Solo Travel Safety Tips for Women

Business travel is part of life for women as well as men, but solo travel can be more intimidating for the business woman by herself. Men on their own just don't attract the same sort of unwanted attention as single women. When it comes to traveling for business, safety and security are of primary concern for women.

Seasoned travelers advise staying relaxed, but keep a few basic safety tips in mind. The same safety measures that work when you are home alone will make safety on a business trip one less thing to worry about.

Days Inns - Canada offers some essential tips to help ease the stress and make your hotel stay more enjoyable and hassle-free.

Plan Ahead
Research your destination for single friendly places to stay, eat and spend a bit of time relaxing. Guidebooks and online travel sites are bursting at the seams with advice for single travelers. Remember to book hotel reservations well in advance. Ask for a room close to an elevator but away from exits. Avoid booking a ground-floor room or a room that has easy access from outside. Look for hotel chains and centrally located hotels, not three cabin motels. Larger establishments not only offer better security, they tend to cater to business travelers needs with full business amenities often including free high-speed Internet access in every room, fax machines and professional onsite meeting rooms. There may be extra fees for these services, but the small cost is well worth it. The central location makes for more traffic. People coming in and out tends to discourage criminals from acting... and makes it easier to meet your clients and enjoy the places you want to visit.
Trust Your Instincts
When you're traveling by yourself, make smart choices and use your common sense. Always keep your room double locked and be sure to use the dead-bolt. Ask to see official ID if anyone comes to the door uninvited. You may want to call the front desk to confirm the ID before allowing a stranger into your room. If it seems that someone is following you while you are out, stop in a shop or hotel and let someone know. Often just stopping for help will drive a stalker away.
Privacy Please
The easiest way to stay safe when you travel alone is simply keep a low profile. Luggage tags with your name and destination flashing are an invitation for unwanted attention. Use covered luggage tags and include your office address instead of your home or destination address. If you're concerned about your bags getting lost, just put your home or destination address inside on top of your packed items. When you check-in, use your last name and first initial only. Inform the hotel not to release your information to anyone and ask them not to deliver any packages to your room. If you are expecting anything, you can always pick it up at the front desk.
Know Your Destination
Plan out your trip before traveling alone in a rental car. Get directions ahead of time and do not expose a map in your car with any marked destination. Before you leave for your business meeting or event, check a route planner online for suggested route ideas. If you get lost, stop at a gas station and ask for directions. If you run into car trouble, don't accept help from well meaning strangers. Call the number for roadside assistance that your rental car company provides and wait in your locked car until the tow truck arrives. It might be a good time to make some calls. While you're chatting on the phone, you are less likely to be seen as alone and vulnerable. If you're stuck somewhere without good mobile reception, keep the phone handy anyway. Someone who has bad intentions won't be certain that you can't call for help even if you know you can't use the phone.
Stay Connected
Be sure to carry your cell phone when traveling alone, and make sure you remember to bring both the room and the car charger. Many business travelers carry an extra battery... just in case. A dead phone is bad for business and can put you in danger. Strange as it may seem, using a cell phone while you're walking by yourself is not a smart travel idea. Looking alert is the best defense against getting mugged or worse on your trip. It is smart to email your upcoming travel itinerary to a colleague, friend or relative so someone will always know your whereabouts. Sending an e-mail from the road to keep people informed of where you are and what you'll be doing is a good idea whether or not you're traveling alone.

Following these simple guidelines should keep you safe and let you enjoy the trip.

Source:
PRWEB

also see in Travel -> Traveling Single

More about women's travel safety around the Web:

• Women Travel Tips - Serious Safety Tips For Women

• Travel Tips for Solo Travelers