Solo Travel

Staying Safe While Traveling Solo

By Feral Travel

May 1, 2026

If you’re wondering, ‘Is solo travel safe?’, there isn’t a simple answer. No travel is completely safe or unsafe. Sometimes, bad moments happen in places that seem safe and many people visit riskier spots without any problems.

A better question to ask is, ‘What are the risks at your destination?’ When you know what you might face and how vulnerable you might be, you can figure out what you can reasonably do about it. There are plenty of safety tips out there, and I’ll share a bunch so you can look into them further. I find most of these tips help you create the safety net you don’t have when traveling alone. Without a travel buddy, there’s no one to watch your bags, know an address, help with directions, or even notice if you don’t come back. Each tip is essentially a small way to make up for what a travel partner would do.

Understand the risks for your specific travel plans

You’ll likely get all kinds of warnings, from family concern to government advisories. Stories about your destination might sound dramatic in the news too. Take time to check each source and dig a bit deeper. Government advice is a good place to start your research, but countries are large, and advisories often cover wide areas. Look for regional information that matches where you’re going. The same goes for advice from family or friends who haven’t been there. Ask where they got their information and try to confirm it before you react. When reading online, think about who wrote the words. Was it someone who just visited, or is it a tourism board article? Both can be useful, but knowing their reasons for writing can help you evaluate the advice.

Take care of the boring basics

A lot of solo travel advice repeats the same preparation, like making sure someone knows your plans and keeping emergency contacts and important travel info on paper in case you lose your phone. They might seem like something you don’t need to actually do, but simple steps are often the most helpful. Think about what you’d need if you didn’t have your phone and prepare for that. Download offline maps before you leave and grab a business card from your hotel so you have the address if you need help getting back. You don’t need to overprepare, but look through your list of risks and see what you can be ready for. You can’t control everything, but you can do some work before you leave the house to reduce some risks.

Decide when you need extra planning

There will be times when you feel more vulnerable, either because of things out of your control or because you’re human. After a long flight you might be tired or you may be distracted while figuring out which way to go. Sometimes flights are delayed and you end up arriving after dark, or you arrive at your accommodation to find it isn’t what you expected. Consider planning your arrival in advance, since the first few hours in a new place can be the trickiest. If your budget allows, book the airport taxi or stay in a hotel with a 24-hour front desk for your first night. Once you’re settled and it’s daytime, you can get to know your surroundings and relax your plans if it makes sense to do.

Be careful with your information

Decide who you trust and keep the details private from everyone else. Share information like your itinerary details or live location only with trusted people. The taxi driver doesn’t need to know anything other than your destination and the person you meet at the bar doesn’t need to know where you’re staying. The same applies to your information online. If your account is public wait to post until the next day or when you’re back at your hotel. When booking or giving info to a website, check that it’s trustworthy and be wary of unexpected emails or texts.

Leave if it doesn’t feel right

The old advice to trust your gut just means you don’t need proof before you act. If something feels off you can leave before knowing the whole situation. It’s okay to change your plans. You can check out of a hostel or cancel a ride, even if it costs you it may be worth it. And you don’t have to be polite about it. Of course, not every uncomfortable feeling is a warning, sometimes things just feel strange because they’re new. If you have time in the moment, try to tell the difference between that kind of discomfort and something specifically feeling wrong.

Even the most experienced and prepared travelers sometimes encounter things they hadn’t thought about. Being ready doesn’t mean nothing will go wrong, but it can lower the chances and help you better handle problems if they come up. Some people think this kind of planning is overkill, but I believe the more prepared you are, the more you can enjoy your trip without worrying all the time.

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