I should start this post with “traveler heed thine own warnings.” Since I am fiercely independent and have traveled alone for decades, I often do not follow my own advice but for first-time adventurers or women just stepping off the farm, better to do as I say and not as I do:
1. Selecting a destination – If this is going to be your first solo flight and you have led a sheltered existence, I would not suggest you go running off to some far off land that is on the State Dept. tourism watch list. Start slowly, pick a city close to home, in your comfort zone. If you live in the midwest, try Chicago; if you live in New England try New York or Boston; If you live in the west, try Seattle or San Francisco and save L.A. or Vegas for when you’re more experienced and worldly. If you decide to travel abroad, make sure you are not walking into civil unrest in some foreign country by checking the U.S. State Department’s website of travel warnings.
2. Selecting a hotel – If this is your first foray, then again, don’t go bidding for a room on Priceline to save a buck. Go for the high-end (at least four-star hotel) to give you some safety peace of mind. Check Trip Advisor for recommendations and feel free to email a member for further information after reading a review. The folks on Trip Advisor are a friendly bunch and we like helping each other out.
3. Requesting accommodations – These suggestions pertain to comfort as much as safety. Ask for a room on an upper floor, away from the ice machine and elevator or stairs. Not only are these rooms quieter but the upper floors tend to be safer. I don’t know why that is except that potential miscreants may not like traveling too far up in a hotel because they cannot make a quick getaway. Finally, when returning to your hotel late at night, don’t hesitate to ask the front desk to have someone escort you to your room as an added precaution.
4. In-room precautions – It should go without say that you should place any and all belongings in the room safe (jewelry, passport, laptop, etc.) when you leave your room. You should also leave the TV or radio and one lamp turned on and place the Do Not Disturb sign on your doorknob if the room has already been made-up for the day. It lets thieves think that someone is in the room and it scares them away. Think Macaulay Culkin and “Home Alone.”
5. Buy a good travel guide – Make sure it has a navigable street map and transportation map. Study it before you travel and know the lay of the land before you go. It helps you from having that “lost tourist face” which makes you such an easy target in a big city.
6. Always take a cel phone – keep it conveniently located and have it ready to use if you feel threatened in any manner. If staying in the U.S., pre-program 911 into a one-button dial and “save” your hotel’s phone number into memory. If traveling abroad, “save” the phone number for the nearest U.S. consulate as well. It is always important to know the location of the nearest U.S. consulate when traveling in a foreign country because you can seek shelter there if there is ever unrest…….not to mention there are always a few cute Marines on hand to practice your flirting skills. Support the troops, I say!
7. Luggage identification – place a card with your name, number and address inside your suitcase. It keeps prying eyes from seeing your information on the baggage carousel and it still identifies your luggage if it should become lost along the way.
8. Leave the bling at home – As much as you might want to flash the gold, it shines like a neon light to pickpockets and petty criminals. Think cubic zirconia and costume jewelry for travel and leave the diamonds on your nightstand at home.
9. Pre-Paid debit cards – Take a credit card for emergencies but use a pre-paid debit card for most of your expenses at restaurants, theaters, souvenir shops and the like. You can pre-load them at your local bank and you do not have to reveal all of your personal credit card data when using them on vacation. They also act like traveler’s cheques in that you can get them replaced if they are stolen.
10. Stash the cash – Keep a spare $50 hidden on your person – in your shoe, in your bra or zipped into an inside jacket pocket. This way if you are victimized you will have emergency funds to get you back to the hotel or embassy, somewhere that help is available.
Now go forth and dream and have a great trip!
