Episode 61: Top 5 Safety Tips for Avoiding Disasters when Traveling Solo with Angie Orth

Angie Orth:

When you're on vacation, choosing where to stay, what to do, and what restaurants to try are consensus decisions, but not when you're traveling solo. When it's just you, the world is your oyster. So go ahead and pair that oyster with a bubbly glass of Prosecco and congratulate yourself for taking the plunge into the world of solo travel. But before takeoff, it's important to make sure you're traveling with personal safety in mind, so today, I'm sharing my top 5 tips for avoiding disasters when traveling solo.

When it comes to disasters, trust me, I've seen them all. From being pickpocketed in Athens to navigating unpredictable tropical storms in Fiji to avoiding flooding in Australia and political unrest in Egypt. My recently published book, Flirting with Disaster, will take you on a world tour of my travel mishaps and misfortunes. What I've learned from it all is how important it is to be prepared for the possibilities. When you're resourced with knowledge from people who have been there and done that, you're more likely to get through any potential issues unscathed. You'll also come out the other side with a little more worldly wisdom to show for it. So, let's talk solo travel safety tips.

Tip number 1, get travel insurance and evacuation insurance. One medical emergency abroad could cost you thousands and possibly leave you stranded in a country where you don't speak the language or have the skills to get help. When I got into a surprisingly violent one-woman bicycle accident in Bali, I smashed my new camera into the ground along with myself. Travel insurance covered it all, and I didn't have to buy a new one out of pocket, and that was an easy fix. Imagine getting into a serious bus accident or a car crash abroad. It's more common than you might think. A friend of mine slipped and broke his back in the middle of the jungle. If not for travel insurance, it could have set him back $100,000 to get home for worst-case scenarios like this. Emergency medical travel insurance like that provided by Allianz give peace of mind that should the worst happen, you've got someone who can help get you safely to treatment. No matter how young or healthy you are, travel insurance and a medical evacuation membership is a must-pack for any trip.

Tip number 2, join a tour to get your solo traveling feet wet. It's a great way to meet people and it's refreshing to mix up your alone time with a few group activities, but it's important to make sure your tour operator has been vetted. Read reviews, ask fellow travelers, and scroll message boards to get an idea of what to expect from tour providers. And note that just because a particular tour operator has great reviews in Morocco, that might be different for their tours in Japan. A little research goes a long way.

Tip number 3, when heading to a new destination plan to arrive during the daytime. I landed in Bangkok once at 3 a.m. and it was more stressful than it needed to be. I feel so much safer navigating luggage on unfamiliar streets in the daylight. If you arrive early enough, take a walking tour or hop on, hop off bus tour to get the lay of the land, and don't hesitate to ask a concierge or taxi driver what places are best avoided by tourists.

Tip number 4, do an online safety check to research where you're going. Check recent news in the area and look up any State Department warnings before you travel. This is another good reason to have travel insurance, so you can change your plans without penalty if safety concerns, like terrorism or unrest, arise. Be sure to Google “destination plus scams” to find out common issues you might encounter where you're going. I could have avoided those pesky pickpockets in Athens had I only known it was an issue that many travelers had faced.

Tip number 5, safety is always worth the splurge. Make sure you've got enough cushion in the bank to listen to your intuition without worrying over how much it'll cost you to get yourself out of a precarious situation. If something feels off at your vacation rental or you have that gut feeling that something is not right with your tour guide or taxi driver, don't worry about being polite. Our internal warning systems are pretty good at throwing out red flags, we just have to watch for them.

With the right amount of preparation, you'll feel confident and you're sure to enjoy your solo travel experiences even more. Thank you for joining us.

If you're planning a trip, be sure to connect with a AAA Travel Advisor, check out AAA.com/travel, or visit your local branch.

This podcast is a production of Auto Club Enterprises. If you enjoyed it, please subscribe and leave us a review. I'm Angie Orth, thank you for traveling with AAA.