A daunting aspect of solo travel for many people is the fact that the responsibility of the trip will all lie with them, and that also applies when it comes to looking after themselves and their own solo travel safety. The vast majority of all international trips pass off without a hitch, but by planning ahead and taking some safety precautions before departing on the journey it is often possible to significantly reduce the risk of becoming a victim of crime or an accident while abroad.

1. Planning Your Trip

Using a good measure of common sense when planning a trip is certainly one of the best pieces of advice that can be offered, and this is certainly the case when it comes to choosing your destination. Solo travelers can often be seen as easy targets by criminals, so try and avoid going to areas where there are problems with robbery and theft, and be sure to take a money belt or another way to keep your valuables safe. It is also worth researching what part of the city your accommodation will be in, and trying to make sure that your hotel or hostel is not in an area where attacks on tourists are particularly prevalent.

2. Securing Your Baggage

Making sure that you will be able to keep your baggage safe while you are traveling is another precaution worth taking, and there are several ways in which you can do this. One facility that many hotels and hostels will offer is a secure locker in which you can place your baggage, and taking a good solid padlock with you while you travel can certainly help to keep your baggage safe while you are out and about. There are also several wire mesh locks which can be used to cover a rucksack and then secured, and these can be used while you are in transit, or when you need to place a rucksack into a locker or storage area on a bus or train.

3. Travel Insurance

This is one area which is vital for anyone who is traveling abroad, as having to pay for medical costs or the cost of emergency flights back to your home country can be huge if you do not have an insurance policy in place. If you are planning to enjoy any extreme sports or dangerous activities while you are away, make sure that these are also covered by your travel insurance policy. It is easy to view travel insurance as something that you don't need and an unwanted expense, but the reality is that it could be the difference between getting home safely and struggling to pay the bills after an accident if the worst happens.

4. Know Where to go for Help

Should you encounter any problems while you are away, it is useful to have previously researched where you can go to seek help in such situations. Having a knowledge of where to find help and where to find useful support including tourist agencies, embassies and local law enforcement can be very useful if you find that something does go wrong while you are away.

5. Make a Copy of Your Passport

There are many places in the world where visitors will be asked to show their passports as they go about their visit, but carrying an important document such as your passport around with you is a security risk. One good way to work around this particular problem is to make a color photocopy of your passport before you travel, and carry that with you, while leaving your real passport in the hotel safe or secured within your luggage in the hotel room.