toedtoes

I don't drink, but from watching others drink around me, I think that it's a matter of "how much" you drink and "how well" you hold your liquor.

Some people can get a bit loopy after one glass of wine - they probably are safer not drinking and then trying to find their way back to a hotel in a strange town.

However, some people can have a few drinks over dinner without any problems. They can easily visit a bar in the evening, have a few drinks and visit with the other patrons and then grab a taxi back to the hotel.

The key is to know what you're able to handle and stop before you go past that point.

SeaUrchin

Something else to think about, keep your luggage tags hidden. I had some man come to my hotel looking for me after he read my luggage info somewhere by the airport. I put my hotel info on the outbound flight and my home info on the way home.

Also, sigh, be careful of the people at the front desk too. One of the men on evening duty knocked on my hotel room as he was leaving for the night!! To see if I was ok? OK? it was midnight! Jerk. I reported him but I could just as easily innocently opened the door to tell him I was ok.

SeaUrchin

Oh and a co-worker just told me that last month a waiter followed her back to the hotel, still wearing his apron.

It is just a good idea to be aware when we travel solo, some people might think we are looking for a "friend". puhleeze.

jewela

I'm taking notes. These are all great suggestions.
When I'm traveling in the US, I always stay at a hotel, as opposed to a motel with the entrance on the outside. That way, no one sees you enter your room alone.

ciaolaura

I always travel alone and agree with all of the suggestions; I do like to drink and ususally map out the area during the day to see if there is a good place for a nightcap within walking distance to my hotel. If not, I meet up with folks in the hotel bar. On my last trip to Italy in May, I made some very good friends who did the same thing and it was a blast learning about their adventures that day. We remain in touch due to similar experiences, which is cool for someone traveling alone and no one to share in your experience.

Ciao, Laura!

earthhopper

1. Dress like the locals.
2. Stay in a bustling place, with lots of people around.
3. Aviod crime zones.
4. But before that, it's important to learn more and more about the place I intend to visit, get first hand info etc.

suze

Funny story, yesterday on the way home from Mexico I ended up on the same flight as a fun person I'd met where I was vacationing. Transiting thru customs our first stop, we were both chatting away and nearly missed that the carousel our baggage was coming in on had been changed. No biggie. But if I had been traveling solo, I would have been much more focused on what was going on around me!

Duck

Check a can of mace in your luggage and carry it with you when you arrive. I have taken it everywhere including Africa. The only time I ever had to use it was in New Orleans.

thursdaysd

Do you mean Mace or pepper spray? From wikipedia: Due to the current brand-name use of the term "Mace" to refer to pepper sprays and the fact that mace is illegal in most Western countries, it is very difficult to find information on traditional mace. "Mace" and "Pepper Spray" are frequently used interchangeably.

But pepper spray is also illegal in a lot of places.

toedtoes

There is also the big problem that pepper spray only works in close quarters and it doesn't affect everyone the same way.

Our office (law enforcement) did testing with pepper spray and about 5-10% of the "attackers" were not affected by the pepper spray at all. In some cases, the wind reduced the affect, and in some cases, the "attackee" wasn't able to spray it affectively (spraying it in the wrong direction, etc.).

suze

I don't think mace or pepper spray are worth carrying, and doubt the legality of checking them in luggage? I don't carry things like that at home & can't imagine toting something like that around on a vacation. Like a gun, unless you are ready to use it and know how properly, it is not going to do you much good.

thursdaysd

Plus, sprays are totally useless against pickpockets, or scams, which is about all you need to worry about in most of Europe. Or Asia, for that matter.

Duck

So sorry for the misnomer. It is actually pepper spray. You are allowed one can in checked luggage. I usually carry the bear spray variety.

It was quite effective with a very young man clutching a knife in New Orleans a few years back. When he was apprehended, he was still hacking.

Very few locales have made pepper spray illegal for non-felons to carry although a few states require that it be purchased from a licensed firearms dealer. I work in a federal courthouse and cannot carry it at work.

The federal agents and local police I work with do not share the view that it is worthless in terms of self defense. Their view and my view is that it is better than nothing, particularly for women travelling alone. Pickpockets in Europe are just one of our concerns. I travel extensively and have always disclosed to airline personnel in various countries that it is in my checked bag. Never had an issue.

Duck

Forgot to address the expressed doubt of one poster about having a can in checked luggage. The very easy way to find out if it is legal to carry a particular item on a plane is to check faa.gov. If you do that and search the term pepper spray, you will find a list of allowed items in checked luggage, one of which is a small can of pepper spray and/or mace.

thursdaysd

"Very few locales have made pepper spray illegal for non-felons to carry". That may well be true in the U.S. Based on the wikipedia article (not the last word, I know) it seems it is not true in the rest of the world for regular citizens.

The places you can't legally carry it include OZ, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, U.K. The relevant article also lists some countries where it is legal. Seems that it would be a good idea to check before heading for a given country.

suze

I appreciate the correction, that you can in fact take mace/pepper spray in checked luggage on the plane. It is still not something I would be comfortable doing myself. And yes i am a woman who travels alone.

toedtoes

Duck - the peace officers I work with didn't say it was worthless, but that it isn't an "all-in-one" solution. They also say that it isn't as effective as it's made out to be.

Their biggest concern with people carrying pepper spray for self defense is that people will think that just because they are carrying the spray, that they will be safe. Instead of seeing potential danger and getting the heck out of there, the person will take more chances with their safety thinking that "I have my pepper spray, so I'll be OK."

They say that if you are concerned about your well-being to that extent that you should take a self-defense course and learn how to properly protect yourself.

Duck

Agreed you always have to check on your destination's laws.

Interestingly enough, it was a self-defense instructor who recommended our class of mostly women carry the spray. He explained its use, its cautions and why it can be a significant defense mechanism in certain situations right after he told us how to clutch our keys walking to our car in the evening so that they could be used as a weapon if necessary.

Duck

For those interested in a proactive approach to personal security--here is a link that also deals with the use of pepper spray.

http://femalesurvivalguide.com/News/...-for-Women.asp