I was bitten by the “travel bug” as a child. I spent hours dreaming of exotic locales I planned to visit as an adult. I filled sheets of paper with these sites long before I knew about travel bucket lists. As an adult, I’ve been fortunate to be able to travel (pre-COVID.) My husband spent years traveling for work. I would pack the kids into the car head out to meet him whenever possible. This experience led to road trips and flights to meet friends.
After spending time traveling, I’ve realized the importance of safety when traveling solo, especially as a woman. Here are 8 Travel Safety Tips for Women Traveling Solo (or with kids) that I use on trips. These tried and true tips have saved me from several potentially bad situations!
8 Travel Safety Tips for Women
1. Have an Automobile Check Before You Leave Home. Be sure to check the following before leaving home:
- Oil pressure- have an oil change, if needed
- Tire Pressure- also check for any potential problems, like a nail in the tires
- Brakes- Are they in good working condition?
- Headlights and Taillights- Are there any that are not working and need to be replaced?
- Are any fluids needed? Transmission? Windshield Washer? Antifreeze?
- Gas- do you have a full tank?
- Do the hazard lights work?
During a trip to the mountains, I checked the usual before leaving; oil, gas, tire pressure. Because no one wants to be stuck on winding mountain roads miles from nowhere with no cell phone service and a broken down vehicle. I didn’t check the heating/cooling system. The air conditioner worked fine when I left home with temperatures in the high 80’s. Imagine my surprise when the mountain temperature dropped into the ’30s and I had no heat. During my 6 hour drive back home, I stopped and bought coffee just to hold the cup and warm my hands!
2. Keep an Emergency Kit in Your Car. Good additions to your kit include:
- A spare tire- make sure it is not flat
- a gallon of water in case the car overheats
- jumper cables
- a blanket
- a flashlight and spare batteries (check the flashlight every two or three months to see if a battery replacement is needed )
- nonperishable snacks
- bottle of water for drinking
- spare phone charger
- portable charging station (don’t forget to check it every 3 months to make sure it is charged)
- If you are driving in extreme conditions, add a gallon of antifreeze
- Optional, but good to have: flares or safety cones, along with a car jack
3. Practice Routine Safety Measures.
- Keep doors and windows locked at all times -I’ve had friends who left their windows rolled down at a red light, only to have someone reach in and snatch their purses.
- Be alert to your surroundings at all times– Remember, if you wouldn’t do something when traveling at home, don’t do it in an unknown area. And, always trust your gut! If something feels wrong, it probably is.
- If you are lost, don’t ask random strangers for directions. I’m guilty of this! A better solution is to ask employees at rest stops, convenience stores, or restaurants. Even better, call the venue where you would like to go, tell them where you are, and ask for directions.
- Don’t keep your purse open. It’s tempting for someone to reach in and grab your wallet.
- Don’t carry a lot of cash. Try to carry only a few dollars for emergencies.
- Check the weather report daily. Unexpected or extreme weather conditions can happen quickly, making driving dangerous.
- Keep your ID or Passport in a safe location.
- Let Someone You Trust Know Where You Will Be. Give a copy of your route to a trusted friend or family member so they know your schedule and places you plan to stop.
- When you arrive at your destination, check-in with your trusted friend, relative, or SO. If anything happens they’ll be able to report your last known location.
4. Map Out Directions Before You Leave Home.
I have a GPS system in my car, but before I had a vehicle with a GPS, I always found the directions on Google Maps and out printed them out. Yes, I know you can use the GPS on your phone, but this only works if you are in an area with service. If you’re ever out of range, it helps to have the directions.
No one wants to be lost and wandering an unknown area for hours when you could be having fun! Extra tip for US Travelers: Download the Waze App. This has helped me find alternate routes when stuck in hours-long traffic jams.
5. Prepare a Travel Folder. Here’s what to include:
- Addresses of hotels where you will be staying, along with the confirmation numbers and phone numbers
- Addresses of the sites you plan to visit, along with phone numbers, and general directions
- Schedule if you have one
- Important Documents like plane tickets, baggage claim tickets, etc. (I am old school. I use the airline app but I still like my print copy “just in case.”)
I carry these papers in my backpack or carry-on bag to have with me at all times. Having them in one place saves time and frustration, especially if you are in an area without cell phone service or you are lost.
6. Have a Cell Phone (and charger) with you at all times.
If you have an extra charger, bring it along too. I can’t tell you the number of times hotel workers have told me patrons forget their chargers. Be sure to have the phone charged before you begin your day, especially if you won’t be close to an outlet to charge the phone. Another good option is to keep a portable charging in your bag.
7. Talk to Your Kids About Safety Measures. Make a list of rules they need to follow when on trips. Some we have used include:
- Stay within sight of a parent (older kids) or stay with a parent or sibling (younger kids)
- Keep doors and windows locked in the car and in hotel rooms
- Bathroom safety at Rest Areas
- How to Scream for Help in dangerous situations
- Be sure younger children know their parent’s names
One safety story I always told the kids was of a childhood friend and her memorable vacation. She and her mom were in the front seats with her younger brother in the back. In his boredom, he decided to shake things up a bit. He placed in the window saying, “Help! I’m being kidnapped!”
