Women Travel Safety Tips

Traveling is supposed to be one of the great leisurely activities in life. While there are many safety precautions one should take while traveling they should not infringe on the enjoyment of the trip.

You should always take care to protect your belongings. Pickpockets are quite adept at taking your money, passport, and other documents. For this, I recommend keeping the important items in a money belt that can strapped around your waist, under your clothing. You may want to keep a separate wallet that is available without going into the money belt that contains only enough money to get you through the day. You will also want to secure your luggage with locks, and never walk with a backpack on your back with easy access to the compartments. At night, if you can, place your belongings in a locker or safe. If you are traveling by train, and will be sleeping, you can secure your luggage to the rack with a bike lock. No one appreciates waking up to swiped bags.

Another thing to watch out for while traveling is scams and tricks. For instance, in Paris, near the Eifel Tower, women will approach you and tie bracelets on an unsuspecting wrist. They will tie it so tightly that you cannot untie it, and then they will demand payment for the bracelet. There are also scams where people will spill something on you, and then go to help you clean it. In the meantime, they try to grab your wallet. Beware of such people and know no one, no matter how innocent looking, can be potential theives.

An important safety tip to heed before traveling is knowing the local customs and laws. While committing a faux paus may not be the worst thing to happen to you, its something you should try to avoid. Locals may not look kindly upon a foreigner being rude, whether it was intentional or not. Another tip to help you overcome some of these problems is to always carry a dictionary or key phrase book of that language with you. That can greatly facilitate your communication.

For women traveling alone I recommend wearing a wedding ring, even if you are not married. This may not completely stop the men from being fresh, but it can help. Also, as a woman traveling alone, I advise picking first world countries. If you are going off the beaten track, go with more care.

For all travelers, this should be an exciting and fun time. While you should always be aware of your surroundings, make sure you aren't so caught up in the safety aspects that you cannot enjoy your time. Bon Voyage.