As a female traveller, even more so when solo, it’s important to feel safe in your surroundings. Travel is all about seeing in the world, and, yes, taking risks, but not ones that are gonna see you in a less than savoury situation or with a travel insurance claim the size of your (broken) arm.
I've been lucky enough to only have twice really felt unsafe abroad - and both times, I had a companion. Once, roaming the streets of central Naples late one night, the other on a deserted beach in Bali in the pitch black, unsure exactly how far we'd walked down the sand, and with the equivalent of just £2.50 between us after dinner. But #memories, eh?
You can’t always know what situations you’ll end up in - that’s the beauty of travelling somewhere new - but there are a few little nuances you can adhere to for your own peace of mind.
Money
First things first, with the obvious stuff. Whether you’re carrying a card or visiting a country that deals predominantly in cash, protecting your money is always a big worry. If you’re walking like JLO in Hustlers with paper in every pocket, it’s recommended that you split your money out between bags and pockets, so at least if someone does attempt to nick it, they haven’t got it all; this is what we did when interailling. Another hard-and-fast rule is to wear one of those small bags under your clothes to store your passport and money - quite a dad one really, because it’s not very outfit versatile.
Piazza San Marco, Venice - interailling trip
Another recommendation from personal experience is to DO YOUR RESEARCH on the money sitch in the country you’re visiting; I learned this the hard way on my trip to Cuba. Cash is king there, ATMs only work with certain card providers, and even then, sometimes it’s just the luck of the draw as to when your card works. As it’s a closed currency, my first opportunity to get money out was at the airport… to no avail. I made my way to the first casa (pre-booked airport transfer, phewww) and, basically, spent about three hours with minimal Wi-Fi trying to sort it, ending in the kindness of my parents and a stranger. GAHD.
Valuables and security
In regards to other strangers, speaking with a few solo female travellers, sometimes a lock just doesn’t cut it. For personal and belonging safety, some people sleep better using one of those portable door locks for peace of mind - no one else can get in your room at night.
Personally, the steps I take to protect myself and my valuables are to have a scanned image of my passport available and always wear a cross body bag, which is harder to walk past and steal. If you are opting for a backpack, ensure your valuables are stored in the pocket that faces your back, as again, this is harder for thieves to get access to.
Piazza del Duomo, Milan
Know the roads and public transport systems
Think of that one friend you refuse to get in a car with. The one that speeds, swerves and brakes like an absolute lunatic. Now, imagine a couple hundred of them on the road. Not to generalise, but this has been my perception of drivers in Italy (sorry sorry sorry). In Rome, we witnessed a good couple of crashes, and I literally thought I would take my last breath on the roads of Napoli. In fact, personally, I feel like Milan and maybe the outskirts of Verona are legit the only Italian cities I've been to that recognises the zebra crossing as what it is. When you’re abroad, there's so much more to the roads than just driving on the other side of the road - get online, and get familiar with the ways of the road, whether you’re a pedestrian or gonna get behind the wheel yourself.
If you’d rather keep the costs and time down, public transport is the best way to get around the city when your feet will only take you so far. As a born and bred Londoner, metro systems are like child’s play - if you get tired of walking around Manhattan (unlikely, but okay), or need to get from Montmartre to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, their systems are well priced and easy to follow; plan your journey on CityMapper and you’ll be away - if you’re staying centrally, there’ll always be a metro station close to your hotel or AirBnb.
Now, if you don’t want to get behind the wheel, or stretch your legs, but want to see all the sights above ground, any regular readers of this website will know I LOVE a city sightseeing bus. The costs vary, as do the length of time each route takes, but sit tight, pop your headphones in, and enjoy being whisked from one landmark to the next, with absolute minimum effort, and maximum safety, really.
Passing the Colosseum, Rome, on a sightseeing bus
Be aware of the country’s customs
...and I don’t mean Customs at the airport - though being familiar with those will defo save you a hell of a lot of time on entry to a country (Australia and the US are quite strict). A quick search online or chat to someone has visited the country before is enough really, just to get the heads up about what’s going down. For example, in Morocco, it’s frowned upon for women to have their shoulders, knees or chest area on display. It’s not a rule, especially not for tourists, but you will draw a lot of unwanted attention if you rock up in your spaghetti top and hot pants, that’s for sure. On our tour, two girls who didn’t adhere to this did get more attention than they bargained for from locals, which is not justified, but equally, I think you should respect the expectations of a country (within reason) if you have actively chosen to visit.
All covered up in Fes, Morocco
Natural surroundings
This may seem like a weird point to include but bear with me. There are vastly different climates all over the world; from not getting bitten alive by mosquitoes in Bali, when you’re allergic to their saliva, to not falling in the glacial lagoon’s icy waters that would cause your heart to stop in three seconds in Iceland, you gotta be careful. From personal experience, I’ve learned not to try and climb Prague’s Petřín Hill in the deep dark depths of January, because it’s icy AF and it will take you over an hour to do what should be a 15-minute, uphill walk. Again, all it takes is a simple Google search - easy peasy.
What little tips and tricks do you abide by to keep a little safer on your travels?