Awhile back — as part of Megan Joy Jaunts‘ giveaway I shared here at Route Bliss — one of the entries was to leave a blog comment about something travel-related that you wanted to know/read more about. Many of you asked for tips and advice on traveling solo, as well as recommendations on good places to travel solo.
While the number of times I’ve traveled on my own I can count on one hand — those few trips are when I made a few mistakes and learned greatly from them. And, like with any travels, there’s things you should do for safety’s sake regardless of the number of people in your traveling party …
And yes, I’m that person … I’m a planner and try to anticipate anything that could happen. I probably was a Boy Scout in a previous life and just don’t realize it 
As for recommendations, I’ll share some destinations in a future post.
source: the thinking closet
1. Have a basic itinerary or plan in place — and give it to your emergency contact
I know, I know, that takes all the fun out of hitting the open road and going wherever the next turn takes you. But in this day and age, I always make sure someone knows approximately where I plan to be if I’m going on a daytrip or away for a long weekend (much of this has to do with the individuals that sit across the desk from me M-F; I’m not exactly their favorite person in the world, especially since I’m always ‘getting all up in their bidness’ as one once told me).
So … that said, even if I don’t know every single stop I’m going to make, I give someone — usually a friend + a family member – a basic itinerary that includes the major stops + where I’ll stay that night or a rough estimate of when I’ll make it in from my destination. Whenever I know there will be times when I might not have a cell signal, I make sure to leave phone numbers of where I would be staying in case of an emergency so a message could be left for me if something happened back home.
2. Speaking of that emergency contact, make sure to have their info programmed into your phone and written down in your wallet somewhere.
You never know when something could happen and you could be unable to communicate. In your phone, label it as *ICE-Name (replace the word ‘name’ with their name). That way, emergency responders will know that’s your ‘in case of emergency’ contact. Another option is a bracelet like these from Road ID. I have the slim version I wear when working out in the great outdoors & during 5ks that has a code that first responders can go to the Road ID website with and obtain my identification info + insurance & health details if I’m incapacitated.
3. Safety first – listen to your gut if a stop / place seems off or gives you a bad vibe. Be aware of your surroundings.
I have a few funny (now, not at the time) stories about not completely listening to that gut instinct of mine. Thankfully I’ve lived to tell about it … and hopefully never will make those decisions again.
Essentially, if you get a bad vibe or your gut says turn back — just do it (as Nike says). Join a tour that is going into that area, wait for some other tourists to arrive before walking into an establishment. Don’t stop and get out of the car to take a photo … just safely pull off on to the shoulder, zoom in, snap the photo from the car window, and continue on your way.
If you’re like me and like to take photos of ‘cool stuff’ in sketchy neighborhoods, text someone that you are stopping there. A few years back I was out of town by myself photographing some historical stuff and not only drove through a very scary ghetto area during a rainstorm and got caught at every single red light but also passed some teenagers close to my final stop who were paying far more attention to my solo self driving past than wherever they were walking. And since the location had only a few people there, I made sure to text my brother just before I got out of the car as well as soon as I got back in and locked the door.
Most important — be aware of your surroundings wherever you are. Take the earbuds out and focus on the people around you. If you’re distracted, pickpockets and thieves will mark you as easy prey, especially if you have expensive items on you (i.e. jewelry, cameras, smartphones, iPods, tablets, etc). I’ve heard a few stories over the last few months in the news about people being killed over their smartphone that they have out/are using in public places — thus the push for legislation that would force carriers to install some sort of shutdown/locking feature when a phone is stolen.
source: loyaldefender.com
4. Self-defense — pepper spray, knowing how to defend yourself, etc.
You can find pepper spray just about anywhere (unless its banned where you live or are traveling to) – and I’ll be glad when my Tigerlight Peacekeeper Mini is finally in my hands (the crowd funding campaign was a success btw!). As someone who has taken photography clients into questionable areas (hey, that’s where all the popular photo spots seem to be!), who works with directly with individuals who don’t make the best decisions, who travels alone occasionally, and is on the petite side and doesn’t look her age, anything I can do to protect myself and anyone that happens to be with me is going to happen.
If that’s not an option, take a self defense class and/or see if YouTube has any videos demonstrating how to properly defend yourself in case someone tries to attack you.
If someone is trying to take something from you and they are armed, just give it to them. Your life is far more important than an inanimate object that can be replaced.
