We’ve all been there. You’re in your room, almost naked, and room service or the maid walks in. It feels scary for a second, before you see their embarrassment and you squawk “later please” in your broken version of the local language. It makes you wonder, however, if someone else could come in just as easily.
I’ve done my fair share of traveling. From going to Tokyo as a teenager, to traveling Europe by myself and making new friends as I went, I was blissfully unaware of the dangers that existed. Luckily, I had common sense (and a worried mother), which likely helped me escape an incident or two.
It’s not always easy traveling as a woman, but you can make your sojourns safer by following a few (okay, make that fifty) of our essential travel safety tips:
Choosing a Hotel
1. Smaller is smarter. You want the staff to be familiar with you and the other guests. The smaller the lobby, the more noticeable the loiterers.
2. Aim for a place in a busy part of town (neighborhood restaurants and late-night stores mean traffic, corporate offices and parking garages mean empty streets and tumbleweeds). Affluent residential areas tend to have more reliable transportation and a less threatening street crowd.
3. If you’re still concerned about the area, ask a female employee – not one in reservations – whether or not she feels it’s safe to walk around at night. (Call the restaurant, for instance.)
4. A reception and concierge desk near the entrance and/or the elevators is more likely to deter non-guest undesirables.
5. There should be privacy for guests checking in; nobody should be able to overhear a name, room number, or other personal information.
6. Room numbers should be written on the room key envelope, not told to you aloud or inscribed on the key. This way, anyone who picks up your lost key won’t have access to your room.
7. Look for a parking lot that’s well lit and secure. Find out if there’s valet parking . . . and if it will be available when you need it. Use it, even if it costs a little bit more.
8. Does the hotel gym have an attendant? Half-naked and alone in a hotel basement isn’t exactly where you want to find yourself.
9. The hotel should have sufficient staff to walk you to your room late at night. Inquire when you book and you’ll get an idea of how female-friendly the hotel is.
Room Rules
10. Request a room near the elevators and away from any renovation or repair work. Have your key out when you leave the elevator.
11. You want to be far from emergency exits (which someone might pry open to avoid using the elevators), ideally on an upper floor away from catwalks and terraces.
12. The door should have double locks – one of which is a dead bolt – and a peephole. Bring along a security doorstop if you think you’ll need extra protection.
13. The “Please Make Up My Room” sign tells everyone you’re not there. Call housekeeping instead to notify them your room’s ready for cleaning.
14. Conversely, the do not disturb sign can make the room seem occupied (especially handy if you leave expensive items inside).
15. Put expensive clothing on hangers under other garments. Robbers usually “shop” what they can see.
16. Lock valuables in the front-desk safe.
17. If your bag is stolen from the hotel, recruit management to search for it. Most hotel robberies are committed by the staff, and many companies, especially overseas, don’t allow employees to leave with packages; thieves take the money and dump the rest.
18. Stand near the elevator buttons with your back to the wall; if threatened, push all the buttons at once with your back.
Street Smarts
19. Study a map before going out. Once on the street, use a pocket-sized guidebook to avoid looking like the vulnerable tourist you probably are. Have your hotel’s concierge or a female employee mark any dangerous areas on your map.
20. Dress down. Fur coats and Prada heels scream “mug me.” If you do go out with the good stuff (for a nice dinner or some other formal event), use private transportation.
21. Ditch the jewelry – even a chain that’s fake gold can be ripped off your neck. Do consider wearing a wedding ring.
22. Loop a money belt through your belt loops so if someone cuts it, it won’t fall from your waist.
23. Be wary when getting off a bus or train, or riding stairs and escalators; that’s when pickpockets tend to strike.
24. Carry just one credit card and photocopies of important documents. Divide money for small and larger purchases so you don’t have to expose a wad of bills. (When sharing with friends, keep a kitty for common expenses to make digging for cash in public places unnecessary.) Become familiar with foreign currency before you need to use it.
25. Have tips prepared for porters and doormen.
26. Use prepaid phone cards instead of carrying your card number.
27. Ask the concierge to make any restaurant reservations, and have him or her say, “Please take care of our guest, she’s coming alone and will need a taxi home.”
28. Should a car start to follow you, immediately turn and walk the opposite way.
29. If you must ask for directions, approach families or women with children. To be extra safe, say, “Where is the –? I’m meeting my husband there.”
30. On sidewalks, keep your handbag and other valuables away from the street side (and on escalators, away from the opposite ramp).
31. If attacked, run, fight, and yell as loud as possible.
Transportation Savvy
32. Use covered luggage tags. Instead of your home address, write your office address on the baggage ID.
33. Lock all suitcases. If you make a lot of purchases on your trip and your bag becomes full, secure the bag with strong tape.
