 
Support Wrong Planet Awareness!
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
zee
human wannabe
Joined: Jul 19, 2007
Age: 27
Posts: 1098
Location: backstage
|
 Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 3:40 pm Post subject: Solo women - Travellers |
 |
|
Hey all 
I've decided to go backpacking in Europe this summer, staying at hostels and so on. I'm wondering if anyone has some useful tips to share, especially about saftey and meeting people on the road. I'm going by myself, and my mom thinks it's a bad idea, that it's not safe.
Can anyone advise me? I really want to go alone, I think it will be more of an adventure, and I would get annoyed being stuck with the same person day and night. Thanks,
Zee
_________________
Oh how I wish for soothing rain
Oh how I wish to dream again |
|
| Back to top |
|
LeKiwi
Phoenix
Joined: Nov 27, 2007
Posts: 2219
Location: The murky waters of my mind...
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 4:01 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Ooh I've done that (I was only just 19 too!).
Book hostels well in advance so you don't end up 'homeless' for the night. Take a credit card, even if you don't intend to use it, just for backup. Read up on places before you go too, so you have an idea of the sites to see and all that stuff.
Just be wary of people... most backpackers are fine; you'll meet some truly amazing people in hostels and they'll give you travel tips and be able to point out places they've been that were great. I met some brilliant people on my travels, and you'll also find that you all look out for one another. There are a few creeps but it's usually quite obvious who they are.
Example:
The guy who, in a shared room full of chatty happy people, would storm in, not talk (unusual), lie on his bed, huff and puff, smelt of booze, then storm out again at all hours. Weird.
Example:
The older guy (like 50s) who, in the spa bath on the roof (yes how cool is that:D) would keep trying to just about SIT on you... thankfully there was also a lovely Australian guy who would put himself between scary man and me so he couldn't come near me. Said Aussie also had some great pointers on places to go around the city this was in too.
So yeah. There's a strange comeraderie between backpackers a lot of the time; you're all in the same boat (young adventurers out exploring the globe) and obviously all motivated and strong and interesting and interested, so you'll normally find them all quite chatty and happy and interesting.
Backpacking is amazing. Just keep yourself safe, make sure people know where you are and when to expect you back (even if it's just people at the hostel reception) and leave your number with them, keep your phone on you at all times, lock up your backpack in a locker at the hostel you're at, don't take anything too precious...
Also, dress like a local in lots of places. For example, in places like Italy and Spain I found the local women would dress up to go into town. If you take a nice outfit to wear in town you're not as likely to be targeted by pickpockets as you would in jeans and a scrappy t-shirt and trainers. Also, be wary of pickpockets full stop! It can also pay to keep a little extra on you as 'mugger money' in case you are set upon and they want money... usually if you have something to give them you'll be ok. Hasn't happened to me but I was warned repeatedly about it!!
And use travellers cheques as much as you can.
And have fun!
Seriously, it's the best thing I ever did.
_________________
We are a fever, we are a fever, we ain't born typical...
New Blog: http://onelittleaspergian.blogspot.com/ |
|
| Back to top |
|
zee
human wannabe
Joined: Jul 19, 2007
Age: 27
Posts: 1098
Location: backstage
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 4:34 pm Post subject: |
|
|
LeKiwi,
Thank you so much, I've learned a lot from your post! 
How far in advance should you book hostels? Have you ever ended up 'homeless' for a night?
Yes, some weirdos are easy to spot! Have you ever had someone stalk you when you were hiking? That's what I'm most worried about.
The mugger money is a good idea, I've never heard of that before, but it makes sense. I'm definately buying a money belt, and keeping money in different areas. I've thought about travellers cheques, but are they widely accepted? For instance, if you are going to a cafe or supermarket or something?
I'm thinking of going to France, in the Jura mountains, have you been there?
_________________
Oh how I wish for soothing rain
Oh how I wish to dream again |
|
| Back to top |
|
ouinon
chemical reaction
Joined: Jul 11, 2007
Posts: 2944
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 4:44 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I was 26. First 3 weeks with a friend, with hindsight realised was bad idea ,( because i behaved with less caution and clarity), and oddly enough got more hassle when with another female than as lone woman, more or less!, then the other 3+ months alone, but was getting destabilised by then.
Don't eat dairy, soft cheeses especially, in central turkey. Don't drink wine on a carpet-shop tour. Don't bleach your hair blond before going. Don't get locked into bars with a group of guys however friendly they seem. Don't sleep on beaches without mosquito protection. Don't wear sleeveless dresses/t-shirts or floaty skirts in Greece and Turkey. Hitching alone in France, Spain, and Germany was actually ok, tho by then had cut my hair very short with nail scissors so .. . Trains are the best; get a EuroCard/ticket. Campsites around towns tend to be noisy. Take a universal plug for washbasins in hotels!
Good luck, have fun, take care!
Homeless for night, yes, hence beach, but stations can be ok, or under bridges, at motorway service stations, behind hedges, in woods. Take a large resistant waterproof cape/sheet ( aswell as some sort of sleeping-bag, pref micro one) for rolling up in and rainstorms.
