Solo female travel has never been more popular — or more empowering. According to a 2025 Booking.com survey, over 70% of women said they planned to travel solo at least once in the coming year, and searches for "solo female travel" have grown steadily year over year. The world is more accessible than ever, and women are claiming their right to explore it independently.
But freedom and preparation aren't opposites. The most experienced solo travelers will tell you the same thing: the confidence to go anywhere comes from having a plan. This guide covers the practical safety strategies that let you travel boldly without traveling recklessly.
Pre-Trip Safety Planning
Research your destination thoroughly
Before booking anything, check the U.S. State Department Travel Advisories for your destination. These are organized by risk level (1 through 4) and provide specific safety information. Also check the World Health Organization's travel health page for any health advisories or vaccination requirements.
Beyond official sources, seek out recent experiences from other solo female travelers. Subreddits like r/solotravel and r/TwoXTravel, along with blogs by women who specialize in solo travel, offer ground-level insight that government advisories don't cover — things like which neighborhoods feel safe after dark, whether taxis are reliable, and cultural norms around women dining alone.
Share your complete itinerary
Before you leave, share a detailed itinerary with at least two trusted people. Include:
- Flight numbers and arrival times
- Hotel names, addresses, and confirmation numbers
- Planned day trips or excursions
- Ground transportation arrangements
- Copies of your passport, travel insurance, and emergency contacts
Store a copy in cloud storage (Google Drive, iCloud) so you can access it from any device, even if your phone is lost or stolen.
Register with your embassy
U.S. citizens can enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), which registers your trip with the nearest embassy or consulate. In a crisis — natural disaster, civil unrest, family emergency — the embassy can locate and contact you. Other countries offer similar programs: Canada has the Registration of Canadians Abroad, and the UK has the Foreign Travel Advice service.
Accommodation Safety
Choosing where to stay
Location matters more than luxury. When selecting accommodation:
- Prioritize well-lit, central neighborhoods over budget options in isolated areas. The money saved on a cheap hotel isn't worth the taxi ride through unfamiliar streets at midnight.
- Read reviews specifically from solo female travelers. Many booking platforms let you filter reviews. Look for comments about security, front desk responsiveness, and neighborhood safety after dark.
- Consider accommodations with 24-hour reception. A staffed front desk provides an immediate point of contact if something feels wrong.
- Request rooms above the ground floor but below the fifth floor. This is a common tip from security professionals — high enough to deter window entry, low enough for fire escape routes.
In-room security
A few inexpensive items can significantly improve your room security:
- A portable door lock or door wedge alarm — these cost under $20 and add a physical barrier that even a copied key card won't bypass.
- A rubber doorstop — the simplest and most reliable room security device ever invented.
- Check the locks, windows, and balcony doors when you first enter the room. Report anything broken immediately.
Transportation Tips
Ground transportation
Transportation is one of the highest-risk moments for solo travelers, particularly in unfamiliar cities:
- Use ride-hailing apps (Uber, Lyft, Bolt, Grab, depending on region) over street hails whenever possible. The digital record of driver, license plate, and route provides accountability that anonymous taxis don't.
- Verify your driver. Before getting in, confirm the driver's name, car model, and license plate match the app. Ask them to confirm your name rather than volunteering it.
- Share your ride in real time. Most ride-hailing apps have a "share trip" feature that sends your live route to a contact.
- Avoid arriving in unfamiliar cities after dark. When possible, plan flights and trains so you arrive during daylight hours.
- Sit in the back seat, behind the passenger side. This gives you access to both rear doors and keeps you out of easy reach.
Walking and public transit
Move with purpose and confidence. Research from the Office of Justice Programs and multiple criminology studies consistently show that projecting awareness reduces the likelihood of being targeted for street crime. This doesn't mean living in fear — it means staying present, keeping your phone in your pocket instead of your face, and trusting your instincts about routes and situations.
Digital Safety Tools
Essential tech for solo travelers
Your phone is your most important safety tool. Set it up for travel:
- Download offline maps (Google Maps and Maps.me both support this) so you can navigate without data.
- Store emergency numbers locally — including the local equivalent of 911, your hotel's number, and your embassy's after-hours line.
- Enable "Find My Device" on both your phone and laptop in case of theft.
- Use a VPN when connecting to public Wi-Fi to protect your personal data and login credentials.
- Carry a portable charger. A dead phone at the wrong moment is more than an inconvenience.
