Be safe, solo travellers told
Travel insurance comparison website TravelInsurance.com has advised travellers planning on heading off on solo trips to take extra precautions, in order to minimise risk. The number one tip, perhaps unsurprisingly, is to purchase travel insurance – after all, as the site says, ‘if something goes wrong on your trip, travel insurance can be almost as good as having a travel companion’. Perhaps even better.
The other tips are to designate at least one emergency contact and share up-to-date itineraries with them; use a ‘traveller’s checklist’, such as the one offered by the US State Department, before heading off; and to ‘memorialise’ the trip – not only is keeping a record of your trip, both written and photograph, a good way to share travel experiences, having such records could also come in handy should a claim need to be made on the aforementioned travel insurance.
“Travelling alone can be an exciting, enlightening and personally rewarding adventure,” said Stan Danberg, co-founder of the site. “However, it's important to be extra vigilant as travelling solo is not without its own considerations. While getting off the grid is part of the appeal, sharing your travel plans and checking in with someone at home on a regular basis is important. Equally important, investing in an emergency travel medical and evacuation plan may just save your life. Travel medical and emergency evacuation coverage can be inexpensive and are included in many travel insurance plans.”