Solo Travel Safety: The Complete Guide

Pre-trip checklist

The seven things to handle before you leave the house. Two to four hours of work, paid back many times over if anything goes wrong.

• check_circleTwo photocopies of passport, visa and travel insuranceOne in your bag, one shared with a trusted contact.
• check_circleDigital copies stored in encrypted cloud (1Password, Proton Drive)Reachable if your phone is lost or stolen.
• check_circleTravel insurance with minimum USD 250,000 medical and emergency evacuationSkip 'theft only' policies - medical is the real cost.
• check_circleRegister with your government's traveller programmeUSA: STEP. UK: FCDO email alerts. Canada: ROCA. Australia: Smartraveller.
• check_circleTwo payment methods on different networks (Visa + Mastercard)If one is blocked or compromised, the other still works.
• check_circleBackup cash: USD 100-200 in small billsUSD is accepted in most emergency situations worldwide.
• check_circleLocal emergency numbers saved offlinePolice, ambulance, your embassy. ICE entry on your lock-screen.

Accommodation safety

• -Filter for properties with 8.5+ rating and at least 100 reviews on Booking.com or Hostelworld - lower bars catch a lot of poorly-run places.
• -On the booking page, check the location pin on the map before paying - cheap rooms in unsafe districts are a common mistake in cities like Manila, Johannesburg and Caracas.
• -Choose female-only dorms in mixed hostels if available - typically the same price.
• -Always lock valuables in the in-room safe or your padlocked bag, not in dorm lockers (cheap padlocks are pickable in seconds).
• -Send the hotel address and check-in time to your trusted contact before arrival.

Money on the road

• -Split cash between three locations: wallet, day bag, locked bag at accommodation.
• -Use ATMs inside bank branches during opening hours - skimmers are most common on standalone street ATMs.
• -Decline 'dynamic currency conversion' on every card payment - it adds 3 to 7% to the rate.
• -Use a money belt only at the airport, train stations and overnight transit. Never reach into one in public.
• -Set transaction alerts on your banking app - most fraud is caught within hours if you see it instantly.

Common scams worth memorising

Five repeating patterns make up most tourist scams worldwide. Recognise the shape, not just the city.

If something goes wrong

1. Get to a safe location first. Hotel lobby, hospital, embassy, well-lit cafe. Don't troubleshoot on the street.
2. Call your insurance hotline before paying anything. They direct you to in-network hospitals where they pay direct - far less paperwork than reimbursement claims.
3. File a police report within 24 hours of any theft. Most insurers require this for claims; without it your USD 1,200 stolen laptop is a USD 0 claim.
4. Contact your embassy for serious incidents. Lost passport, hospitalisation, arrest, or being a victim of a serious crime. They will not give you money or a flight home, but they will issue emergency travel documents and contact family.
5. Tell one person at home what happened, with timestamps. A single trusted contact who knows where you are and what state you're in is the cheapest insurance you have.