One popular trend for young people going on vacation today is traveling by themselves. A friend of mines just recently went on a trip to Greece by herself and had an absolute blast. When she told me she traveled by herself, I must admit that I had a hard time wrapping my head around the idea. For me personally, I don’t think I would be able to travel on my own and especially to a place that doesn’t speak the same language as me. I asked her why she wanted to travel on her own and she said because she wanted to have her own adventure and by traveling by herself, it allowed her to do things she may have not done otherwise. For women, going on vacation on by themselves can be even more scary but by doing these things, it can help keep you safe.
One of the first things I would recommend to women who want to travel on their own is to make sure you do a lot of research about the area you’re visiting. For your trip, you will want to research things like what areas to avoid as well as emergency numbers and where are the nearest hospitals and police stations. Just like any place around the world, there will be certain areas in the destination you’re visiting that might be a little more dangerous than others especially at night and you might want to look into ways to avoid it. You should also review a map of where you’re staying and places you want to visit as it will make sure you not only know where you’re going but also get you there quickly. You don’t want to be walking around looking at a map as it could make you a target.
Another tip for solo women travelers is to make sure that you respect the culture of the destination you are visiting. As compared to the US, the culture can sometimes be a lot different and when foreigners come into a new place and don’t respect it, locals can sometimes get mad and could potentially hassle you. Again this goes back to researching the destination your traveling to, by knowing how you should dress and act, it will cause you less problems.
A third thing that I would recommend for women who are traveling alone is to make sure that you give the phone numbers of the place you’re staying at to friends and family so they are able to reach you. Something that you may consider doing is setting up a time with someone back home where you call them regularly just to let them know you are alright and that everything is going fine. A fourth tip and maybe one that seems obvious but some people don’t do is to use your common sense. If a place looks unsafe or if you feel uncomfortable being out during the night, make sure you avoid these things. Some solo travelers sometimes get bitten by the adventure bug and think they can do anything but this isn’t always the case. Follow your instincts and it will help keep you safe.
Going on a vacation on your own can be a lot of fun and doing these things will help keep you safe.