Let me tell you something. Travel safety tips aside, solo travel is the ultimate rush. Pound-for-pound, no activity on earth offers more beauty, wanderlust, or excitement. The thrill of discovery, the excitement of exploring uncharted territories, the chance to live life on your own terms. But there’s a catch. The road to adventure is never without its pitfalls.
But fear not, reader. The seasoned travelers of this world have learned the hard way, and they’re passing on their wisdom to you. So listen up and heed their advice before you embark on your solo journey. The last thing you want is to end up like that young lady lost in a dark alley. Or the gap-year traveler who had all their valuables swiped. Or that poor soul who thought a fancy restaurant would make for a good time, only to spend the next week hugging the toilet in the most beautiful city of them all.
Yes, these are cautionary tales, but they don’t have to be your story. By following the travel safety tips and tricks of the trade, you can dodge these pitfalls and have the solo adventure of a lifetime. So go forth, my friends, and travel safely.
Before You Go
Wise Up On Travel Scams
There are hundreds of travel scams that anyone could easily fall victim to if they weren’t aware they existed. These scams range from basic pickpockets and “here, feed the pigeon this food” scams to unlicensed, unmetered taxis, credit card skimming, fake tickets, identity theft, and impressive all-out hustles that wouldn’t look out of place in a Hollywood movie.
This isn’t to fearmonger—most people are incredibly honest. However, scammers are more common than you may think, especially in tourist destinations. So before you head off on your adventure, search Google for “Common scams in ….” and familiarize yourself with what to look for. Also, research travel safety tips to prevent scams!
Get Your Vaccinations
Find out what vaccinations you might need before visiting a country before you set off. Some vaccines can take months to properly take effect on the body, and some require boosters to be effective. So be prepared well in advance and book your vaccinations in good time to ensure you’re protected when you eventually land.
Read Travel Advisory Websites
Before booking your trip, check your local government’s travel advisory website. For U.S. readers, the U.S. Department of State has a travel advisories website for U.S. residents. USA.gov also has some great information. The official government website in the UK has a detailed Foreign Travel Advice page covering over 220 countries. The Government of Canada also has a similar travel advisory website.
If there are restrictions or warnings about specific destinations, your travel insurance can be invalidated. So check this before you book and again before you depart.
Research The Local Culture
Research the local religion, culture, dress sense, etc. This will stand you in good stead when you arrive. The last thing you want to do is offend the locals simply due to your ignorance. Not only is this a bad form for a traveler, but it can also turn people against you.
In some places, criticizing the government or monarchy is a strict no-no and can land you in hot water with the locals and law enforcement. The same is true for wearing revealing clothes when visiting a religious site (this is often true for men, too, not just women). The list goes on.
Let People Know Your Itinerary
As a solo traveler, you really need to keep people up to date with where you’re going and what you’re doing. This doesn’t mean publicly announcing your travel plans on social media (which is a danger in itself), but at least keep your family and/or friends back home privately updated with where you are (and where you’re staying) and where you’re going next. This way, should the worst happen, and you go missing, people will know where to start looking.
Inform Your Bank
Before you go overseas, inform your bank about which countries you’re visiting and what dates you’ll be in each location. Most banks allow you to do this online or via their mobile app. This makes it much less likely that your debit and credit cards will be blocked when you first try to use them on your trip.
Similarly, always take more than one cash card with you. If one is lost, stolen, or locked, you should always have at least one backup card to use.
Make Sure You Have Data On Your Phone
Before hopping on that flight, ensure you’re confident you’ll be able to access your mobile data when you land. This will make things much easier than landing and finding that you can’t access the internet, figure out how to get to your hotel, and can’t access your booking information!
To do this, ensure your roaming settings are set up correctly. Call your provider about this if you’re unsure. They will be able to help you enable the right settings on your phone. Similarly, ask how much you will have to pay to use data in the country you’re traveling to. Buying a local SIM may be more cost-effective than using your usual SIM.
