Travelling on your own comes with a plethora of benefits. It’s an enlightening experience where you have lots of time to yourself, really getting to know who you are. You’ve also got no strings attached – there’s nobody else there to hold you down or debate where you should go.
Having said that, there is one slight disadvantage to solo travel: it’s not as safe as travelling in a group. This doesn’t mean you’ll immediately run into danger, but the chances of things going wrong are higher for someone that’s on their own. With that in mind, if you’re looking for ways to improve the safety aspect of travelling by yourself, here are three things you may want to try:
Rent a car instead of relying on public transport
While renting a car tends to be more expensive than relying on public transport, it’s worth the extra cost in a lot of cases. For one, you get the freedom to move around at your own schedule, without worrying about public transport schedules. Secondly, you can go anywhere you please – with public transport, you’re restricted to areas close to train or bus stations. Thirdly, it’s a lot safer because you don’t have to wait on a dark train platform by yourself or worry about being the only person in a carriage. When you rent your car, you’re basically paying for the added protection of being by yourself. A lot of incidents can happen on public transport, particularly in the evenings. Having a car lets you travel and not worry about getting back to your accommodation.
Stay in a hostel
Speaking of which, your accommodation of choice should be a hostel. Now, unlike renting a car, this actually ends up saving money! Hostels are a lot cheaper because you usually sleep in shared areas with other travellers. As it happens, that’s the reason they’re safe! You’re basically staying with dozens of other people, so it gives you a chance to make new friends. You might hang out with them while you travel around, meaning you can return safely at night. It’s a good idea to make friends and exchange numbers, so you can message people if you’re lost or want help getting back to the hostel.
Be sensible
Lastly, the best way to make solo travel safer is to be sensible. It sounds obvious, but it’s easy to forget what sensible means when you travel by yourself. You’re used to wandering around wherever you like at any time of the day when you’re in a group. This sort of behaviour won’t be safe if you’re alone. Try to avoid going out alone at night or travelling to unsafe areas of a city. It’s also not a good idea to go on a road trip or a long walk all alone as there’s nobody to help you if you get lost or your phone runs out of battery. Just be sensible and play it safe!
Travelling on your own is an experience everyone should go through at some point. If you’re worried about the safety aspect, use these three ideas to make your life safer.
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