I have traveled by myself over the world, six continents, 25 countries. There are a lot of considerations for a solo woman traveler. Allow me to pass on a few tips.
Whether or not you are married, wear a wedding ring. It cuts down on the
riff-raff that might bother you. If you get into a tight spot, then you
can casually mention that you are "waiting for your husband", etc.
Pack so you can carry all your belonging with one woman-power. I use a
folding luggage trolley. Don't get the el-cheapo flimsy ones, but instead
get a good, sturdy luggage trolley. They usually run about $40 at Office
Depot or Staples.
I usually take three bags, and can get those three bags on the
trolley. Check before you go, and figure out your logistics. If
necessary, put a bunch of newspapers in the suitcases to simulate
clothes, then load them on a trolley. Practice pulling the trolley to
see if you have too much for just yourself.
The deal is you don't want to be dependent on porters, doormen, etc.
It's nice when you have help with your luggage, but in a strange
airport with no help anywhere, I know I can move self and luggage
under my own power with the luggage trolley.
When you fly, pack a carry-on bag with enough clothes and toiletries
that you can go a day or so without your checked luggage, should your
checked luggage be delayed by the airline. Be sure you triple-tag all
luggage pieces.
1. Outside name and address tag (office address, not home address)
2. Inside tag with full name, home address and travel schedule with
hotels, dates, etc. If the bag loses its outside tags, then the
airline baggage folks will be able to forward the bag to you at
your next destination, or to your home.
3. Airline destination tag they put on when you check in. Be sure the
destination on the airline tag is correct. With computer generated
tags these days, it's rare to find a mistake. I found several
mistakes in the old days when the airline tags were written by
hand.
Pick the clothes to wear on the flight. You want something loose and
comfortable, plus comfortable shoes. Given a choice, try to go with natural
fibers which are safer in the case of fire than synthetics. Your chances of
being in a fire are very, very, very small, but all else being equal, pick
the cotton outfit over the polyester.
Do not wear spiked high heeled shoes on the plane. Besides the fact
that they are dreadfully uncomfortable, they are rough in the case of
evacuating the plane with an inflated plastic evacuation slide. Women
are well advised to wear flat shoes when flying. Some women wear high
heels so much that flats are actually uncomfortable. In that case,
_wedged_ high heels are preferred.
Be sure to take something interesting to read on the plane. If a
loutish boor sits next to you, bury your nose in the book. (If it's a
handsome, interesting single guy, then joke about how the wedding
ring is just for show. But, I digress.)
When you arrive and need a taxi, it is safer to go to the taxi queue
and take the first taxi in line, rather than accepting the offer of
someone who approaches you in the airport. In other words, you choose
the taxi. Don't let them choose you. Sometimes where there are few
taxis that's not possible, I agree, but try to make the taxi your
choice.
If you rent a car, check the car out thoroughly before you leave the
rental lot. Then, if you see anything wrong with the car later, turn
right around and go back to switch cars. This happened to me TWICE IN
A ROW on one trip.
At the hotel: Don't let the receptionist "announce" your room number out
loud. Here you have to have some common sense.
Hotel personnel are (should be) trained NOT to say "Here is your key for
Room 306". Instead they should say "Here is your key. The number is on the
key.".
If the room number is announced out loud, and there are other people
in the lobby who might have overheard, just hand the key back and ask
for another room. Be very polite, friendly, and say you are nervous
about others knowing your room number.
On the other hand, if the lobby is totally unoccupied, except for you
and the desk clerk, no big deal.
Ask at the front desk if the hotel has an evening "turn down" service,
and what it entails. I was scared out of my wits one night when I got
back to my room late at night, opened the door and heard the TV. The
"turn down" service including turning on the TV. My room was vacant,
except for CNN blaring away.
Oh, yes, and sign the register as "Mrs.".
When you get to your room, have the bellman wait while you do a
thorough room check. If you are alone, prop the door open with your
luggage while you do the room check.
I got this tip from a flight attendant friend. Another flight
attendant in the same airline had been raped in her hotel room. The
man hid under the bed, inside the "box" formed by the bed platform.
She took a shower, then the man came out and raped her.
