Let’s bring the excitement down for a second and talk about the one thing no one really wants to think about when it comes to travel . And that is safety.

This is obviously a huge and serious topic as terrorism, political war, social unrest, and crime exist in essentially every country. The fear of being harmed can stop many people from traveling at all. They believe it is just not worth the risk.

And by making this post, we do not mean to scare you or stop you from wanting to travel. Quite the opposite actually. We encourage people to travel more! What we hope to do with this post is help you to travel safer and smarter.

If travel safety is a concern for you, read on and hopefully you will feel more confident to travel, even as a solo female traveler!

We’d love to hear any other safety tips you guys have. The more we share, the safer we all are. Drop a line in the comments below.

Travel Safety Tips for Your Domestic or International Vacation

Travel Safety Resources, Reports, and Risk Maps

The best place to start your safe journey is at home. It is important to research the city or country you will be traveling to. You will want to get a general idea of the current political situation, any travel or health risks, crime rate and the local customs and language.

A good first stop is to check out the US Department of State website where you will find international travel information. You’ll get the official word on the country here rather than relying on hearsay and social commentary.

Just released is the travel risk map for 2019. This is an awesome resource. It’s an interactive map showing risk level around the world based on the current threat posed to travelers. This is based on the current level of political violence (including terrorism, insurgency, politically motivated unrest and war), social unrest (including sectarian, communal and ethnic violence) and violent and petty crime.

Another fantastic source of information is to search through travel blogs. These posts have real and specific details about your destination and come from people who live in the city or have recently visited. Use the comment section to ask any questions you have. You can find blog posts about your destination through a Google search, on Pinterest or on Facebook groups. And of course, if you have any questions for us, let us know in the comments below.

Traveling to the Pacific Northwest? Come check out our travel guides before you leave for your trip!

• ‘Ultimate Travel Guide to Salt Spring Island’
• ‘Ultimate Guide to Hiking The West Coast Trail’
• ‘The Best Home Rentals on Vancouver Island’

Facebook groups are also great to use on their own. Almost every city and country has a Facebook group attached to it. And these groups are full of very helpful and experienced members. Ask a question in a group and you’ll get all the information you need.

It is also a very good idea to learn some of the basic language of the country you are visiting. You’ll find knowing some key words and phrases to be very helpful for getting around, not getting lost and to get help if you need it. We also love having an electronic translator with us, because let’s be honest, we don’t always have time to learn a new language. We like the Smart Language Translator because it translates 36 languages in real-time. You just speak into the device and it starts speaking for you in a different language. Having one of these makes traveling so much easier.

Make sure you have an idea of the basic customs as well. Each country has their own way and it is good to know so you don’t unknowingly attract negative attention.

Advice and Apps to Ensure Your Safety at Your Destination

You will get a lot of the information you need once you are actually at your destination.

Once you are there, try to get familiar with the city. Study a map of the areas you will be so you have a good knowledge of the streets and landmarks. This will help a lot if you get lost or have an emergency. Check out where the hospital or medical center is and where the local police are and how to contact them.

A great app to have on your phone is the Maps Me App. This is a detailed offline map that you can use anywhere – no WiFi needed (unlike Google Maps).  All you need to do is download the map for the country you will be visiting when you do have internet. Then you can use the map anywhere. It’s a must when traveling.

One of the best tips we can give you is to give family and friends your itinerary. The more detailed the better. Every day, give them exact dates, times and locations of hotels or tours you have planned. Also, let them know when you plan to check in with them next so they will know something is wrong if you are not in touch. WhatsApp has a great live location feature. This allows you to share your real-time location for a specific amount of time with the participants of your individual chat or group. You can choose who you want and they can track you whatever you are. This could literally save your life.

Before you leave your hotel each day, plan your schedule and your routes out so you know where you are going. This way you can walk around confidently. Confidence tells people not to mess with you and shows people you know where you’re going (even if you don’t).

While walking confidently around the city, you also want to make sure you don’t get distracted. or example, you don’t want to walk around with a phone or map in your face. Make sure to maintain a good sense of your surroundings so you can avoid bad situations or bad people.  

