10 Solo Traveler Safety Tips Update | Solo Trekker

10 Solo Traveler Safety Tips Update: The greatest risk in travel statistically still tends to be the drive to the airport. However, no one wants safety issues to ruin a vacation.

It can be hard to plan how to stay safer abroad.

• There may be storms and diseases.
• Terrorism is often raised as a concern now.
• Women on solo travel have other issues.
• I have been in civil wars, quarantines and 2 emergency landings. I have been stopped by the military near a border. I just dodged hungry crocs!

I am passing on the tips I learned updated for this year.

10 Solo Traveler Safety Tips:

Research before you book your trip. Plan well ahead.

Tip One:    Know before you go.

• Look at your destination’s history.
• Learn about local issues.
• Stay alert to risks.
• Know the spots where issues are occurring.
• Are they only in certain places? Cities?

Tip Two:   Learn about local laws.

• Some places have mandatory jail time. This can even be for certain drugs legal at home.
• Others jail drivers that have a car wreck.
• Avoid political protests or large crowds.  Have room to get away fast.

Tip Three:  Sign up with your embassy.  In turbulent times, try to be as inconspicuous as possible. Vary your route and schedule daily. Pick lodging with safetey in mind. Consider below the radar smaller hotels and bed and breakfasts. Avoid large events. If you do go, look for closest exits when you arrive, and have a plan in an emergency.  Be sure before leaving home you arrange for funds to be wired if needed. Know that in a crisis, phone lines may be jammed, and you may not have cell service or GPS.

10 Solo Traveler Safety Tips:

Consider options for going solo without “going it alone”!

Tip Four:    Join a group tour.

• Take a river cruise. You won’t need to go out solo for meals. You will avoid having to find your way in a new location alone.
• Go on day tours from your hotel or bed and breakfast. Make new friends each day.
• Sign up for cooking classes, or to learn to ski or scuba dive.

10 Solo Traveler Safety Tips:

Make safety your top priority when you choose your lodging.

Tip Five:    Before leaving home, find a hotel or other lodging where security is good.

• If you rent a house with others, be aware that many residents may mean that security is lax. Others may come and go at different times. This could cause anxiety about your safety and security for your possessions.  Many past guests may still have access if they kept their keys.
• Be sure that safe, frequent local surface transportation is there. Getting stuck (or lost) with no return transit is dangerous. This problem is worse after dark.

10 Solo Traveler Safety Tips:

Book a ride from the airport before you leave home.

Tip Six:

• Contact your hotel or lodging from home.  Ask what is the best way to get to their address.
• Be sure what taxi or public transport is safe for your arrival. This is really key if it is late at night.

10 Solo Traveler Safety Tips:

Protect your key documents and devices to avoid theft or worse yet identity theft!

Tip Seven:

• Add a password to your phone and tablet.
• That protects your personal information from others. Think about the personal photos and financial data there. Mexico had some cases of “virtual kidnapping“. How did this happen? A lost phone ended with “kidnappers” calling families and demanding cash. There was no kidnap victim. Families did not know that so they paid!

Tip Eight:    Carry your passport, but put it in a safe place like a money belt.

• Have an electronic or photo copy of the first page in case of loss.
• Also copy visas and credit cards.

10 Solo Traveler Safety Tips:

Tip Nine:  Be aware of risks as to special activities or sports.

·        Helicopter and small plane sightseeing:

• Both are popular for tourists from the Grand Canyon to Alaska’s glaciers.
• Right after my Alaska cruise, a tourist on that ship was killed in a small plane crash.
• The pilot and tourists were killed.
• Recent reports told of the death of 16 people in a hot air balloon outside Austin, Texas.  Press accounts alleged that the pilot had several DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) charges.
• While that has not been confirmed, this shows the need to choose vendors with great care for special tours.

Tip Ten:  Don’t overlook the risks of “at risk” behaviors at home.

• The best example is driving on highways. (I also heard in Bermuda years ago that about one tourist per year was killed on a moped.)
• These dangers are worse abroad for two reasons. 1. Jetlag and fatigue may it harder to be alert in fast-moving traffic.  2. Even with a GPS, being lost or disoriented makes it harder to drive safely.

10 Solo Traveler Safety Tips:

Do your homework.

• Then move ahead with your travel plans.
• Check more top solo spots off your bucket list! Visit SoloTrekker for new options.
• Look at our list of well-priced solo travel and hotel packages
• See also the booking engine on our home page with up to 42% off on 800,000+ lodgings, They range from low priced home stays to five star luxury lodgings around the world. Don’t forget to check the verified solo travel reviews to find the best fit for your next solo vacation deals.