Research Transport Options
Before setting off, quickly do a Google search to find out what the transport options are at your destination. Public transport works differently in different places (sometimes you need a ticket before you board, other times not). Find out when the first and last buses and trains run. Research how to ensure taxis are safe, what an average fare costs, whether they use meters, etc.
The more you know about transport options, the better decisions you can make on the fly.
Know Phone Numbers For Emergency Services
This one is often overlooked. Imagine you’re injured, attacked, or robbed. Do you know how to call the police or an ambulance? Do a quick search to find out the local emergency number and remember this, or store it somewhere secure, like in your secret money belt (and on your phone).
Learn Some Basic Vocab
In countries where your natural language isn’t widely spoken, learn the basics – hello, thank you, please, goodbye, excuse me, help, etc. Not only will this help you to make a good impression, but your friendliness will help you build rapport with locals who will, therefore, be more likely to be friendly to you and help you if you’re in need.
Download an Offline Map
Most map apps now allow you to download an offline map of specific areas. Do this before you venture out so that you can still find your way around even without data. Save your hotel to the map so you can always find your way back, along with places you want to visit, or any other locations you may need.
Download an App For Emergency Alerts
For U.S. readers, download the Smart Traveler app. This is the official State Department app for travelers and will help you stay informed about emergency alerts (among other things). If you’re visiting an area prone to extreme weather, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, etc., take a look online to see which apps are recommended to alert you about approaching situations in your destination.
Keep a Basic First Aid Kit
Let’s face it: With all those different bacteria in the water, varied cuisines, and adventure activities, you might not always feel on top of the world. Pack some basics like diarrhea and constipation tablets, dehydration capsules, bandaids, paracetamol, allergy tablets, etc. If you do have prescription medication, check the legality of these in the countries you’re visiting (before you set off).
Boring But Important
Keep a Copy Of Your Emergency Info
Take photos of your main passport page, visa, and driving license. Store important emergency phone numbers and addresses somewhere you can easily access them (hint: insurance documents, accommodation bookings, etc.).
Save these in an easily accessible folder on your computer or smartphone, and print out physical copies in case your gadgets are stolen.
Don’t Skimp on Travel Insurance
Perhaps you’ve been on 20 trips before and never needed to use your travel insurance—lucky you! But all it takes is one accident or one misstep, and that $150 you spent on travel insurance could save you a fortune.
That being said, you must understand what’s included in your policy before paying for it. If you’re on a longer trip, check if the insurance covers the number of days you’ll be away. If you’re doing any kind of adventure sport, check this is covered. Are you carrying valuables? Or cash? These may only be insured up to a certain value. Many policies won’t cover your gadgets (you could need separate gadget insurance for this). Read the wording carefully.
If you’ve bought the wrong policy, many insurance companies offer a cooling-off period so you can still cancel!
Take Emergency Money (And Hide It)
In addition to the regular cash you’ll carry daily, you should also have some emergency cash stored somewhere secure. This is your backup fund in case you’re robbed and you lose your bank cards or if your bank cards just don’t work.
Copy Your Important Documents
In many countries, you’ll need to show things like flight reservations and accommodation booking confirmations when you check in at a hotel or hostel. Be sure to have physical copies of these in case your phone battery dies, so you can still check in.
Lock Down Your Valuable Belongings
This goes without saying, but keep any valuables secure. If you’re in a hostel, hire a locker. Double-check your hotel doors are double-locked. If there’s a bolt or chain for the door, use it. This will add extra security even against lock bumping. If you carry everything in a backpack or suitcase, use a decent padlock to add an extra hurdle for thieves. If you don’t have a locker, hide your valuables out of sight in your room.
Write Down The Name and Number of Your Accommodation
I was once traveling in Thailand, and one evening, I found a woman stumbling around with blood all over her hands and legs. Turns out she’d arrived that morning, hired a scooter with her boyfriend, and decided to get drunk.
