If you have been keeping up with my blog, then you might have noticed that I primarily travel alone. Solo travel is something that I began doing when I decided I didn't want to miss out on experiences in life after my first big trip as a working adult was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. I learned about being comfortable spending time living everyday life alone in the confines of a small apartment and figured that would translate well to traveling solo.
Fortunately, I did a lot of traveling in my life as a child and later as a college student. The activity of traveling was not new to me, but going places on my own was far less familiar. I briefly lived in Canada in 2018 while completing a summer internship, but even then I wasn't really alone. However, I did spend a lot of time exploring the city by myself and that set me up for understanding how to travel solo safely. There's so many things I could share with you about how to stay safe as solo traveler, but I will keep it simple for now. Based on my experience, here are five solo travel safety tips you should consider:
1 - Your Identities in the Destination
An individual will possess multiple identities such as race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, etc. Intersectionality, a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, is defined as "the complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) combine, overlap, or intersect especially in the experiences of marginalized individuals or groups". Depending on your what your unique identities are, this could be a factor in your approach to traveling somewhere. You may choose to limit your time in a particular location, be very selective about which neighborhoods and businesses to visit, or completely avoid a location altogether.
For example, if you have seen pictures on my blog or on Instagram, you will see that I am a Black woman. As a woman, I have to be mindful about traveling solo anywhere and extra vigilant if I'm out somewhere at night. I'm also Black and that means if I'm on say a road trip either by myself or with others, I have to avoid "sundown towns" (yes, these still exist) and other places where racism could significantly impact my well-being and ability to have an enjoyable trip. As you consider potential destinations as a solo traveler, the way you may be treated in different places based on your identities is the first thing you should think about!
2 - Hotel Proximity to Transit and Locations of Interest
This is where traveling solo can get expensive, but it's worth it for your safety! I find that it's safer to spend the extra money on a centrally located hotel if it means you don't have to walk as far alone or ride in a car for long with an unknown driver when traveling alone. For example, when I was in Miami late last year, I stayed at the Hilton in downtown that was on the same block as public transit that could easily take me to other places such as the Kaseya Center. It was also about 20 minutes from the airport which is a common travel time from downtown to the airport for many cities. I didn't have to worry about walking more than a block or two at night to and from different stations and I didn't have to be in the car for a long time to get to the airport.
Proximity was an intentional aspect of my apartment location in Canada and I replicate that in my hotel selections when I travel now. My best example of finding a hotel in close proximity to transit and locations of interest was when I went to the Silk Sonic concert in Las Vegas the first time. Everything I needed was at one hotel! When possible, I recommend identifying the location that requires the least amount of movement across longer distances. It allows you more time at different places, limits your time in the elements during unfavorable weather, and can give you some peace of mind as a solo traveler. For more tips on hotels, check out my 7 Things You Should Know About Hotels blog post.
3 - Bring a Portable Charger
Smartphones tend to lose power very quickly and that seems to be expedited when you're traveling. I usually carry a couple of portable chargers along with my regular plug-in charger in case I find a place with an electrical outlet. If there is an emergency or even if you just feel a little uneasy, you want to be able to have your phone available to make a call or send a text and you can't do that if your phone cannot power on. I have a MagSafe portable charger that sticks directly to my phone and I also have some small wired portable chargers that I carry as backups. You typically don't want to purchase a super cheap portable charger because they lose power just as fast as your phone and they overheat very easily. This is one of those items where you usually get what you pay for.
4 - Share Your Location with a Friend or Family Member
Whether it be someone you know in the same city, a person a few hours away from your destination, or somebody thousands of miles away -- someone should be able to track your location. I have friends who have had my location shared with them for years and I have family members that can also see my location. Even when these people aren't traveling with me, they are people that have enough information about me and my location to check in with me or call for help if something seems unusual.
This isn't just about sharing your location with someone on your cell phone. You should also share your Lyft or Uber rides with someone so they can see that you are following the correct route. I've been in a rideshare where the driver was going the wrong route and it was very stressful. Share viewing access of your ride with a loved one and remember to press the button on your rideshare app to let the company know that there's a problem with your ride if things aren't going well!
5 - Pack Light
When you are one person, you only have yourself to carry luggage around. To pack light, the goal is to condense and consolidate as much stuff as possible into as few bags as possible. Oh, and you also have to keep the weight of your bags in mind due to weight restrictions on planes, your individual strength, and the potential for having to climb stairs. You may be wondering, "What luggage should I travel with"? I happen to have a blog post for that! There's several factors that will impact your decision on the type of bags that make sense for you and that blog post helps you think through the different options. When traveling solo, you don't want to fumble around and get distracted for too long trying to dig through your bags to find something. That's an easy way for someone to approach you and do something that threatens your safety.
When I travel, I carry either my mini backpack or my standard sized backpack with a crossbody packed inside it. I also try to stick to a carry-on for trips and only use a checked bag when absolutely necessary. For me, I find it easier to have fewer bags on my person when traveling alone because it's easier to keep moving at a steady or quickened pace. Anything that I need immediate access to is readily available in either clothing pockets, special pockets in my bags, or already in hand. I explain some additional luggage packing tips on my blog. Being able to react swiftly to a potential threat is important and the less bags to deal with makes that so much easier.
Feel free to leave comments below, tweet/post (@KimiThoughts), or leave a post/message on Facebook (@KimisTravelThoughts) and share your safety tips for solo travelers or let me know your thoughts on these tips!
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