40 Solo Travel Safety Tips for Female & POC Travelers

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So, I heard you’ve been thinking about taking your first solo trip. You’ve been watching tons of solo travel content on YouTube and TikTok, everyone’s telling you how great solo traveling is, and you’ve probably already started planning your first trip!

But one thing keeps you stuck: you’re worried whether you’re going to be safe.

This is the number-one thing people worry about when traveling alone. Because think about it: if you’re traveling with a group and something happens, everyone can rely on each other to find a quick, safe solution.

That changes when you travel alone. Whether you’re riding in an Uber, walking through a museum, hiking, or checking into your hotel room, you need to exercise extra caution as a solo traveler. I know it seems like a lot, but the more you do it, the easier and less daunting it feels.

All that said, I’m going to share 40 solo travel safety tips to keep you safe when traveling alone. By the end of this post, I want you to feel empowered and travel with confidence rather than fear.

Here are the topics we’ll cover: general solo travel safety tips, transportation safety tips, accommodation safety tips, and digital safety tips.

THIS POST IS ALL ABOUT SOLO TRAVEL SAFETY TIPS.

SHOULD YOU EVEN BOTHER TRAVELING ALONE?

I understand you might get to the point where you ask yourself, “Should I even bother traveling alone? Do the pros really outweigh the cons?”

Well… I’m sure you already know the answer, considering you’re reading a solo travel blog:

YES. The pros definitely outweigh the cons by a landslide — for me, at least.

You see, traveling alone is more than just exploring the world. It’s also a means for personal growth. From planning an entire trip and navigating new cities to finding solo-friendly activities, you learn so much about yourself both as a traveler and as a person.

In theory, traveling alone sounds scary — and even in practice, you might run into some frightening scenarios. But I really don’t want that to stop you from seeing how impactful it can be to travel on your own.

One more thing before we get into the main topic: I’m SO proud of you for taking your first solo trip. It takes a lot of courage and bravery to do this kind of thing. Just know that not everyone has it in them to do this, so keep going!

SOLO TRAVEL SAFETY TIPS

GENERAL SAFETY TIPS

ENROLL IN THE SMART TRAVELER ENROLLMENT PROGRAM (STEP)

Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). This is a free service to allow U.S. citizens and nationals to enroll their trip abroad so the Department of State can accurately and quickly contact them in case of emergency.

With STEP, you:

• Get updates about health, weather, safety, and security for your destination.
• Plan ahead using information from the local U.S. embassy.
• Help the embassy or consulate contact you if there’s an emergency like a natural disaster, civil unrest, or a family emergency.

I highly suggest enrolling in this program if you’re traveling alone. It takes twenty minutes, but I promise it’s well worth your time and energy.

One caveat: as you read above, this only works for international trips. Meaning if you’re traveling within the United States, you unfortunately can’t sign up the program. But don’t worry: keep reading for some alternatives.

DON’T POST ONLINE BEFORE OR DURING YOUR TRIP

Don’t post online before or during your trip. I know you’re excited to share that skyline view or the ocean waves. But please, DO NOT — for the love of God — post anything before or during your trip.

You have no idea who’s viewing your social media, and you really don’t want to learn the hard way.

And you definitely want to avoid posting anything that lets people know exactly where you are, like a geotag on Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat. At that point, you’d basically be asking for someone to give you some unwanted business.

Whether you have one follower or ten-million followers, avoid posting on social media during your trip. All it takes is one ill-intentioned person to ruin everything.

Save all of those updates for when you safely get back home. Feel free to post as much as you want, whether it’s beach photos, airplane window photos, or TikToks.

MAKE SURE SOMEONE ALWAYS KNOWS WHERE YOU ARE

Make sure someone always knows where you are. This can be a trusted friend, family member, mentor, therapist — anyone you can trust to have your location during your trip.

This way, if you get lost, they’ll know where you are and can help you get back where you need to be.

SHARE YOUR FULL, UPDATED ITINERARY WITH A TRUSTED INDIVIDUAL

Share your full, updated itinerary with a trusted individual. This way, they’ll not only know where you are, but they’ll know your exact hour-by-hour whereabouts.

You can send them a text version, a Google Doc, or a Notion page. Just send whatever is most convenient for both of you.

You’ll also want to keep it updated. It does no good if you share it with them and your travel plans end up looking entirely different.

For this reason, I like sending them a shared note on Apple Notes. Any time I make an update or change, they’ll get a notification and they can view my updated itinerary.

