Modern women traveling alone should pay extra attention to safety, as even a slight oversight could lead to being scammed or robbed while traveling — at best resulting in financial loss, at worst jeopardizing personal safety. The Lifestyle Channel of China News Service has specially compiled ten essential safety tips for female travelers to help adventurers journey safely and enjoy their trips.
1. Thoroughly research your destination in advance and share your travel plans with family or friends
Before your trip, gather information and learn more about the safety of your destination, as well as common scams locals use to target tourists. Knowing both sides can help reduce the chances of unexpected incidents.
To be responsible to your loved ones and to protect yourself, it’s best to share your finalized itinerary with family (or friends) before going on a long trip. This should include the most likely places where you can be contacted in each location. Even if you don’t book any hotels and plan to travel like a backpacker, choose a few definite spots you’ll pass through, or even leave your family with the contact details of national tourist information centers to make it easier for them to reach you.
If you’re traveling abroad, you can also report your personal details and itinerary to your government's foreign affairs department — that is, let your country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs know which places their “citizen” will be visiting. They have a responsibility to safeguard your safety and provide assistance when necessary. Therefore, it’s best to carry contact information for embassies or consulates at your destinations, and share these details with your family as well.
2. Dress simply and naturally, and avoid carrying valuables
Try to dress according to local customs. Traveling isn’t a beauty pageant — avoid dressing too flashy or showing off wealth, as this may attract unwanted attention. After taking photos at a site, immediately put your camera back in your bag. When using public transportation, wear your backpack backwards.
Avoid carrying valuables when traveling — they are easily lost or stolen, and can draw unwanted attention from criminals. Keep important items in the in-room safe whenever possible. If your hotel doesn’t provide one, there’s usually one behind the front desk. But be aware that not all safes are truly secure. Small in-room safes can often be carried away by one person, so they generally offer limited protection. In areas with poor security, if your hotel doesn’t have a safe, it’s best to keep valuables on your person when leaving your room.
3. Choose safe accommodation; avoid being unprotected or unaware of emergency exits
When choosing accommodations, don’t go for the cheapest option, rent unfamiliar private homes, or stay on low floors.
Don’t be careless upon check-in. Many hotel room doors have latching mechanisms, but they may not be strong enough. Even if the door is closed, it might not be properly locked. If you don’t pull it shut again when leaving, it won’t lock, creating an opportunity for thieves.
If you know the door isn’t secure, you can buy a travel safety lock online in advance. Alternatively, placing a cup or bottle on the doorknob can help — if someone tries to turn it, the object will fall and scare them off. You can also leave a light on and the TV running when leaving the room to give the impression that someone is inside. For keycard-powered rooms, you can use another card to keep the power on after removing your keycard.
Additionally, the first thing you should do upon entering a hotel room is to check the map on the back of the door to locate the fire escape. Most hotels are equipped with this. If you’re staying at a small inn without a map, take the time to locate it yourself so you know where to go in case of an emergency.
4. Keep your voice low and avoid sharing personal information
While traveling, try not to shout someone’s name in the hotel lobby and then ask which room they’re in. This is also why tour groups often ask members to wait in the bus while the guide collects room keys and distributes them.
Don’t let outsiders know who is staying in which room. When a thief dresses nicely and pretends to rush to the front desk, claiming they forgot their key, many hotels will believe them and open the door.
Don’t easily reveal your personal information when traveling. Don’t write your name, address, or phone number in large letters on your luggage — criminals might jot it down and scam you at home. For example, after you’ve boarded your flight and can’t use your phone, they might call your family pretending to be frantic, saying you were in a car accident on the way to the airport and urgently need money.
Because many suitcases look alike, mark yours clearly to avoid mix-ups. For example, attach a sticker or tie something noticeable to the handle.
5. Be cautious when choosing friends and call for help in emergencies
When meeting strangers, even if you hit it off and tell them which hotel you’re staying at, never reveal your room number. Don’t think it’s a pity to turn down a handsome stranger’s chat — he might just be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Otherwise, what would you do if you’re in your room, hear a knock, ask who it is, and it turns out to be that person you just met? Would you open the door or not? When hotel staff asks if it’s your friend for security reasons, would you say yes or no? Remember, many sexual assaults begin with someone you barely know knocking on your door.