Check-in systems while traveling
The most effective digital safety measure for solo travelers isn't an SOS button — it's a system that notices when you go quiet. When you're traveling alone, especially across time zones and in areas with unreliable cell service, the risk isn't just active threats. It's the possibility that something happens and nobody back home realizes it for days.
A daily check-in system like StillSafe lets you set a scheduled check-in time. Every day, you confirm you're okay with a quick tap. If you miss it, the system tries to reach you directly before alerting your emergency contacts back home — including your location, your itinerary notes, and instructions on how to reach your accommodations.
This is particularly valuable when traveling through areas with spotty communication, taking adventure excursions, or simply dealing with the unpredictability of solo travel.
Cultural Awareness and Street Smarts
Dress and behavior
This isn't about limiting yourself — it's about reading the room. Research local customs and dress codes before you arrive, particularly for:
- Religious sites and conservative regions
- Evening and nightlife norms
- Attitudes toward alcohol consumption by women
- Physical contact norms (handshakes, personal space)
The goal isn't to be invisible. It's to demonstrate respect for the culture you're visiting, which in turn often increases the respect you receive.
Trust your instincts
Gavin de Becker's foundational book The Gift of Fear makes a compelling case that your intuition is a sophisticated threat-detection system built on millions of years of evolution. If a situation, person, or environment feels wrong, you don't need to rationalize it or worry about being rude. Leave. The social discomfort of excusing yourself from a conversation is infinitely preferable to ignoring a warning signal.
The "boyfriend" and other deflections
Many experienced solo female travelers keep a few simple deflections ready for unwanted attention:
- "My husband is meeting me here in a few minutes."
- "I'm actually heading to meet a group of friends."
- Wearing a simple ring on your left hand.
You shouldn't have to do this. But practical safety sometimes means choosing effectiveness over principle.
Emergency Preparedness
Health and medical preparation
- Get travel health insurance. Your domestic insurance likely won't cover you abroad. Companies like World Nomads and SafetyWing offer plans specifically designed for travelers. Medical evacuation alone can cost $50,000 or more without insurance.
- Carry a basic first aid kit with your prescriptions, pain relievers, anti-diarrhea medication, bandages, and antiseptic.
- Know where the nearest hospital is relative to your accommodation. The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers (IAMAT) maintains a directory of English-speaking doctors worldwide.
Money and documents
- Split your cash and cards across multiple locations — some in your daypack, some in your accommodation's safe, some in a hidden pocket.
- Carry photocopies of your passport (and store digital copies in cloud storage). In many countries, a photocopy is sufficient for daily identification, letting you keep the original locked in your room safe.
- Know your card's international customer service number in case of theft. Mastercard and Visa both have collect-call lines that work from any country.
Communication plan
Establish a communication cadence with someone back home before you leave:
- Agree on a regular check-in time (adjusted for time zones).
- Define what "no contact" triggers concern — is it 12 hours? 24 hours?
- Share login credentials for your email or a shared document in a sealed envelope with a trusted person, in case of emergency.
- Consider using an automated check-in system that doesn't require your contacts to remember to check on you. The system remembers, even when people are busy with their own lives.
A Note on Fear vs. Preparation
There's a persistent narrative that women who travel solo are "brave" — as if exploring the world is inherently reckless for half the population. The truth is that solo travel, done thoughtfully, is remarkably safe. The vast majority of trips are uneventful in the best sense. The people you meet are overwhelmingly kind. The world is, on balance, a welcoming place.
Preparation isn't the opposite of adventure. It's what makes adventure sustainable. The travelers who explore the most are the ones who plan the best — not because they're fearful, but because they've removed the worry so they can be fully present.
Your Pre-Trip Checklist
- Check State Department advisories and WHO health notices for your destination
- Register with your embassy (STEP for U.S. citizens)
- Purchase travel health insurance with medical evacuation coverage
- Share your complete itinerary with two trusted contacts
- Store document copies in cloud storage
- Download offline maps and save local emergency numbers
- Pack a portable door lock, doorstop, and portable charger
- Set up a daily check-in system so someone back home always knows you're okay
- Establish a communication plan with defined check-in times and escalation triggers
- Trust your instincts, travel with confidence, and enjoy every moment of it
Traveling solo this year? StillSafe's daily check-in system keeps your people informed no matter where you are. Set your check-in time, tap once a day, and travel knowing that if anything goes sideways, someone will know. Start your free account before your next trip.