Let’s just say his mom, upon her subsequent arrest for kidnapping, did not share the humor. This taught me to tell my kids exactly what I expected on trips; don’t pretend to be kidnapped.
8. Plan Stops in Well-Lit, High Traffic Areas.
The risk of danger is less when you are surrounded by people or are in a well-lit area where others can see you. Following this rule is especially important at nighttime.
To keep your concentration solely focused on the road, plan a 10-15 minute break every couple of hours.
What to Do if You Think You Are Being Followed:
If you suspect someone is following you, take these steps:
- Stay calm and focus your attention on the road ahead. Allowing them to distract you could cause an accident.
- If they flash their lights, do not pull over onto the side of the road. Wait until you are in a safe, well-lit public area. They could be a good samaritan-as one teenager who very politely let me know my tire was almost flat-or they may not.
- Drive to the nearest well-lit, heavily trafficked area– like a convenience store- or to a police station. If you go to a convenience store, park in front of the store as close to the entrance as possible.
- If they follow you into the well-lit area, call 9-1-1 or the emergency number in your country.
- If they approach the vehicle, keep your doors locked and do not get out of the car. If they are a good Samaritan they will tell you the problem if you crack your window. If they threaten you, honk the horn without stopping until someone comes to see what is happening.
Hopefully, this year we will be able to travel again. When we do, let’s do it safely! What are your best travel safety tips for women traveling solo or with kids?
What a great tips for travelling, it’s so important to be safe when you are on travelling.
I love traveling all the time but definitely as a woman safety is must. Some really great tips but definitely we all need to keep the phones charged and even have an extra battery portable charger for additional access to phone usage.
Great tips! I totally do a travel folder for major trips! 🙂
Awesome travel tips, always have food, blankets and torch in the car too when on the road. You never know when you might need them
These are truly wonderful tips. I feel like sometimes people travel and are sort of naive of what could happen.
These are great tips that any traveler would benifit into. I would definitely keep this in mind.
I don’t travel too much alone but these are helpful tips for those who do. Preparing ahead of time is so important for everyone.
These are all great tips! I dont enjoy traveling alone but when I do, I have to be prepared for everything.
These are excellent tips. I travel a ton by myself and will have to keep these in mind.
I love these tips!! I travel often with no one else and always try to be aware of everything around me, I took my first solo uber ride while traveling and was so nervous!
Thanks for the travel tips. I will keep them in mind since my husband and I are thinking about going somewhere this winter.
With my oldest daughter preparing to go to college a couple hours away from our house, I could really use these tips. You can never be too safe.
This is a great resource for women that travel. I especially liked your tips about preparing your car before you go!
My niece has been in New Zealand for weeks. It’s a little scary anytime she goes off alone, but I know she takes steps to protect herself. I’ll send these along also.
These are really good tips about traveling safely. As a woman, when making a stop, i make sure to always be in a well lit area.
Love all of your tips. My #1 is always let people know where I am going and when I expect to be there.
Wonderful tips! I wish I could travel more but if I did it would be alone. Which, scares me really. So these are helpful tips
I wish I would have more time for traveling. For me it’s really important to plan out most of my itinerary planned before I leave for my trip.
These are great tips! A little bit of pre-planning can go a long way to stay out of strange situations. Especially on road trips.
I just made an emergency kit for my car. These are great tips for traveling alone.
Sadly, travel safety tips such as these are immensely important. Thanks for sharing and here is hoping more women take them to heart.
Great tips! I really need to start a travel folder. I rely on storing everything in my phone, but if that gets lost or stolen, I’d be in serious trouble on our trips!
Great tips! I was a solo traveller and had to remind myself to stay safe anywhere I go.
Brilliant tips! I love the idea of keeping a travel folder. I need to start doing that 😀
These are great tips for anyone who is going travelling. I have done a fair bit of solo travel so I always make sure I familiarize myself with the area in advance.
These are excellent tips. As women we can’t ever be too careful. No matter how old I get I always let my Mom know when I’m going out of town. I send calendar invites to my mom, sister and Babe to make sure they know where I’m supposed to be and where I’m staying.
These are such a brilliant tips. Traveling alone could be a dangerous, it’s better to be prepare.
Keeping an emergency kit in your car is vital! We have one in our family car and when I get my own vehicle, I’ll definitely be adding one, too.
Great travel tips! I leave a copy of all of my accommodations with family/friends.(passport, Hotel, flight etc.)
These are all really great tips. We keep an emergency kit in each car along with a map even though the cars have a GPS system.
These are superb trips. Especially because the holiday season is full of traveling.
I’m a bit of a scaredy pants so everything you listed I do and more, haha. My dad always taught me to play it safe as a woman.
Some of your tips are the same ones I give my daughters when they are planning an all girls road trip. Making sure the car is in tip top shape is so important.
These are very smart tips. I do some of them, but now rethinking that I could be doing more. Great advice!
Very good tips to follow and be safe while traveling as a women. I always make sure to be aware of my surroundings and do not wear expensive jewelry while walking around.
Excellent tips. It’s so important to stay safe when you travel, especially when you’re out of the country. ALWAYS be aware and be careful.
These are great tips. I never go anywhere alone when I travel, and I never let my money be seen.
My friend and I are thinking of doing a girls weekend. All of these tips would work well when we do travel.