.

Don’t Look Lost – Instead of looking at maps and seeming like a lost person, always leave your hotel, restaurant or other location looking like you know just where you are going and walk with determination. If you get lost, try to get to a safe place before figuring out how to continue on safely again.

Clothing – Try not to dress like a target. Wearing flashy clothing and expensive jewelry makes you an easy target. Try to dress more like the locals and apart from the fact you will be more comfortable wearing smart casual clothing or even just casual clothing you will look less like a tourist.

Hotel – When booking your hotel check out the reviews for that hotel to determine if it is located in a safe part of the city and that is near the locations you will be visiting. The less you have to walk alone the less likely you are of becoming a victim. Unless you have selected to stay in a hotel that is definately down market, you will find that most hotels have good security and once you arrive check the room to make sure the locks on the windows and doors are all working.

Be on guard and proactive – While you may be doing everything right, there comes a point where you may feel like you have become a target and that someone is following you. Find the nearest safe and populated place like a store or library and go inside to watch if the person is in fact following you. Sometimes paranoia can set in when you are on your own.

The key to having a safe and enjoyable trip is simple taking a few precautions and keeping your wits about you.

Paula and I purchased Pacsafe MetroSafe Anti-Theft Shoulder handbags with slash proof handles. They hold every thing we need and we don’t have to be concerned bag snatchers. Also it pays to carry the bag with the handle over your shoulder and across your body so that it is securely attached to you. Anyone trying to take your bag will have to take you as well.