I understand her concerns because I often travel as a solo woman, or with other females. It’s not rocket science. We should all take precautions when we travel somewhere new. 

Whether it be to a nearby city, a neighbouring state in your own country or travelling abroad. 

Things can and will happen on your travels, but there are things that you can do to avoid running into trouble.

These are my Top 12 Tips for Safe Travel Around the World

1. Always Buy Travel Insurance

They say that if you can’t afford travel insurance, then you can’t afford to travel. I agree with this 100%.

Over the last decade of travelling, this is an expense I always include in my budget. I’ve used many different travel insurance companies over the years.

Heymondo is the insurance company that I am insured with now. They offer easy, fast, and customisable travel insurance.

You can personalise your insurance to your type of trip and budget. As frequent travellers, we use their Long Stay Insurance – perfect for medical coverage and all of the other essentials.

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Travel insurance is probably the most important of my top 12 tips for safe travel.

Read more about why you need Travel Insurance and why these two companies above are the best out there.

2. Separate your money and credit cards

Don’t carry all your cash and credit cards in the same wallet. Separate them and put some money in a safe location in a hidden sleeve in your suitcase or backpack.

The same applies to exploring a new city, leave some cash and cards that you won’t need for the day in your locked luggage in the hotel or hostel room.

Related Article – The Best Debit Card for Australian Travellers – Save loads of cash

3. Keep your wallet or handbag where you can see it

Men, keep your wallets in your front pocket to avoid being pick-pocketed.

Women, wear your zipped handbag or small day pack on the front of your body, especially in busy areas and on public transport to avoid being targeted by thieves.

When making purchases in shops or in view of the public, try not to flash your cash or show the contents of your wallet to anyone. 

4. Plan how to get home safely

Another one of my top tips for safe travel is to plan. Before you go exploring a new city, source the safest way to get back to your accommodation. 

Don’t take the shortcut in an unknown area or walk home late at night, just to save a few dollars.

If you’re planning on spending a night out on the town, budget and keep aside enough cash to get a taxi home. Better yet, organise to meet and return home with friends or people that may be staying at your place of accommodation too.

EXTRA TIP: The good thing about booking hotels on Booking.com is that they provide the address in the local language with your other reservation details. This is immediately emailed to you after you make a new reservation with Booking.com.

Related Article – Our Expert Travel Tips From 20+ Years of Travel

5. Use your Smartphone even smarter

Get the most out of your iPhone. Learn how your Google Maps app can help you to know where you are at all times, even offline. It’s got a great feature where you can download maps and use them when you’re offline.

If you plan ahead, use the hostel wifi or even McDonald’s (free wifi) and load your Google Maps location, drop a pin of the address of your accommodation. Follow your locater, or as I like to refer to it, the ‘blue dot’.

It’s always a good idea to take a business card or map from your accommodation provider which has address details in the local language. This helps if you need to give directions to a taxi driver or ask a local about a bus or metro that will take you close to your accommodation.

Related Article – The Best Travel Websites to Save Money

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6. Dress correctly and try to blend in

It’s usually quite easy to spot a tourist, simply by the clothing and mannerisms. If you look like you’re from out of town, you’re particularly vulnerable to crime, so try to blend in as much as you can.

Wear clothing that won’t attract attention or better yet, buy a local dress, scarf or outfit to avoid too much attention.

When checking maps for directions, be discreet. If you’re really lost, carefully approach a local and ask for directions. I usually ask the owner of a nearby store or a young person/student as they’re more likely to speak English.

7. Eat from places that look busy and clean

Eat from places where the locals eat. Busy cafes, restaurants or street carts where the locals wait or will line up are what you should be looking for. You will find these places located off the tourist main streets, they’re cheaper and generally the best food available.

TIP: Ask your taxi driver or the staff from the reception of your hostel where they like to eat.

Related Article – 7 tips: How to find the best food when you travel

8. Be aware of your surroundings at all times

This is one of my tips for safe travel that you need to always be thinking about. Tourists are easy to recognise, which gives local thieves and scammers an easy target.

