Solo-Travel as a Woman

I'm sure we've all seen the danger signs online - travelling alone, as a woman, is the most dangerous thing you can do! Okay, do you go to the shops by yourself? Do you live in a big city, like London or Manchester or Bristol? Then I raise the point that crime is rife in the UK - just look at all the phone thefts in London recently! Here is my quick guide to feeling safe as a woman abroad.

I first travelled alone at 18, but I was on my way to meet people I knew in Finland. Then, at 20, I went to Lisbon by myself, with no one waiting for me. I made friends there, but not the kind you keep in touch with. Just friends for the duration of the trip, but friends nonetheless. Later, I went to Peru by myself. I spent a month out there volunteering, then met a school friend and we went to Rio de Janeiro, via Cusco, Buenos Aires, and Uruguay, with a few stops in-between. At 22, I spent nearly 7 months in Central and South America by myself, sometimes travelling in a group, sometimes in a pair, more often than not with other girls. Here is what I've learnt!

In order to feel safe travelling alone, you need to know what you have around you. I always had a backup plan.

I always made sure I had a rough understanding of the city I was in, and knew some basic phrases to get by in case I needed to ask strangers for help. Luckily, I speak French and Spanish, but I learnt some in Portuguese when in Brazil.

Firstly, I recommend having more than one of important things. I had my airpods, and a pair of wired headphones as backup. The wired headphones were a lifesaver when I opened my airpod case one day to find no airpods inside! I carried an old iPhone 7 with me, which acted as a decoy in case I ever found myself in a scary situation and needed to hand over my phone etc. I also left my current phone at home for events such as Barranquilla Carnival, some nights out, and when walking around Rio de Janeiro. I would put the SIM card into my old phone so I still had mobile data etc, but I wouldn't be worrying about my phone safety whilst out.

When it comes to money, I would always carry a bit of local cash, some American dollars (because these are more likely to be accepted than British pounds), and some Euros (in case I need to trade money with other travellers, the Euro is a safer bet than GBP!). I also had multiple cards with me, some expired (again, the decoy trick), and all with varying amounts on them. I didn't bring my main current account card with me, as I didn't want to run the risk and it has high foreign transaction fees anyway. I would split my money between my Monzo, Revolut, and Chase accounts so I always had back-ups and I could avoid paying high transaction fees.

As a woman, I feel like we all have the ability to be too trusting at times. When you are the only person you truly know abroad, make sure that you are only trusting a few people. This doesn't mean to shut yourself off and not interact with anyone, it just means only giving your social media to people you feel you know and can trust, only telling a few people details about your travels plans, and not agreeing to do things you don't want to just because you want to fit in. Sadly, women are more of a target sometimes, and by having your wits about you and hanging around with trustworthy people you feel will have your back, you will make yourself feel so much safer.

Ultimately, some of the best friends I've made and the best memories I have are as a result of travelling alone.

Travelling alone is scary, if you aren't scared I'm either impressed or worried about you - being scared is normal! Just make sure you know your surroundings, don't make yourself stand out or draw attention to yourself in a negative manner, and be respectful. These rules go for anyone - its just the girls that are more likely to be worried about.

And finally, don't think that going alone means you will always be alone. You will meet so many people out there, local people, people travelling, people working. Open your heart and mind and you will have incredible connections with people from so many different walks of life, and you can learn so much from them by having open conversations and asking genuine questions about them and their lives. I think we all need a bit more interaction with strangers, and a few more kind words in passing. Don't close yourself off, and allow yourself to have moments of fleeting connection. Not everything has to result in a new best friend, or a travel partner for months on end. Be true to yourself, whatever that may be, and enjoy your time in new places.