Nowadays, many women are deciding to travel alone. There are many places which are becoming suitable for solo travelers, and especiallyfor single women travelers. If you are unsure of suitable destinations then elephantcarhire.net has a great travel blog herewhich covers solo women travelers.
When travelling alone, there are a few special precautions which women have to take; therefore, we are going toprovide you with some useful tip to keep in mind.
Keep Your Valuables Stashed
When traveling, if possible, try to only take your credit and debit cards that you need and leave all other things at your home. Put your cards in a safe place such as your socks, shoes, or bra. Be sure to never put them inside of your purse. Some experts have even recommended using a money belt. If you don’t have one, magellans.com has a great selection of money belts here.
Never Appear to Be Traveling Solo
Never tell someone that you are travelling alone. In this case, it is acceptable to lie to someone. If someone asks you, a question about travelling to the area be sure to use “we” in the sentence. You should never openly advertise that you are in the area alone.
Know Your Travel Route
Whenever you have to go out of your hotel make sure that, you know the route that you have to take. Never pull out a map in public even if you are in your car. If you possible use a GPS app on your phone to get you directions so, you do not have to use a map to highlight the route that you have to take.
Always Stay Moving
When you are in route to your destination, other than layovers, do not hang out. Standing still to get some food, make a phone call, or even check messages are unacceptable. You want to make sure you are always moving until you get to your destination because a quick stop somewhere could cause you to be someone’s next victim.
Look Like You Belong
When travelling you want to appear to not have any money. This means you do not want to appear to be a tourist or draw attention to yourself by dressing provocatively. Your bags should be light and not expensive. When people look at you, they should think that you are one of the locals.
Be Careful When Choosing a Hotel
If you have to stay in the local overnight, you want to make sure that you go with a hotel chain that is well known for their safety measures. The good news is some hotels even have women only floors. Additionally, you should try to get a room that is not on the ground floor, close to the elevator, and not near the emergency exit or stairwell. Always make sure that you book your room as in advance as possible to insure they have room for you. The last thing you want to do is get stuck staying at the “local motel”. In the event you have little to no options for accommodations try to find a Bed and Breakfast that is run by a woman.
Be Safe When in the Hotel
If you are staying at a well-known hotel more than likely, you have nothing to worry about. However, the tips below will just add on a double layer of safety.
- Sign in as your initials rather than your name
- Make sure you have a hotel postcard with their information listed on it
- Ask the clerk not to mention your room number out load
- Put rubber doorstops under all of the doors
- Even when you are not in the room leave the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door
- Always leave the television or radio on
- Check the room thoroughly before locking the door
- Ask the concierge about areas that you should avoid
Never Look Lost
Even if you have never been to the location before never, appear lost or unsure of where you are going. Always keep your head up, look around, and you can even be friendly with the locals.
Avoid Making New Friends
You did not come to the area to make new friends. It is okay to let you hair down and have a little fun but make sure you do not drink a lot of alcohol and avoid getting to cozy with strangers.
Be Prepared to Defend Yourself
Before you go on your trip, consider taking a self-defense class. Usually, police departments have these classes available. If you take many business trips, you may even be able to get your employer to sponsor a class. Alternatively, you can invest in personal safety devices. If you travel by air, you will have to have them mailed to your hotel though or you can purchase some once you reach your destination.
Bottom Line
Sometimes it is not possible for a woman to avoid travelling alone. However, when you do have to travel alone you do need to take extra precautions to insure that you are able to stay safe. The tips that we have provided you in this article today will help you do just that.
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