I spent a year of my life traveling through Europe. I guess that sounds a little more exciting than what it was, since, to be honest, I was living in Germany and using my time off to travel. All the same, I was often a young girl traveling by myself in foreign countries. Not surprisingly, I have some travel safety tips you might be interested in hearing. Here are four tips for
safe traveling to keep in mind whether you are traveling domestically or abroad!
First, do some research on where you will be going. Look to see what crime other tourists have encountered. This might seem like a strange thing to search for, but it can really make a difference in save traveling. In Germany, trains are very safe. My Polish friend traveling in Spain forgot to adapt to the situation, and someone picked her wallet out of her purse when she had her back turned. Pick pockets are more common in certain cities and countries than in others.
Second, situational awareness is key to safe traveling. You do not need to be paranoid or checking over your shoulder constantly, but be aware that not everyone is on vacation like you are. When at a nightclub in Berlin, my friend thought it would be okay to leave her purse with wallet inside stashed in an alcove visible to multiple people. Germany is nice, but not that nice. She was lucky all they took was thirty euros. If you get drunk, do it with friends, and try to remember basic safety and security.
Third,
safe traveling tips always say something about your luggage. First, I would recommend never leaving anything very valuable in your luggage unless you have to. Though most hotels come with adequate locking systems, if you are in a foreign country it will be difficult to complain to authorities if something is lost or stolen. Do not assume anything is truly safe, unless it is locked. If you are staying in a hostel, be very wary of what you leave out. Having items stolen is a common occurrence there. If there is no locker, sleep with your valuables next to your head.
Fourth, safe traveling also involves safe transportation. Be wary of anyone who just offers you a ride to go anywhere, and hitchhiking is known to have dangerous results regardless of the number of passengers, gender, or even number of people in the car. Many people use car shares to travel, and this is generally safe but try to have a conversation with the individual before hand.
Good luck with safe traveling!