Try to use common sense at all times and be polite but firm with people who you feel may be trying to scam you out of money or belongings.

TIP: Learn the exchange rate upon arrival in the new country and find out the approximate cost of a taxi or transport in local currency to take you there.

Once you do exchange currency, learn the bills (which can be very confusing in high denominations) and separate the fare for the taxi before you get in.

Taxi drivers all over the world prey on the fact that you have just arrived in their country on your own, you’re tired and disorientated and have probably just exchanged cash for local currency and don’t know what it’s worth just yet.

If you are flashing your new cash to them, they will have no problem plucking a bill from your hand that is worth 10 times more than what the fare actually costs.

Related Article – The Most Common Tourist Scams in China (and how to avoid them)

9. Listen to your intuition

We’ve all got one. Listen to it! Your intuition will tell you if you have wandered into a dangerous area and to turn around, or if some dodgy character is trying to befriend you so they can scam you.

My tips for safe travel are all about keeping you safe as you make your way around the world.

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10. Learn some of the local languages

Learning some of the local languages can definitely get you out of some sticky situations. For women, in particular, it’s a good idea to learn some words to ask someone to stop bothering you or to go away.

We use Babbel to learn new languages. Babbel works. It’s the reason why we use it. We try to learn new languages or enough of a new language to enrich our travel experiences as we travel around the world.

When you learn a new language, you want to be able to actually use it. With real people. In the real world. Babbel is designed with that goal in mind.

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Another one of my tips for safe travel is to use the Google Translate app to download a new language; then you’re able to use it on the road to communicate with locals.

11. Scan your passport and other important documents

Scan these documents and send them to your email address so that you can gain access to them from anywhere in the world.

It’s also worth saving it into the files on your Smart Phone to access it whenever you need it. In some countries, if you lose your passport, it can take up to 6 weeks to find a replacement.

If you have previously scanned this, you can make the process much quicker by producing a copy of all the important details etc.

• 🔥 Hot Tip: Book accommodation in advance on Booking.com
• 🎟 Book your attractions and tickets online: We recommend Viator and GetYourGuide
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12. Use the safe or lock your valuables away

Many people are very poor and desperate for any extra cash. In many countries, the wages are extremely low which is why people will steal your valuables if given the chance.

I always lock my valuables, including my laptop and camera inside my carry-on 40L backpack or suitcase or use the room safe if one is provided.

When I stay in a hotel room alone, I do the same thing. I don’t fully trust housekeeping staff, probably because I’ve previously been the victim of stolen cash hidden in my unlocked backpack.

I’ve also travelled with and used a strong bike lock to secure my bag to my bunk bed or kitchen sink in some countries because I didn’t want the whole thing to be taken or stolen whilst sleeping on overnight train journeys.

Make sure you get Travel Insurance before hitting the road. We recommend Heymondo & SafetyWing Travel Insurance.

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Travel Tips

We love to share our knowledge of traveling, and you may enjoy reading our top 6 travel hacks to save you money and our ultimate packing list for travellers.

For the food lovers out there, don’t miss our top 10 best countries for foodies! And, if you’re more interested in history, these 30 amazing historical places in the world will fascinate you! 

Perhaps you’re travelling on a budget? These 10 cheapest countries in Europe to visit may be just the tool you need to start planning an epic trip.

But, here are 8 things to know about traveling to Eastern Europe and it’s good to know these 7 misconceptions about Eastern Europe too.

Or, perhaps these 21 Cheapest Countries to Visit Right Now is just the thing you’ve been searching for. 

We’ve got a bunch of tips for how you can save money to travel the world, and even when you’re out there travelling, maybe these 20 jobs that PAY YOU to travel the world will help you travel longer. It worked for us, and we bet it can work for you too.

And, if you’re planning a new trip, whether it’s for a week, a month, or even a few years, consider buying an eSIM to stay connected. This is our favorite travel product, and you can read more about what is in eSIM and why eSIM is so convenient for International Travel.

Check out the travel gear we use on the road, and for the products and websites we recommend to plan new trips, head to our Travel Resources Page.