NEVER LEAVE YOUR BELONGINGS UNATTENDED

Never leave your belongings unattended. This is one of the quickest, most surefire ways to have something stolen from you. And as a solo traveler, everything from your wallet to your laptop is important. These kinds of items should on you at all times.

Now, I know you’re thinking… “But what about the beach? I can’t just leave my phone or wallet in the sand. Someone might steal them!”

You’re totally right! And I’m glad you’re thinking about it. To make sure your items stay on you, I recommend buying a waterproof fanny pack. This way, you’re not risking anything being stolen.

But you’ll also be able to protect things from water damage. There’s many of these on Amazon and they’re fairly affordable, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding one. Here’s one I found!

If I had to be honest, this is one of the most annoying problems as a solo traveler. Sometimes when I’m at a coffee shop, I want to use the restroom, but I have to bring my laptop and tote bag with me. Or when I’m at the airport, I have to bring all of my belongings with me in the restroom.

USE ANTI-THEFT ITEMS TO SECURE YOUR BELONGINGS

Use anti-theft items to secure your belongings.

Shortly after writing the previous section, I did some research and discovered these clever things called anti-theft bags.

They are these really innovative bags that have special engineering and technology like zip clips and security hooks to reduce the risk of someone getting into your bag. For this reason, they’re good option if you just HAVE to leave your bag unattended for a few minutes.

Check some out on Amazon — they’re priced quite well and have great reviews! I specifically like this sling-style one because it rests on your chest, making it far more difficult (and frankly, odd) for someone to get to it.

Pacsafe also has this anti-theft crossbody bag if you’re willing to spend a bit more. The quality seems better and the anti-theft technology looks like it works very well.

As an alternative, you can get these anti-theft zipper locks. This is a great option if you really love your bag and don’t want to switch to a less stylish one. On top of that, these zipper locks are a bit cheaper, so that’s a plus!

GET TRAVEL INSURANCE

Get travel insurance. I know you’re thinking, “What in the world does getting travel insurance have to do with being safe?”

It actually has quite a lot to do with solo travel safety. You see, travel insurance exists for more than just medical emergencies and those times where you want to cancel a trip.

Travel insurance specialists can also step in when you lose an important document like your passport or your flight is extremely delayed and you get to your destination later than expected.

There’s several ways to get travel insurance, but the easiest — and technically cheapest — is through a travel credit card. These policies often offer trip interruption and medical emergency solutions, which are crucial to have as a solo traveler.

If you want direct travel insurance, however, I recommend either World Nomads or SafetyWing.

USE A CREDIT CARD TO BUY EVERYTHING

This is one of those layered tips I discussed earlier.

Use a credit card to buy everything. And when I say everything, I mean every-freaking-thing, okay?! You should do this because credit cards have fraud protection and also give you a buffer if you run into an unexpected issue during your trip.

ACCLIMATE YOURSELF

Acclimate yourself. What I mean by this, is to spend some time analyzing the what the locals do.

Doing this can help you stay safe because the more you look like a local, the less likely it is that someone will threaten or harm you.

Ask various questions like:

• What do they usually dress like?
• What restaurants do they eat at?
• What parks do they walk in?
• What streets do they walk on?
• What kinds of interactions do they have with each other?

TRUST YOUR GUT

Trust your gut. I know this is a slightly less practical tip, but it’s still very much worth discussing.

Do you know that feeling deep in your gut that something just isn’t right or “off?” Like, you shouldn’t follow through with a certain decision?

Yeah — as a solo traveler, you definitely shouldn’t ignore those kinds of feelings and thoughts. Sometimes you can’t even identify the source of them, but they can quite literally save your life.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO PAY A PREMIUM FOR SAFETY

Don’t be afraid to pay a premium for safety. You’re traveling alone, so you’ll want to do whatever you can to make sure you’re safe.

Even if that means paying more to stay in a safer area or opting for an Uber instead of taking public transportation, do it! I don’t want you to regret it later down the line.

I actually include a specific category for this in all of my solo travel budget breakdowns, as well as in my own solo travel budgets. This way, those expenses don’t come to a complete shock during my trip.

Setting an additional $50-100 can give you a peace of mind and feel a lot safer when traveling somewhere new and unfamiliar.

DO EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON YOUR DESTINATION

Do extensive research on your destination. Being informed and prepared can save you a LOT of trouble, headache, and money. I know the research aspect can be a bit, um, boring and tedious. But I’d rather spend a few hours researching than to put my safety at risk.

In terms of safety, you need to research things like:

• areas to avoid at a specific time of day (or in general)
• the crime rates of the destination
• how safe the destination is for women and POC travelers

ACT CONFIDENT, EVEN IF YOU AREN’T

Act confident, even if you aren’t. You’re probably more likely to be targeted if you look confused or lost, so it’s best that you know how to look confident.

