Solo traveling may lead to some of the most fulfilling adventures you go on in a lifetime. In some cases, though, the same trips can become dangerous. Toeing the line between experiencing the world on your own and not risking your safety doesn’t need to be difficult, though. A few safety tips are ultimately all you need to travel just about anywhere with confidence and continue seeing all that there is to see.
Pay attention to where you stay
It’s always fun to save money on your accommodations, but it’s all the more crucial that you stay somewhere that’s safe. Before you book that budget-friendly room, look into the area around it as well as the location itself. When in doubt, try to stick to well-known hotels and accommodations with plenty of high reviews. Reputable Porto hotels, for example, will be a safer choice than a motel or hostel you can’t find any real information on. You’ll still be able to get a good deal on the room you’ll come to between trips to the Douro, Porto Cathedral, and Ribeira Square.
Learn everything you can in advance
This point is twofold in that you need to learn about the culture you’re visiting and you need to learn how to keep yourself safe regardless of location. Depending on where you’re traveling to, there may be safety concepts that you’re less familiar with, including cultural norms or common risks. Be sure to do your research about a prospective destination well before your plane takes off so that you’re prepared to keep yourself safe while you’re there. Just as importantly, make sure that you know how to keep yourself safe in all situations. You might benefit from studying for an AED certification online. While skills like AED and CPR won’t necessarily save you yourself, you’ll still learn invaluable first aid skills that can help you in a crisis. Even better, you may very well save someone else’s life.
Tell others where you are
No matter how dedicated you are to taking a trip on your own, it’s crucial that you tell somebody you trust where you are, where you’re going next, and how they can get ahold of you in case of an emergency. This can be a parent, a friend, another family member, or a loved one, but it must be someone who you can consistently update as needed and who is prepared to sound the alarms, so to speak, if you don’t check in for a period of time. This way, should something happen where you’re injured or otherwise unable to reach out, they’ll know to alert the proper authorities and send help as soon as possible.
Keep your eyes open
Whether you’re on the road, in the air, or floating somewhere on a beautiful coast, it’s important to keep your eyes open and be aware of your surroundings. Women, in particular, have to worry about violence, but remember: it can happen to anyone. Avoid wearing headphones when you’re walking through streets, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the area, and try not to stare at your phone rather than the space around you. As a silver lining, this may very well help you see more of the sights, which certainly isn’t a downside!
By traveling on your own, you get the chance to experience unprecedented places, cultures, and opportunities that you otherwise would never encounter. And yet, you also take a big risk in taking these steps solo. By preparing yourself, though, be it by learning safety skills or researching your destination and accommodations, you can keep yourself safe and ready to travel another day to yet another foreign locale.
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