Useful Tips For Women Traveling Alone

There has been an increase in the number of Americans traveling abroad - especially women traveling alone either for business or pleasure.  Each country and culture has their own views of what is appropriate behavior for women.  Although you may not agree with these views, it is wise to abide by the local laws and customs to avoid problems.  Please become familiar with the laws and customs of the places where you wish to go.


Here are two examples of situations you may encounter:

• It is illegal in Laos to invite Lao nationals of the opposite sex to one's hotel room.
• Foreigners in Saudi Arabia have been arrested in the past for "improper dress."

Women traveling alone can be more vulnerable to problems in certain cultures. Keeping in mind the following information can help make your trip as safe and rewarding as possible.

PREPARING FOR YOUR TRIP

 

Passports & Visas:

Make sure your passport is still valid or apply for a new one long before you plan to travel. Make sure you have the right travel documents and visas for your destinations. For information on individual countries' entry and exit requirements, refer to our publication Foreign Entry Requirements.

Your Destinations:
Make an effort to learn about the locations you plan to visit, their culture, and any problems that might be occurring there.

Many exciting and exotic destinations may have very conservative views about women. Being a foreigner makes you stand out; a woman traveling alone can be even more of an oddity in some places.

What to Leave Behind:
Leave a detailed itinerary and a copy of your passport's identification page with a friend or relative at home. Include names, addresses and telephone numbers where you will be staying. Leave a copy of your flight and ticket information with them as well.

You may wish to establish certain check in dates when you will either call, e-mail, fax, etc. to let someone know that you are all right. But remember that if you happen to miss a check-in, your loved ones may assume that you are having a problem or are in trouble.

 

Leave any valuables, extra credit cards and jewelry - even fake jewelry - at home. Thieves often won't know the real from the fake until after they take it, so why risk your personal safety?

Health:

Make sure you have adequate health insurance coverage while abroad and that your coverage includes medical evacuations. Your policy might not cover you overseas and you may need to purchase traveler's insurance.

See our publication Medical Information for Americans Traveling Abroad.

If you have any condition that might develop complications- especially if you are pregnant, check with your doctor before you go abroad. If you experience complications, a medical evacuation might still take several precious hours to arrange.

If you take prescription medication, make sure you have enough to last the duration of the trip, including extra medication in case you are delayed. Always carry your prescriptions in their labeled containers as many countries have strict narco-trafficking laws and might be suspicious of pills in unlabeled bottles. Bring your prescription information and the names of their generic equivalents with you just in case.

OFF YOU GO

Safety and Security:
Use common sense and be alert and aware of your surroundings. If you are unsure in general about the local situation, feel free to check with the American Citizens Services section of the local U.S. Embassy or Consulate for the latest security information.

Don't announce that you are traveling alone! Some guides for women even advise wearing a wedding ring if you're single. If you feel like you're being followed, step into a store or other safe place and wait to see if the person you think is following has passed. Do not be afraid or embarrassed to ask for someone to double check for you to see if all is safe. Display confidence. By looking and acting as if you know where you're going, you may be able to ward off some potential danger.

Ask for directions before you set out. No matter how modest your lodgings are, your hotel concierge or other hotel staff should be able to help. If you find yourself lost, do not be afraid to ask for directions. Generally, the safest people to ask are families or women with children. Getting the right information may save you from ending up in a potentially unsafe area.


Hotels:
Choose a hotel where security is good and transportation is readily available and nearby. Check that all the doors and windows in your room have locks and that they work. If you feel uncomfortable, ask hotel security to escort you to and from parking lots or your room at night. Always use your peephole and common sense about letting strangers into your room.

Clothing:
There is no doubt that fashion makes a statement. Unfortunately, not everyone will interpret how you dress the same way you would. What you consider casual clothing might be seen as provocative or inappropriate in other cultures. Thieves might choose you over another potential target based on your style of dress or the amount of makeup or jewelry you are wearing. Other might single you out for harassment or even physical violence because they find your clothing offensive, based on their cultural norms. By taking your cues from local women, or at least by dressing conservatively, you could save yourself a great deal of trouble.

~ REMINDERS ~
1. Make sure you have a signed, valid passport and visas, if required. Also, before you go, fill in the emergency information page of your passport!
2. Read the Consular Information Sheets (and Public Announcements or Travel Warnings, if applicable) for countries you plan to visit.
3. Leave copies of your itinerary, passport data page and visas with family and friends at home, so you can be contacted in case of an emergency.
4. Make sure you have insurance that will cover your medical needs while you are overseas.
5. Familiarize yourself with local laws and customs, especially when it comes to dressing and socializing.
6. Do not leave your luggage unattended in public areas and never accept packages from strangers.
7. Do not announce that you are traveling alone!
8. Do not wear conspicuous clothing and expensive jewelry and do not carry excessive amounts of cash or unnecessary credit cards.
9. Before leaving your hotel ask for directions.
10. Ensure that the hotel you plan on staying at has good security and easy access to transportation.

  

Virtual Walks of Europe - A Unique Travel Experience

In June of 2003, Kav and I took a Globus tour of Italy - their "Italian Mosaic." Before leaving for the trip, I borrowed a Steadicam Jr. from a good friend in Los Angeles who is a film editor. I wanted to use it with my home video camera to shoot better quality home movies while on this "once in a lifetime" trip. The Steadicam Jr stabilizes the camera and completely eliminates any shaking.


