Safety tips for teens wishing to travel solo

Solo travelling has become a major trend in India. People nowadays are keen to explore the thrill and excitement of solo travelling at least once in their lifetime. But for the women wishing to travel solo in India, there are added security challenges. Moreover, with the proper precautions and guidelines, women can definitely give it a shot.

So, here are the essentials that a woman should follow to enjoy her solo trip safely:

1. Stash the cash

Always make sure to not to keep all of your cash in one place. Always keep your valuables in different places, be it in a bag, inside pocket of socks, jacket, hip pocket etc. This would prevent you from losing all your valuables in one go, and you will have a backup if something bad happens, like loot or theft.

2. Travel solo, but don’t pretend so

Avoid telling people you are travelling solo. This would also help to lessen the chances of being vulnerable to any suspicious persons around you. In case you get into an uncomfortable situation, try to communicate with nearby people, most preferably women.

3. Wrap the map

At the time of your solo trip, avoid consulting a map frequently in front of others or even in a rental car. Rather, you could use a mobile GPS application to figure out directions. Consulting maps in front of people may invite someone to misguide or harm you.

4. Prefer reputed hotels

Always try to prefer a reputed national hotel chain with good safety records. Avoid mom and pop accommodation and always share the hotel details with your dear ones before even leaving for the trip.

5. Relationship Status: Married

While booking a hotel room or filling in your details anywhere else, always pretend to be a married woman. Add ‘Mrs’ as a prefix to your name at the time of filling in your details. It can be really helpful to an extent to keep away those people wishing to take advantage of you.

6. Have all emergency numbers noted

As they say, prevention is better than cure. It is always good to have all the emergency numbers saved in your diary or mobile. This will come in handy in a tough situation.

7. Use a GPS Tracker

Since you are going to have a phone with you, your parents and friends would be able to see your location at all times with a family locator application. Make sure that you have installed it on your smartphone before you leave for the trip. It will give your family peace of mind, knowing that your family can check on your location at any time of the day or night.