A Solo Travel Guide for Women (Infographic)
By Twinty Karat
Sometimes one has to travel alone. Whether by choice or circumstances may make little difference.
If you’re a woman traveling alone there are more things to consider than a man. Good or bad unfortunately that’s how things are if you’re a woman.
If you’re a woman in a situation where you’re traveling alone here are some things to consider.
View the infographic below for helpful tips on this solo travel guide for women.
Travel Tips for Solo-Traveling Women
by Travel ESP
Published on Youtube on Mar 8, 2019
►► Travel Destination Write Ups ►► Travel Tips & Tricks ►► Solo Travel Benefit ►► An easy visual guide
Solo Travel can be a Fantastic Experience
If given the chance, traveling solo is a fantastic experience for women if they are well prepared. As a woman you should try to take advantage of solo travel.
Just be aware, especially on your first trip alone there can be nervousness. Some anxiety you’ve never felt before since if its your first trip alone. There is no backup, no one to tell your problems to. Some situations you may not be sure how to handle.
However, like many things in life, there is always a first for everything. So the feeling is not really new. It may just be a heightened feeling. Make up your mind that you can handle any situation that comes your way.
Turn away any feelings of distress. Try to relax so as to make the whole experience more enjoyable. The first solo experience is probably the hardest so know that it will be easier the next time around.
The following travel infographic is a helpful guide to solo trave for women. It illustrates some things and actions to help make your solo travel adventure a satisfying one. Also see a few tips to help keep you on a flight and not start off on the wrong foot. The ideal situation is an experience you can look back on in future years with fond memories of your solo travel adventures.
A Few Additional Tips for Solo Women Travelers
Although traveling alone, or solo travel, may give you freedom to go where you want, do what you want to do, there is a problem. It also exposes you as a target for unscrupulous individuals.
The risk even increases when you are new to wherever you are traveling. If you are a women traveling alone you need to be extra careful, more so than when you are in a group. It pays to be vigilant about your safety. You never know, but if you are caught unaware, regretting later won’t matter. It’s the precautions you took then, during your travels that count.
Here are a few tips you can follow if they apply to your situation.
1. Avoid exchanging large amounts of money in the airport.
Instead, wait until you’ve settled in your hotel before you go to a bank or legitimate money exchanger. Only exchange the amount that will cover your taxi fare and some extra for necessary expenses.
2. Before getting inside a taxi cab, take note of the license number.
Once inside make a pretend call to someone. Inform the pretend friend of the cab’s plate number and that you are on your way to get there. Be sure your driver will overhear you loud and clear. If you feel like someone is following you do the same thing. This will discourage any bad intentions knowing you are capable of calling for help.
3. Always carry a cellphone
You should have one because you never know when you might need it.
If you don’t have one with you, at least carry something that looks like one.
Take it from me. It’s almost certain to have an experience where you need to phone someone, but you didn’t bring your cellphone with you.
What a bummer!
Better to use some props than nothing.
4. In your hotel room, never open your door to anyone you don’t know or didn’t call for
Inviting someone into your room is also a big No-no. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
5. Avoid using hotel stairs, especially at night
It’s the perfect place for a surprise attack or confrontation. That’s the last thing you want to happen.
A Few Miscellaneous Tips
If this applies to you, maybe you never thought about it. But your tampon box can be an effective sake-keeping box for your valuables. You can be sure that no one will want to look at what’s inside. Leave at least a few pieces of tampons to cover what you’re hiding inside.
Your brassiere is another good hiding place for your money. Brassieres with removable cookie pads are the ideal type, just insert your money inside the pad pockets.
Here are a few tricks on how to prevent anyone from approaching you:
- Wear a gold band on your finger. Most of the time it does the job.
- But if you don’t have one; a bag or jacket on the chair beside and opposite you should do the trick.
- If taking the train or bus, sit on the aisle seat and place your bag or jacket on the window seat.
- Never hesitate to call the police or the nearest security guard if you feel that your safety or security is threatened. A lot of assaults occur because the victims failed to call for help when they had the chance.
Since you’re a woman traveling alone, you need to be extra vigilant to keep yourself safe. Crooks and sexual predators count on the moments when you let your guard down. That’s when they pounce. Don’t give them that chance. That way, if they are there, they’ll move on and leave you alone.
So it pays to always be aware of your surroundings. Keep a watchful eye on anything suspicious or dubious. That way at least you’re aware of your surroundings . That’s a good first step toward protecting yourself.
More on Solo Travel for Women
If you think about it you might figure there would be fewer women traveling alone than men. But according to Express that is not the case.
After all you’re just as able as a guy to venture out into the world alone.
Here are three tips to consider for solo women travelers by Janice Waugh.
- Plan your first night well. – You need to make sure your first night goes well. That means you should make sure you have a place to sleep. You don’t want to be in a position where you are searching for a place to sleep and its getting dark or is already dark. Do it early in daylight, well before dark. In the event your accommodations aren’t right for you then you still have time left before dark to make other arrangements.
- If you’re young be very cautious. You need to be more careful about unscrupulous characters than older women. Read this.
- Be patient. It might take a day or two to get back to your normal self. That is to ease the initial shocks of being out there all alone dealing with whatever comes your way. You need to be patient and calm.
Your First Solo Trip is the Hardest
Things usually become easier with practice or doing the same thing over. It’s almost surely going to be like that with solo travel.
Try to remember some of the tips in the attached solo travel guide.
Some of us are thrown into that situation without time to even think about it.
It may not be a planned travel experience, but one in which you were delegated by others to go on. For example on one of my jobs I had to fly from California to Minnesota for training for a week. That was easy because once there it was similar to being back home on the job. Such situations are easy to handle.
Another trip of mine was a little more challenging. I had to fly to another country, Hong Kong, where I didn’t know the language, or where to stay and other minor things. Still it was relatively easy because I had people there meet me and that eased the tension and anxiety.
In getting past the fear of your first solo trip Tracey Nesbitt in her article interviewed many people. Here’s what one of her fellow travelers Helen said:
Nancy: Friends tell me I am brave because I travel solo. I am not brave but I do realize that if I do not travel solo, I will not be traveling or only traveling once in a great while. My desire to travel pushes me through the fears and doubts. And Jane, the fears and doubts are always so much greater than reality. Go for it. I started solo traveling at 66 so age is not a barrier either.
If you’re a woman doing solo travel, take this tip into consideration. It can be a great help in all sorts of situations if you ever need it.
Bring a wedding ring along. Whether you’re married or not, bring it. It can be really helpful to wear it and pretend you’re attached, whether you’re attached or not. That can help eliminate or moderate some situations you might find yourself in.