Safety Tips For First Time Solo Travellers.

Safety can be a major concern to first-time solo travellers. Even if you aren’t worried then I can almost guarantee your friends and families will be. Now, personally, I think that solo travel is very safe. As long as you are self-aware and vigilant in considering personal safety. There will be occasions that you may feel unsafe, but they are few and far between. To be honest, there is a lot of scaremongering surrounding solo travel. In reality, it’s pretty safe and you should take these stories with a pinch of salt.

However, solo travel can be dangerous, as with anything in life. If you aren’t careful and don’t consider your safety, chances are you might end up in a sticky situation. But with common sense and a little bit of intuition, you can absolutely solo travel safely. Let’s get into some great things to put into practice so your solo travel trip can be as safe as possible.

Research Your Destination.

Now I’m not just talking about what sights to see and the best restaurants in town (although you should definitely do this). I’m talking about research that will help you gain knowledge that will assist you in staying safe. The internet allows you to be street smart in a city you’ve never been to! So utilize this and make sure you’re prepared.

There are a few different things I recommend you research before your trip so ill give you each thing to read up on and the reasons why it may come in handy.

1. Local Scams.

I always read up on scams before I visit a new city. Less so in developed countries, not because they don’t happen, but where people are more desperate, there is inevitably more scam artists. When I say “artists” I mean it, some of these scammers are ingenious. I almost fell victim to a scam while in Thailand. I won’t go into too much detail, but the scam was so complex and involved so many people I barely noticed I was in a scam until it had all happened. Fortunately for me, I was a broke backpacker and really wasn’t the best target. But they were well drilled and I’m sure many other people would have fallen victim.

Most cities in the world are home to scammers. It’s almost inevitable that at some point on your travels you will be targeted by a scammer. Especially if you are planning to travel to less-developed nations. Another big issue is that almost every city in the world has different scams you need to be aware of. Hence why I say to research the city you are in to be aware of possible scams that are operating there.

These people are innovative and ingenious, unfortunately, they use their skills to rip off tourists and tarnish their countries reputations. I will say don’t judge a nation on a bad experience, too many people do this. These scammers are in no way a picture of the local people, in fact, the locals generally will step in if they notice a scam taking place. To prevent yourself from becoming a victim just use your common sense, read up on local scams and try and gauge the intention of the person who has approached you. Don’t stress too much about scams. Once you realise what is going on, just remove yourself from the situation. If you know what to look for then you will be fine.

2. Read Up On Local Custom And Culture.

This is a real power move for any traveller, whether researching for safety reasons or just to find more out about the place and people before you go. But here we are talking about safety. So why should you read up about local customs and culture for safety reasons? Well, some things are against the law in other countries that are considered part of everyday life in the west. For example, at home you might decide to share a kiss in public, well you could find yourself being reprimanded by the authorities in some middle eastern countries.

Things like taking off shoes when entering religious sites such as Buddhist temples are also important. I’m not saying you will be attacked if you don’t, far from it, but you may be engaged in hostility. If not everyone will be thinking ill of you for the lack of respect you are showing. Now, I’m not saying you have to learn every bit of culture before coming to a country, but a bit of an overview can be very helpful. Things aren’t viewed in the same way in every country and laws also vary massively, just be clued up before you make a mistake.

3. Learn A Few Phrases In The Local Langauge.

Again, another power move. Learning a few basic phrases and words in the local language can be eternally helpful. You will be able to interact with locals more easily and also have a deeper experience. It’s also pretty impressive to show off to your friends!

But how does it equate to staying safe while solo travelling? Well going back to the first point, scammers will be spooked if you speak their language. They will assume you have been before or perhaps are a resident of their country. They won’t bother you unless they think you are clueless, after all why waste time with someone whos not going to fall for your scam. Secondly, you will be able to partially understand what people around you are saying. This can be invaluable for personal safety.

I really like to use Duolingo before a trip. It’s good for learning some basic phrases and words and best of all it’s free!

4. Study Maps And Learn The Transport System.

A little bit of research before a trip can really help you out. I always like to have a rough image in my head of where things are and how to get around. If you ever find yourself in a sticky situation then you already know where you are, where you need to get to and how to get there. It’s really helpful to be aware of the layout of the area. Not just for safety reasons, but it will help you feel more confident travelling around the city.

Go onto google maps and get a feel for your destination before you arrive, it really helps. If you are feeling anxious about safety, it also calms your nerves, the more knowledge you have the more relaxed you will feel. Just do a small amount of research beforehand, you won’t regret it.