Once the evening ended, they jumped on the bike, sans helmet, and the boyfriend sped off. The woman fell off the back and cut herself up pretty badly. The lovely boyfriend didn’t notice and disappeared into the distance. We asked her where she was staying so we could help her back. Between sobs and in broken French and English, we learned she hadn’t saved the name or phone number of her hotel anywhere, and she couldn’t remember where she was staying. In the end, we took her to a local hospital to sober up and have her cuts and bruises checked over. We took her number and checked, and she’d eventually found her way back to her boyfriend (which she had).
The lesson? Wear a helmet, don’t drink too much, and definitely don’t drink and drive. Find a responsible partner, and write down the name and phone number of your hotel!
Out and About
Trust Your Gut
Your instinct is a miraculous thing. Somehow, from someplace, it senses danger, good and bad energy, and points you in the (hopefully) right direction. Sure, it makes mistakes sometimes, but if you sense unease in your gut, you either ate a dodgy sandwich, or there’s potentially something awry that you need to give special attention to. Ignore that gut instinct at your peril.
Be Willing to Pay More For More Safety
As a solo traveler, splashing a little extra cash to improve your safety is often the right thing to do. Pay the extra $20 for a flight that arrives at a reasonable time. Buy a ticket for the bus that takes you into the town rather than the dodgy outskirts. Hire a legit taxi rather than walking the two miles back to your hotel at 3 a.m.
Extra peace of mind and safety can come for a small but reasonable price.
Don’t Leave Your Bag’s Side
One of the most common issues travelers have to deal with is having their bag swiped—this is easily avoidable. Keep your bag with you at all times. If you’re resting on a bus, put your arm through the arm straps so it can’t be quickly pulled away from you. Tie the bag to your table or chair if you’re in a cafe.
Use a Money Belt
Money belts are secret, inconspicuous belts that you can wear under your clothes to store cash, passports, jewelry, etc. This means if you’re pickpocketed or robbed, many of your valuables are still safe.
Beware of Purse Snatchers
Unfortunately, purse snatching is a big problem almost everywhere. Read our article on how to protect yourself against purse snatchers to reduce your risk of being a victim of this common crime. In short, be aware of your surroundings, hold on tight, use a purse with secure closures, use a cross-body strap, avoid designer bags, and keep valuables out of sight.
Don’t Take Risks For Photos
The risks people seem prepared to take for an Instagram shot are terrifying: climbing crumbling buildings, teetering on the edge of a cliff, hanging out the door of a moving train. Risking life and limb for some social media likes is not cool. Seriously, there are plenty of other ways to collect interesting stories to tell when you’re back home.
Be Cautious At ATMs
There are dodgy ATMs all over the world. Some are not maintained properly, others have card-swiping gadgets attached, and others are in dangerous locations.
First, pick a location where you feel comfortable. I usually only use ATMs within an official bank (many official banks in Continental Europe have safe lobbies that are accessible 24/7). If anything looks strange about the ATM, don’t use it.
Whenever you use an ATM, all the usual rules apply: don’t let anyone see your PIN, be aware of people around you, and immediately put your cash somewhere secure.
Use Side Pockets (Not Back Pockets)
It only takes a second for someone to steal something from your back pocket and then disappear into the crowd before you can even turn around. It doesn’t matter if your back pockets are tight and you’ll “feel if someone tries to take anything”. Even if you feel the theft happening, a skilled thief will be long gone before you can react.
Instead, keep valuables in tight side/front pockets. These are much easier for you to keep an eye on. Plus, it’s easy to slip your hands into your pockets in busy areas to protect your belongings.
On a similar note, avoid putting valuables in loose pockets, such as those in coats and cargo pants. You’ll never know if someone is rummaging around.
Don’t Do Everything Alone
Just because you’re a solo traveler, it doesn’t mean you have to do everything on your own. Consider finding a group to enjoy the adventure with for anything with a heightened sense of risk. Hiking in the countryside? Join a group tour. Going for drinks at night? Tag along with a friendly group from your hostel (all the usual precautions apply, obviously).