If you look at hotel beds, they appear to have a board that prevents
anything from getting lost underneath the bed. What it actually is is
a four-sided box, where the floor makes the fifth side and the bed
platform makes the sixth. There is plenty of room for a man to hide
there. You can lift up the bed platform and look in the box. Then,
check anywhere else a man could hide - behind drapes, in the shower,
behind the shower curtain, etc. After the room check, thank and tip
the bellman, or close the room door.
Take a doorstop with you in your toiletry case. When you leave your
room, pop it in your purse or pocket. Then, when you come back from
being out, use the doorstop to hold the door open while you do the
room check.
Am I over-paranoid? Perhaps - but better safe than sorry.
At night, use the doorstop to keep the door closed. Figure that an
intruder might have a passkey, and might have tampered with the door
chain. If you jam your doorstop under the door from the inside, then
that is something the intruder has not thought of. That gives you
some precious time to wake up, scream, call the front desk, and so
forth. A rubber doorstop costs about 59 cents, and can be packed in a
very small space in your luggage.
There are hotels that have electronic key-cards, which means that the
code for the hotel room doors are changed with each guest. This is
obviously more secure than a hotel where the same key is used by each
guest. The more secure hotels, obviously, cost more than the budget
ones.
If someone knocks on your door, and you didn't order anything like
room service, call the front desk to verify that a hotel employee was
sent to your room. The obvious exception to this is in the late
morning when the housekeeping crew are around. No intruder in his/her
right mind is going to break into your room with all kinds of hotel
employees in the halls.
When you are out and about, walk with some purpose. If you are lost,
it is better to stop and ask directions, then head in the proper
direction, than to wander around hopelessly.
Take a magazine to read in the restaurants. Someone said once it is
difficult for a woman to dine alone without looking like she is
afraid she had been stood up. True. I try to beat that by walking in
with a magazine or a small book to make it look like I am there by
myself on purpose.
On the other hand, don't be afraid to get into conversations with
strangers. It can be fun to meet new and interesting people. The deal
is to recognize the con artist types from the genuinely friendly
types. The "OK" person will engage in light conversation only and not
try to get you to do anything or go anywhere. Avoid the type who
wants you to leave the secure area, restaurant, park, etc., and go
for some other reason. Stay in public places, in other words.
A lot of solo women travelers deal with the dinner problem by just
eating room service meals. I have done that when I was really tired,
but generally I prefer to go out and eat alone in a restaurant. I get
cabin fever when I spend the whole evening in my hotel room.
As at home, it's not wise to carry a lot of cash. ATM machines are
everywhere. Carry a small amount, then replenish from the ATM as
necessary. Use the normal common sense around the ATM machine as you
would do at home.
Hotels have safe deposit boxes at the front desk. If you are going to
be on one place for more than just a night, you might leave your
airline ticket in the safe box. International travelers should leave
their airline ticket and passport in the safe deposit box, and walk
around town with a photocopy of their passport for their official ID.
A few words about hotel fire safety.
When you get to your room, check out the emergency exit route. Do I
need to mention that you should not use the elevator in case of fire?
Figure out how you will get from your room to the stairs.
I am in the habit of always putting my hotel room key on my bedside
table. That way, I always know where it is. When I leave the room, I
don't have to search for it, or possibly lock it in the room. (Saves
embarrassment at the front desk, too.)
In case of fire, therefore, you would have the hotel room key right
next to your bed. If you decide to leave the room, take the key with
you. The door will probably lock behind you as you leave. If the
situation is worse outside your room, you will need the key to get
back in. Open your window and throw out a sheet or something similar
so the fire rescue people can see clearly that your room is occupied.
Stuff wet towels under the door to prevent smoke from coming from the
hall.
In all the places I have been, I have never been in any kind of
serious trouble. The worst thing that ever happened to me was hearing
the TV on in my room when I came back late at night. There is nothing
wrong with taking a few precautions, however, so you can relax and
enjoy the sight- seeing, the museums, the hiking, the scenery, the
people, the restaurants, the food, the smells, the ambiance and all
the wonderful reasons you left home in the first place.
Our site contains over 100 pages of travel safety tips and security tips that are useful for any traveler. You will find tips involving luggage theft, avoiding pickpockets, laptop theft, hotel burglary, and airplane, train, automobile, and boat travel crimes.
