7 Top Tips for Traveling Alone That You Should Always Remember ...

This is the best of all of the tips for traveling alone. Chances are you will be lugging your bags all on your own. Don’t pack so much that you can’t carry it all. This will make it easier for you to get around on your own. Some men think of a struggling woman as an easy target. While you’re fumbling with all of your bags, someone could come up and pick your pocket or offer to help and run off with your bags. Only pack what you can carry yourself.

Don’t get lost in thought while you’re wandering around a strange city or even the airport. Know where you are, know what’s around you and stay away from any areas that look suspicious. If you plan to sit and read or use your computer, don’t get so caught up in what you’re doing that you tune out everything around you. Make sure you look up occasionally and glance around. The more alert you are, the better chance you have of keeping yourself safe.

What I like to do when traveling is put my bag down on the ground and place my feet on top of it with my purse in my lap while sitting down. When walking around I make sure the zipper to my purse is under my hand, not pointed away from me. If you have body contact with your belongings, chances are you’ll feel someone try to pull them away or open them.

I mean this in two very different ways. One, watch how MUCH you drink. It’s easy during a layover or a delayed flight to sit in one of the many airport bars and pass the time with a delicious drink that will calm your nerves. Don’t let the drinking get out of hand though. If you are tipsy, your attention to things around you will fade and you may make decisions you wouldn’t make sober. Also, whether you have your own bottle of water or a drink from one of the restaurants, the drink should be in your possession at all times. There are many drugs out there that can be slipped into what you’re drinking, so keep it in your hand or in your bag.

There should absolutely be at least one person who knows where you’re going, but in addition to that you should check in with a family member or friend periodically. You never know what could happen in a strange place. You may become sick or injured, so it’s best to let someone know where you plan on going and what your itinerary might be. It may seem a bit overboard, but it’s better to be safe than sorry, especially when you’re traveling alone.

It’s best to know everything you can find out about the place you plan on traveling to. In India, for example, there have been a vast amount of gang rapes on tourists, and that’s something you should know about to keep yourself safe. You should know about the prostitution solicitation on certain beaches in Mexico as well as the likelihood of any natural disasters, like hurricanes and tropical storms.

The less you look like a tourist, the better. It won’t keep you totally safe from being taken advantage of, but some groups of people prey on tourists, especially if they are alone. Try to dress like the locals and don’t walk absolutely everywhere with a camera in your hand. That doesn’t mean don’t take pictures and don’t go to tourist attractions, but try to keep a bit low-key.

I hope you keep these tips for traveling alone in mind the next time you take off on a wonderful adventure! The most important thing to remember is to be safe and have fun! Enjoy traveling while you have the freedom to do so and explore all of the places and cultures different from your own! What travel tips do you live by?