Travel Safety For Women
The number of solo women travellers has increased dramatically in recent years. If you are considering making a trip abroad alone there are a few additional steps you can take to help ensure your safety.
The internet offers plenty of useful advice for female travellers, including tips on how to dress in foreign countries. You can also find many sites featuring travel advice submitted by lone women travellers along with their accounts of and experiences of travel in different countries.
Ensure you:-
- Dress appropriately
- If staying in a resort/cruise join in with as many organised activities as possible
- When talking to men try to avoid flirtatious conversations
- Try to ask directions from another woman or a man with children
- Sit next to other women whenever possible whilst on a journey
Staying in hostels is a great way to start your journey especially when backpacking and you may find that you find friends there who you want to continue the rest of your journey with.
One of the most important things for safety when travelling alone is ensuring that someone back home knows where you are at all times – make sure you leave them with an up to date itinerary and keep them informed of any changes to your plans. Try also to keep in regular contact with someone at home and if possible try and check in with them every day.
It is inevitable on your travels that you will go out at night and enjoy yourself but female travellers must put their safety first in order to have a good time. The number of date rapes and incidents of drink spiking are on the up especially in countries where drugs are more readily available. To make sure you stay safe on a night out make sure that you never leave your drink unattended and when dancing or moving around with your drink try and keep it close to your body. Use a drink spike detector on your drink to make sure it is safe – it is worthwhile buying these before you leave the country, they are inexpensive and could save you from heartache. Make sure too that you do not drink too quickly and avoid binge drinking, you may think you are having a great time but with inhibitions down you are an easy target for people wanting to take advantage of you.
When travelling home on a night out try not to do so alone, but if you have to try and wear a coat preferably a long one to make you less of a target. Walk the route home which is best lit; even if it will take longer it will keep you safer. Remember to never accept a lift from a stranger even if they appear friendly or are your nationality – remember too to never take an unmarked taxi. When nearing your door have your keys ready in order to enter quickly. You should try and purchase a rape alarm before you leave the country and make sure you carry it with you at all times.