The 21-day (with two extensions) trip was absolutely wonderful! The group of about 25 people on the tour all meshed nicely and the food, the sights, the art, were fantastic. I shot hours of video, some of it while actually walking down the streets of Rome, Florence, Venice, and Naples. The Steadicam Jr produced smooth shots that seemed to “float.” And in Venice, I proposed to Kathi at sunset in a gondola on the Grand Canal. We purhased our wedding rings in the gold market of Florence.

Returning to the US, I viewed the video I had shot with the Steadicam and quickly realized that it would be perfect for watching while walking on our treadmill. A few tests confirmed my idea - the “virtual walks” could give you the impression that you were actually “walking” the streets of these beautiful European cities and could make the time spent on the treadmill pass quickly.

Having recently retired from a career in teaching Television Production, and having just celebrated our marriage, I proposed another idea to my new wife: We would form a tv production company which would purchase professional equipment and film "Treadmill Virtual Walks" of European cities. We would then sell these virtual walks on the Internet.

Kathi immediately agreed and we got busy with the details. We formed a corporation, researched equipment, purchased it, along with the rights to music suitable for accompanying these walks.

In addition to the “virtual walks” which we would shoot with Steadicam equipment, we also decided to take a tripod and shoot more traditional travel video footage. We planned on editing this footage into our “Armchair Travel Videos” which, accompanied by classical music, we would also sell on the Internet. Our objective was to come back from a 2 week shoot in a European city with two totally different types of footage, which could then be edited into two totally different types of travel videos.


We set off to Venice on our first professional “shoot” in April of 2001. We stayed in the Marconi Hotel overlooking the Rialto Bridge and the Grand Canal. We had excellent weather and worked hard. Awake and on the street by 7 AM each morning, we shot treadmill walks while the streets were empty and then returned to our hotel for breakfast. After breakfast, we returned to the streets for more shooting. We shot most days until well into the night. Venice is absolutely incredible! If you’ve never been to Venice, you must go. You’ll never regret it.

Returning home after 10 long days of shooting in Venice, we rested for one month. In June we left for 2 weeks of filming in London. I promised Kathi we wouldn’t work so hard in London, that any rain days would be “days off” for us.

It didn’t rain a single day while we were in London. We filmed virtual walks in Hyde Park, along the canal in Little Venice, and on the Hampstead Heath, among others. At the end of two weeks shooting, we were exhausted.

We got on the plane and flew directly to Rome for two more weeks of filming! And it didn’t rain a single day in Rome! We filmed virtual walks along the Via Veneto, the Appian Way outside Rome, and a walk in Pincio Gardens. At the end of a month of filming we returned to the US vowing never to commit to such an exhausting schedule again.

Soon after we returned from Rome, I received a call from my film editor friend in Los Angeles. He was editing Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen's feature “When In Rome” and needed some night scenes of Rome. Did I have any night time scenes which they could purchase?

Weeks later they did purchase a number of my night scenes and used them in the movie. And that’s how we got into the business of selling stock footage of Rome, Venice, and London to television networks and production houses.

In October of 2003, we returned to London. This time we concentrated on filming in the villages outside of London. We filmed virtual walks in the Darent River Valley, in Otford, in Canterbury, in Salisbury, and some in London, along with the usual tripod shots.

What To Look For In Credit Card Travel Rewards

With the use of credit cards becoming mainstream, credit card companies are looking for ways to make their card stand out in the crowd. They want to entice customers to chose their card over someone else's by offering customers the chance to earn rewards for what they spend. A popular reward is for travel. Most travel rewards center around air travel, but there are many different types of air travel rewards.


Travel rewards usually work on the basis of earning points or miles from the purchases you make on your credit card. Some rewards work towards discounts off air travel, while others offer a chance to earn free airline tickets. Other rewards that may be offered are car rental discounts and hotel discounts. Some of these travel rewards can also be used for non-travel related rewards like at restaurants or shopping centers. Using a credit card with travel rewards gives you an opportunity to earn something while making purchases with credit card. You do not have to do anything else, except use the credit card when you make purchases. The idea is to offer customers something that will encourage the use of their credit card.

There are many different types of travel rewards with many different things to consider. Cards that offer frequent flier miles are often considered to be the best reward cards available. The earnings are much higher than with other types of rewards. It is very important with rewards cards to understand how you much you earn. The conversion rates vary from card to card. One card may offer you a reward worth 2 cents on each dollar you spend, while another card only offers ½ a cent per dollar you spend. To get the maximum benefit always know how the reward system works. Some travel reward cards also have limits. Some expire if not used in a certain time period and some have no expiration. Some cards also limit where the rewards can be used while others do not. There are also limits on the amount of rewards you can earn. It is very important to check out how the program works and all of the limits or uses.


Travel rewards credit cards give back to the consumer. Instead of burying yourself in debt you can actually find a practical reason to use credit cards. You earn something that you will use. You end up saving a little money while you spend. It is important to shop around for these types of cards, though. Cards range in what they offer from air miles to hotel stays. They vary from airline sponsored cards to a standard credit card, but they offer you something for using them.