Personal Protection and Traveling Alone

Traveling alone makes people vulnerable and open for danger.  There are many things that you can do for personal protection to ensure your safety.
When you are traveling alone and you know you will be alone it is very important to plan your trip in advance.  Know where you are going to be, learn the map, determine your transportation and more.  If you get a rental car the best thing you can do is get the GPS system.  The last thing you want to happen is to get lost from your hotel on a bad side of town.  A GPS allows you not to have to stop to ask strangers that you don’t know for directions.  Also, you should find out if the place you are traveling to is a safe destination for women to go to, especially if you are headed out of the country.
When you are traveling alone it may be tempting to get a cheap hotel so you can save money.  One thing to consider is that the majority of the criminals are not going to target people in the larger and safer hotels.  This is because the larger hotels have a valet service, security guards, security cameras, and provide a safe place to stay.  The cheaper places may have the door to your room on the outside of the hotel, no security, and may not even have a well lit parking lot.  Also, when you choose your hotel make sure it is near attractions and the location you need to go to.  This way you won’t have to travel as far and you will minimize the chances of getting lost.
If you are traveling to another country it is important to learn the language a little bit so you do not have too big of a communication gap.  When you are alone in another country and something happens to you it will be impossible to find help if you cannot speak the language. Practice before you plan your vacation.
Another very important thing you need to do when you are traveling out of the states by yourself is find out where the US embassy is located.  If you are robbed, attacked, raped, kidnapped, or anything else this is where you need to go.  They will protect you and get you back to the states and home to your family.
You might consider personal devices for protection and self defense when you travel out of the country.  Always find out what the laws are before you board a plane.  You don’t want to end up in a foreign jail because you didn’t do the proper research.  Take care of yourself and plan ahead so you can have a safe vacation.
When you are traveling out of the country there are many things you need to consider so you are as safe as possible.  The best thing you can do is plenty of research on the crime and the city you are going to.  Find a big and safe hotel and don’t be too cheap.  Paying for safety is the best thing you can do in another country.  Also, find the US embassy and be clear about how to get to it.