Traveling by yourself can be a bit scary; every part of your trip – from airport parking to returning home – an ordeal. But if you think about safety first, you might just be able to relax and enjoy your solo journey. Take a look at these tips for staying safe while traveling alone.
Plan Ahead
The first part of your journey begins before you board the plane for your final destination. Start by planning all the little details out ahead of time. It’s best to fly when there is lots of activity in the airport. Sure, that red-eye flight might be a great deal, but do you really want to wait in an almost deserted airport for your flight to take off?
Set up your transfers to and from the airport and hotel or reserve your rental car at the same time you book your flight. It may be adventurous to just go somewhere and then figure out how you’re going to get around, but that isn’t the safest way to travel solo.
Airport Parking
For most singles, it’s easier and even cheaper to forget about parking at the airport. You might want to stay overnight in an airport hotel and let the shuttle bus get you to the terminal on time. Another option, especially if you live in the city you are flying out of, is to opt for off site airport parking. Make your parking reservation ahead of time and it’s a breeze to get your car parked in a secure lot, then take the shuttle to the airport. This is much safer than parking your car close to the terminal and walking across the lot or parking garage.
At the Airport
Once you’ve safely arrived at the airport, don’t mess around lugging heavy bags across the terminal and through security. Sure, it costs more and takes more time to check your luggage, but it’s well worth it. A single person struggling to keep track of several bags is a target ripe for theft. Not only could your luggage get stolen, but so could your identity.
At Your Destination
One thing that thieves look for is a routine. Be sure you vary yours while on vacation or a business trip so that anyone observing your actions wouldn’t be able to expect you to be away from your room at any particular time.
If you have valuables, do use the safe or safety deposit boxes available at the hotel. Although hotel personnel are, for the most part, quite honest, there’s no point in tempting them by leaving your precious jewelry lying around – particularly with the high price of gold and silver these days.
Do talk to the concierge or bell staff about the safest places to go for a walk or enjoy entertainment. They know the city very well and can advise a single traveler about the best places to go – or not to go.
Just because you’re traveling by yourself doesn’t mean you have to be overly cautious, but it does pay to err on the side of caution. After all, you wouldn’t have a very good time away from home if your possessions or identity were stolen or you got into a nasty scrape, right? From airport parking to checking into your hotel, be safe and be happy on your solo trip!