Staying Safe When Traveling Solo

I’m a huge fan of solo travel. As someone who has spent a lot of time exploring and adventuring alone over the past 15 years, I can say with absolute certainty that it’s something I think everyone should do at least once in their lifetime. Of course, there are some risks and concerns that come with solo travel. That said, there are also plenty of simple things you can do when traveling alone to keep yourself safe. Today, since I have another solo trip of my own coming up, I thought that I’d share some of the things I do to stay safe when traveling alone with you.

Accept & Acknowledge The Risks

We’re starting off this discussion today with something that might sound obvious to some of you, maybe even a little paranoid to others, but is important enough that I not only wanted it included in this list. . . . . . I wanted it right here at the top. One of the most effective ways to stay safe when traveling solo is to accept and acknowledge the risks.

Look, I know that this is an uncomfortable thing to start off with and chat about, but that doesn’t make it any less true. When you travel, solo or otherwise, there is always the potential that something negative happens. Whether it’s something accidental [like losing your phone] or intentional [like someone trying to do you harm] the potential for things like this to happen is there and arguably elevated when you’re traveling alone. That’s why I think it’s so important to accept and acknowledge the risks right off the bat.

Of course, I know that starting the conversation off here is going to be intimidating or even a bit scary for first time solo travelers. It’s not my intention to scare anyone though; it’s about preparedness. In my mind, accepting and acknowledging the risks of solo travel is like putting on a winter coat when it’s below freezing outside. You might not like the idea that it’s cold out. [Goodness knows, I never do!] You might not want to acknowledge or accept the temperature, but none of that makes you any less likely to get hypothermia. It’s the same thing when it comes to the risks of traveling solo. The risks are there, the dangers are there, you don’t have to be afraid [nor should you], but you should be aware.

Have A Plan & Stick To It

It should come as no surprise how I feel about having plans when you travel. We’ve covered this before, and likely will again. There’s a laundry list of reasons that having a plan is a good idea when traveling, but plans take on an entirely different level of importance for solo travelers. In fact, the way I see it, there are two main reasons that solo travelers should have and stick to a plan.

The first reason to have a plan when traveling solo is to make sure that you are staying on track during your travels. This can be useful for all solo travelers, but is particularly important if you’re adventuring alone for the first time. Though the idea of solo travel might seem like a breeze at first glance, without having travel companions to worry about, it can be a lot of extra work. . . . especially for travelers who haven’t found their groove yet. Don’t forget, though you might not realize it, you’re probably relying on those people you usually travel with more than you think. When you’re traveling solo, you don’t have the benefit of that other person to remind you about this and that or that second set of eyes helping you find your way. Having a well thought out and detailed plan is a way to help fill that gap, keep you on track and get you where you’re headed when you’re supposed to be there.

The second reason to have a plan and, more importantly, stick to it is so that someone knows where you’re going and where you’re headed. I know what you’re thinking and yes, we’re going there. Again, it’s not something that people want to accept or acknowledge, but if [unlikely as it may be] something were to happen to you while you’re traveling, having a frame of reference as to where you are is important for those who might be trying to find you. This is especially important if you’re going to be doing a lot of moving from place to place, such as road tripping or if you’ll be visiting places unfamiliar to you.

Now, this doesn’t necessarily need to be a minute to minute outline of your entire trip. Having a few checkpoints each day will usually be more than sufficient. Generally speaking, what I like to do is have a timeframe I’m shooting for as well as a destination. This way, those who need to know where I’m headed do and I can send a simple test letting them know I’ve arrived safely. . . . . which leads me to my next point.

Share Your Plans With Trusted Family & Friends. . . . Privately

Having a plan and sticking to it is great, but ultimately useless if you don’t share that information with someone. Of course, you should not just go sharing that info with anyone nor should you do it publically. I recommend sharing that information with just a few people that you trust such as your significant other, best friend or parents.

Ok. . . . now I know that we’re focusing on safety here today, but there’s another reason that you should really make a plan and share it with trusted family and/or friends; your sanity! When I first started traveling solo it was before the time of smartphones and I was living overseas, but once I became only a phone call away something crazy started happening. All of a sudden my once relatively peaceful solo adventures became a barrage of phone calls from people “checking in” to make sure I was doing ok. Not only was it annoying [. . . . sorry Mom] and time consuming, but fielding calls all day wasn’t want I considered to be a good time. Having a plan, including checkpoints and letting people who when I intend to check in [whether or not it’s with them] has greatly reduced the number of phone calls that I get when I travel solo. . . . . which is great!

Be Aware Of What You’re Posting & When

Epic solo adventures usually mean epic stories and pictures to share on social media. I mean. . . . it’s 2021! However, pictures and videos [including live broadcasts] give away a lot of information about where you are and what you’re doing. This is why it’s probably best to hold off on making posts until you return back home.

Let’s be real though. . . . . you want to share those pics now!

Just because you’re posting on social media in real time while traveling doesn’t mean you can’t do it in a safe and responsible way. Personally, I like to keep all of the specifics about where I am [hotel names, room numbers, the car I’m driving or my flight number] to myself. I also prefer making posts right as I’m about to change my location so that by the time the general public knows where I am, I’m already gone. I also like to keep the fact that I’m traveling solo to myself so that I don’t draw any attention to myself.

Stay Aware Of Your Surroundings

Alright, I recognize we’re wandering close to me sounding like your mother, but we’re talking about being safe when traveling solo. It was bound to happen.

Staying aware of your surroundings is always important when you’re alone; whether you’re traveling or not. However, it can be even more important when you’re traveling because that usually means you’re somewhere unfamiliar.

There are a lot of different things I do when traveling alone that help me stay aware of my surroundings. Some of the more basic examples include not listening to music too loud [or not listening with both headphones on] so that I can hear what’s going on around me. I also like to avoid spending too much time focused on my phone or falling asleep in public. [Hey. . . travel is exhausting. It happens.]

Of course, getting to the point where you’re aware of your surroundings in a way that makes you feel safe and comfortable takes a little bit of practice. It also takes a little bit of trial and error as to what works best for you. Once you find your groove though, it will become second nature.

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We’ve talked about a lot of different ways that you can make your next solo trip a safer one, but the list can easily go on. Of course, there are different pieces of advice that will work better for different types of solo travel and travelers. As always, we’d love to hear what works best for you when traveling alone or what piece of advice you might try on your next adventure. Let us know by leaving a comment down below. Until we meet again, stay safe out there!