Also, make sure to avoid wearing flashy jewelry, leather goods or expensive brands when walking around. If you do, you are basically putting a ‘rob me’ sign on your back.

Safety Guide to Alcohol and Drugs

Let’s chat about alcohol for a second, as it can be a huge determinant of your safety. The problem here is that when people are on vacation, they want to relax and have fun. And alcohol is a big part of that.

It’s never a good idea to become overly intoxicated when you are traveling in a foreign country. It’s too easy to make bad decisions and show people that they can easily take advantage of you. Be smart, don’t overindulge, stay in control of yourself and your possessions, and be aware of who and what are around you.

If you do decide to drink, make sure you always keep an eye on your beverage. Don’t ever let it out of your sight and bring it into the washroom with you if you have to! Always watch the bartender closely when they are making your drink. And don’t take drinks from strangers if you didn’t see the bartender pouring it.

And if you are interested in partaking in some party drugs (although we do not recommend this!), but if you do want to, you can easily test your purchase with drug kits like the NIK Drug Test Kit to make sure what you bought is actually what’s inside. Because drugs are not government controlled, you never know what you are getting and this can be lethal! These test kits allow you to test all the common drugs. But what you really want to make sure of is that nothing contains fentanyl.

At the very least, don’t walk around at night alone, drunk and high!

Safety Recommendations for Meeting New People

Traveling is a great way to make new friends. You come across many people who are very similar to you and who share the same mindset and values in life. But you should still take some precautions when spending time with people you do not know well.

I’m just going to say it – don’t trust new friends too much. Not to be cynical, but it is better to rely on yourself and take care of your own safety rather than trying to trust a stranger. It takes a lot of time to truly get to know someone enough to trust them. Don’t be fooled by people’s friendliness.

If you are meeting up with new friends while traveling, make sure to meet them in a public place. Don’t show up to their hotel room or a ‘friend of a friend’ of theirs apartment.

And if you happen to ‘fall in love’ on your trip, or just Tinder love, always use protection! Don’t take any chances with your body. Of course, if you are going to meet with a potential hook up, always do so in a public place and let someone know where you are going.

Are you looking for ways to travel the world on a budget? Check out our budget series to find cheap and affordable travel methods:

• ‘How to Find Budget Accommodation and Lodging Anywhere in the World’
• ‘Things to do for Free While Traveling’
• ‘How to Maintain Your Food Budget While Traveling’
• ‘How to Travel the World for Free’

Essential Safety Equipment, Gear, and Gadgets

There are great small, lightweight and cheap items you can easily carry along that will help protect you if needed. A whistle, small knife or pepper spray will do the trick. Just make sure you can carry these items on a plane of the airline you are going on.

We recently found some interesting new products that would act as the ultimate self defense items (and we think they are pretty cool!):

The VIPERTEK Stun Gun is a serious tool. It appears as a regular travel sized flashlight but is also a powerful stun gun. The sight and sound of just setting this thing off would send a potential attacker running. You can definitely walk around confidently with this thing in your pocket.

We have also seen people using heavy duty selfie sticks, like the Fugetek, that second as a self defense weapon. We love dual purpose items since we pack light – and you’re probably carrying around a selfie stick anyway, right?

Safety Hacks for Backpacks, Purses, and Wallets

Hide your wallet in a place that is not easily accessible. Try secret pockets (you can actually sew these into your clothes yourself), a money belt around your waist or put money in your sock.

If you have a purse or backpack with you, wear it around the front of you in busy areas. A great trick for a purse or backpack – use a small carabiner to put through the zipper tab, then clip it onto a strap. This prevents anyone from being able to open your purse without removing the carabiner.

We use a credit card and passport protector, like the RFID Blocking Sleeves, when we travel. You simply slip your cards into these protectors and they block any electronic scanner that is near you trying to steal your information. These types of scanners are used in high traffic tourist areas to try and grab information from the hundreds of people’s cards moving around them. These protectors actually work and are guaranteed and approved by the US government.

