After carefully planning your vacation, packing your bags strategically, and finally arriving at your destination, the last thing you want deal with is trouble, whether it be an unexpected medical emergency, theft, or a threat to your personal safety. From being aware of your surroundings to keeping your belongings safe and knowing common travel scams, there are so many ways you can keep yourself safe while travelling.
While there are many travel safety tips out there, we’ve curated some of the most useful tips, gadgets, and mobile apps we wish we knew of sooner—some of these are especially helpful if you’re travelling solo.
If you’re a solo female traveller heading out on your next adventure, check out this solo travel guide for women exploring the world solo.
Now, let’s take a look at these helpful travel safety tips to stay safe on your next vacation!
General tips
Keep your keys and phone close
If you’re walking alone at night in a city you’re unfamiliar with, it’s a good idea to walk with your keys in hand. If you feel unsafe or in danger, slide one of your keys between your pointer finger and middle finger, so you’re able to defend yourself in case you run into trouble. This also allows you to let yourself into your accommodation as quickly as possible. To make emergency calls (and to prevent theft), it’s also a good idea to keep your phone close to your body as well— ideally in your other hand or inside a secure jacket pocket.
Know your location’s emergency number
Not all places share the same 911 emergency number, especially if you’re abroad. It’s good practice to find out your location’s emergency number; in case of emergencies, you can call for help as quickly as possible. Or, you may want to consider adding the emergency number to your phone, for easier access. This way, when you’re feeling scared, you won’t have to think about what the number is or look it up.
Share your location with those you trust
Aside from sharing your itinerary with friends or family, sharing your location with them is another smart move. The Find My app, WhatsApp, and Google Maps all let you share your live location with selected contacts. To ensure your loved ones can see your location abroad (especially in remote areas or when riding in a cab), make sure your location is turned on, and that you have access to data or an eSIM.
Safety gadgets
Before you set out on your next trip, here are a few items you can easily purchase to help keep yourself safe.
Portable door lock
As a fairly affordable tool on Amazon, this easy-to-use, portable door lock can be put onto most doors from the inside to prevent intruders from coming in—even if they have a key. This is particularly handy in hotels or hostels with lower security, along with Airbnbs or vacation rentals.
Door stop with alarm
This door stop features an loud alarm to alert you and scare off intruders whenever someone forcefully opens your door. Keep in mind that it’s battery operated, so make sure you test your batteries before you leave!
Safety keychain
Whenever travelling alone, we highly recommend bringing a safety keychain, whether exploring locally or abroad. With a quick pull of the top pin, this personal safety alarm will immediately sound a siren and flash strobing lights to scare attackers and alert people around you for help.
Travelling solo? Read Solo Travel Guide: Top Hacks for Solo Travellers
Useful apps
Aside from live-sharing your location, here are a couple safety apps to install before your next big trip.
bsafe (iOS & Android)
The bsafe app features SOS alarm, live streaming, recording, live location sharing, and many other personal safety features that can come in handy in emergencies or when you’re trying to be proactive with your personal safety.
Emergency App (iOS & Android)
This app was developed by the Red Cross to help people respond to and stay safe in case of severe weather events and features weather alerts. Sometimes it’s hard to predict mother nature, so it’s best to be prepared.
It’s important to remember that travelling is meant to be fun, exciting, and relaxing. The last thing any traveller needs is a scare. We hope these tips will help you travel confidently on your next adventure. If you’re interested in more travel safety tips, check out our blog on travel safety: Tips to Avoid Food & Drink Spiking on Vacation.
Safe travels,
Suki
