How should one travel alone?

Do you want to consider traveling when you are alone? It may be a bit lonely, but it will be a novel experience. Be sure to pay attention to safety when traveling. The following small series will tell you what a person should do when traveling.

Choose a travel destination

For girls, my travel suggestions are: provincial capitals and prefecture-level cities, eastern, central and western regions, unpopular cities and famous tourist cities.

In other words, girls who have never traveled alone do not have to challenge remote and unpopular cities. First, the traffic information of the destination city is not easy to get online, and they don't have enough experience to go out to deal with emergencies, which invisibly expands the difficulties and risk factors in their travel.

Start with provincial capitals and prefecture-level cities with relatively developed facilities in all aspects, and first accumulate experience for making travel plans for yourself. At the same time, according to personal preferences, such as eating or buying handwritten letters, you can find information from the website, or you can collect destination information or strategies in official travel WeChat accounts such as "Free Travel".

If you want to go to the western region or plateau region, it is recommended to choose a reliable and qualified travel agency to accompany you. After all, safety is the most important thing. Movie is a pure game, which only creates happiness for users. You can judge for yourself. This is a serious advertisement.

Travel mode

Give priority to airplanes and trains, while the choice of trains is hard sleeper and hard seat.

Long-distance travel, whether by plane or train, is a mode of transportation with high safety factor. If you have traveled in many cities and want to challenge some relatively remote destinations, it is particularly important to know the local bus timetable.

In addition, if it is a well-known scenic spot, you can calculate the cost of going to some local scenic spots yourself and compare the related products of various travel companies. Sometimes the cost of these tour groups will be lower than their own time and transportation costs. There are not many shuttle buses in the west, which is especially applicable when you want to see more scenic spots!

stay

Youth hostels are mainly distributed in scenic spots near roadside stations on main roads (urban areas).

Living in youth hostels near the city center and the station can save accommodation costs and facilitate transportation. These factors, for people with a bad sense of direction, simply decide whether to leave the hotel gate or not. If you have a good sense of direction and travel experience, I hope you can give priority to accommodation with obvious geographical location and large flow of people.

If you are out of shape and have no travel experience, it is safer to stay in a chain hotel. As for those experienced backpackers, they will only mix with youth travel. This paragraph can be ignored ~

Important property is placed in batches.

Many experienced travelers always take a backup bag when they go out, which contains some cash and copies of important documents. In other words, in case the ordinary wallet is accidentally lost, at least you have a guarantee that you will not be at a loss.

Amway is a personal artifact and small advice that Bian Xiao will use every time he travels. Carry 300 yuan cash with you or put it in your pocket. Although the coverage is quite wide now, many plateau areas or rural areas still pay mainly in cash. The rest of the bank card and spare money 500 yuan, with the above artifacts. Take him for example, he is absolutely hidden and sleeps on trains and planes, especially in the beds of youth hostels.

how to get to

1| Guarantee Network

I'll play this first Wherever I go, I'm not afraid of traffic jams. There are several ways:

Operating global communication in China.

Buy airport sim card/flow card-suitable for people who are pressed for time and can't buy in advance.

Destination/global/European multi-country universal transport sim card (TB)- suitable for long-distance multi-country travel.

Wireless network (TB)

Taobao may be more convenient in China, so don't worry if there is no way to Taobao or it is too late. Every destination, the airport will have a special place to sell sim cards. You can ask a few more for comparison. Many packages are specially designed for tourists. There will be a 2G traffic package, or unlimited traffic every day, which is generally more affordable. And the signal of the local communication company will not be bad.

2| Multiple copies of certificates

Fortunately, I didn't lose my passport. But when you are away from home, the certificate is really super invincible. It's important to move quickly (how else can you fly home? How to check into a hotel? Makeup is too much trouble. I don't want to know. I can't be lucky. I make one or two copies of my passport, visa and I-20 (American student entry form), and there are scanned copies in the cloud computer. If you scan, you can now scan the app on your mobile phone, such as CamScanner, or take photos directly. If you lose it, you can get something to prove your identity.

Cloud selection:

Cloud services

dropbox

googledrive

Baidu Cloud

Youdao Ji Yun

Personal mailbox

Don't wander alone in the dark.

Don't run around in the dark! This is really important. Actually, there's nothing dangerous about traveling. Don't go out looking for things in the middle of the night. Aha, hahaha. If you want to experience bar culture and nightlife, you'd better go with friends. If it is a self-help tour, you can try it during the day. For example, before I go to Cuba alone, one thing I have to do in Havana is to have a mojito at Hemingway's favorite five-cent pub. During the day, there are also live Cuban music. It may not be as lively as at night, but I also tasted it.

You can also be on the road/youth hostel with other friends you know. If not, you can experience it next time. hahaha. What's the hurry?

