10 Safety Tips for Fearless Solo Female Travelers

Just back from a recent trip to Latin America, our own Patricia Magana shares these valuable safety tips aimed specifically at the solo female traveler. Guys, pass them along to all the fearless women in your lives, too!

Travel Light

A typical travel-day wardrobe for me consists of sneakers (usually my trusty KangaRoos, not only for their comfort but also because I use the shoe's zippered pocket as my secret stash for extra cash), lightweight pants with a couple of zippered pockets, a conservative top, and a cheap watch. My pockets contain my hotel key, a credit card, a mobile phone, and deliberately arranged cash (smaller denominations on the exterior portion of the roll). That's it!

If I know I'll be shopping that day, I bring along a backpack or messenger bag and stuff my purchases inside, instead of walking about the city with several shopping bags—a sure sign that you have money to spend.

If you must carry a purse, unclutter and only carry the day's essentials. Organizing the bag's contents will prevent you from having to dig through it.

Be Careful on the Beach

If the beach's siren song beckons you to take a dip, don't be afraid to heed the call. The fact that you have no one to watch your stuff on the shore shouldn't deter you, as long as you take a few precautionary measures to keep from losing your shirt—literally.

If you know you'll have the opportunity to go for a swim in your destination, plan accordingly and invest in waterproof gear to protect your valuables. I've used Loksak products in the past with much success; I've even inserted my phone into a Loksak waterproof bag while snorkeling. Though there are many options on the market, stick with watertight reliability as opposed to affordability.

Much more important than your possessions: Protect your life. Only swim sober, heed beach safety signs, and only get in the water if others are around.

Arm Yourself

I took a basic self-defense class before going on an overseas solo trip, which made me feel emotionally and physically equipped to take care of myself. Some of our readers have also suggested carrying a defensive "weapon" like an umbrella, a walking stick, or tightly folded newspaper, which is sound advice.

Keep Your Phone Hidden

While there are a great many useful travel apps you can employ for mapping, translation, and general destination overviews, avoid unwanted attention from would-be muggers by keeping your phone out of sight.

Before leaving your accommodations, map out the route to your next destination in your head. If the way is too complicated, write it out on paper. If you prefer a map, circle your destination, fold the map into a small square that fits in one hand, and avoid spreading out the full-sized map before your face (this marks you as a target).

Buy a cheap watch for your trip and use that, instead of a phone, for time-keeping purposes.

Plan Your Evening

There’s no need to curtail your evening plans, but do take certain precautionary measures. Either plan to party near your hotel or cab it to your accommodations at the end of the night. Don't walk down poorly lit streets. Only take drinks from bartenders and keep the cocktail within sight. Keep your full senses about you, and avoid getting drunk.

Learn Important Phrases

While learning to say "where's the restroom?" in the local language will help alleviate your bladder, it won't be effective when you need emergency assistance. Learn phrases like "help," "call the police," and other such potentially life-saving terms. Knowledge is power, and so is assertively getting your message across—even if with an accent.

Phone Home

Call home. Or email. Or Facebook. Or update your travel blog. Whatever method, regularly check in with a loved one back home with your whereabouts and upcoming activities, because, let's face it, whether on the road or at home, incidents happen.

Leave Your Valuables at Home

While losing a passport or wallet can turn a pleasant vacation into a time-consuming and expensive ordeal, those items can be replaced. Your grandmother's engagement ring, however, cannot. Leave at home any item—regardless of what it is—that you'd be devastated to lose.

Know Your Surroundings

It's not uncommon to find cheaper rates for flights that arrive in a destination at, say, 1:00 a.m. While that may be perfectly safe in certain parts of the world, it's not a good idea if late-night transportation isn't readily accessible. Don't assume cabs will be easy to locate at ungodly hours upon arrival at the airport or train depot. Instead, coordinate an airport transfer or look into the destination's late-night public transportation.

Car Rental Secrets We Bet You Don’t Know

 
After a long day of travel to Indianapolis, Adam James, an IT professional from Oxnard, CA, endured all the upgrade pitches and gasoline option explanations at the airport Budget counter before the agent finally handed him his contract, saying, “You can go to the Avis lot to pick u

Surprised, James went to the Avis lot — and sure enough, there was his Budget rental car parked in the exact spot in the Avis lot the agent told him it would be.

Upon returning to the airport a few days later for his return flight, James found the Budget return lanes closed, but saw a sign that said to return the car to Avis. “I pulled in, and an Avis representative came out to meet me, inspected the car, gave me a receipt and said thanks,” he recalls.

