Women’s solo trips: Here are a few important tips for safety

The number of women who go on solo trips to explore places has increased impressively. However, often, they face problems and challenges during their trips. Women must be extra alert and careful while travelling alone, especially at night. Most women prefer travelling during the day due to safety concerns. But, night travelling may be inevitable in certain circumstances. Safety will not be a big issue while travelling in groups; however, you shouldn’t ignore your personal safety and the safety of your belongings when you travel solo. You may be bombarded with myriad challenges when you are travelling to a new place with a different language and customs. Here are some important safety tips for women who enjoy solo trips. 

Keep your mobile phone fully charged
Mobile data is the most essential thing while travelling. It will help you share your location with your dear ones, especially if you are travelling solo. Nevertheless, there are possibilities that there may not be network coverage or connectivity, and you should be prepared for that. You may run out of mobile data or limited calls if you use your phone too much. Besides, you should ensure your mobile phone always has sufficient battery charge. This could be a problem, especially if you are travelling abroad. You could purchase an additional e–sim if you travel to a foreign country to update your friends or family about your location. 

Do not sleep during night travel
It is better not to sleep when you are travelling alone at night. Besides ensuring your safety, you need to be conscious of your surroundings as well as the safety of your luggage. Most of us prefer travelling at night, thinking that we could use the day for roaming around and seeing places. But, it is safer if you do not sleep while travelling on public transport like trains and buses. You could schedule the day by including a few hours to catch some sleep before boarding the train or bus. You could download movies or a few episodes of your favourite web series to keep you engaged during the travel. Most importantly, avoid consuming alcohol or carbohydrate-rich food that could make you sleepy before the travel. 

Choose safer modes of travel
Choosing safer modes of travel would make your travelling experience more relaxing and enjoyable. It is safer for women to choose air travel over road or rail trips. Compared to bus terminals or railway stations, airports and aircraft have stricter safety guidelines. This will reassure you about your own personal safety as well as the safety of your belongings. Even if you are booked on a late-night connecting flight, you can spend your time safely inside the airport, enjoying its amazing facilities. 

Essential luggage
It may not be safer to get down at night to buy essential items. So, prepare a checklist of the essentials and keep them in a small bag you could always carry. Medicines, band-aids, extra sanitary napkins, protein bars, mini-sized toiletries, refillable water bottles, mobile phone chargers or power banks, multi-socket adapter and an extra pair of clothes are some of the essentials that need to be carried in the bag. 

Be careful while making friends
It is common to befriend a fellow passenger on trains, buses or aeroplanes. However, revealing your details to a stranger may not be wise, especially if you are travelling alone at night. Do not share information that could risk your safety, like the place where you are going, the hotel where you may be staying or your itinerary, with anyone else. Besides, its not wise to share your mobile phone number, address or other details either. You could politely decline food or snacks from fellow passengers who are strangers. Your personal details and your travelling plans should not be shared with a fellow passenger, even if you are travelling to the same destination.