Traveling solo and traveling alone are two very different things. As a solo traveler, sure, you’re traveling on your own, but you’ve done your research on the areas you’re visiting, and you’re keeping in touch with friends and family at home. Traveling alone means feeling alone, an overwhelming feeling that can leave you constantly checking behind your back and cutting into your enjoyment. Traveling solo for women doesn’t have to be a daunting experience – with the proper research you can feel confident in your travels and have an enjoyable experience.

Research, Research, Research.
We can’t stress enough the importance of researching the area you’re traveling to. Whether you’re vacationing to a well-known city or an area where sheep outnumber people, research the area, its safety, tourist-friendly areas, and insider tips on where to go and where to avoid. Print out maps of the area, and bring along a guide book, if one exists. Doing some upfront research not only gives you peace of mind for your trip, but it also gets you excited for it!

Keep Multiple Copies.
You’ve likely heard horror stories of passports and id cards being stolen while traveling. Bring along multiple copies of all important documents, and always lock the originals away in a secure safe. Keep the copies in multiple locations – one in your bag, another back in the hotel, and another copy with your relatives back at home.

Know Basic Self Defense.
We never advocate violence, but if you find yourself in a threatening situation, self defense is absolutely necessary and could save your life. Before you leave for your trip, take a self defense class for you to at least learn the basics to defense yourself. We hope you never have to use these techniques, but even knowing them gives you an added air of confidence as you travel.

Keep In Touch.
We live in a digitally connected world, and although it’s nice to “get away from it all”, it’s important that you touch base with your friends and family back home throughout your travels. Location-based social media applications like 4Square make this a cinch, but you can also send a quick email letting them know what you’re up to, or if you’re in an area without an Internet connection, commit to sending a post card or letter at least twice per week. Natural disasters and unfortunate situations can happen anytime, and it’s vital to your safety that you keep in touch with those back home.

Solo travel is a wonderful experience, but be sure you’ve done your homework and have all the safety essentials you need to travel by yourself with confidence. Have you traveled solo? What kind of tips and advice do you have for those traveling alone?

Author: Spy Town
SpyTown.com is the home security camera expert. We’ve helped many a traveler with security and safety advice, not only for their travels, but with Internet home security cameras for them to check in on their homes while they’re away. A safe and secure traveler is a happy traveler!

Photo by kadesoto.

When CBS news correspondent Lara Logan was sexually attacked last month in Cairo, it made global headlines. But whether it is cat calling or something much worse, sexual harassment in public is the norm for women worldwide. Numerous surveys find women cannot escape verbal abuse, and a shockingly high percentage has suffered physical abuse in trains, buses or other crowded public spaces. Female business travelers, often on the road alone, typically bear the indignation rather than report the incident to authorities or employers. Now that attitude is changing.

Last week, travel columnist Joe Sharkey of The New York Times reported on a new movement driven by women around the world that draws attention to street harassment.  This burgeoning effort aims to use social networking and mobile technology to expose the location and nature of street harassment in a bid to end it. He cites three specific online and mobile initiatives trying to make a difference:

Ihollaback.org is a new website that encourages women to share stories and details of street harassment, and the incidents are then placed on a map. The site is using social networking, blogs, apps and maps to build a case that street harassment is a worldwide problem.

Smartwomentravelers.com  is the work of a business consultant who has been victimized while traveling, and believes that the specter of sexual harassment inhibits many women from truly enjoying their destinations when traveling alone.

Stopstreetharassment.com  offers suggestions for ways women can deal with street harassment on an individual and grassroots level, including tips for what to do in the moment, how to be prepared and how to recover.

This groundswell has the feel of a long overdue revolution. Let’s help human dignity take a giant stride forward and heed the call to action sounded by these sites—“Join an international movement of women and men who are working to make public places safe and welcoming for women.”     

Photo by Alex Castro.

At the Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas (FAWCO)  annual conference in Boston earlier this month, Paula Lucas, the founder of one of the local chapters,  told her personal story of trying to escape domestic violence while abroad in an interview aired on National Public Radio’s Here and Now saying “You have the perception that your (American) freedoms travel with you — and they don’t.”   This is especially true of women who find themselves in a country that minimizes their rights.   

One of the core missions of FAWCO is to provide a voice for American women abroad and to support the rights of Americans worldwide.  Paula Lucas founded the Americans Overseas Domestic Violence Crisis Center after she escaped from Dubai where she and her children had suffered physical abuse at the hands of her first husband.  The local police were of no help because in that country fathers are allowed to discipline their children in any way they see fit.  She had lobbied for help from the U.S. embassy, and U.S.-based family members worked the state department, their senators and representatives for help, but no government official wanted to intervene for fear of causing an international incident. It was solely up to Paula to get herself and her sons out. (Use the link to the radio interview above to hear how).

Paula doesn’t want other women to have to endure what she went through, and she knows the limits of finding the help you need abroad – a lot of shelters don’t speak English, you don’t have access to your own money, you don’t have a support network or anyone to talk to.  Now word of help is getting out. Last month The American Overseas Domestic Violence Crisis Center call volume grew 330% over 2009. The Center can be reached internationally toll-free (866-USWOMEN) from 175 countries. It’s a source of assistance and support for abused Americans, mostly women and children, in both civilian and military populations overseas.   The center answered 1,500 calls and helped 300 families last year.

HTB is digging into women’s rights issues around the world. Check back with us soon to see how countries compare.