James asked if the Budget folks would be okay with this, and was assured they would be — and having picked up the car from Avis, he decided it was okay to return it to Avis, and headed to the terminal to catch his flight.

So what was going on — were the Avis employees giving their car rental counter neighbor Budget employees a bit of help? Did one company do all the inspections for everyone? And since the frequency of post-rental damage and other claims by rental companies is on the rise, is returning a car to someone other than the exact company from which you rented it something travelers need to worry about?

It turns out that these folks who appear to be working together are actually all working for the same company — just using different names, logos, color themes, uniforms and pricing schemes. It’s just one of several car rental secrets you might not know.

Lots of Car Rental Counters — But Only Three Car Rental Companies

While there seems to be a heap of competition along the bank of car rental counters at the airport, in truth most U.S. agencies are owned by one of a few major companies. Here is how it falls out:

– Avis owns Budget, Zipcar and Payless
– Hertz owns Dollar and Thrifty
– Enterprise owns Alamo and National
– Advantage owns E-Z Rent-A-Car

This means that when you walk into the rental car building at the airport and notice that a lot of the companies seem to share the same office spaces behind the counter, and the same pick-up areas, and the same lots, and the same drop-off personnel, now you know why — there’s actually much less competition than there appears to be.

Other Players, Other Options

Despite the near hegemony the big conglomerate agencies enjoy, there are some viable and attractive options for travelers who are willing to do a little research (more on this below) and poking around. Where you find additional rental car companies, you find increased competition, more choice and almost always lower prices. Here are some of the more widely available options.

Ace Rent A Car
– Available at more than 350 locations around the world.
– In 2011, J.D. Power ranked Ace as the top rental car company for customer satisfaction. Unfortunately, it hasn’t maintained its high standing, but the company might still be worth a look if its rates are competitive where you’re going.

Europcar

– Despite the name, not limited to Europe; thousands of locations worldwide including several dozen locations in the U.S.
– Some locations are run on a franchise basis, so the service may vary from one to another.

Fox Rent A Car
– Available at dozens of locations in the U.S., as well as 20+ other countries.
– Buyer beware: customer reviews aren’t always complimentary.

Sixt
– Germany-based agency with 4,000+ locations in more than 100 countries

Additionally, there are local companies in many countries around the world that could also offer competitive rates if you know to look for them. Try searching on the country name and “car rental” to try to find them. A good guidebook will list them too.

One important caveat is that some of these companies may maintain “off-airport” lots, so it could take a little more effort to get to from the airport. That said, the mere presence of these companies near big airports can hold prices down at the other, on-airport rental companies, so you win on price and convenience in one shot.

When a Rental Rate is Not the Rental Rate

When pricing a rental, be sure you understand the “all-in” price, as opposed to the daily rate quote. On a recent car rental in San Francisco, Rick Rosenbladt, a teacher from New Brunswick, NJ, booked a four-day, $32.50-per-day rental, for which the final price came to $329.61 — a price you would have expected to be for nine or 10 days. He purchased a few things you might not have to — the Collision Damage Waiver, Personal Accident Insurance, Roadside Assistance Protection — and then returned the car three-quarters of the way empty before a very early morning flight, which cost him another $50 — but even without those, he still incurred nearly $60 in ancillary fees. To wit:

Concession Recovery Fee: $28.34
Airport Access Fee: $20
Tourism Fee: $3.71
County Business License Tax: $6.38

Then there was another $14.25 in sales tax, bringing the total fees and taxes to $72.68, well over the cost of two days’ actual rental.

Why so many fees? Well, these are exceptionally popular with local legislators, who find they can pass fees on tourists and non-residents without much political fallout. So the next time you watch the Sun Bowl, know that if you’ve ever rented a car in El Paso, you probably paid for those teams to be able to attend.

No. 1 Tactic for Beating the Rental Car Biz

As I have written numerous times in different contexts over the past 15 years, my favorite place to get a great rental car price is Priceline. It posts prices for the majority of rental car companies; a recent Priceline search I did for a rental at SeaTac showed pricing for Payless, Fox, Enterprise, Thrifty, Sixt, Alamo, Budget, Dollar, E-Z Rent-A-Car, National, Hertz, Avis and Firefly, and included information showing that each one was “On Airport,” which allowed true comparison by price without sacrificing convenience. And more importantly, Priceline’s Name Your Own Price option is the best way to get the best price, bar none.

While blind booking on hotels with Priceline can be risky, with a car rental you are not surrendering quality in the least. If the vast majority of prices you will be quoted are for cars from the same handful of companies, in the same buildings and on the same airport lots, there clearly isn’t much difference from one to the next. Rental cars are one travel essential where Gertrude Stein holds sway: a rental car is a rental car is a rental car.

