9 Tips on How to Travel Alone and Come Back in One Piece

I am no man hater, I want to make that clear but several of these tips are clearly about protecting women from men. I am writing this post because it has become my goal to use my blog and address some of the major concerns that prevent women from traveling alone. Some of these tips I have from my job as a CPS worker. Some of these tips are from my own travel experiences. Here are 9 tips on how to travel alone as female traveler and come back in one piece.

Wear a Dummy Wedding Ring

You can get a cheap rubber wedding from lots of local stores. They are incredibly popular with athletes, are often less than $20 and can probably be found online or in stores like target. The reason why you want to wear a wedding ring is that it will keep a lot of men from bothering you since they will think that you are married. It could keep them from hitting on you and can also keep them from hassling you on the streets.

Dress to Stay Safe Even if it Doesn’t Impress

This is not a tip to slut shame. This is an honest tip. There are certain countries where only women who are offering sexual services will show their arms or legs. Make sure that you are following the example of local women. If they are wearing shorts then it is more than likely acceptable. If they are covering their arms and legs then that is an example that you should follow.

Send the Elevator to the Basement

If you are taking the elevator, especially at night, then one tip that I can give you is to send the elevator down to the bottom floor and then get it on the way up. This way you will know if anyone is in the elevator before you get in it. Once in the elevator you can prepare yourself for other people getting in and you will be less likely to be surprised.

Have a Check-In Buddy

This should be on the top of the list of things that every solo traveler needs to have without a doubt. You should have a person that you check in on a daily basis, when you are arriving and leaving a country, and if any emergency arrives. You need to have a person that will call the authorities if you go missing or miss a check in.

Always make sure that this is a responsible person. I usually pick my best friend Joey who checks up on me when I am abroad. He has all of my flight information and a basic outline for what I am doing for the day. I will periodically check in with him and we schedule phone calls. He knows that if I miss a check in and he can’t get a hold of me then he needs to contact the authorities.

Walk Yourself Home

The only problem that I have ever had when going abroad with a man hackling me was when I allowed a man to walk me home. He then spent about 30 minutes knocking on the door of my Airbnb asking me to go to the beach. It was about 9pm at night and the beach didn’t have one light out there. It was pitch black and all I could think of was Natalie Holloway. The girl that was murdered in Aruba when she went to the beach with two strange me.

Now I am sure that most of the people who read my blog are adults. Adults are capable of making their own decisions and I know lots of women who travel to get their groove on. I make no judgements. I will say that if you are allowing men to walk you home, especially at night, and in a strange country, you never know what will happen. Personally, I always walk myself home now.

Make it Appear That You Are With Someone

I never tell people that I am traveling alone if they ask me. If men approach me and ask if I am with someone I will say that I am traveling with a husband or with a friend. It is often safer to make it appear that you have someone. You don’t invite strangers to harass you, buy you things, or follow you around.

This is especially the case when I am checking into a hotel or staying in a hotel. I try to make sure that I appear to be with someone so that others think that there is another person who is watching out for me. It’s similar to not posting that you are going on vacation on social media. It increases your chance of getting robbed. If you are walking around telling people you are all alone, then you make yourself more of a target.

Don’t Accept Drinks From Strangers

This is the same in America as it is abroad. I personally will not take a drink that I have not purchased myself, is not closed, or I have not seen poured. There is always a chance that a drink has been drugged. When you are traveling by yourself, you don’t want to be in a strange country with a drugged drink.

Definitely do not drink something that you think has been tampered with. If you get a drink with unusual bubbling or residue around the rim then I would send it back or order another drink. I don’t want it to appear that the boogeyman is around every corner. The state department has reported that several countries in Asia, the Caribbean, and South America where drinks have been drugged and women have been assaulted.

Know Your Emergency Numbers

Not every country that you travel to will use 911 as their emergency number. Make sure that you know the emergency number for every country that you travel to. This way if you find yourself in a bind you can quickly call for help.

Part of knowing your emergency numbers means that you can also call a taxi or ride share if you need it. It is your job to make sure that you get home. If you know who to contact then you are one step closer to making it home safe.

Follow the Example of Other Women

A great way to keep yourself from being hassled is to follow the direction of local women. If you follow the way that other women act and the way they dress you can save yourself a lot of hassle. A part of staying safe as a solo female traveler is to no completely stick out.

There you have it! 9 big tips on how to travel alone and come back in once piece! Let me know what you think below.