I wouldn’t go so far as to recommend a firearm for protection while traveling, but if you’re licensed to conceal carry and are in a state that will recognize your CHL, it never hurts to have it safely tucked away in your vehicle in the event of very extreme cases. While I do own a firearm for protection at home, I don’t have a CHL at this time and therefore do not carry it off the property. I do have a heavy wrench within reach under my driver’s side seat as a self protection weapon if I have time to reach for it *pretend you didn’t read that*
5. Always have a spare key on your person when exiting your car … just in case!
In case you missed this post … if at all possible, have a spare key for your vehicle on you (in another pocket, wallet, etc) when you get out. And if its windy out and something flies out of your car, don’t drop your lone set of keys in the seat … unless the window is rolled down!
6. Have your vehicle checked before leaving (if traveling by car).
Nothing kills the fun (& budget) like an unexpected car repair on a trip. Its happened a few times even with having the vehicle in question checked before leaving. Being a female who doesn’t really get the whole ‘eat breathe and sleep all things vehicle-related’, I’ll admit I don’t know everything about every single thing under the hood, despite all the times my dad has tried to explain various stuff to me. I know the basics + stuff I’ve had issues with in the past and that’s about it.
Make sure to have any routine maintenance done before leaving (oil changes, tire rotations), then check all the various fluid levels, belt wear, tire pressure/tread depth, and check the date on your car battery in case its nearing the end of its lifespan.
Renting a car at your destination? Ask if all of the above has been done recently. Also double check the car to make sure there’s no scratches on it before you sign off on the vehicle and leave the lot in case they try to charge you for damage that’s already there.
Having a AAA or some other roadside assistance program membership will help in case you do break down on the road, but if not, throw a few tools in the trunk/back in case you need to change a tire, loosen the battery cables to take it off, or tighten something. Also, toss in a roll of paper towels or old rag or two + some foaming soap to help clean grease and grime off after you’ve changed that tire/tinkered around under the hood.
7. Have food/water handy in case of breakdown or health issues (i.e. blood sugar drops suddenly, dehydration)
You saw my post earlier this month about staying cool when out in the heat, right?
Have some sort of non-alcoholic liquid refreshment with you if you’re traveling somewhere its hot & especially if its miles from the nearest gas station or food establishment.
If you’ve had issues with your blood sugar dropping (hypoglycemia) before, bring something protein based along (nuts, PB & crackers, even cheese) that’ll level it out + something that can help it go back up quickly if you’re feeling really bad and unable to focus (OJ is usually good for that, but in a jam or if OJ isn’t your thing, something like Skittles also will have the same quick sugar spiking affect; speaking from personal experience here). I usually have a variety of food with me to save money while traveling + plenty of bottled water, a bottle of Gatorade, and sometimes a DP or Coke for when caffeine is necessary.
And if you break down in the middle of nowhere and have to wait awhile for help, having a snack helps avoid being hangry with whoever arrives to help you!
8. Have some extra cash on you.
Like I mentioned in this post … not everyone accepts debit/credit cards, especially mom and pop businesses & abroad, not all US credit cards will work (many of ours lack some chip that’s required). Stick some extra cash back somewhere separate of your wallet in case its stolen or you have an emergency come up.
source: Robert Thomson @ Flickr
9. Bring a basic first aid kit with you.
Obviously have all the medicines you have to take with you. But beyond that … band-aids and ointment for when those shoes you didn’t break in rub blisters on your feet, antacid for that meal that didn’t agree with you, Dramamine for when motion sickness or altitude sickness hit you full force, and anti-itch spray + antihistamines if you going somewhere with lots of biting insects or if you’re allergic to something in particular.
10. Don’t choose the cheapest accommodations before you read the reviews.
When I’m traveling with others, my requirements are simple: a motel/hotel with clean rooms/bathrooms, no funky smells (one of my travel companions is sensitive to lots of stuff and loses their voice quickly with certain triggers), and in a fairly safe part of town. When I’m traveling alone — and especially with the thousands in camera gear I carry with me, I also want to make sure there’s no complaints about guests being harassed, assaulted, or stolen from (their person, room, or vehicle). Check a variety of sites’ review sections – whether you’re booking direct or via a third party, check ‘em all. I always read reviews on the major booking sites (Hotels.com, Travelocity, and Expedia) plus on Trip Advisor. If I notice too many reviews within a short time span saying similar negative things, I’ll gladly budget and pay a bit more for peace of mind and safety.
11. Play it safe — don’t post on social media sites where you are while you’re there.
This is the one thing you’ll rarely see me do — posting a photo or tweeting something while I’m there, especially if I’m alone. I usually wait until a later stop along the route or once I’m checked in at the hotel for the evening to IG or tweet something. Last month’s Comic Con in Dallas was one of the few exceptions, and that was because I wasn’t alone. I did wait until I was back at the hotel in the evenings to add hashtags to the images.
Anything you would add to this list? Share in the comments below!