My 10 essential solo travel safety tips for women

Last Updated on February 20, 2026 by Ioana

I love solo travel and I have been doing it since 2022. But taking your first solo trip is as scary as it is exciting since you have to navigate new destinations alone and make sure you’re safe. In this blog post I will share my top 10 solo travel safety tips to help you get prepared for traveling solo for the first time. This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.

1. Do research ahead of your trip

Every time I travel to a new country or city I do thorough research about it. I browse through social media posts, I read blog posts, and I read comments on forums like Reddit from people who recently traveled to that destination.

Using multiple sources of information is a good idea because it’s more likely that you will learn the good, the bad, and the ugly about the place you’re going to. Which is exactly what you want: to know as much as possible about the new place you’re visiting.

Besides reading about it, I also like to go on Google maps in street view and literally pretend I’m walking from my hotel to the nearest tourist attraction to see what the streets look like. 

That way when I get to my destination the places look familiar, which calms down my nervous system and gives me peace of mind.

I personally think that a lot of the anxiety about solo traveling comes from your nervous system being overwhelmed by being outside of your comfort zone with everything. 

New country, new city, new language, new food, new everything. It’s normal to feel anxious and overwhelmed. That’s why doing as much research as possible is the best practical advice I can give you. It will put your mind at ease.

2. Learn about local scams before your trip so you can avoid them

​No matter where you’re going to and no matter how safe that place is deemed, make sure you learn about the local scams so you can avoid them.

As a solo female travelers, we can be an easy target to scams since there is nobody to alert us or watch our backs. So the best thing we can do is to inform ourselves about these things ahead of our trip.

My first solo trip was to Paris. Despite it being a relatively safe city, I knew that it has both pick pockets and plenty of scammers that work in groups, especially in the tourist areas.

And I was approached multiple times: asking me to sign a petition, to donate, or to be surveyed. I immediately knew these were attempts to engage with me so that their teammate can steal my phone or wallet. So I didn’t engage, didn’t make eye contact and just continued to walk. And nothing happened to me.

I can’t stress how important it is to know all these things so you can avoid them and be prepared for them. Knowledge is power. And yes, this saying also applies when you visit a foreign country solo.

3. Keep your belongings in front of you

As female solo travelers we always have a small purse or backpack with us where we keep our phone, credit card or debit cards, important documents, and whatever else we need during the day.

It’s very important to keep this purse or backpack in front of you, not on your back. This way you can immediately see if someone is trying to open it and steal from you.

I also like to wear purses that are more difficult to open. So instead of just having a magnet close, maybe it has a zipper, or a more intricate close system. This was it’s much harder for a pick pocket to open it and take your belongings.

When it comes to your travel documents, it’s up to you if you carry them on you or if you keep them in a secure place in your hotel room. I personally like to have my passport on me at all times. But I know people who lock it up in the safe in their hotel room. It’s up to your personal preference.

4. Try to blend in with the locals

Another one of my top safety tips is to pretend like you’re a local to avoid drawing unwanted attention on you. So basically try to make it less obvious that you’re a tourist.

Don’t be on Google maps all the time, don’t wear a fanny pack or large backpack, and try not to look clueless when you walk on the street. 

I think we’ve all seen people like this and we can all immediately tell they are tourists. Which means that pick pockets can also immediately tell they are tourists and can target them. 

So I try to dress like the locals, not be on my phone all the time, and walk the streets with confidence. In my head I pretend I’m just going to work in my destination and I imagine what it would be like if I moved there haha

​This helps me step into this local character and be less of a tourist.

5. Be respectful of the local customs and local culture

Speaking of locals, always be respectful of the local customs and different cultures. I’ll give you a few examples. 

If you travel to the United States from a country where you don’t need to tip your waiters, you should tip them in the US because that’s the local custom.

If you travel to a Gulf country, dress modestly like the local women to show them respect for their culture. 

By doing what the locals do you blend in and don’t draw attention to yourself. And at the same time when you show respect for the country you’re in, they will also show you hospitality and respect in return.

6. Tell a family member or friend about your plans

Whenever you travel solo make sure someone who is close to you knows about your whereabouts. I always tell my mom and at least one of my close friends where I’m traveling to, the dates I’ll be there, and I constantly check in with them throughout my trip to let them know I’m safe and tell them what I plan on visiting each day.

This gives me more peace of mind because I know that I have people knowing where I am and who can help me in a worst-case scenario.

If it’s easier for you, you can also use an app to track your location such that someone can see where you are at all times.

If you live in the United States you can also enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. It’s a free service for US citizens traveling abroad that allows them to register trips with the nearest US embassy or consulate. 

So in case of a natural disaster or dangerous situations in the country you’re visiting they can provide assistance. 

7. Get travel insurance

Another thing I recommend you always do when traveling abroad is to get travel insurance. You never know when you’ll get sick, break a leg, or get severe food poisoning.

If you have travel insurance, then it covers your medical costs and you don’t have to be stressed about spending a lot of out of pocket money if you have to visit a doctor in a foreign country.

You never know what can happen, so it’s better to be prepared for the worst case scenario situations. 

8. Find out the local emergency numbers

Speaking of worst case scenarios, find out what the local emergency numbers are and save them. If you ever need to call an ambulance or the police, then you can just do it instead of panicking for not knowing who to call.

9. Use ride-sharing apps instead of taxis

I think we all heard of a horror story involving taxi drivers in at least one country. That’s why I personally never take taxis. I either use ride-sharing apps, or book an airport transfer service.

Uber operates in a lot of the world. In Europe you also have Bolt. And in Asia you can use Grab. I have all these apps on my phone.

It’s safer to use ride-sharing apps because there is a digital trail of the ride and they use tracking and it’s way more difficult for the driver to do something to you since you.

Plus, it’s way more convenient to pay for the ride within the app automatically. Otherwise you might have to deal with the taxi driver asking you for tips or charging you more. Or the card payment might not work and you have to pay cash. But you might not have cash on you. So it gets way more complicated.

If you want to optimize for safety and avoiding overcharging scams, then just use a ride-sharing app instead of a taxi.

10. Trust your gut about people and situations

I think this is the most underrated tip. Your gut knows how to asses people and situations before you do. So if you think something about a person is off, then don’t engage with them.

If you meet someone and they make you feel uncomfortable you can lie and tell them you’re traveling with your partner or friends or family and then leave.

Just do whatever you need to do to stay safe. And always trust your gut in these situations.