Wander Freely: 9 Must-Know Safety Tips for Female Solo Travelers

Don’t brag about being alone
Trust your gut
If you’re an alcohol drinker, have a limit
Dress to blend in
Share your itinerary and location with someone you trust
Arrive to your destination during daylight
Bring a door stopper alarm
Stay in a area that’s considered safe
Don’t share too much information regarding you and your itinerary

1. Don’t brag about being alone

Being a woman in general can make me an easier target, so traveling alone in a country I’m not familiar with can make me an even bigger target. When traveling alone, if asked, I usually say I’m traveling with friends and/or my boyfriend or visiting friends and/or family.

2. Trust your gut

If at any point you feel uncomfortable around someone, trust your gut. Stay aware of your surroundings, and safely remove yourself from the situation.

I’ve seen a bunch of videos on social media of solo female travelers walking to their hostel/hotel/Airbnb or cafe and being followed by a man. If in that situation I would recommend walking into a public establishment, even if it’s not the place you originally were heading to. That may put a stop to the person following you, also it’s a great opportunity to ask someone for help.

3. If you’re an alcohol drinker, have a limit

If you’re an alcohol drinker, it’s safe to know your limit. If you don’t know your limit, create one, such as sticking to one drink and that’s it. Being a woman and being solo can make you a target, so be aware of your surroundings, and make sure you can always look after yourself. Being drunk, can put a bigger target on you.

4. Dress to blend in

Depending on the destination, it may be safer to dress to blend in. Such as countries like Saudi Arabia and Morocco, wearing clothes that covers your shoulders, not showing much skin, not wearing something that can sexualize you, will help you blend in with the local women.

There are countries that you can get away with showing a lot of skin, but you still have to be careful when it comes to showing wealth. Such as expensive watches and jewelry.

Everytime I travel solo, I send my itinerary to my mom, sister, and boyfriend. I use the TripIt itinerary builder app and through the app, I share my itinerary.

I also have all three of them on the Life360 app, where we can see each other’s location. I like both of these methods because if they don’t hear from me for days, they have ways to track me.

6. Arrive to your destination during daylight

Traveling to a new destination can be nerve wrecking for anyone, even seasoned travelers. I learned that arriving to a destination during daylight, makes me feel a little more at ease because when leaving the airport, I can see my surroundings and where I’m going. I love being able to arrive to the destination, check into my hotel or Airbnb and then if I could, explore the area by foot.

I have some experience arriving at destinations at night. I arrived in London and Tobago at night. Both destinations I went with someone, so I wasn’t alone. But I remember the drive from the bus station to my Airbnb in London, and I just saw street lights and closed restaurants. The taxi driver ended up letting my sister and I out a block from the Airbnb because it was hard for him to see the numbers on the homes. So we ended up walking around looking for the home ourselves and found it.

In Tobago, our Airbnb was only about a ten-minute walk from the airport, so we decided to walk. It was an airy feeling though because it was super quiet.

7. Bring a door stopper alarm

I usually bring a door stopper when traveling solo, or even when traveling with my female friends. It gives me a sense of security when I’m in a vulnerable position, such as sleeping or taking a shower. You can’t really trust anyone while traveling, so protecting yourself should be a priority.

There are a variety of door stopper alarms to choose from on Amazon.

8. Stay in a area that’s considered safe

When deciding on an area consider the crime rate, access to transportation, walkability, street lighting, and if it’s isolated or sketchy. You can also consider the vibe of the area, such as creative, relaxed, or nightlife.

I’ve stayed in many different areas while traveling, from tourist areas, to local areas, to areas that barely had transportation. I personally enjoy staying in local areas, that are relaxed, walkable, and with a variety of food options nearby.

Use your judgment when sharing information about yourself and your itinerary. I realize being on tours, other travelers would ask where I’m staying or let me know where they’re staying.