Safety Do’s and Don’ts for Your Cash and Money

Before leaving for your trip, consider creating two bank accounts at home. One as your regular savings account; and one as your travel account that is empty and you can transfer money into it from your savings as you need it. This is a great trick if you will be traveling for months at a time. If your debit and credit cards are attached to an empty bank account, you reduce the risk of fraud and having money stolen from you.

It’s a good idea to try to never swipe or insert your card into any machine. This is how people can easily steal your information. Manually inspect ATMs if you do have to use them. You can see if there is a piece there that doesn’t belong. But it is best to use cash or tap your card as much as possible.

If you are taking lots of cash with you on your trip, split your money up and keep it in different locations, bags and pockets. Therefore, if you do happen to get robbed, not all of your money is lost.

Always bring photocopies of your IDs and passports with you on vacation and keep these in different locations from the originals.

When out for the day, only carry the essentials and the amount of money you need for the day. Never carry large sums of money with you.

Security Tips for Hotels

Don’t assume a hotel is your safe haven. To ensure you stay at a decent and safe hotel, check the reviews and ratings before you book it. Read recent reviews to get an idea of the quality, location, and neighbourhood it is in. Also, check to see if it has public transportation nearby so you don’t have to walk far out of your way to get home.

If your hotel has a safe, use it to lock up passports and money. If you do not trust the hotel safe, bring along your own travel safe, like the Master Lock Personal Safe. These safes are lightweight and portable so you can take it in your suitcase. You can set your own code and tether it to anything you want with it’s cable. This is a great item to have if you are staying in hostels or renting a room on Airbnb.

Ensure all windows and doors are locked and secure before leaving your room or going to sleep. You can also purchase these nifty door alarms, we use the Doberman Security Door Alarm, that go off if your hotel room door is opened. They are small, portable and easy to carry with you for extra safety.

Safety Rules for Taxis and Public Transport

Whenever you get into a taxi, make sure to take a picture of the driver’s ID, licence and of the car itself. Make sure the driver sees and knows what you are doing too. For extra protection, you can send these photos off to friends or family so they know exactly who you are with.

Make sure you sit in the front seat with the driver, as the back doors can be child locked on you.

While you are driving along, follow your route with Google Maps or the Maps Me App to make sure your driver is going the right way and that they have, indeed, dropped you at the right location.

Safety Checklist for a Solo Female Traveler

It may not be something we wish we had to think about, but women do need to take some extra precautions when traveling. There are many amazing solo female travelers out there who stay safe by being smart. If you are a solo female traveler, we would love to hear from you about what you do to ensure your safety abroad – comment below. You are a true inspiration for us!

If you are staying in budget lodging, seek out female-only dorms in hostels and look for female hosts for Couchsurfing and Airbnb rooms. If you can’t find a female host, read the reviews very carefully to make sure you will be safe in the environment.

A general rule would be to not walk around alone at night. If you do want to go out at night, go out with your partner, your friends or people from your hostel or hotel. A solo female at night can be a target for predators, so it is best to avoid it.

If you do happen to find yourself in a bad situation, do not hesitate to scream out and make sure you get other people’s attention. Don’t feel bad about causing a ‘fuss’, your safety is the most important thing.

A great way to protect yourself is to be prepared ahead of time and take self-defense lessons. Learning some simple moves could help to save you if you ever needed it.  

Consider wearing a cheap fake wedding ring (if you don’t have a real one) to keep men at bay. This could reduce the chance of them coming up to you if they think a man might be with you.

We hope these ideas have helped you to feel better about your safety and have motivated you to travel despite any fears you may have. We have visited many countries, some considered ‘safe’ and some not, but by following these tips we have never had any safety concerns abroad.

My final message to you all – trust your instincts! If you are in a situation that is giving you a bad feeling, listen to it and leave!

We’re curious what other ways you guys stay safe while traveling. Have you had any potential or real danger happen to you abroad? Let us know in the comments below!

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