Carry a Decoy Wallet
Many travelers swear by carrying a decoy wallet. Place your main wallet in an inside pocket or somewhere more hidden, and carry your decoy wallet in a more obvious spot. Fill it with some expired cards and a small amount of cash to make it look legit. Then, if you’re ever mugged, you can hand the perpetrators the decoy wallet instead of your real wallet.
Wear Your Backpack On Your Front In Busy Areas
When you’re surrounded by people, you’re most likely to be pickpocketed. That’s why it’s important to keep sight of the main compartments of your backpack in these situations to ensure no one’s rooting around. The best way to do this is to carry your bag before you escape the crowds.
Does That Stranger Really Want to Be Your Friend?
I’m all for making great friendships while traveling. In fact, you’ll probably make some of the best friendships you’ve ever had. But you must remember that in many places, people may approach you in the hope of eventually selling you something or convincing you to visit their friend’s shop, where you’ll be pressured into buying something at an exorbitant price. Err on the side of trust, but always be cautious and look out for red flags, such as someone constantly trying to shift the conversation to “oh, my friend has a shop you’d just love!”.
Transport
Wear a Helmet For God’s Sake!
I get it; hat-hair isn’t the best look for those Instagram selfies. But it’s far better than a week in intensive care (or worse). So before jumping on that scooter, motorbike, quad bike, or on those skis, don the goddamn helmet!
In addition, if you’re in an accident and you weren’t wearing a helmet when you should have been, your insurance will be void, meaning huge medical bills.
Put Your Seatbelt On
The same goes for seatbelts. I don’t care how indestructible you think you are; put the seatbelt on. Believe it or not, they’re fitted to cars for a reason. And again, if you’re in an accident and you weren’t wearing one, you will not be insured.
Check Your Insurance Before Renting a Vehicle
Before renting any vehicle, check your insurance covers whatever you will be driving or riding. If it doesn’t offer comprehensive coverage, including things like windscreen replacement and puncture repair, consider paying a small additional fee at the rental office for full insurance. Read the documents carefully to know what’s covered and, just as importantly, what isn’t.
Understand The Rules of The Road (For Pedestrians, Too)
Before I hit the road after renting a vehicle, I always watch a quick YouTube video or read a couple of blog posts about driving in my new location. This gives me a crash course on strange rules of the road, where I’m allowed to park, and local driving quirks I wouldn’t otherwise know.
This is especially true if you’re renting something like a scooter or e-bike—devices that are rising in popularity among travelers but come with their own set of safety concerns. If you’re considering hopping on one, check out our guide on how to stay safe while riding an e-bike before you go.
Keep an Eye on GPS When in a Taxi
This is another benefit of having an offline map downloaded onto your phone. When you’re in a taxi, keep one eye on your GPS to check that the driver is actually headed in the right direction.
If they veer off-course, ask them why. It may be that they know about some roadworks ahead, or they may be taking you on a very roundabout way to get more money out of you. Trust your gut in these situations. If something seems off, be assertive. Either get the driver to correct course or confidently tell them to stop and leave the vehicle (if you feel the area is safe).
Only Use Reputable Transport Companies
One of the main ways people are conned while traveling is through disreputable travel companies. Taxis that refuse to use meters (or use tampered meters). Private hires that drop you off miles from your destination. Selling you tickets for buses that don’t exist.
Do some research, find transport companies that have good reputations, and stick with them. Following your instinct is often a good bet if you can’t find this information. If someone seems shifty, don’t rely on their business. Asking the reception staff at your hotel for recommendations is often a good option here, too.
Food and Drink Travel Safety Tips
Don’t Eat Everything You See
Food is probably the best part of traveling, though you have to be cautious. After visiting almost 60 countries, I’ve had bad food poisoning twice. But the tell-tale signs were there. The restaurant was practically empty, whereas other places down the street were busy. The waiters were careful to hide the kitchen. And I immediately thought the food tasted off.
I’m now much more careful: I’ll avoid tourist traps where food is often cooked to a low quality. I’ll always try to glance at the kitchen to check that it looks clean and to make sure there’s no obvious cross-contamination (especially between raw meat and salad), and I’ll pick somewhere where locals like to gather, and I’ll double-check the food before I eat it, making sure it looks fresh, that any meat is cooked thoroughly, and that everything smells ok.
