Featured image: This month’s solo travel tips include packing tips and clever ways to save money | Photo by shiwork on Envato

Expert Advice from Our Community: Safety, Packing, and Practical Tips

Curated from our Facebook Group and Email Tips 

This month, we’re highlighting reader tips centred on safety, light packing, and practical travel strategies—ideal for avoiding those costly checked bag fees. Gathered from incoming emails and our private Solo Travel Wisdom Facebook group, we’re thrilled to present these firsthand solo travel tips. These recommendations aim to help you travel securely and efficiently. Have your own solo travel tip? We’d love to hear from you! (You can do that here!)

Tip: You can download these tips as a PDF or print them using the icons above!

Safety and solo travel tips

1. My travel tip is to always let people know where I am. When you make it through safely, you’ll be grateful that at least a few people were aware and waiting to hear that you made it safely. — Amy A.

2. Save the address of where you are staying in Google Maps. That way you’ll always know where you are in relation to your accommodation. Makes it easy to figure out how to get home! — Martha T.

3. When you get to your hotel, pick up some brochures and book the tours that you want to go on. Also, hotel concierge can be your best friend. — Susan K.

4. One can learn pickpocketing and scammer ploys. In Budapest, you have the lady with what looks like a baby hanging around churches begging. Often they only have a bundle of rags. I avoid all beggars and watch for kiddy groups in Bratislava. The women begging and children are common. — Nancy H.

5. If you blend in, you’re unlikely to attract much attention from pickpockets. Someone once advised me to get a bag from a local store and carry your camera in it! — Paula L.

6. For first-time solo travellers, ‘practice travel’ close to home. Eat alone in a restaurant or cafe. Take public transit to an unfamiliar neighbourhood. Use your GPS or a map to find your way around. Spend a weekend in a hotel or hostel close to home. Be a tourist first in your own community. — Jackie H.

7. Better to leave expectations at home and be open to how things are one day at a time. There is so much to learn about a new place and culture. Be excited about what you will learn. — Mary A.

8. It’s important to stay safe while you’re traveling. This means being aware of your surroundings, avoiding walking alone at night, and not flashing your valuables. — Karen N.

9. Don’t be afraid to ask for help: If you’re ever feeling lost or overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are many people who are willing to help solo travelers, and there are many resources available to you. — Maura G.

10. I try to find local opportunities. So I go to a local church. In London, that might be Evensong at Westminster Abbey or St Paul’s. It could be the historic St. Bride’s Church, or the local little village church. There will almost always be exquisite music and a chance to quietly contemplate these beautiful places without crowds of tourists. Many places have Seniors centres where, as a senior you can meet local people, maybe volunteer for a few hours, and even have a healthy and inexpensive meal. — Noreen L.

11. If I need books I visit a thrift shop. I’ve found something to read in most places I’ve visited, even if English is not the primary language. I once found an exquisite silk scarf in a village thrift shop. — Noreen L.

12. I like to use Google Maps to find cafes, restaurants and attractions close to where I’m staying before I leave home. I love the street view to explore a little around my accommodation ready for that first jet-lagged arrival day. It’s handy to know where the nearest grocery store is to buy breakfast provisions. Or perhaps a lovely cafe for lunch. I know I won’t be thinking clearly with little sleep so I prepare ahead. — Virginia M.

13. I research average weather conditions to help choose the best times to travel to a location and look at the safety rating for locations on the US Federal travel website. — Luann D.

Packing Tips

14. Roll Dri weave clothes into IKEA ziplock bags (allergic to wool)- shocking how little space they take! — Tracy T.

15. I carry a large Turkish towel (well used, washed often, very soft and absorbent) with me on every trip… as a towel, beach coverup, shawl, pillow on planes and buses, even to cover a carpet for my yoga stretches. Dries very quickly and takes up very little room. One of the top five things on my packing list, especially as I much prefer cotton vs synthetic against my skin. — Lois P.

16. I only pack for one week, whether I am travelling for 7 days or 60. — Lois P.

17. I pack everything in neutrals/colourfast so it can all be washed together. — Lauren H.

18. Take a sheet of pre-addressed labels for sending postcards (something I still do!). — Petra C.

19. Interfold linen… I pack and wear it in hot climates. — Carla D.

20. Copies of the front page of my passport in my suitcase and in my daybag… PLUS on my device. — Tanya K.

21. Take half the amount of clothes you think you need and twice the amount of money you think you need. — Trang T.

22. Make a list and check it twice. Also, pack in cubes. And if you don’t want things too wrinkled then lay it flat. I also have an order that I begin the process with…starting with my carry-on, biz stuff, money, essentials…..then the clothes, shoes and toiletries…and of course, the yoga mat (last but never least). — Heather M.

23. Pack a small portable power bank and essential charging cables. This simple item can be a lifesaver when your phone or other devices run low on battery while you’re out exploring, especially if you’re using your phone for navigation, taking photos, or accessing important travel information. It ensures you stay connected and don’t miss capturing memorable moments during your trip. — Debbie D

24. Does anyone else have lower back pain? Ever since I discovered the Sunbeam USB Heating Pad from Amazon, I never leave home without it. It has a USB connector ensuring that you can use it absolutely everywhere, even on the plane. You can also use the pocket to use it with a power bank if you need it while walking around. Use it with a cigarette lighter USB converter even with rental cars without media ports. This thing has been such a game-changer for me! — Stephanie D.

25. Get a case for your phone that also charges the battery. It’ll be a lifesaver and less things to worry about carrying. — Jane C.

26. Always have a plastic shopping bag or small trash bag in whatever bag you are carrying while out for the day. If it rains and your bag starts getting wet, repack stuff into the plastic one so only your bag and not the contents get wet. If you find yourself wanting to sit on the grass, use it as a seat. Use it to wrap opened food that might spill (looking at you, bag of M&Ms that went all over!). Come across wild raspberries while walking to the supermarket in Helsinki? Gather them and put them in the bag. (Yes, this happened to me, and raspberries were on my shopping list.) Find a giant pile of gold coins, but they are wet and muddy? Load up your bag. Sadly I’ve never experienced this. Yet. — Stacy K.

27. At times, it can be difficult to locate a trusted clean water source, so I purchased a Grayl® 16.9 oz. ULTRAPRESS® purifier bottle for my trip to Turkey and never had to worry about it again. It has a built-in filter good for 300 uses and removes viruses, chemicals and metals. It allows you to take water from any source including hotel taps and even a river and turn it into clean drinking water. It is part of my packing list now. — Donna R.

Solo travel planning tips

28. I’m almost 66 and stay in hostels all the time. The lounge/kitchen area in most hostels is a great place to meet people. — Lauri T. (Find a hostel here!)

29. Do your research: Before you go, it’s important to do your research and learn as much as you can about the places you’ll be visiting. This includes things like the culture, the currency, and the local customs. — Fetchin G.

30. I recently stayed at the Hotel Germain in Quebec City. The concierge was so helpful! He organized a trip in a hot air balloon and a sailing adventure on the St. Lawrence for me.

More Travel Tips From JourneyWoman Readers