Being a woman traveling alone takes a lot of confidence and guts. Besides, it is one of the experiences a woman should be able to have without feeling scared and anxious. However, the reality is different. When it is talked about traveling alone, it is always better to do it on your terms rather than following someone else’s instructions.
Before moving forward and talking about tips that will help women travel alone safely, let’s have a look at the statistics. It is said that women are most likely to set on a journey alone than men which makes females an easy target for criminals and thieves.
American women make up the majority of female solo travel bookings (20%), followed by German women (11%), British women (10%), Australian women (8%), and Canadian women (7%).
Knowing how to protect yourself, being able to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge and learning about the place you are going to are the main aspects that you should be aware of. Every woman should know the following tips before venturing on a solo trip:
Be brave
When traveling alone, try not to let anyone know you are uneasy. Talk and move as though you are entirely aware of your surroundings. Keep your shoulders back and walk smoothly to convey your increased confidence whenever you go unaccompanied. Speaking with contentment and calmness demonstrates inner tranquillity as well. If you ignore this advice, strangers can identify you by your body language, make you a target, and start pursuing you.
Respect the culture
The fact that there are vast variances in every culture is one of the most interesting and exciting things. But you will only be safe if you respect each society’s culture. Therefore, anytime you intend to travel alone, be sure that you are familiar with the local customs to ensure that no one will get offended. Furthermore, breaking the law might get you into problems and force you to pay a hefty fine. Understand that every country has its own rules and traditions that you may not know of. Before going to a certain place, make sure you read about it.
Travel light
As a woman, you must consider traveling light when you travel alone. When you travel light, you need to pay less attention to your luggage. It is also easier to focus more on what you are heading toward, having the opportunity to experience new things around. In addition, traveling light can help you move around smoothly because it is always challenging to carry heavy bags on your back for long distances. Hence the more you travel light, the more your body and mind will feel relaxed.
Avoid oversharing with strangers
Discussing your ideas and experiences with friends and those you are more familiar with is beneficial. Sharing might occasionally help you feel calmer and less anxious. However, sharing too much information about yourself with strangers might get you into big problems. When traveling alone, trust your gut and avoid revealing where you will stay to random people. If people you do not know want to know more about you, you must part your way from them by asking them to excuse you. In addition, you must refrain from sharing every step you make on social media. When you return home or have finished the journey, you can publish all the Instagram-worthy photographs.
Increase your stamina
If you want to explore the world, you must have enough endurance to enjoy every second of your trip. And if you are a woman, it is essential to increase your stamina to be able to protect yourself in case of emergencies. You should be aware of and practice quick and convenient travel workouts. It is also very important to eat healthy, drink more water and sleep well. This advice will improve your health that you will need not only for the trip. Remember: if you know how to stand up for yourself, you will not be afraid to travel on your own.
Beware of your surroundings
If you ignore your surroundings when traveling alone, you can find yourself in a problematic scenario. You can avoid these situations by keeping an eye on people who surround you. Be aware of what is going on around you. Spending time and effort learning new languages as a solo traveler will help you comprehend people from other countries and their intents.
Talk to your friends
Before traveling somewhere, there is no doubt that you can look up every aspect of the destination online. However, it does not provide the essence of the place as well as your friend who has already visited that place. So, before traveling alone, talk to them to take advice from their experience about the site you want to visit. Indeed, the person who has seen a certain location physically can better guide you about the living cost, transportation, and environment than anyone else. If you, for example, know people who visited a certain country you need more information about but don’t know their numbers, look them up on Nuwber, PeekYou, or TruthFinder.
Take special care of your documents
Losing documents is one of the scariest things to happen. To avoid it, you must take pictures of your main documents and keep them on your phone. If you lose your luggage, you can easily have access to them. However, do not forget to set a password. If your phone gets stolen, thieves will easily gain access to all your sensitive information.
Keep your documents in your purse, backpack or suitcase. Make copies and keep them in plastic bags.
Conclusion
The most thrilling experience people can have in life is traveling. Humans admire the natural beauty of various locations and want to learn about diverse civilizations while touring. You should be aware of some tips and methods if you have to travel by yourself as a woman to avoid being taken advantage of. If you’re traveling alone, you should be cautious about how open you are with new people. You must develop a schedule and arrange your journey. And remember: don’t be shy and don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself.