Be Cautious Around Drinking Water
This is one of our more obvious travel safety tips. Although I personally think some people can be over-cautious about drinking water, caution should still be taken. Generally, if locals are drinking free water in a restaurant, tourists may drink it too, but only if they’ve given their gut a chance to adapt to the local bacteria (do your own due diligence here). This can take several weeks, so if you’re only visiting for a week or so, you may want to stick to bottled water.
If you are worried about water making you sick, first check online to see if local tap water is drinkable. If you can’t find the information, ask a local. In restaurants, stick to bottled water, and ensure the waiter opens the bottle before you so you know it was sealed. Opt for no ice, and be careful around salads that may have been washed in tap water.
Clean Cans Before Opening Them
It’s not uncommon for people to get sick from drinking soda cans because the top was dirty or they were stored somewhere; mice or rats may be running around. Always wipe the can before you open it; if you’re unsure of its cleanliness, drink it with a straw.
Eat Well. Stay Healthy.
Traveling is hard on the body, but we have travel safety tips for this issue, too! Finding healthy food can be difficult, and long days on the road can be exhausting. So make sure you take time to rest. Take multivitamins if you think you need them and treat yourself to some healthy food!
Many bad decisions are made because you’re fatigued or not feeling well, so keep yourself in tip-top shape so you’re in a position to look after yourself properly.
Partying
Party Safely (And Never Take Illegal Drugs)
When going out to a party, take all the usual precautions you would take at home, and then take some. Keep your drink with you. Don’t let anyone slip anything into your glass when you’re not looking.
You’ll also want to do a bit of research on laws about drug use. Even drugs as “soft” as marijuana can land you in a lot of trouble in some countries.
If you’re in the LGBTQ community, check the laws and customs where you’re traveling and find a safe and accepting place to go.
Don’t Drink Too Much (Travel Safety Tips For Those Who Partake)
This goes without saying, but the more you drink, the more at risk you are. Not just of being taken advantage of, but also of drowning – going for a swim when drunk really isn’t a good idea – and of getting into a traffic accident, both as a pedestrian and as a driver.
Whatever amount you may be comfortable drinking with a close group of friends, dial it back when you’re alone. This is one of our most important travel safety tips, and travelers who are planning to party should pay attention to it!
Beware What You Tell Strangers
By all means, have a great time with locals and people you meet on the road, but just be mindful of the kind of information you divulge, especially after a drink. Don’t give out any compromising information to strangers that could land you in trouble down the line. This is one of our most important travel safety tips!
Body Language & Fitting In
Don’t Be an Obvious Tourist
Act like a local. Blend in. Don’t attract attention. The last thing you want is for everyone to know you’re a tourist instantly. So channel your inner Jason Bourne and aim to be as inconspicuous as possible to attract as little trouble as possible. Our travel safety tips and these recommended travel devices will hopefully help you feel more confident as a tourist!
Take a Self-Defense Class (Or Two)
If you’ve absolutely no idea what to do in a situation that requires you to defend yourself, take a few classes (or watch a few YouTube videos). Get the basics down. Having that knowledge in your repertoire will give you additional confidence to deal with situations when they arise.
Study Body Language
Like studying self-defense, knowing what body language to look out for while out and about is a skill every traveler should have.
Generally, the more you travel, the more you’ll learn about body language as you’re exposed to so many people over such a short period of time. But if you’re not very confident in this area, grab a book, or watch some videos, and learn the tell-tale signs to look out for that’ll inform you when something’s not right, when someone is probably lying to you, or when someone is planning something untoward.
Be Kind to Locals (While Keeping Our Travel Safety Tips In Mind)
Not only is this blatantly the right thing to do, but it also reduces the risks of things going wrong. If you’re polite to your waiters, they will likely look out for you. If you’re kind to the staff at your hotel, they’re more likely to give you useful advice. It’s human nature.
