Lucy Hudson

Travel Safety Tips For Solo Adventurers

Travelling is a deeply personal experience, and while it’s amazing to share with friends and family, sometimes, you just want to go it alone.

There are many benefits to taking a solo trip, but one of the main downsides is that you might feel unsafe.

That’s especially true during these uncertain times when travelling is a challenge thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Thankfully, there are many easy ways to keep yourself as safe as possible. Here’s a list of some of the best ways you can stay safe while you see the world solo.

Choose The Perfect Destination

If you’re concerned about safety while travelling alone, then choose a destination that’s renowned as being safe for solo travellers. It would also help if you chose a country where you know the language, or know that you can communicate. For example, most Scandinavian schools teach English, so if you can speak English, then you’ll easily be able to communicate with locals in Denmark, Sweden, Iceland or any other part of Scandinavia.

Leave Details Of Your Trip With A Trusted Person

When you’re travelling solo, you won’t have anyone with you to notice if you don’t return to your hotel at night or miss an excursion. Instead, you should provide full details of your trip, including the time of your arrival in your destination, departure times, and contact information. You can then check in with them, to let them know that you’re safe. If they can’t reach you or you don’t return on time, then they can raise the alarm.

Check That Your Mobile Provider Covers Your Destination

Making sure that you always have a way to contact your loved ones is essential for solo travellers. As such, you need to check that your mobile provider will allow you to make calls, texts and use the internet at your chosen destination. If you’re not sure whether you can use your usual SIM card on your travels, then consider getting a temporary international SIM card. These SIM cards will ensure that you can always reach out to your friends and family during your trip, without racking up an enormous phone bill.

Read Online Reviews Of Accommodation Provider

Booking your accommodation in advance is a basic tip for any traveller, whether you’re going solo or travelling in a group. When you’re alone, you need to make sure that you’re completely happy with the accommodation that you use during your trip. Make sure that you read online reviews to check that the accommodation is safe and reliable so that you know you’ll get the service you expect during your stay.

Locate The Nearest Embassy

Once you’ve found and booked your accommodation, make sure that you find the nearest embassy to every hotel you’re staying in during your holiday. An embassy can help you if you lose your ID or passport if you get in trouble with the law, and much more. Note down the embassy’s contact details, so that you can phone, email or visit it if you need anything during your trip. As well as the contact details for the embassy, you should also find out how to contact the local police, ambulance service and other emergency contacts. Keep the numbers in your phone, so that you can contact anyone you need if you encounter an emergency or feel unsafe.

Travel Light If Possible

Carrying lots of possessions means that you could lose your items, and you will have to travel slower. You’re also an easy, slow target for criminals if you have lots of bags. If you only use carry-on luggage, then you’ll spend less time waiting around at the airport and can enjoy more time having fun on your solo adventure. As such, you should try to travel as light as possible. There are many ways to pack light, including using a travel cube, swapping some items for others and more. With a little preparation, you can reduce your luggage while still ensuring that you have the best time on your holiday.

Carry Multiple Forms Of Payment

A major concern for any solo traveller is getting robbed. That’s particularly true if you’re taking a long trip alone, and need to carry all your money for the next few weeks. As such, you should make sure that you leave your debit or credit cards at home, and instead invest in pre-paid cards. Keep a few, each with a small amount on it, in different parts of your bag or pockets in your clothes. You could also take out a small amount of cash, and carry a few traveller’s cheques. By carrying several types of payment, you can reduce the risk of losing all of your money if you get mugged or pickpocketed.

Take Out Travel Insurance

When you’re taking a short trip, it’s easy to think that you don’t need travel insurance. However, you should always take out travel insurance when you go abroad. Travel insurance can help if you lose your bags, or if you get injured and need to go to the hospital. Without travel insurance, you could find that you have to pay cash upfront for your treatment. If you get treated without travel insurance, then you might face a hefty bill when you get home.

Be Sensible

When you’re on holiday, it’s easy to forget yourself and be impulsive. However, you could put yourself in a dangerous situation if you do something impulsive, such as getting into a car with a charismatic stranger. As such, you should always exercise your judgement and make sure that you don’t get yourself into an unsafe situation.

Don't Drink Too Much

Alcohol can reduce your inhibitions and make you more susceptible to suggestion, which could lead you to drop your guard. As such, you should avoid getting completely drunk while you’re travelling alone. When you do drink, you should watch your glass to make sure that no one tampers with it. If you’re concerned at all, then get rid of your drink and leave the bar as soon as possible. If in doubt, contact the local police.

Travelling alone can be daunting, but there are easy ways to ensure that you stay safe. These tips should help you to stay safe and have fun during your solo adventures!