People who have never gone alone often call their first solo trip an almost spiritual experience. To bring in different surroundings unfiltered by the biases, judgments, or preferences of a traveling partner can be heady stuff. Solo travel renders you the opportunity to indulge yourself completely.
Solo travel can be the last in self-indulgence; you can stop when you want and stream it on when youre feeling hungry. Another benefit is that your errors are your personal, and your achievements all the more exciting.
You are more exposed to criminals, scams, and petty health problems without a partner to watch your back. A solo traveler can mingle in more quickly than a group, and not attracting attention to yourself as a traveler is one way to sojourn secure.
Do your preparation before you visit. Know how long it needs and how much it takes to get from the airport to your lodge or the city center. If its considerably changed from what you know to be true, take another cab or a public carrier like a bus.
Choose proper accommodations. Reserve a hotel with a 24-hour front desk if you are visiting late, so you dont end up sleeping in your automobile or worse.
Entrust yourself. If it doesnt feel rational, dont do it.
Carry good identification. Please keep it in more than one spot. If you wish to wear a money belt, use it for storage and not as a purse. Keep your passport, extra stores of money in a theft-resistant bag or purse for taking daily expense money.
Stick to open and public areas, especially at night.
Radiate confidence. Walking assuredly and with direction is an effective technique for deterring unwanted attention since appearing lost or confused can make you vulnerable. Walk into a store or restaurant to ask for guidance if you are lost.
Avoid looking like a tourist. Ditch the Cartoon T-shirt, and dont walk throughout with your eyes in a guidebook.
Leave valuables at the house. Dont attract attention to yourself by carrying ornate clothes or jewelry.
Lie a little. When asking for places, dont let on that you are single: Can you point me to the museum? I have to join a friend.
Check maps and transportation schedules before leaving hotel/train/rental car/tourist office.
Leave a copy of the itinerary with a friend or family member at home and regularly stay in touch via phone, video chat, text, or email.
Register with the State Department. For U.S. citizens traveling abroad, consider signing up for the free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, which could support the State Department assist you in case of emergency.
Arrive during the day. Arriving during the day implies youll be able to locate a place to stay and take your bearings before dark. Areas nearby bus and train stations can be scary and lonely at night as small towns tend to shut down quickly.
Trust everyone and no one. Its okay to travel, hang out, and share with new friends, but you might not need to ask them to keep your money. Keep your guard up adequately to ensure your safety.
Exercise hotel safety. At check-in, contemplate asking for a room near the elevator so you wont need to walk down long. When filling out guest registration information, try using your first initial instead of full name and skip the Mrs./Miss/Mr. check box. Ensure the clerk writes down your room number instead of saying it out loud. Consider packing an extra padlock in case the hotel lock is weak.
Dress to blend in. To avoid drawing unwanted attention, dress as conservatively as the ladies you notice around you. Think knee-length or longer skirts. Try to wear covered clothing. Bare arms, shoulders, and legs are considered risky in some countries.
Combat harassment having a collection of harassment restraints can be crucial to women travelers as a firm pair of shoes and a passport. Not fighting with people who are bothering you can make you a less attractive target. If you want to withdraw from being approached during lulls of inactivity, such as waiting for a train, take a novel, or keep eyes on your mobile to make yourself look active and involved.
Pick the right eatery. Cafe or outdoor dining is usually charming to single travelers; sitting solo with a book in a cafe isnt as significant as a table for one at a lavish restaurant. You can opt for a counter seat or a place at the bar.
Carry reading stuff. If you start to believe uneasy sitting alone and staring down at your food, you can snap open a book, whip out your mobile, or read a magazine.
Eat-in. If you dont desire to endure another public meal alone, exercise room service or order carry-out from a restaurant close by.
Eat well. Just because youre single doesnt mean you shouldnt get time for sit-down meals, a comfortable cup of coffee, or an indulgent dessert. The regular sensory input and diligence of traveling alone can carry you down. If you hold your attention or your body weakening, dont be hesitant to back off your ambitious itinerary, slow the pace, kick back for a bit and eat well.
When traveling abroad, seek out an ex-pat barlocals will often understand where these arewhere you can hang out and chat in your native tongue with fellow emigrants and travelers. When moving in more familiar locales, a hot shower and a night in front of the tube in a nice hotel room can usually give you plenty of a release to send you out readily the following day.
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