On a larger scale, if tourists are generally a miserable, rude bunch, people will have no qualms about treating them badly in return. Those good manners will be reciprocated if they’re happy, friendly, and kind.
Quiz Locals
Every interaction with a local is a fantastic chance to learn more about the local culture, including the best places to eat, the places to avoid, and things to look out for. Don’t always focus on the negatives in these interactions; instead, garner what useful knowledge you can!
Portray Confidence
Criminals and scammers can spot a nervous traveler a mile off, so learn to fake confidence. Hold yourself tall, walk purposefully, keep your head on a swivel, and don’t look meek and lost. This alone will keep you safe from a large portion of scammers.
Don’t Flaunt Wealth
Don’t show off expensive items such as jewelry and gadgets, especially in poorer countries. This is just asking for trouble. If you do need to use your expensive laptop, be aware of where you use it, store it securely, and never leave it unattended. Remove expensive jewelry before you go out. Or better yet, don’t take it away with you at all.
More Travel Safety Tips
Be Cautious On Public Wi-Fi
Digital travel safety tips are often overlooked. Public Wi-Fi carries all sorts of risks. If whoever set up the Wi-Fi didn’t do so correctly, it’s far easier for a hacker to infiltrate your data than you may realize. So, whenever you use public Wi-Fi, be sure to also log into a VPN simultaneously. This masks your internet activity, making it much harder for nefarious actors to steal your data. This is especially important when logging into important accounts such as your online banking or email accounts.
Sign up for a good VPN before you leave on your trip, and familiarize yourself with how it works on all of your devices.
Don’t Always Expect Equality
Yes, gender inequality is still a problem in most places around the world. In some places, it’s more subtle. In other places, it’s all out there on display, with women being treated vastly differently to men. Unfortunately, this is part and parcel of travel, and even though it may drive you insane, be mindful of how you react so as to not turn people against you or in a way that will escalate the situation.
Wear The Right Kit
Now for some mountainous travel safety tips. If you’re hiking a mountain or camping under the stars, wear the right kit for the conditions you will be in. In the mountains, the weather can change on a whim. You need emergency gear to keep warm and dry, and your footwear needs to be suitable. Yes, that means no flip-flops. Too many mountain rescue teams are called out to carry someone off a mountain because the kit they took up there was not up to the job. The same goes for water sports, snow sports, etc.
Know How to Escape
Granted, this may sound over-the-top but try to be aware of emergency exits and ways out of your hotel room, for example. This only takes a minute to assess. Hopefully, you’ll never need to use that knowledge, but it’s there for worst-case scenarios.
Only Use Legit Pharmacies
Your home country may only have reputable pharmacies open to the public, but this isn’t the case everywhere. Some countries have much more lenient rules on how pharmacies operate, so do a bit of research and (if you need one) find a pharmacy that has good reviews and is ideally part of a larger reputable chain.
Lock Your Hotel Room
This is among our most obvious travel safety tips, but always double-check that you’ve double-locked your hotel room. This applies not only when you leave the room but also when you’re in it. Don’t simply rely on shutting the door (even if that “locks” it). Always double-lock the door to make it as difficult as possible for intruders to gain access.
Consider Carrying a Personal Alarm
A personal safety alarm can be a good addition to keep in your bag or pocket if you’re not feeling very safe in some areas. If you ever feel threatened, you can sound the alarm, which should be loud enough to scare off the attacker and hopefully attract the attention of other people who can help you.
Heed These Travel Safety Tips
Yes, this article contains many travel safety tips, but this isn’t to make you scared of traveling. I’ve very rarely felt unsafe or threatened while traveling. In fact, I usually feel safer than I do at home. But precautions still need to be taken.
Staying safe on the road is largely down to knowing what to look out for, researching travel safety tips before you venture out, being cautious, being attentive, and doing a little research and prep work before you venture out. Most of the travel safety tips here are quick and don’t require much work or effort but simply require you to be mindful of how you approach traveling so you can have the best time possible.
Be aware, and stay safe!
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