Travellers cheques not much good except in banks and bigger hotels. Best to buy some currency for various countries before go. Also if is already partially sep up into diff ones less likely to spend it all at once! 
_________________
"Life is pain; anyone who says different is selling something"
Last edited by ouinon on Tue Jan 15, 2008 4:45 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
livinglearning
Tufted Titmouse
Joined: Dec 30, 2007
Posts: 39
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:04 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Hey Zee, I don't think I have much to add, LeKiwi has covered so much!! All I have to say is that I've also travelled alone (actually, I travel a lot and mostly alone) and it's the best way to do it! You meet so many people that way, and like LeKiwi said, you don't get tired of hanging out with the same people. I don't know about you, but that's a huge issue for me. I've travelled with friends and felt that our friendship wasn't the same afterwards, because I'm very independent and can't stand clingy people. When I stay in hostels I always meet people to do things with, but once I get tired of them I don't feel like I owe anything to them. But one time I was travelling with someone I knew and I was so miserable I had to leave her behind! Most people don't believe me when I tell them that.
Tell your mom not to worry. Actually, I felt safer alone than when I was in groups, because I could blend better and look like a local. I think the fact that I walk really fast may have helped. I also always keep my camera, maps, and anything that makes me look like a tourist in my purse. I always get stressed whenever a friend opened up her big map and looked lost, but maybe it's just me, but I feel like an easy target when someone does that. I've never had any problems when traveling, other than the occasional creepy guy.
You asked LeKiwi if she was ever homeless. That happened to me! I was freaking out, but I was staying at a hostel that didn't have night staff so I just crashed on the couch lol. That reminds me of something else... some hostels don't have anyone working at night, so you have to make sure someone will let you in if you arrive late. I had a problem like that once, when I arrived almost at midnight, but luckily two backpackers were just getting back and they let me in! And that was another night spent on a couch (didn't have a reservation for that night!). Another thing to keep in mind is that some hostels have a curfew, so if you plan to go out at night, make sure you know the rules from the place you're staying at when you make reservations. Oh, and speaking of reservations, some hostels will let you make reservations directly with them (either via their website or by phone or email), which I prefer because when you book through another website you usually have to pay a fee. I know it's a small fee, but I'm very cheap like that lol. If you can save a couple of bucks, why not? That's your mugger money right there lol.
Well, I can't think of anything else to say, I'll write more if I can think of any useful advice. I know France very well, but have only driven through that area. It looked gorgeous though. |
|
| Back to top |
|
Sally
Pileated woodpecker
Joined: Oct 30, 2007
Posts: 183
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:07 pm Post subject: |
|
|
take a money belt or similar to keep money & important things eg. passport on your where it can not be seen under your clothes. however keep the money that you plan on using for that day in a separate wallet in a bag or pocket so you are not constantly going into the belt so no one knows it there. then if anything does happen more chance of not losing everything. also if you take a credit card & a debit card or have 2 of one type or whatever then keep them in separate places for the same reason.
_________________
Never waste time in a hug |
|
| Back to top |
|
LeKiwi
Phoenix
Joined: Nov 27, 2007
Posts: 2219
Location: The murky waters of my mind...
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:43 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Travellers cheques you cash in at bureaux de change, post offices, banks... most places do it and you'll find one in every town!! They just change them over for 'real' money, but they each have their own security number and you have to sign for them, so they're far more secure than real money. Have a chat to someone at your bank about it, they'll explain how they work.
And yeap, I've been homeless haha! In the cold too I might add. We stayed in a Burger King until it shut at 2.30am, then went to a more suburban part of the town, curled up in a bush in someone's garden in our sleeping bags (was with a friend at this point), woke up at dawn after about an hour's sleep and got out of there before we were found hahaha! It was so awful though. I'd say book at least a week in advance... basically as soon as you know you're going somewhere, book the hostel. Homeless = poo. And really sore necks.
_________________
We are a fever, we are a fever, we ain't born typical...
New Blog: http://onelittleaspergian.blogspot.com/ |
|
| Back to top |
|
tweety_fan
Phoenix
Joined: Oct 03, 2007
Posts: 1198
|
| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 3:34 am Post subject: |
|
|
its beneficial to have a photocopy of your passport and travelers cheques stored away in your suitcase. helps if you happened to lose your passport. i did that when i went to europe with school (dad's idea) but nothing bad happened to me.
when it is time to destroy the photocopies make sure you tear them up finely and that your signature is impossible to read. this will prevent people stealing your identity.( they go through the garbage looking for documents with signatures, then they use the signatures to obtain loans etc)
cheques can also be cashed in the currency exchange places too. (little shops that say Bureau De Change)
if an italian man gets too grabby for your liking feel free to push past him and keep on walking. (this is what a local woman does)
watching travel shows would be useful too.