DRINK INTENTIONALLY

Drink intentionally. What I mean by this, is to either drink in moderation or just don’t drink at all. I think it’d be a terrible idea to get under the influence when nobody is there to make sure you’re safe.

ONLY LEAVE YOUR ACCOMMODATION WHEN THE SUN IS OUT

Only leave your accommodation when the sun is out. I have this rule that I can only leave my accommodation when the sun is out — unless I’m returning from a concert or some kind of event that ends after dawn.

You should adopt this same rule because when the sun is out, people are less likely to threaten or harm you. Whereas when the sun isn’t out, people feel more compelled and eager to find victims.

DON’T TELL ANY STRANGERS YOU’RE TRAVELING ALONE

Don’t tell any strangers you’re traveling alone.

Whether you’re checking in to your hotel or you’re being seated at a restaurant, do NOT share this fact with people you don’t know. In either circumstance, if someone is curious whether you’re there alone, simply tell them you’re waiting on someone.

Some solo travelers list two guests on their reservation. I think this a smart idea because it suggests that you plan on having someone joining you at some point during your trip.

Just make sure that if hotel staff ask about that person, you tell them they’re arriving shortly.

Even if you have to come up with some fake story to tell people when they ask about your trip, don’t hesitate to do so.

Technically, you are lying to them — but your safety is on the line. Don’t worry about telling a fib. Those people don’t need to know ANY details about your trip! It’s simply not their business.

DON’T GO HIKING ALONE

Don’t go hiking alone. There are tons of stories where people went missing while hiking, and I’d hate for you to be one of those people.

This doesn’t mean you can’t hike — just find a group hike to join so you’re surrounded with other hikers.

Oh, and it doesn’t hurt to download an offline map so you won’t get lost if you lose signal (which is bound to happen with you being so high in the air).

DON’T VENTURE TOO FAR FROM YOUR GROUP

Don’t venture too far from your group. This can apply to ANY kind of group experience, whether you’re hiking, sightseeing, or simply tasting foods around the city. You’ll want to stay near your group so you don’t get lost.

SCHEDULE DEPARTING AND RETURNING FLIGHTS DURING THE DAY

Schedule departing and returning flights during the day. What I mean by this, is to avoid any flight that lands when the sun isn’t out.

Even though you’re safe inside the airport, some ill-intentioned people like to hang out around the surrounding area. And they’re a lot more likely to pose a threat when the sun isn’t out.

I know this isn’t always possible — especially for those long international flights — but whenever you can avoid it, please do so!

DON’T WEAR HEADPHONES WHEN OUT AND ABOUT

Don’t wear headphones when out and about. Wearing headphones can make you an easy victim for attack. Because you’re not as aware as you’d be if you weren’t wearing headphones.

If you just HAVE to listen to your tunes, consider wearing only one earbud. This way, you still have another ear that’s completely free, allowing you to hear what’s going on around you.

CONSTANTLY BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS

Constantly be aware of your surroundings. Remember: you’re entirely responsible for your own safety. Because nobody knows you, people will be less likely to help in case of an emergency.

Stay on the lookout for people in front of you, beside you, and even occasionally behind you. Your peripheral vision can be your best friend for this!

DON’T LOOK DOWN AT YOUR PHONE

Don’t look down at your phone. All it takes is looking at your phone for a second too long, and all of a sudden, a car runs into you. Or, someone sees you aren’t paying attention and they snatch you.

Try not to look at your phone for too long. When following walking directions, try to memorize where you’re going so you can stay focused on your surroundings.

MEMORIZE THE LOCAL EMERGENCY NUMBER

Memorize the local emergency number. 911 is not the emergency phone number in every country — shocker, right?

You should memorize the local number in case of an emergency. You don’t want to spend unnecessary time looking it up online or asking locals when you simply could’ve done it in advance.

CARRY A PERSONAL ALARM

Carry a personal alarm. This is probably the closest thing to a taser or pepper spray. Because as I’m sure you know, you can’t take either of these items through security at an airport.

These little alarms — which you can buy on Amazon — have a button you can press that makes an awfully loud sound. If you’re a solo female traveler, I highly recommend getting one of these for peace of mind when traveling alone.

DIGITAL SAFETY TIPS

USE A VPN

Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network). This tip applies to any trip, whether you’re traveling a few hours from home or will be on the plane for fifteen hours.