Dont Drink Too Much (or take drugs.)

Now, let’s be honest, basically every solo traveller is going to be partying at some point. I don’t want to sound boring here, but really, take it easy and don’t get into a state. Trust me I’ve been there. You should be more wary and aware of your surroundings while solo travelling. After all, you are technically “solo”. There is a drinking culture surrounding backpacking, but it doesn’t mean you should get wasted.

Drinking too much leaves you open to people taking advantage of you. You can also land yourself in trouble with the authorities. Anything could happen while you are drunk, people could rob you, somebody may attack you and the dangers for females are unfortunately a lot greater. Just be sensible when drinking while solo travelling, stay in a group and don’t drink too much.

With regards to drugs, just don’t do it. Fair enough if you enjoy taking drugs at home, but when you are abroad just don’t take the risk. I couldn’t think of a worse way of ending my solo travelling trip than ending up in a foreign jail. It’s just not worth it.

Use Your Intuition / Be Street Smart.

This should probably be at the top of the list. Using your intuition is probably the best tool you have for staying safe while solo travelling. You are programmed to be aware of threats and the gut feeling we all have is generally for a good reason.

Now I don’t want to fear everyone and everything when travelling solo, but keeping your wits about you can be essential to staying safe. 99% of the time people are genuine and friendly, but you do need to be wary of people with ulterior motives. When I travel solo I usually try and sus people out while remaining friendly with them. More so people I have met outside of hostels. Just take a little while longer to trust people when solo travelling. Like I say most people are genuine, but you need to watch out for those who aren’t!

Going back to studying maps before arriving, it’s also a good idea to check out the ‘dangerous’ areas of a city. Now when you read about these dangerous places, take it with a pinch of salt. I have walked through places where I’ve been told I’ll be robbed or attacked and just met friendly people. However, night-time could be a different story. Just be aware of dangerous areas and try and steer clear after dark. As I say you may be fine, but there’s a chance you won’t be, it’s probably not worth sticking around to find out.

Finally, stick to your group where you can. I talk a lot in my other posts about how when you’re solo travelling you won’t be ‘solo’ for long. You will more than likely be making friends in your hostel and exploring the city together. Sticking in a group greatly reduces your chances of being targeted by criminals. It’s also generally a lot safer as if anything happens then you are with people who can help you. Now, just to be clear, exploring a city on your own is definitely not unsafe, I do it all the time. But when drinking or wandering at night being in a group is your best bet.

Hang Out With Other Travellers.

This follows on from the point I just made. There are definitely more benefits to hanging out with other solo travellers than just safety! Obviously you will have safety in numbers, but it’s also a lot more fun. Exploring with other travellers is my favourite part of solo travel, I get to meet new people everywhere I go and have a great time with them. I have a full post on why you should solo travel you can read here.

Staying in hostels is the best way to meet other travellers, this is the main reason I stay in hostels. The great thing is that you don’t really have to vet the people staying in hostels as much either. They are all on the same journey and it’s much easier to trust them than random people from the street! I have a full guide on hostel safety you can read, but most people in hostels are really cool and just want to hang out like you.

It’s also a great support network, you will find that people who stay in hostels are really willing to help you out with any issues you have. I really think that staying in hostels and hanging out with the people in them is not only the best part of solo travel but really important for personal safety.

Let Family And Friends Know Your Movements.

You should be checking in with your parents and friends regularly. Your parents will be worried about you and it’s a good way to keep in touch with friends from back home. But it’s also really important for personal safety.

If anything were to happen then your loved ones would know the details about your movements. Sharing a live location can be a good idea as well. This is good for your family so they can feel like they have a constant connection with you, and as I say if anything did happen they would know precisely where you are/were.

As I mentioned before you should call home regularly. It can be pushed to the back of your mind when your having the time of your life, but your family will appreciate it if you check in with them regularly.

It’s also a really good idea to leave copies of all your documents with family members or friends. You should have your own copies (digitally and printed) but it can be useful to have someone else who you can contact to access them as well.

In Summary.

So there are a lot of different ways you can keep safe when solo travelling, but I hope this has given you a good overview. Safety concerns most people when going solo travelling for the first time. If not you, I can almost guarantee it will be worrying your family.

The main thing you should put into practice is just being vigilant and using your own common sense. If someone seems overly friendly then be wary. If you have been out drinking and feel vulnerable get a taxi back to your accommodation. Make sure you have done your research before arriving at your destination and always keep in contact with loved ones and update them on your movements and plans. If you follow these simple rules then you will have an amazing (safe) trip!