Traveling by yourself can be a great way to rediscover and reinvent yourself. You will have nobody to consult with when deciding to do something, therefore you can literally do only what you like. Traveling by yourself can also be dangerous, no matter your gender. These are some solo travel tips to consider for any such holidays.

Don’t trust everyone
Traveling solo opens great opportunities to make new friends and spending time with a bunch of people you just met can be the most relaxing thing in the world. Never trust them enough to share personal details related to how much money you make, where you live, or to ask them to hold your money or valuables for you.

Pay attention to how much you pay
Hotels’ main interest is to make money, and solo guests can be asked to pay double compared to what couples pay. If you booked your trip with a travel agency, ask if you could be paired with another single person to share the costs of the room. Staying at a hostel can be another way around being charged more, as you’ll pay for the number of beds you’ll be using.

Be wary of where you check your map
It is very easy to get lost, and when traveling alone we can usually only depend on ourselves to figure out where places are. If you need directions or to consult your map, it is best to walk in a restaurant or a store. These places are also better for asking for some help. You should also, always seem confident and like know where you’re going.

Sometimes paying more means being safer
In some European countries it is possible to travel in a women only train compartments. For instance, the night trains in France have compartment with just one bed, and it is more expensive, closest to the train’s conductor, and safest way to travel for solo women over night. Get informed regarding these details in a country you think you’d feel less safe.

Keep in touch with friends and family back home
This tip shouldn’t need to be mentioned, but some people forget to do so. Clearly, depending on your destination this is not possible due to lack of signal for your phone or electricity to charge said phone or laptop. In any case, should you suspect this will happen, inform everyone you can about your future whereabouts including the staff at the hotel, and maybe even the police.

Learn how to say “no” and how to lie
Single women traveling by themselves usually attract unwanted attention, but sometimes this can be said about men traveling alone as well. It is important to know how to say a firm “no” in the local language, combined with gestures that mean the same thing. Regardless of your gender, you should probably never let anyone know you’re all alone in a foreign country.

Stay in populated areas
You’ll generally be safer if you stick to places where many other tourists or locals are. Being alone on a dark alley with no soul in sight is not a good idea back home, let alone in a foreign location.