If You Are a Woman Traveling Alone, This Is What You Must Know

Traveling can be a rewarding, exciting, wonderful time. There are lots of things you have to do in order to plan a safe and enjoyable trip. However, if you're a woman traveling alone, you need to think even more about how to plan your trip in a way that keeps you safe. Here are some ways you can have an enjoyable trip as a single woman alone.

Research your destination before you go. This can be one of the most important things that you do. If you find yourself going to a place where there is a lot of crime, you might want to choose a different destination. Crime happens in every major city, but you don't want to walk into a terrible area by yourself.

Have copies and scanned files of your passport and other documents. As any traveler alone, it's important that you do what you need to do to make sure that the authorities recognize who you are. If you lose your papers, you need to make sure that you have something else to show them.

If you travel for example to Chicago - make sure your hotel is in a safe neighborhood of Chicago. You may find glowing reviews and wonderful pictures, but you need to find out whether the place you hope to stay is safe for you, and that you feel safe when you're there.

Give your family and friends an address and number for every place you will be staying. They will of course worry about you, so it is a good idea to help them worry less by giving them information that will help them reach you. Even better, come up with a plan of communication. Can you call every night? Every other night? This way, everyone will know that you are safe.

Go to your destination with your plan and don't deviate too much from it. Before you even leave, you should be studying some street maps so that when you get there you aren't completely confused. Be familiar with the streets before you leave and you won't look like such a tourist.

Don't carry a lot of fancy jewelry and don't flash your wealth. While you certainly have a right to wear and look however you want, you need to beware of criminals. A woman alone flashing a lot of money and jewels is an easy mark.

If you feel unsafe, find an area with many people. Stay in groups where there are a lot of people, and don't allow yourself to be taken too far away with any strangers. If you feel that you're being followed, approach a uniformed police officer or another woman. This will help you to stay safe as you are out and about in the towns.

Some people will try to tell you that a single woman shouldn't travel alone, but that is utter nonsense. A woman can have a fun, safe vacation as long as she remembers a few pointers. Use the tips in this article to make sure that you have a great time, while looking out for yourself.