Overseas Safety for Women Travelers
By Kristi Vaughan
Women traveling solo, whether for business or pleasure, are a growing trend. When it comes to traveling overseas there are some additional considerations women, in particular, should keep in mind. Here are some tips to ease the trip.
Local culture
Learn all you can about the way women are viewed in the country to which you are traveling. In some places a women traveling alone can be an oddity or even frowned upon.
Travel documents
Make sure you allow adequate time to get travel documents including passport and any needed visas.
Cabs/car service
If you are in a strange city, with a culture that is unknown to you, consider arranging a car service before you leave home. This best ensures that you have a reliable, trustworthy driver at an agreed upon price. Check with your travel agent. Use only cabs that are official and licensed by the local government. Be wary of anyone who offers a cut-rate.
Hotels
Consider a hotel's safety before you book your room. Valet parking and a concierge station near the front door will mean you aren't walking alone in a deserted garage or being followed into the hotel by an uninvited guest. Smaller hotels usually mean smaller lobbies and therefore a better chance hotel staff will notice an unscrupulous stranger.
Be private
Don't go telling everyone that you are traveling alone, where you are staying or even where you are going that evening. If you are at a convention or similar group gathering, keep your name tag hidden unless you are in the meeting rooms.
Be aware of travel warnings
Being stranded in a foreign country because of civil unrest is no one's idea of a pleasant trip. Keep abreast of news and current events in the area where you are traveling. And check the US Department of State travel advisories on a regular basis.
A few lesser thought-of tips:
- Dress: Are you dressed appropriately for the culture? If not, you could bring unnecessary and unwanted attention upon yourself.
- Physical fitness: Are you struggling when carrying your bags? Invest in bags with wheels or spend some time working out so you can haul those mega-pound bags through airports without effort.
- Body belts and security slips: Valuables and important papers can be secured in body belts and the secret linings of specially made slips.