25 female solo travel tips: how to travel safely as a woman alone

“Traveling solo as a woman is dangerous!”, is something I read often in social media comments. Or even better; “Women traveling alone are just asking for trouble!”. Honestly, this kind of statements pisses me off! Traveling solo as a female should not be any more dangerous than traveling solo as a male. Unfortunately female solo travel IS more risky, that is sad but true. But does it mean that, in general, solo traveling really is unsafe at all?

I never considered solo travel being dangerous. I have been traveling on my own as a female for years now. Finding a likeminded travel partner is not always easy, so I refuse to stay at home until I finally meet that perfect travel match. Fact: both men ànd women get harassed or killed all over the world. Whether that is somewhere in South America or in your own city, it happens. Actually, I have experienced more trouble when I was living in the center of my hometown Antwerp, than abroad. Truth is; bad people are everywhere, but luckily most people are good!

Still, it is best to take some precautions when traveling solo. It never hurts to be careful and prepared. That is why I decided to share my personal female solo travel tips!

The ultimate female solo travel tips: how to travel safely as a woman alone

These safety tips for women traveling alone are not just about how to get rid of men harassing you. There are various travel situations that need some preparing when it comes to safety!

Table of Content

The ultimate female solo travel tips: how to travel safely as a woman alone
The conclusion for women traveling alone
Pin these female solo travel safety tips for later!

1. Keep copies of your documents

Take a copy of your passport and drivers license in the bag you take with you to explore. The originals can stay at the hotel. If your bag gets stolen, you will still have the real documents, so you will be able to return home without having to go through all the paper trouble and still be able to drive a car when road tripping. I’d rather explore during traveling than trying to get new documents.

2. Cash & credit cards

Always pay with credit card and only take a small amount of cash, in case paying with credit card is not possible. Keep one credit card in the hotel and one in your bag. If you get robbed at least you will still be able to access money with your spare card. Also memorize the card stop phone number to block your card. For Belgium this is 078 170 170.

3. Vouchers / confirmation e-mails

Even though it is not good for the environment, I always take printed versions of my booking confirmations. You never know whether your phone, tablet or laptop gets stolen. Or when there is a bad internet connection, you will always have some proof of your reservations and the address details of where to go.

4. Women traveling alone need to be present

Always talk to everyone you encounter. Whether it is just saying hi to people passing by while hiking or people you meet at the hotel. It is important for women traveling alone that people get familiar with you. Not only is it fun to meet new people, it is also important that people recognize you. Imagine you get missing; it is better that people notice your existence! It makes the search easier (I know this sounds dark, but these are things you need to take into account!). Or if you get harassed by someone and another sees this and recognizes you, it will be more likely he will come over to help.

When I was in Istanbul, a man approached me acting really dodgy. (Which unfortunately happens a lot to women traveling alone) He did not want to leave after I made it clear his company was not wanted. So he started following me, while I was trying to get rid of him. I decided to go straight to the restaurant I had eaten at the night before, which was only two streets away. I had had some nice conversations with one of the waiters there. When I arrived, the waiter (still recognizing me) stood outside and immediately noticed something was wrong. So I ran to him and explained. He yelled something in Turkish to the guy who was following me and offered me a seat and a drink. If I had not been so sociable the night before, he probably would never have done this.

If this happened in a more crowded place another option could also have been to start screaming (really loud) at the guy. Things like “Leave me alone!” or “This guy is harassing me, help!”. Draw attention to the situation. Often then these men make a run for it.

In Morocco there was one guy who kept harassing me as well. I had made it clear several times I was not interested and even moved to another place to sit down. In the meantime I had looked around to make a status of my surroundings and I noticed police men a little further. So when he took another chance to sit next to me AGAIN and started to insist AGAIN that I should be with him, I stood up and yelled (in French though) “Get the hell away from me or I call those police men!”. I have never seen a guy run so fast!

I always share my itinerary with my parents before I leave the country. I contact them every day to share where I am at that moment and what my plans are. They know if they don’t hear from me within 12 hours, something probably is wrong! Simply because I am the kind of person that always reacts the same day. Make sure you have a person at home who you can count on.

6. Don’t overshare with strangers

Not everyone has to know in which hotel you are staying or what your plans are for the following days. Female solo travelers should be careful sharing this kind of information with everyone they encounter. Also be careful with what you share on social media. I prefer to share information a few days later. I will never post in which hotel I am staying, until I already left.

7. Inform your hotel / B&B owner

If you are on a hiking trip, it is important to inform the hotel or the B&B owner in the morning, where you are going that day. When I went hiking in Madeira, the first morning I went to the reception to tell them which hike I was going to do that day. If I did not return before 8 pm, they should send help. The first time I told them this, they looked at me strangely. Then I explained I was hiking solo and no one would see me fall down if I would trip or slide away (and the hiking paths over there can be very narrow with massive drops). Then their expression changed immediately and they complimented me for being smart about this. They never looked at me weird again!