Top 10 Safe Driving Tips

Hitting the road on your next trip? Whether you’re heading to Grandma’s with the kids or driving up the coast of Australia, don’t leave home without our tried and tested driving tips. Read on to learn more about avoiding traffic, saving money and staying safe (and staying awake!) on your next road trip.

1. Before beginning a long drive, always get enough sleep and eat a snack or meal. Highly caffeinated beverages are not necessarily the best way to stay awake while driving. While initially you will feel more alert, the effects can recede with time, and your attention may wander although you remain awake.

2. Pull over and take breaks every couple of hours, even if you don’t feel sleepy. Grab a snack, get some fresh air and stretch your legs by walking around. If you need to, take a quick nap.

3. If you can, share the driving responsibilities with someone else. This will allow you to keep an eye on each other while driving and also enable you to nap without losing time. If you’re driving alone, turn on the radio or put on some music, and keep your window cracked open. You may want to refrain from using your cruise control if you’re driving alone at night — having to concentrate on maintaining your speed can help you stay awake.

4. If you do have to pull over, move your vehicle off the road. Never park on the shoulder or in the breakdown lane for any reason except an emergency.

5. Know the laws along your route concerning cell phone use while driving. While it may be legal in one place, it may be illegal in another, and ignorance is not typically an acceptable excuse for a violation. Here’s a handy chart of cell phone laws by country and U.S. state (keep in mind that this information can change at any time). However, even if it’s legal to talk on a cell phone where you’re going, it’s usually safest to use a hands-free device.

6. If you don’t know this one, shame on you. Never drink any alcohol before your trip. While you may not become intoxicated from one beer, you will become sleepy.

7. Keep an eye on the skies, and if you can, plan a route around inclement weather. A minor detour could actually wind up saving you major time.

8. Use a smartphone app such as Waze or Google Maps to guide you around traffic jams.

9. Not even a GPS app is infallible, especially in remote areas, so we recommend bringing a detailed map or road atlas as a backup just in case.

10. If you are driving a rental vehicle, familiarize yourself with the car and all of its equipment (horn, brakes, hazard lights). For an amusing but true look at this issue, see The First 10 Minutes of Your Car Rental.

11. Lock all of your valuables (especially items that are clearly gifts) in the trunk or glove compartment and stow all luggage in the trunk. For more ideas, see Nine Ways to Keep Your Car Safe on the Road.

12. Familiarize yourself with local traffic laws, which vary from state to state and especially overseas. Is it legal to make a right turn at a red light? What are the rules on yielding to pedestrians? For more on driving abroad, see International Car Rental Tips.

13. Before setting off on a long car trip, be sure your vehicle is in prime condition — that tires are properly inflated, all fluids are at their proper levels and you have a full tank of gas. (For particularly long road trips, you may want to have your mechanic do a more thorough check.)

14. Consider becoming a member of AAA or CAA, or signing up for your car insurer’s roadside assistance program. You won’t regret it when your car breaks down on a lonely back road.

15. Keep costs down by conserving gas as you drive. Minimize sudden starts and stops, empty your car of all unnecessary weight, and slow down — in most cars it takes much less fuel to drive 55 miles an hour than it does to drive 70. For more ideas, see Save Gas and Money on Your Next Trip.

16. Don’t wait until your gas gauge is sitting on E to refuel. On an unfamiliar road, you never know when the next gas station will appear. As soon as you hit a quarter of a tank, start looking for a place to fill up. (Smartphone apps such as GasBuddy and Gas Guru can help.)

17. When traveling with kids, be sure to stop often — not just for snacks and potty breaks, but also for fun. See a cool playground along the way? Pull over and throw a Frisbee around. You’ll also want to pack toys, books and music for the car — not to mention your motion sickness remedy of choice. For more ideas, see the car travel section of our sister site, Family Vacation Critic.

18. Feeling munchy? Stock up on snacks and drinks at grocery stores rather than gas stations or convenience stores — you’ll get a wider and healthier selection, as well as better prices. For more advice, see Eating Well and Staying Active While Traveling.

19. On longer trips, keep napkins, plasticware and a small cooler handy for meals on the go. You’ll also want some spare change for tolls, as well as a first-aid kit, flashlight, pillow and blanket. Keep a set of jumper cables, a spare tire or donut, and extra fluids for the car (such as windshield wiper fluid) in your trunk.

20. This last tip should go without saying, but it’s important enough that we’ll say it anyway: Make sure everyone in the car buckles his or her seatbelt. Not only will it keep you safe, but in most places it’s also the law.