Traveling by yourself can sometimes be intimidating. If you’re a female traveling by yourself, it can sometimes be a bit harder because of safety concerns that you might have and because you might not feel certain about your surroundings. There are a few things that you can do if you plan to travel solo to ensure that all of your planning leads to positive results.
Tour Groups
There are usually tour groups that you can join if you’ve never been to a city or a country. These groups tend to have a schedule that is followed during the day in order to see all of the most popular attractions in an area. Transportation is usually provided, and you can sometimes get discounts for the attractions you visit. A benefit of a tour group is that you’ll always be with someone when you’re exploring the city.
Clothing
Find out what the locals wear, and try to dress like they do so that you can fit in as much as possible. If you fit in, then you likely won’t attract as much attention. This can keep you from being a target for those who could be trying to look for someone to rob or someone to take advantage of who hasn’t been to the area.
Stay Connected
Communicate with family members and friends while you’re traveling. Make sure they know where you’re at when you’re not home and when you should be back from your trip. If you’re not back, then this could let them know that something might be wrong or that something has changed with your schedule and that they should contact you to see if you’re alright. You can also send pictures to your family and friends and have someone to talk to while you’re away from home.
Personal Information
While you’re traveling, you want to try to keep as many personal details to yourself as you can. No one needs to know where you live, what your career is, or information about your personal life unless you know that person or those details are needed for traveling purposes. Even if you meet someone while you’re traveling, avoid letting those people know where you’re staying and similar details so that you’re safe on your trip.
Education
Learn as much as you can about the area you plan to visit before you travel. If you don’t want to read a lot of books, read the details offered online from those who have visited the area so that you know what to expect when you go to restaurants or shopping centers. As a solo female traveler, you want to know which areas to avoid and which ones are safe to explore if you don’t plan on meeting new people. You can also talk to the staff at the front desk at your hotel to get information about the best locations to visit that are safe for solo travelers.
Even though traveling by yourself might seem frightening, you can have a pleasant experience with a little planning. Surround yourself with large groups, and try to learn as much as you can about the area so that you’re prepared when you arrive.