Any time you use public Wi-Fi, you’re giving hackers a chance to steal your valuable information like your:

• emails
• passwords
• bank account details
• information related to your trip

I’m sure you don’t want that happening, so save yourself the headache and download a VPN.

Unfortunately, a lot of them are paid nowadays, which is really annoying. But when you think about, it’s actually a good thing. ProtonVPN is a great option. It costs around $72 for the first 24 months and renews around $85 every twelve months.

INSTALL A PRIVACY SCREEN PROTECTOR

Install a privacy screen protector. Imagine you’re waiting to board the train and someone’s hovering over you while you check your checking account balance.

I’m sure you don’t want that happening, so it’s a good idea to prevent it. These screen protectors range from $5 all the way to $60 (and sometimes higher depending on the brand and your phone model).

But for a basic one that does its job, I recommend looking on Amazon. There’s tons of options and you will definitely be able to find one no matter what phone you have. Some work better than others, so be sure to check the reviews before ordering.

DISABLE CONSTANT NOTIFICATION PREVIEWS

Disable constant notification previews. On both Android and Apple phones, there’s this feature where you’ll see the content of a notification as soon as it pops up.

For example, if you get a notification saying your checking account balance has updated, you’ll immediately see the exact amount without having to unlock your phone.

While this is nice for quick viewing, it isn’t so great when traveling because someone could easily see that sensitive information on your phone if they’re hovering over or are sitting next to you.

To fix this this on iPhones: go to Settings > Notifications > Show Previews > Toggle When Unlocked. And there you go! Now when you get a notification, you have to pick up your phone and unlock it in order to view the content of the notification.

I don’t have much experience with Android devices, so I can’t give you a step-by-step tutorial for those. However, I’m sure it will look fairly similar! If you need help, you can always look on Google or YouTube.

MAKE SURE YOUR PHONE IS PASSWORD-PROTECTED

Make sure your phone is password-protected. Technically speaking, it’s so incredibly easy for someone to snatch your phone, unlock it, and go steal all of your sensitive data.

To avoid this, add some of password to your phone. I personally have both a passcode and facial recognition.

USE A PHONE LANYARD

Use a phone lanyard. If you don’t, someone can just grab your phone when you aren’t paying attention. And um, your phone is something you seriously don’t want to lose when you’re thousands of miles from home.

I also like that these prevent your phone from falling off a cliff. I can’t tell you how many times I got close to a ledge and tightened my grip on my phone as if my life depended on it (I mean, in a way, it did).

Thankfully, these are pretty inexpensive. There are tons on Amazon, but you can also find them at retail stores like Target, Walmart, Best Buy, and even Five Below!

TRANSPORTATION SAFETY TIPS

Below are some of my top tips for staying safe while transporting from one place to another. Keep in mind that even though I mention Uber a lot, these tips can also apply to Lyft.

This section is fairly brief, as I have a dedicated post full of 20+ tips coming very soon.

CONFIRM YOUR NAMES BEFORE ENTERING THE CAR

Confirm your names before entering the car.

No, I didn’t make a typo — you should confirm YOUR name to ensure the driver is picking up the right person. But you also need to confirm the driver’s name to ensure you’re in the right vehicle. This only takes about five seconds, so please don’t skip it.

The other important thing is to make sure you do this BEFORE you enter the car. Because if you wait until you’re in the vehicle, there’s a chance you might actually be in the wrong one and the driver could drive off with you still in it.

And you probably don’t want to figure out what may happen in that instance…

Here’s the exact process I always follow. Once again, it only takes five seconds, so I never skip it:

• Step 1: Approach the passenger side of the car and wait for the driver to roll down the window.
• Step 2: Say, “I’m [YOUR NAME], are you [DRIVER’S NAME]?”
• Step 3: Once you’ve confirmed both of your names, get in the car and begin the ride.

SIT IN THE BACK OF THE CAR

Sit in the back of the car, on the passenger side.

Think about it: if you’re sitting in the front seat and, God forbid, your driver tried to harm you, it’d be painfully easy for them to do so. Why? Because they’re right next to you!

However, if you sit in the back, it’d be a bit more difficult for them to reach you. And if you can sense that danger is imminent, you have more time to prevent anything harmful from happening.

Nowadays, it seems many Uber and Lyft drivers actually don’t allow you to sit in the front anyway. So that’s one less thing to worry about!

FOLLOW THE GPS ON YOUR PHONE

Follow the GPS on your phone.

I know the driver has their own GPS and you even track where you’re going on your ride-hailing app.

But I’d suggest that you go on a different app — like Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Waze — to follow the GPS. This way, you sort of have a backup GPS to ensure you are, in fact, headed in the right direction.

