Ziay!

schnauzerheidi

What is the safest way for a woman to travel solo? I'm planning a trip and I'm open to any destination. Are there some places I should avoid? How can I keep my posessions safe and ensure my personal safety? Should I just join a tour?

julia

- travel light
- leave your jewelries at home
- don't take the bus or train at night
- wear a money belt or if you have an inner pocket, put your valuables there
- make sure your family knows your itinerary

More tips below.

pam

Get to know the countries you're travelling to, particularly local customs such as how women are expected to dress and behave. Respecting those customs will help take you a long way towards gaining respect in return as a foreigner.

I also found it very helpful to read current travel boards such as Thorntree by Lonely Planet to find up-to-date information about everything, including safety.

If you're considering a country with poor tourist infrastructure or one where you don't think you'd be comfortable travelling alone, a tour can be great. Small groups that focus on using local resources can give you the best of both worlds...you make new friends and your plans are taken care of, but it doesn't feel like a standard canned bus tour. One example (from a good personal experience) is Intrepid Tours (http://www.intrepidtravel.com/).

Also, ping your friends to see if they know anyone in the countries you want to visit. They might be very willing give you great tips, show you around, or even provide a place to stay. I planned a 6-month solo trip that ended up with friends of friends doing just that in some of the destinations I was most nervous about!

IslandGirl

It's a good idea to check travel warnings posted by the US State Dept: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html

Here's general travel info: http://www.state.gov/travel/

Also check out message boards for women travelers, like this one: http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/graffiti4.html