34. In public rest rooms, use the corner stall. Keep your purse and/or luggage on the wall side of the stall.
35. On overnight flights, keep an eye on your valuables. A good idea is to put your valuables in a security waist pack (versus leaving it in your stowed carry on) and wear it while sleeping. When you go to the lavatory, take your purse/valuables with you.
36. Talk to female passengers and flight attendants on the plane about the safety of your destination.
37. In a busy area, if you deposit your belongings on your car’s passenger seat, lock the door before walking around to the driver’s side.
38. Don’t exit a taxi until you’re sure you’ve arrived at your destination. Pay while still in the car so that you can be sure you’ve gotten the proper change.
39. Stay close to your valuables when passing through airport security.
40. If you place your carry-on bag on the floor when sitting in a restaurant or other public area, put your foot through the strap; don’t leave it loose.
41. Tear your name and address off magazines before leaving them on the plane. Why announce to the world that you’re away?
42. To avoid getting lost when leaving a tricky airport, hire a taxi to lead your rental car to the expressway. Don’t use an unmarked taxi; if necessary, take public transportation to a city center.
43. Rent a mobile phone or bring your own. Put the police on speed dial.
44. On the road, if someone tries to get your attention or your car is bumped, don’t stop until you arrive at a well-lit and busy area, or, failing that, stay in the car and blow the horn until someone comes to your aid.
45. If suspicious about “phony” police, don’t open the window. Instead, hold your license against the glass.
46. In your car, keep items out of sight (especially maps and guidebooks). Hatchbacks leave your luggage in plain view.
47. When possible, park so you won’t have to back out. It makes for a speedier departure.
48. A mistake many women make is getting into an aggressor’s car when they pull a gun and order you to step into their vehicle. Most attackers don’t want to shoot you; they want you to get into the car so that they can drive you to a deserted place and torture you. Don’t comply. Run screaming. It is MUCH more likely than not that your assailant will just move on to an easier target.
General Advice
49. Don’t just check the weather at your destination. Also make a note of when the sun rises and sets.
50. Before you set out, scour the internet for safety info you can find about the place you’re planning to visit.
And remember: Above all, make sure to have fun! Don’t let fear keep you from getting out there and meeting people, or doing adventurous activities. A little planning goes a long way to keeping you from having to worry about any type of danger while you’re away.
I would suggest not to reveal too many things. In the past I’ve had other girls tell me all about their backpack content and the valuables. One must watch what we share with strangers as you don’t know what their intentions might be.
The very first thing I do now is buy travel insurance. You never know what may happen to having a health and travel insurance is totally worth paying a bit extra (including trip cancellation, lost bags, medical checkups etc.) Luckily I’ve never had to use it but it was one less worry.
It is almost like a checklist all females should read prior to traveling. It is also common sense! Love it! Big thanks.
Totally nodding with each and every single tip, Hilary!
Travel insurance is definitely important! I have terrible story because I have forgotten to do once…
I’m glad I added this post to my favorites. It’s quite comprehensive.
Hi there Hilary,
Loved this blog post! Although, I don’t travel alone to far away places, this post was very informative.
I feel from reading your posts, that you are such a friendly and open person that it must be so easy for you to meet people along the way or at your point of destination.
Overall, I really enjoy reading your posts and being able to live vicariously through all our travels. I wish you the best of luck and safe travels always and to always have a good time!
Thank you for all the great advice!
Brilliant tips, Hilary! I’ve been really lucky so far, nothing bad has happened to me on my travels. I do generally trust people, but hope that the instincts will kick in if someone dodgy ever comes along
I found that getting up early to get photographs in Paris was a mistake to do on my own. The city was quiet, but alone I found myself the target of early morning scam artists. I decided it was better to take someone with me for those 6-7am shots that always end up being the best. I had three people “find” wedding rings, and not a policeman in sight. I was told later early mornings are as much of a target as late in the evening in some Paris spots. Criminals know people with expensive cameras like to get shots without crowds of tourists. Also in Belgium, as well as most of Europe, that cute small child begging does not need your money. Big brother or sister might be just waiting to see where you keep your cash. Children in most European countries are NOT starving, especially ones like Germany, France and Belgium. Yet there are always children begging there! For the Middle East, borrow a wedding ring. My daughter was horrified in Oman when she found women travelling alone in tank tops, shorts, and no wedding ring. She has worked there many times, never had an issue, but always dressed correctly and was “pretend” married until she was married. The wedding ring was recommended by the US State department for single women travelling in the Middle East.
Awesome tips Hilary! I’m definitely bookmarking this for future use. I recently got into a discussion about solo travel as a woman with my father. According to him the world is a scary place. I beg to differ, so I’ll show him some of your tips!
I have that same “discussion” with my mother every time I bring up spending six months hiking the Appalachian Trail. She is convinced that some evil person is just waiting for me to start and they will make off with me because I “won’t have a man with me.”