Travelling smart and safe as a solo female explorer

Travelling smart and safe as a solo female explorer

With women dominating solo travel by a huge 63% (PRNewswire, 2018) The InsuraTrip Team want to offer some tips for female travelers embarking on a solo travelling trip this year. Female travelers can unfortunately experience a number of different, unpleasant experiences compared to their male counterpart and travelling to a foreign land on your own can be quite scary and intimidating.

So, that’s why we’ve put together five fundamentals for women travelling abroad solo to keep them travelling smart and travelling safe. Enjoy!

Act Confident - Fake it until you make it!

In a foreign country acting shy or nervous can make you be seen as an easy target for muggers or worse. Walk around with your head held high like you know where you’re going and that you’re completely comfortable and familiar with your surroundings. This will go a long way.

 Knowing where you’re going or at least looking like it means you don’t need to look at a map as often; a sure sign of a tourist which can act as a magnet for thieves and other people that may cause you problems. If you do need to check your map, perhaps pop in to a café or a shop.

Be Vague 

In some countries your fair complexion will invite a lot of questions and compliments such as; asking your name, where you’re from, where you’re staying whilst in town, what your plans are for that day etc. Most of the time this will just be harmless conversation instigated by locals in a bid to get to know you a bit better but on occasion this could be seen as an invitation and could make you feel very anxious and unnerving very quickly.

Trust your instinct

This sounds like a no brainer but it can’t be re-enforced enough. If you’re in a situation that doesn’t feel ’quite right’ it probably isn’t and you should always listen to what your instinct is telling you. Self-preservation and feeling safe is much more important than being seen as being rude or offending people.

Always let someone know where you are

Now, we’re not saying you need to be glued to your phone the entire time you’re away as it defeats the object of a vacation and in some locations, that is certainly not a wise thing to do. However, one absolute ‘must-do’ whilst away is letting your family know you’re safe and what your plans are for that day. This can be as simple as sending a text message or even ‘Checking in’ using Facebook. This will allow your family to know your last known whereabouts and that you are safe and having fun.

Get travel insurance

Travel insurance is a must-have whether you’re away for a weekend, 3 months or more. In the event that the unexpected happens; Theft, flight cancellations, missing baggage, injuries etc your travel insurance can help protect you in all of these situations and more. Always read your policy wording to see exactly what you’re covered for and remember to take out a level of cover that is suited to your needs. Get a travel insurance quote today here.

Some other travel safety tips include:

• Buying a doorstop or something similar – This takes up practically no space in your baggage and will make you feel 100% safer if you place it under your door at night.
• Don’t keep all your money in one place – Use hotel safes as an example.
• Try not to dress like a tourist.
• Befriend other female travelers and female hosts / hotel staff – They’ll tell you where is and isn’t safe for you to go.
• Email yourself and a family member a copy of your passport, itinerary and travel insurance. By having a copy in ‘the cloud’, it could save you a lot of hassle later.
• Don’t get drunk, don’t accept free drinks of strangers and don’t leave your drink unattended in public – you open yourself up to all sorts of dangers. Not only this, there is often a drugs and alcohol exclusion within travel insurance which could render your claim invalid if you drink too much or take drugs should you need to make a claim.
• And finally, be aware of the local customs and laws, don’t do anything abroad or act in a way that you wouldn’t at home but most importantly, travel safe and have fun.

Get your quote today for travel insurance here.

This article is for information purposes only. It does not constitute advice in any way. The information provided here is correct at the time of writing however please check the latest policy wording for the latest terms, conditions and exclusions.