Travel Tips

Travel Tip: Staying Safe When Traveling Solo

Credit: Wikimedia, user: Bill Ebbesen

When you’re traveling solo, chances are you’re going to face problems that you hadn’t even thought about.

For starters, who thinks about the wake-up call as being an issue? Well, when you’re traveling alone, there’s no backup to a failed alarm clock.

So call the front desk and ask for a wake-up call. But don’t ask for it at 7 am. That’s too easy for the front desk clerk to input wrong or forget. Instead, request calls at times like 6:28 and 6:52 pm.

When driving, there’s no passenger to read directions so it’s absolutely worth investing in a turn-by-turn GPS unit.

If you lose your wallet, there’s no one to borrow from. Separate out your cash and keep a backup credit card in a separate place.

Then there are the safety issues that shouldn’t be ignored. Always leave a copy of your itinerary with someone at home, and set up designated check-in times.

Register your trip with the U.S. Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) so if there’s an emergency, they can locate you.

Consider a comprehensive travel insurance plan so if you get sick, lose your money, or get stranded, you have a point of contact.

And last but not least, learn the local version of 911 so you can always call for help.

Keep reading more travel tips.