In big cities with bright lights in ps, public security is generally good in places with many shoppers. New york Times Square and Causeway Bay are as bright at midnight as during the day. After shopping, take Uber and go straight home. But when we talk about traveling alone, especially in countries with poor security, it is always right to be extra careful.

What should I do if I arrive at my destination/airport at night and then need to take a taxi to my accommodation?

If you live in a hotel or guesthouse, you can ask in advance whether you have picked up the plane.

Take a regular taxi and find a female driver.

Ride with people who get off the plane. Do you want a ride along the way? It is ok to spend more money and take fewer detours.

4| Separate cash.

The worst thing that happened to me when I traveled alone in recent years was that my wallet was stolen. Ha ha ha ha ha (fortunately, after all, it was a thing outside my body) that time because I was not alert enough. I went to Yangshuo during the November holiday of Hong Kong Exchange Year. Because taking photos is too fascinating and takes too long, I can't catch the last bus of terraced fields by car to Guilin.

I am also very generous. Missed is missed. Walking out of the bus station, I saw delicious fried chestnuts at the door. I'm hungry. I took out my wallet and bought 10 yuan concentrated on eating chestnuts. A man passed me on the road, and I felt something, but when I turned around, I didn't see anything and continued to eat seriously. At that time, I missed the bus and had to spend the night in Guilin, standing on the side of the road with my mobile phone ready to find a new place to live. Just then, I felt my back move. As soon as I turned around, my wallet flew out of my schoolbag, and steel hammers and cards were scattered all over the floor. I just saw that man (? ) I picked up my wallet and found that only my card was left, and all the money was taken away. This person is very nice. I am very grateful for giving back my ID card, student ID card and various cards. )

At that time, I was carrying a schoolbag and a suitcase, and I couldn't run. I told the man on the side of the road that he stole my money and helped me chase it. Then everyone will watch. There is no place to live at night, no money to eat, and no money to buy a bag of chestnuts on the street. The more I thought about it, the more I felt wronged. I cried in the street (don't laugh! ) I really cried, a group of people surrounded me, and a little brother gave me 100 yuan. I have never been so down and out. There is still love in the world. While wiping my tears, I asked those onlookers why they didn't help me chase them. It turns out that everyone has a strong sense of protection. One is afraid of cheating with thieves, and the other is afraid of chasing you. What if the thief pulls out a knife and stabs you? Think about it, too.

After that, I also reflected and met many such thieves.

The nearby station itself is very unsafe, so I pay special attention to my belongings.

I shouldn't carry a schoolbag. Even if I am hungry and want to eat chestnuts, when I put my wallet back, the thief must have seen it before he started. So I always carry a diagonal bag with me after traveling.

Divide the cash, put enough for you, hide some in the box and some in other bags. I have a magical method. The secret is to hide it in the medicine cabinet and socks, which most people can't find! Oh, don't let the thief see this. This way, even if you lose money, you won't run out of ammunition.

Clothes should have zippers for things in pockets, and bags should be placed in visible places. I have recommended denim jackets before. There is a big pocket inside the coat, which can hold things, which is very convenient and anti-theft. There are many brands. I didn't even know that denim jacket when I bought it myself, but I found it later! Many of these jeans have inner pockets, so you can pay attention to them. I often wear it to the airport, which is convenient for putting my passport and mobile phone (I recommended many practical things in the travel video of June 2065438+2006, so you can go to my Weibo @ Beijing Xiaofengzi to search for keywords).

There is no pressure to put the mobile phone passport in this big pocket, and the bag is deep, so don't worry about falling out.

Carry-on bag (suddenly feel that you can write this question in the next issue? Travel messenger bag hahahahahahaha)

5| Don't be too ostentatious

When traveling alone, you should be brave enough to make trouble (no one will help you), and you should not wear too fancy clothes, let alone be covered by famous brand logo. Didn't it say "I have money" on my forehead? Who will you steal if you don't steal? Travel alone as low-key as possible, so as not to attract the attention of thieves. My wallets are all Muji 25 yuan's small bags. Keep a low profile. Maybe the thief won't notice (. I stopped paying attention to this strategy after writing it.

6| Don't be greedy and cheap.

In Europe, all kinds of "spare money" feed pigeons and "give" you a transport rope. Don't believe it. Get something for nothing Missed is missed. There's nothing wrong with taking advantage. I was deeply impressed by a sentence in Zhihu, "No one should pay for your dream." If you want to travel without money, you have to go out to earn money, either stay at home or travel hard. You can eat or live almost alone. There is no need to hitchhike or stay at a strange man's house to save money. When I was young, I chewed cookies at the airport, camped or slept in the car. I didn't feel bitter, but it was quite interesting in retrospect. Hahahaha (am I easy to be abused? )

After sleeping in the car all night, getting up in the sun in the morning is quite comfortable except that my legs are not straight.