Also, never drink beverages offered by strangers, or easily accept invitations even if the other person seems kind — even if they’re women. In dangerous situations, calling for help or whistling can make criminals feel uneasy. If you face harassment in an elevator, use the red emergency button. “Escape quickly, note features, and call the police immediately” is the best self-protection strategy.
6. Avoid looking at maps on the street — it may attract robbers
If you’re traveling to an unfamiliar place, make sure to prepare a detailed map and figure out the routes you plan to take before going out. Standing on the street, looking around, and pulling out a map to study street names clearly signals to criminals that you’re an easy target. Instead, study the geography in your hotel, a private space, or while sitting securely on the subway before heading out.
Generally, tourists are the most likely to be pickpocketed, robbed, or scammed. Since you’re only there for a short time, they know you’re unlikely to chase them down, and even if you report the crime, you probably won’t stick around for court proceedings. Plus, language barriers and unfamiliarity with the area mean no one will understand you if you shout for help. If they run into alleys or side streets, you won’t stand a chance of catching them.
7. Avoid entering dark alleys — your personal safety may be at risk
While traveling, if you accidentally wander into a dark alley, leave immediately. Even if you’re robbed, don’t chase the thief into “black streets” or “dark alleys.” Those are criminal territories, and entering them increases your danger.
Keep in mind that not all robbers act impulsively. When you’re wandering around a tourist attraction looking around, you may already have become their target. Tourist spots are crowded, making it harder for them to strike, so they may follow you to see where you’re headed. If you then head into quiet back alleys or enter dark subway corridors or stairwells, you’re giving criminals an opportunity.
So, the moment you leave a tourist spot, continue moving toward busier areas. If criminals follow you for a while without finding a chance to strike, they’ll eventually give up.
8. Avoid Flashing Wealth – Keep Your Money Hidden
Avoid anything that might make you look like an easy target. For example, wearing flashy clothes, having several cameras hanging around your neck, or carrying a map in your hand. Or going specifically to luxury brand stores while carrying multiple designer shopping bags. Even when you take out money to buy a ticket—how you look at the money, count it, or handle unfamiliar currency can clearly reveal your background.
To avoid showing off your wealth, it’s best to carry as little cash as possible, or even not bring a wallet at all. Also, separate medium and small denomination bills into different pockets so that when you buy small items, you don’t accidentally flash large bills.
If you’re in a place with very poor security, you can even hide some money in your socks in case you get robbed and need funds to get back home.
9. When Robbed, Don’t Be Stubborn or Confrontational
Remember the saying, “A wise man (or woman) knows when not to fight.” Better to lose a battle than the war. As long as the situation isn’t in your favor, it’s better to part with your money—or even endure humiliation—than risk your life. Being tough might work in familiar surroundings, but not in a foreign land, especially in places with weak rule of law or unstable security.
So whether you’re male or female, if you’re caught alone by robbers with no help in sight, just hand over the money. You can even open your wallet or purse and let the thief see everything, then give them all the cash while asking them to let you keep essential documents. Even then, don’t show any contemptuous expression—like saying, “You want money? Here, take it!” Because robbers may be criminals, but they still have pride, or even an inferiority-driven arrogance. They’re more sensitive and easily provoked.
10. Stay Alert and Avoid Aimless Wandering
While traveling, avoid wandering aimlessly without purpose. If you stay alert and aware at all times, criminals will find it harder to target you and may look for easier prey.
Walking briskly is a good way to avoid being targeted, as it signals that you know where you’re going, like a local. It also shows you’re energetic and likely to resist, making you a less appealing target. Plus, walking quickly makes it harder for people trying to sell you things or perform for you to catch up.
When walking on quiet streets at night, avoid staying too close to buildings along the street, in case someone tries to pull you inside. If you notice someone hostile approaching, walk toward the road or cross the street (but stay safe) to attract the attention of passing vehicles. If necessary, you can even try to flag down a car for help.
Avoid giving money to beggars randomly during your trip, because once you give money to one, you might instantly be surrounded by a group of them and unable to escape.