Beginner’s Essential Guide to Travelling Alone, Safely

If you’re travelling alone for the first time, it can seem a little overwhelming / scary / terrifying. I’m here to reassure you that you will be fine. Millions of people have done it before, and millions will do it in the future. 

I travelled the world for three years solo and I’d recommend it to anyone who has the inkling or the opportunity. 

I absolutely do not believe that travelling solo is any more inherently dangerous than travelling with a friend, or staying at home – your safety depends on what you get up to, how you look after yourself, the situations you put yourself in, and most importantly, the people you meet. 

However, knowledge is power. There are some precautions you can take to give you confidence, and help you feel like you’ve got this.

Safest places to travel solo

Gawd, this is such a debated and written about topic across travel blogs and travel sites. There are always going to be countries that stand out – Denmark, Japan, Canada, Switzerland – just because of the ease of travelling, the low crime rate and the friendly people.

I’ve felt safe in most of the world, and when I haven’t it’s usually because of something someone’s said to me, or something in the media. The safest places to travel solo are away from the dangerous places in any city. Before you arrive do a quick google search of places you should avoid, and always double check with your hostel or hotel owner if you’re worried too. 

As long as your destination isn’t on the dangerous list as decided by the FCO, you’ll be fine travelling alone. 

Most dangerous places to travel solo

Someone asked me recently which country I felt the most in danger in, without a doubt it would be the USA.

I’ve been to destinations traditionally thought of as dangerous – Mexico, Guatemala, Belize – yet the most scared for my life was in the US.

It’s the guns, it’s the huge disparity between the rich and the poor shoved down your throats, it’s the extremists, the drink driving, it’s the crossfires, the car parks, the drugs, the meth and the terrifying news. I’ve spent over a year of my life in the US, which gives me more insight than a lot of tourists, and that’s the conclusion I’ve come to.

And statistically, Thailand is one of the most dangerous places for Brits to travel to in terms of death count of tourists. According to figures issued by the Foreign Office, between 2014 and 2016, 1,151 British nationals died in Thailand, and the numbers are on the rise. Yet, is one of the most popular. 

Despite this, I would totally visit both America and Thailand again. 

A lot of what we consider ‘most dangerous’ is based on media representation and the history, rather than any current fact. 

So where to go as a solo female traveller?

The same places as male travellers?

I’m an absolute feminist, but, I do think when it comes to travelling it’s different for guys and girls. For example, I really like Derek’s blog, wanderingearl.com, and had the pleasure of going to Israel with him a few years ago. He told me all kinds of stories of going to people’s houses for dinner following an invitation at a market, of hitch hiking and basically trusting others enough to accept what they offer.