Travel Tip Tuesdays: Safety Tips for Travel Abroad

Do you think you could give me some traveling tips, especially on being safe in Europe/abroad?

A friend asked this question last week, and as I was writing my answer to her, I realized that this would be a good blog for anyone who’s thinking of going to Europe. I’ve written about women’s safety and safety in hostels, but here’s the intercontinental version. 

Let me put in a disclaimer that I am very inexperienced when it comes to international travel, so I am by no means an authority. However, I did spend six weeks in Europe solo, and before I even set out, I gleaned a lot of good advice from my friends who have traveled worldwide, everywhere from China to Jordan to Peru. 

That said, here are some tips that were most helpful to me when traveling abroad:

Pictured: appearance of absolute confidence, and German disguise.
(I think it was the hat that cancelled out my American-ness.)

Do your homework before you leave. I felt a bit unprepared going to Europe: study up on Eurail passes, learn that free toilets are not a “thing,” figure out which cities are worth the trip and which are just big tourist traps. Rick Steve’s Europe Through the Back Door was massively useful to me, and there are several other guidebooks to help out as well. If you’re a woman traveling solo, I suggest a delightful (and helpful) book by Beth Whitman called Wanderlust and Lipstick.

Pack light. Fit everything into one backpack. This gives you so much more freedom and mobility, and keeps you from worrying about your luggage stowed at the back of the train. This is a big part of safety: keep your luggage with you, and you won’t have to worry so much.

Look like a local. When you don’t have a giant “I AM AMERICAN” sign hovering around you, you’ll be a lot safer from pickpockets. In Europe, blending in is easier than you think. Even though I wore a huge backpack, walked around in tennis shoes, and had a camera bulging in my pocket, people often approached me speaking in their native language. (I can’t tell you how many social activists in Salzburg tried to get me to sign their petitions until I stuttered out that I didn’t speak German!) Learn the basic dress code (for instance, no shorts, no loud t-shirts), and you’ll blend in a lot better. 

Always seem absolutely confident. Don’t unfold your massive tourist map and look at it confused (that’s how I got guilted into giving a homeless man a euro in Amsterdam). Don’t look around nervously. If someone on the street approaches asking if they can help you, try to gauge their motives. If you’re unsure, babble something in gibberish or simply say “No,” firmly, and walk away. Always walk and carry yourself as if you know exactly where you’re going. 

Practice the same safety you practice at home. I joked (but it was true) that the most dangerous place I visited on my trip was the Greyhound station in St. Louis. There are no special safety rules for traveling in Europe. Keep your wallet close (preferably in a money belt). Don’t walk down deserted alleys at night (well, I am guilty of this one). Don’t make yourself vulnerable, and watch out for pickpockets, which will be a much greater problem than any other kind of crime.

I'm naturally really good at the "a little
 stupid, but strangely endearing" thing.

Be respectful and endearing. People are much likelier to go out of their way to help you if you seem to respect their culture— it makes your ignorance of their language and customs endearing rather than annoying. Whenever I made an (awful) attempt to speak to someone in their native language (“Deutschland ist schön,” I’d say in my terrible American accent), they almost always responded warmly. You’d be shocked at how many Americans never even try to reach out to the people around them.

Follow your intuition. I say this a lot, but it’s because I believe so strongly in it. Your body often knows what’s going on before your mind does. If you have a bad feeling about walking down a perfectly innocent-looking street, don’t walk down the street. If a kindly-looking woman gives you an uneasy vibe, then stay away from her. Never chide yourself for being paranoid. Take calculated risks— after all, that is what travel is all about— but listen to those internal alarm bells. 

In short, be smart, be confident, and listen to that intuition. With just a bit of preparation, you’ll be able to relax and focus on having a great time!

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