Traveling alone can be an inspiring and life changing experience, but it can also be a little more complicated without a buddy and in the worst cases it can even be dangerous. Here are some tips to make it the best time possible when you’re going it alone.

Plan Your Routes Ahead of Time

It’s fun to wander around and explore new places but for the most part you should make solid plans about where you are going to be at a given time so that you can let someone know about your whereabouts. If someone isn’t expecting to hear from you and something happened then they certainly wouldn’t know about it for quite some time. If on the other hand people are expecting to hear from you once you reach a destination they could try to alert someone if for some reason you needed help. If you can’t reach your friends and family at home you could also let someone at your hotel known about your whereabouts.

Be Careful at Night

It sounds obvious to be more aware of your whereabouts at night but it is truly important when you are alone. In addition to not spending a lot of time walking around alone, you should also avoid getting overly intoxicated which could impair your judgement in an unfamiliar town.

Carry a Fake Wallet

One way to be prepared for a potential thief situation is to carry a dummy wallet on you that has some cards and other things it. This is a good way to prepare for a situation where someone is trying to rob you. You can hand over the dummy wallet which will appear like they are getting someone good and then they will leave you alone without taking any of your real things. Just make sure to keep them concealed and close to your body.

Try to Blend In

It’s not always possible to blend in completely depending on where you are traveling to, but it’s always a good idea to do so as much as possible. You don’t want to present yourself as a tourist because it just calls attention to you in a way that can garner negative attention.

Always Trust Your Instincts

When all you have are your instincts to go by you should absolutely be trusting them. Most of us like to think the best of people and when we have an interesting person chatting us up we might be tempted to give them more information about things like where we’re staying or whether we’re traveling alone or whatnot. Even though most people are probably good you’re mostly better off not giving away any personal details, just in case. The problem is that criminals are pretty good at manipulating people so you don’t want to take the chance of being wrong.

Enjoy the Experience

No matter what you do when you’re traveling alone you should always be enjoying the experience! The freedom you have when doing so will give you a very different trip than if you were with another person.