HAVE FUN! |
|
| Back to top |
|
zee
human wannabe
Joined: Jul 19, 2007
Age: 27
Posts: 1098
Location: backstage
|
| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:04 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks girls! I really appreciate your helpful tips and advice, and I feel much better knowing that you've had such positive experiences.
I'm so excited. 
_________________
Oh how I wish for soothing rain
Oh how I wish to dream again |
|
| Back to top |
|
Triangular_Trees
What is right is sometimes found on the left.
Joined: Jul 18, 2007
Posts: 1741
|
| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:09 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| just because you go with a group doesn't mean you have to have a roommate. When I went to Spain I did have a roommate on my globus tour but I didn't really see her much aside from night. And I alternated the people I spent my days with |
|
| Back to top |
|
zee
human wannabe
Joined: Jul 19, 2007
Age: 27
Posts: 1098
Location: backstage
|
| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:20 pm Post subject: |
|
|
But did you go everywhere with the same group? What if you wanted to go one place, and the others want to go somewhere else? It sounds like you're still confined to them.
I'm hoping to meet friendly people on the way.
_________________
Oh how I wish for soothing rain
Oh how I wish to dream again |
|
| Back to top |
|
Triangular_Trees
What is right is sometimes found on the left.
Joined: Jul 18, 2007
Posts: 1741
|
| Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:32 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| zee wrote: | But did you go everywhere with the same group? What if you wanted to go one place, and the others want to go somewhere else? It sounds like you're still confined to them.
I'm hoping to meet friendly people on the way. |
We had free time in each city we were in. For example, if you choose to you could have two completely free days in Torremolinos. The first day, I walked along the beach, hung out with some older people, and ate lunch with some people from my university. The second day I joined the option "Rock of Gibraltar" excursion. Aside from taking the bus up to the cave and back down, the entire Gibraltar experience was on your own, unless you chose to go around with the other people.
Globus offers "at leisure" tours, which basically means most of each day is entirely up to you. Then there are driving tours. which means they schedule everything but you drive yourself. between destinations. That seems like a hard way to enjoy a vacation though maybe the distances between destinations aren't as great as I seem to think they are. |
|
| Back to top |
|
mcsquared
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: Oct 28, 2007
Posts: 63
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 11:08 pm Post subject: |
|
|
A more personal alternative to hostels is couchsurfing.com where you can find hosts in the different places where you want to go to stay for a few nights. Good way to meet friendly local people who can help you out. It also has local groups that you can email ahead of time to ask for advice. The lonelyplanet.com site has a lot of regional bulletin boards as well.
Traveling by train is great, but sometimes planes can actually be cheaper depending on where you want to go to--check out whichbudget.com for specific airline recommendations. Ryan Air has really cheap flights.
Using your debit card as you go along would probably be easier but make sure you ask your bank know ahead of time since sometimes they block foreign transactions or have really high transaction fees. I guess travellers check are still good as a backup measure but you might have problems changing them sometimes.
There are a lot of good books with more sightseeing kind of information--Rick Steves, Let's Go Europe, Lonely Planet. Also good when it comes to stuff like hostels and getting around. Have fun! |
|
| Back to top |
|
Triangular_Trees
What is right is sometimes found on the left.
Joined: Jul 18, 2007
Posts: 1741
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 1:31 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| mcsquared wrote: | A more personal alternative to hostels is couchsurfing.com where you can find hosts in the different places where you want to go to stay for a few nights. Good way to meet friendly local people who can help you out. It also has local groups that you can email ahead of time to ask for advice. The lonelyplanet.com site has a lot of regional bulletin boards as well.
Traveling by train is great, but sometimes planes can actually be cheaper depending on where you want to go to--check out whichbudget.com for specific airline recommendations. Ryan Air has really cheap flights.
Using your debit card as you go along would probably be easier but make sure you ask your bank know ahead of time since sometimes they block foreign transactions or have really high transaction fees. I guess travellers check are still good as a backup measure but you might have problems changing them sometimes.
There are a lot of good books with more sightseeing kind of information--Rick Steves, Let's Go Europe, Lonely Planet. Also good when it comes to stuff like hostels and getting around. Have fun! |
Yeah thats true. And even if your bank knows you are traveling in a city they'll block a transaction if you have too many too close together. Like attempting to buy a laptop 45 minutes after you check into a hotel. Now that scared me as i had only brought about $60 cash and I was there for 10 days. I thought 'Oh, no, how am I going to survive if my card doesn't work" |
|
| Back to top |
|
LeKiwi
Phoenix
Joined: Nov 27, 2007
Posts: 2219
Location: The murky waters of my mind...
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 2:17 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I've never had problems with traveller's cheques in Europe or Asia... if you're going to a village that might not have a bureau de change or bank then just cash in extra before you go there so you have cash. Take cash out in bigger amounts if you know you'll have somewhere really secure to leave it, saves transaction fees. But please, make sure you take a credit card... even if you don't plan on using it you never know when you're going to need money fast.
_________________
We are a fever, we are a fever, we ain't born typical...
New Blog: http://onelittleaspergian.blogspot.com/ |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
|