So build a decent car and sleep in a decent bed! If you can't afford a car, you can take the bus; If you can't sleep, you can stay in a hotel or a youth hostel. Money to play, no money to play.

7| trust strangers selectively

When traveling alone, my greatest pleasure is to make many new friends. If I have a playmate, many times I don't want to meet strangers. When you are in contact with a stranger, you can usually tell some basic information about the other person from a short communication. You can talk about your country, occupation, how long you have been here, whether you have any companions, where you have been, your previous travel experience and so on. Sometimes you can make friends at your next destination. Generally, peers like travelers and students are more reliable.

For example, when I went to Cuba before, there was no resumption of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba and no direct flights. I had to spend the night at Cancun airport for my connecting flight. As luck would have it, I was just about to write this article on "Travel alone safely" to pass the boring night at the airport. Ha ha ha ha ha! When I first started writing, I met a boy who looked like a Japanese Canadian (don't ask me where this came from). He asked me if I was going to Cuba, too. I said yes and began to say (so I blame him for being a year late in this article! ) We talked in English for almost an hour, and then found that we are both from China, hahahahahahahaha! He works in Houston. Later, I went to Houston to play, not only provided accommodation, but also brought a tour guide ~ and magically, we also had friends to accompany us! He is my senior at Columbia University. My former senior ~ What a wonderful world. Maybe we will go to South America together in the second half of the year.

Here, I want to slap myself. In fact, my friend and I stayed in a strange boy's house near the plane in Iran that year, but there were four reasons. 1. Iran cannot book accommodation online. The reservation website has no options for Iran, Syria, Yemen and other countries. So in the local area, you can only find a place to live. On the plane, I chatted with the young man very speculatively and invited him, but we just didn't have a place to live. My friends and I, if I sleep alone at the airport, I dare not go to other people's homes. The boys are Iranians and go to school in Turkey. We flew from Turkey to Iran together, accompanied by students. I mean no harm. The young man can't live by himself, so he called his mother to ask if she could give us a place to stay for two days.

All kinds of delicious hospitality, super rich fruits and snacks.

Later, to be honest, the experience was really good. When his mother came home, she not only enthusiastically prepared a big table of rich fruits and dinner, but also gave us Iranian specialties as gifts (saffron and the like) when she left. This trip is not well prepared, and women's clothing is limited. For example, the law stipulates that women must wear headscarves, long-sleeved trousers and clothes to cover their hips. And I was completely unprepared, and I didn't even wear a headscarf. I came out of the airport and lived with my hat as a headscarf. On the first night at my little brother's house, his sister and mother helped me prepare clothes and found a beautiful headscarf for me to wear. During those days in Tehran, they took us to play, ate ice cream at the local night market and went to the palaces and markets in the city. There is true love in the world! But it really depends on luck and your judgment. Don't gamble easily without a companion.

If girls really want to try riding on the coachsurfing sofa, they'd better go together. Sofa potatoes had better find a hostess or a husband and wife room.

Smile and pretend you don't understand English.

When I am not sensible, I sometimes wander in the street after dark. Traveling alone in Scotland for the first time before I was 20 years old. Because it's far north, it doesn't get dark until after summer 10. Once, just after dark, I set up a tripod in front of the youth travel service and took pictures by dim light. As a result, I patted a few drunks and ran over to tease me, "What are you filming?" "Why are you alone?" "Why don't you take a picture of me, too?" Generally, when I meet this kind of people who are looking for trouble to strike up a conversation abroad, I always pretend I don't understand with the innocent face of 3354. Frowning, looking at each other sincerely, spreading out his hands and shaking his head. If you can't do it, shrug your shoulders (have a sense of picture). Many times, when he sees that you can't communicate, he will shrink back.

Another time was in Cuba (Cuba is actually quite safe), but once I wandered around the old city of Havana, someone always followed me and asked me where I was going to show you the way ~ I just shook my head and pretended not to speak English or understand. He followed me all the time, and there were many passers-by in broad daylight, so I went into a shop and hid until the man left. This situation is quite common. If playing dumb doesn't work, go to a crowded place, or chat with others and pretend to have company.

finally

Although I won't bring anti-wolf spray or anti-wolf whistle, I can feel at ease when I go out for the first time.

You can download a translation software where you can't speak a language. When you encounter problems, it is very useful to ask the local people for help. For example, "tourism translation" comes from a hornet's nest. You can download the offline language pack, which is very easy to use.

If you have no experience of traveling alone, do more homework yourself for the first time. You can find any common fraud trap in the local area. Google search "travel trap" or something. For example, Mexico City and even Miami and new york, some places are safe, and some places have high crime rates. You can check in advance or say hello to the reception desk.