8. One of the most important female solo travel safety tips: do your research

Another important female solo travel tip is: always research your destination about everything! Is it safe to drive there? How is the public transport? What kind of scams is the location known for? What languages do they speak? Which neighborhoods are best to avoid? Is it OK to explore during the evening? Where are the restaurants and bars? Which hikes are doable alone? For which hikes is it recommended to hire a guide? The more information you have, the better you are prepared and it is less likely you’ll encounter problems.

9. Choose your hotel / B&B location wisely

If you did your research well, you know which locations are best to book your accommodation. Avoid areas near train stations. They are known for being the most dodgy in every town. Try to pick a location where there are restaurants and bars, so you are sure you won’t have to walk too far from your hotel to find a nice dinner place. These areas are also more crowded, so you will not be alone in the street in the evening.

It is also more fun to be closer to the main attractions, so you do not have to take public transport too much during the evening, if you want to take some night shots.

10. Study a map in advance

I know not everyone is good at orientation, but I love to look at maps. When preparing for a trip, it is always good to know what the place looks like. By that I mean the layout of the town or area you are going to explore. By the time I arrive at a destination, I can visualize a map, knowing which attractions are located north or south or where to find certain neighborhoods etc. Where my hotel is located… It always comes in handy!

11. Pin the locations you want to visit on a map

It is always better to be prepared. So if you pin locations beforehand, you do not have to look too long at your phone or map to understand where to go. That way you won’t look too lost.

12. Another ultimate female solo travel tip: be confident (or fake it)

Always smile and be friendly, but also look confident. I have a firm step and I am very direct. So if I start feeling like people are trying to lure me into something, try to harm or scam me, I can be very assertive. I think I often radiate something like “don’t you even try!” or “don’t mess with me!”, when my inner radar is starting to notice something wrong. Which really helps! I am not a super confident person, but I can fake it like a badass and I just can’t stand people trying to scam me.

If you are lost, still try to look confident. Do not go for the desperate “Shit, where the hell am I” look. Do not start to twirl around or take a huge map or go walking around with your phone in your hand. Try to look for a place where you can sit down and check your (mobile) map less obviously. You can also ask someone who looks trustworthy for directions.

People looking like they are lost or unsure, will always have more risk to become a victim of robbing or scams.

13. A separate phone for navigation

I know this may seem strange, but I always use my previous phone to check a mobile map and navigate the streets or hiking paths. It is smaller and if someone grabs it from my hands, I still have my real phone in my bag.

14. Women traveling alone should always be aware of their surroundings

No matter where you are, always be aware of your surroundings. What is happening in your vicinity? Who is around you? Is someone following you? Are there vehicles approaching? Are people staring? Anything dodgy? I am not saying you have to be paranoid. But it is always better to assess a situation. I am very good at predicting certain situations, or avoiding them. It is something you learn with experience and also just using common sense. I have a certain instinct and I often smell trouble from miles away. If you doubt something or someone, my advice is always; “Trust your gut, trust your instinct!”. The more you travel solo, the more this will grow.

It is also important when taking photos with a tripod! If it is too crowded or some ambiguous types are hanging around, it would not be smart to set up a tripod with an expensive camera to take photos.
If you would like to know more about solo travel photography, you should definitely read my blog post explaining how to take photos of yourself while traveling solo.

15. Buy a local SIM card

A local SIM card is always best! You will be able to call and connect with the internet everywhere (if there is 4G available) and it is cheaper. Strangely enough sometimes even the GPS works better with a local SIM card. No clue why, but that is just my experience! If you live in Europe, it is not necessary to buy a SIM card from another European country; only when traveling outside of Europe.

16. Dress appropriately

Don’t get me wrong; I am not saying you need to dress like a nun. What I mean by “dress appropriately” is that you need to respect the culture of the country you are visiting. When I traveled through Morocco, I decided to show respect to the culture and not show too much skin. I found it fun to wear colorful maxi dresses in light fabrics. I did not wear a headscarf, since it is not obligated. But I received so much respect in return for wearing appropriate clothing.

Is wearing shorts and a tank top absolutely wrong in countries like that? No, it is a free world (except in countries where it really is forbidden, make sure to check in advance!). But chances are you will get treated in a different manner than I was. That is just straight facts. Do I think that is fine? No, because it is 2022 and I think it is about time people should be allowed to wear what they want. BUT since in some countries religion still seems to be the most important thing, it is better to show some respect. After all, traveling is about getting to know new cultures and learn from them. It is not about trying to force your own cultural habits to that other country. It is also not about expecting to eat the same food you have at home, but that is a different topic!

Also don’t go wearing expensive clothing and jewelry. If you are wandering the streets all shiny and glittering with your golden watch, diamonds and necklaces in a country where the standard of living is much lower, you are just screaming to get robbed!