REQUEST A FEMALE DRIVER

Request a female driver.

Both Uber and Lyft have made some awesome safety updates, and one of those is the option to request a female driver. This is perfect if you’re a woman and don’t feel safe or comfortable riding with a male driver.

To request a female driver, simply look for something like “Women Drivers” and select that option. It’s the same price as a regular ride, and the experience itself won’t change (except you’ll probably feel more comfortable, of course).

OPT FOR A BLACK CAR

Opt for a black car.

I know these cost notably more than a regular car, but if you’re really concerned about your safety — especially at night — I think it’s smart to request one.

These are safer than regular cars because the drivers have more experience and have to pass certain tests to qualify for their “roles” for a lack of better words. Check out Uber or Lyft’s list of qualifications for more information.

ACCOMMODATION SAFETY TIPS

Below are some of my top tips for staying safe in your accommodations, like a hotel or short-term rental. This section is fairly brief, as I have a dedicated post full of 15+ tips coming very soon.

STAY IN A HOTEL INSTEAD OF A SHORT-TERM RENTAL

Stay in a hotel instead of a short-term rental like Airbnb or VRBO.

One of my top safety tips for solo travelers is to consider hotels first because they’re much safer than any other kind of accommodation.

Not only do they have 24/7 security and tons of cameras. But they’re much larger than guesthouses, so you feel more comfortable knowing hundreds of other people are staying in the same building as you.

DON’T STAY ON THE GROUND FLOOR

Don’t stay on the ground floor.

Criminals are surprisingly lazy sometimes and don’t bother going past the ground floor. They could easily find victims on the ground floor instead.

Some solo travelers on Reddit recommend staying on the second floor. This way, you’re not on the ground floor, but you’re still close enough to the ground in case you have to jump out the window.

I personally think this is unnecessary, but you can totally do it if it makes you feel safer.

ASK FOR A ROOM FAR FROM THE ELEVATOR

Ask for a room far from the elevator.

Similar to the previous tip, you should stay far from the elevator because criminals can be lazy and avoid walking far from it. Not only does this increase your safety, but there’s also less foot traffic, so you’ll be able to sleep more peacefully.

REQUEST A DIFFERENT ROOM IF YOU SUSPECT SOMEONE KNOWS

Request a different room if you suspect someone knows what room you’re in.

When you check in to your hotel, staff are typically trained to avoid saying your room number out loud.

But if they do happen to say it aloud or you think someone knows it, simply request a different room. As long as you’re polite about it, they shouldn’t give you any trouble.

USE A DOOR LOCK

Use a door lock.

Amazon has tons of these door locks that you can use in your hotel room. These add an extra layer of protection along with the pre-installed door locks.

Some solo travelers use this door lock and others use this security bar. Some even use both! Both work great to ensure your safety as a solo traveler.

DO A FULL SECURITY CHECK BEFORE YOU GET SETTLED IN

Last but not least, do a full security check before you get settled in.

I know you’ve had a long travel day and all you want to do is shower and hop in that (hopefully) comfortable hotel bed. But please take a few minutes to scan the room to make sure it’s safe.

You can also buy this hidden camera detector to find any hidden cameras in your room. More likely than not, you won’t find any safety threats, but it doesn’t hurt to check!

FINAL THOUGHTS: SOLO TRAVEL SAFETY TIPS

In this post, I shared some of my top tips for staying safe when traveling alone. Whether you’re a man, woman, queer person, or a POC traveler, all of these tips can still apply to you.

Like I said, I use nearly all of these on every trip and I rarely feel unsafe. Solo travel can be scary at first, but as long as you take the proper precautions, it really isn’t as frightening of an experience as some people make it out to be.

Now it’s your turn. I’m opening the floor for you to start a conversation in the comments. Here are some discussion topics:

• Have you traveled alone before? Did you feel safe? What did you do to stay safe during your trip?
• What was the most eye-opening tip I shared in this post? Have you ever heard anyone mention it?
• Pick one of these solo travel safety tips and share how you plan to use it for your next solo trip.

I’d love to hear your thoughts! If you feel more comfortable chatting with me directly, shoot me a DM on Instagram or email me at demarcus@thesolosolstice.com.

ABOUT DEMARCUS

DeMarcus is a Midwest-based travel content creator and the founder of the solo travel blog, The Solo Solstice. He began his solo travel journey in December 2025 and since has been creating practical, in-depth travel guides for a like-minded community of first-time solo adventurers.

Visit the About Page to learn more about DeMarcus, and visit the Ethical & Responsible Tourism Page to learn more about his efforts to promote responsible tourism.