Solo Travelling Safety Tips

Travelling solo can be so much fun! You can see lots of different places and enjoy the cultures without having to worry about schedules or timeframes, but there are some significant safety concerns. When you’re travelling by yourself, you need to consider your own safety, especially in places you don’t know, so I’m going to go through some of the things I do to make sure I’m staying safe.

Location Services

One thing I always do when I’m travelling is to make sure that a family member can see my location at all times. You can do this using an app such as Life360 or Live Location, and ask a family member or a close friend to check in every so often to make sure you’re okay. You can also get apps that send an emergency notification if you request it by clicking a button.

I tend to drive a lot when I’m travelling, for example to Holyhead to catch a ferry, so I ask my mum to keep an eye on my location just in case anything happens, and I make sure to update her when I can.

Research Local Services

Make sure you know where you can find help if you need it, such as local emergency numbers or hospitals and walk-in clinics. You never know when you could injure yourself or become unwell and you may need medical attention, and if you’re not with anybody else you’ll need to have this information handy. I usually travel to Ireland to see one of my best friends, so I make sure to know where the nearest hospitals are to his house, or where pharmacies are located.

Medical Insurance

Speaking of medical assistance, it’s easy to forget that not every country has free medical care. If you’re travelling in Europe, remember that the EHIC card is not accessible to citizens of the United Kingdom anymore, so you’ll need to have medical insurance or separate funds just in case. I get free worldwide medical insurance with my bank account, and many accounts offer the same feature if you pay for a premium account, so have a look around and see what your best options are.

Reliable Accommodation

When you’re travelling alone it’s very important to ensure your accommodation is safe and secure, you also need to make sure that your bookings aren’t going to get cancelled last minute. I personally wouldn’t suggest using hostels when you’re travelling by yourself, and I prefer to book a cheap hotel with a private lockable room.