When you go hiking, make sure to wear the right shoes and clothes. Be prepared for all kinds of weather by wearing layers and take a rain jacket.

17. Always lock your car doors

Always make sure your car doors are locked. You do not want your purse to get stolen or getting car jacked while waiting before a red traffic light. Also do not leave your purse in the passenger seat, but somewhere a bit more hidden, while driving. If you leave your car, make sure nothing lies in sight. Some even break into a car for stupid sunglasses.

18. Don’t act and look like a tourist

Do not wear the obvious tourist stuff. Just try to stay under the radar. Do not wave around with your camera. Just try to blend in. I know this is not always easy if you are visiting countries with a totally different culture or different looks. I can tell, because I am a blonde! So when visiting Asian countries sometimes people act as if I am some kind of movie star, photographing me like paparazzi (true story).

19. Take a bag with good closure

Use a bag with a good closure and put your wallet in one of the inner zip pockets. This makes it harder for pickpockets to grab it. Wear your bag in front of you.

20. Memorize the emergency numbers

Try to memorize the phone numbers of the police and other emergency services of the country you are traveling to. You never know if you ever need them!

21. Learn some phrases in the local language

I think it is evident to learn words like hello, good morning, good evening, thanks, please,… That is just basic decency. But it could also be useful to learn phrases like: “Where is X”, “I am lost”, “I need help”… Just think of situations in which you could end up and what phrases could be convenient.

22. Do not do what you would not do at home

Honestly, at home you would not take that narrow dark street or walk alone in the park at night, right? So don’t do it abroad either. Don’t go playing the hero when traveling. This has nothing to do with staying in your comfort zone though! I strongly recommend everyone to step out of their comfort zone immediately! Just don’t get yourself in dangerous situations and trust your gut.

23. A female solo travel tip for insecure road trippers: rent a driver

If you are not sure about the safety conditions to drive a car yourself, hire a driver or rent a taxi. It could be that you are not comfortable driving in the mountains. Or maybe the police in that country are corrupt and you do not feel like paying fines for some imaginary reason to cops putting the money in their own pocket. Maybe the roads are too bad or the drivers are too crazy for you. Then a private driver or taxi are the perfect solution! Always make sure to take an official taxi though!

24. Do not get drunk

When consuming too much alcohol you will not be able to fully control your actions anymore. You are also way more vulnerable to abuse. You become an easy victim. Keep it stylish, enjoy your cocktails, but do not overdo it. Unless you want to be that girl tripping over her own feet while walking back to the hotel and ending up in the gutter… Also keep an eye on your drink, so no one gets the opportunity to pour a rapedrug in it.

25. A tip for women traveling alone who like hiking

When I tell people I love to hike and that I do it solo, the reaction I receive is often “But it is dangerous to be alone in the woods!”. Honestly, I think it is more dangerous to cross the street in a city, than to enjoy nature in the woods or mountains. The worst thing that ever happened to me was a rather big branch falling down, hitting my backpack and missing my head (luckily). But I understand why people react like that. Because it all depends on the place, the hike,…

That is why tip number 8 is so important! Do your research! What is the difficulty of the hike? Is it a popular, frequent hike? Is it advisable to hire a guide? Did other solo travelers do this hike? Which season is best to do the hike and when is it not recommended to do the hike? What are the weather conditions on the day you are planning to do the hike? What does the path look like? Is it doable when you have a fear of heights?

Make sure to download the route via a hiking app, some apps even let you pin the route. Make screenshots of the map with the itinerary in case the app does not want to load anymore while hiking. Or take a paper version.

Take enough food and water with you and always take too much. Because you never know what can happen!

In short: be prepared for everything that could go wrong.

The conclusion for women traveling alone

Basically these female solo travel safety tips are all just common sense. Am I a little mad that I need to write this kind of post? Yes! The world should not be a dangerous place to anyone. If everyone would be a decent, kind, respectful person, there would be no need to share this information. Truth is, that is not the real world. There will always be sick minds or systems of “justice” that do not punish these types enough. So they are free in the world to redo their crimes. Even in Belgium we have our fair share of that. But I do hope that I can help other women traveling alone by sharing these tips, based on personal experience. If one of these will ever prevent or get you out of a bad situation, then my mission is accomplished!

But do not go out and travel thinking the world IS a dangerous place. Most of the time it is perfectly safe and beautiful to travel! Most people are kind. Do not let a few nasty souls ruin your whole travel experience. Go out and explore and keep an open and positive mind!

Keep traveling and stay safe!

And do not hesitate to share your own safety tips in the comments!

Pin these female solo travel safety tips for later!

I hope you enjoyed this “Female solo travel tips: how to travel safely as a woman alone” article! Don’t hesitate to leave your comments down below!
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