Many people indeed travel the world with their partners, spouses, families, and friends. But, many folks enjoy travelling alone and experiencing new cultures, customs, and cuisines. Visiting new places alone has many advantages over going places with other people.
For example, you get to decide everything on your travels, rather than needing to compromise. Plus, you can ultimately travel across different nations according to your itinerary rather than a shared one.
The only downside is that travelling alone can sometimes be risky, especially if you are a lone female. Still, that shouldn’t discourage you from packing your bags and jetting off across the globe in search of adventure!
If you’re a female solo traveller, the following tips will help you have successful and safe trips, regardless of your destination. Here’s what you need to keep in mind:
1. Check for travel advice before you fly
Wherever you go, even if it’s a ‘safe’ Western country, it makes sense to check official travel advice before you fly. That way, you can be sure to avoid any particular areas where trouble might be brewing due to political instability or tensions.
You can do a Google search and even check newspapers for the latest advice. But, it makes sense to check the latest travel advisories from the Foreign Office’s website. It’s there where you will find the latest official travel advice.
At the time of writing, the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has made it difficult to travel to many countries. Many places require visitors to quarantine for a few days or even a couple of weeks upon arrival.
2. Research the best travel options
Looking at options for flights and accommodation isn’t any different for groups of people compared to solo travel for women. You have to check out the best prices for flight options, transfers, and places to stay in either scenario.
Knowing where you wish to visit is obviously a good start. Once you’ve decided on travel destinations, your mission is to find the best value for money options. But, that process can often take a lot of time, so be patient with your research. The results will pay off!
3. Research the cost of living
It’s no secret that things like food, entertainment, and transport vary in price between different countries. Even neighbouring nations can have a vast disparity in the cost of living. Why is it so important to research such expenses, you might be asking yourself?
The answer is simple: you want to make sure that you have enough spending money when you travel. The last thing you want to do is head to a destination and find that you’ve blown your budget after just three days into a two-week vacation!
4. Have backup funding options
Cash is often the preferred way to pay for things in many countries. One thing you should never do as a solo female traveller is only take cash with you! Be sure to have some backup funding sources at your disposal in case of emergencies.
Did you know that many people use prepaid debit cards from providers like Revolut? They enable travellers to buy things and even withdraw cash in the local currency. What’s more, there aren’t any vast financial penalties for doing that.
It’s probably not worth bothering with traveller’s cheques as they are an outdated and often expensive way of getting access to your money. Prepaid currency debit cards like the one mentioned in the previous paragraph are more prevalent these days.
5. Don’t forget to arrange travel insurance
No-one likes to think about bad things happening to them while they are abroad. Sadly, some travellers, and solo ones, in particular, are a popular target for criminals in tourist areas.
Travel insurance is inexpensive yet ensures that you have financial help should your money, cards, and electronic devices like smartphones and cameras get stolen overseas. It’s easy to make a claim and get compensated quickly while you’re abroad.
You can usually compare travel insurance providers and policies easily online, and you can also buy them over the Internet.
6. Use a VPN provider for secure Internet access
Cybercrime is a problem in virtually all nations, irrespective of their location or economic wealth. When you travel abroad, you will undoubtedly wish to use your smartphone each day.
Whether you’re using a local network’s 4G Internet or Wi-Fi Internet at your accommodation, you should also use a VPN provider. In a nutshell, VPN stands for Virtual Private Networking and offers a secure and encrypted means of sending and receiving data over the Internet.
To go online, you first connect to your VPN provider’s nearest physical server location. Once your connection is successful, you can browse the Web and use Internet-based apps as usual.
VPN services, such as ExpressVPN, are easy to use. All you do is open up their app on your phone, tap a button, and a few seconds later, you have a secure connection. Now you don’t have to worry about privacy or security issues when you travel abroad.
7. Learn some of the local language
If you’re travelling to another English-speaking country, you can probably ignore this section. But, if you’re going someplace where English is the spoken or de-facto language, it makes sense to learn a few useful words.
That’s because you can’t expect other people to speak and understand English. Plus, locals are more willing to assist you even if you only talk to them using a few essential words and phrases.
There are many online language courses you can take, and some are even app-based so that you can learn from the convenience of your smartphone.
8. Be street-smart
Finally, you should ensure that you use common sense and exercise caution when visiting unfamiliar places. Don’t assume that everyone will be friendly and helpful wherever you go. Here are some useful tips to keep street-smart:
- Avoid unwanted attention. Don’t wear clothing that might offend people or flash around expensive jewellery and electronics;
- Know who to contact in an emergency. You should make sure you know the contact number for the local police or emergency services;
Avoid travelling alone at night. If possible, travel with a group of other people, such as in a tour group.
