01
Before you leave
The fundamentals that most guides get wrong
"The biggest mistake women make is not what they carry. It is how they carry it — and where they put it down."
Rachel BloomThe most important habit
Never put your bag down
Restaurants, cafes, airports — the moment your bag leaves your body it is vulnerable. Loop the strap around your chair leg or keep it in your lap. A bag on the back of a chair is gone before the bill arrives.
Carry position
Always wear it front-facing in crowds
Backpacks and crossbodies worn behind you in busy areas are a gift to pickpockets. Rotate your bag to the front on public transport, markets, and anywhere a crowd forms around you.
The phone trap
Your phone is the target, not your wallet
In 2024, phone theft overtook wallet theft in most major cities. The distraction technique — someone bumps you, someone else takes the phone you are holding. Keep your phone inside your bag when not actively using it.
The GPS rule
Turn on location sharing before you go
Share your live location with one trusted person at home for the duration of any solo trip. Use Apple Find My, Google Maps sharing, or WhatsApp location. This costs nothing and changes everything if something goes wrong.
- Always have your accommodation address saved offline — not just in Google Maps, which requires data
- Keep a screenshot of your passport, travel insurance and accommodation booking in a separate folder
- Use a VPN on public wifi — especially in airports and hotels. NordVPN and ExpressVPN both work well
- Tell someone your itinerary. Not the broad strokes — the actual plan: which hotel, which nights, which cities
- Keep emergency cash (small denomination local currency) in a separate pocket from your main wallet
02
Getting there
Airport intelligence — where it actually goes wrong
Most underestimated risk zone
Security queues and luggage belts
Most airport theft happens at security, not in the terminal. The technique: someone ahead of you deliberately slows at the scanner while their partner takes your tray. Keep your eyes on your belongings as they go through, not on the scanner. Wait until you can see your bag on the belt before you walk through.
Watch for this
The luggage carousel switch
Common in busier airports: someone picks up your bag as if it were theirs, walks away, returns "apologetically" — and by then your bag has been gone through. Keep your eye on your luggage from the moment you spot it.
Taxi risk
Unlicensed taxis at arrivals
Anyone approaching you in the arrivals hall offering a taxi is not a licensed driver. Walk past them, go to the official taxi rank or use Uber/Bolt. Always confirm the driver's name and plate before getting in.
Best habit
Bag in overhead, not under seat
On the plane, keep your hand luggage in the overhead directly above your seat. Under the seat in front is accessible to the person sitting next to you during a long flight. Zip all pockets before boarding.
Lounge access
Lounges are not safe zones
Laptop and phone theft in airport lounges is significantly underreported — people assume they are among similar travellers. Do not leave valuables unattended when going to the buffet or bathroom.
03
Where you stay
Hotel safety — the things the hotel will not tell you
- Never say your room number out loud at the front desk — if someone overhears, ask the receptionist to write it down instead
- Request a room above the second floor. Ground and first floor rooms are significantly more vulnerable to break-ins
- Use the door chain or wedge lock, not just the key card lock — key card cloning is rare but not impossible at lower-end properties
- Put the Do Not Disturb sign out when you leave, not just when you are inside — it signals the room is occupied
- Lock your passport and travel documents in the room safe, not in your bag when you go out for the day
- Check the door peephole is not covered from the outside before opening — a covered peephole is a red flag
- If someone knocks claiming to be from housekeeping, call reception to verify before opening the door
"I always check two things when I arrive: that the door chain works, and that my window locks. It takes thirty seconds and I have never regretted it."
Rachel Bloom04
Know before you go
City-by-city intelligence — what to watch for where
This is not a list of dangerous cities — it is a list of specific risks to be aware of in cities women from this community visit most. Every city here is safe for the prepared traveller.
| City | Primary risk | Level | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | Motorbike bag snatch on Las Ramblas and beachfront. Distraction scams near Sagrada Familia. | High awareness | Wear your bag across your body, not on one shoulder. Never on the road-side of a pavement. |
| Rome | Pickpocket teams on the Metro (Line A especially — Termini to Spanish Steps). Scooter snatches near the Colosseum. | High awareness | Hold your bag in front on the Metro. Keep one hand on it in tourist areas. Avoid accepting flowers or bracelets from strangers. |
| Paris | Petition scams near Sacré-Cœur and the Eiffel Tower. Pickpockets at Gare du Nord. | Medium | The petition scam: someone approaches with a clipboard, crowds you while a partner picks your pocket. Walk past firmly, no eye contact. |
| London | Phone theft from café tables and phone snatches from hands while walking. Rising moped snatches. | Medium | Never use your phone while walking near roads. In cafes, never place it on the table. Sit away from doors in coffee shops. |
| New York | Subway platform theft at turnstile entry. Phone grabs on platforms. | Medium | Step back from the platform edge while waiting. Keep your phone in your bag, not in your hand, while waiting for trains. |
| Bangkok | Tuk-tuk scams to gem stores. Taxi overcharging. Bag snatches on motorbike. | Medium | Only use metered taxis or Grab app. Never get in a tuk-tuk that takes you somewhere other than your destination. |
| Bali | Motorbike bag snatches on roads. ATM skimming. Drink spiking in Kuta and Seminyak bars. | Medium | Walk on the side away from traffic with your bag on the inside. Use hotel ATMs only. Never leave a drink unattended. |
| Amsterdam | Bicycle theft and distraction pickpockets near Anne Frank House and Rijksmuseum. Drugged drinks in bar areas. | Lower risk | Lock bikes with two locks. Be aware in tourist-heavy areas. The Red Light District has higher drink-spiking incidents at night. |
| Tokyo | Very low crime overall. Be aware of drink spiking in Roppongi entertainment district specifically. | Low risk | Roppongi bars targeting tourists are the main concern. Stick to well-reviewed establishments. Tokyo is otherwise one of the safest cities in the world for solo women. |
| Dubai | Low street crime. Be aware of local laws on behaviour, dress and photography. | Low risk | Cover up in traditional areas and malls. Be discreet with affection. Photography of government buildings and some people without consent is illegal. |
05
Solo travel
Specific intelligence for women travelling alone
At restaurants
Ask for a table, not a seat at the bar
A table gives you control — your back to a wall if possible, sight lines to the entrance, and a surface for your bag that is not the floor or a bar top where it can be grabbed.
On arrival
Project confidence immediately
Walk with purpose from the moment you exit the airport. Look at your phone before you leave the terminal, not outside it. People who look unsure of where they are going are targeted first.
Dating apps abroad
Meet in public, tell someone
If you are meeting someone you have matched with abroad, always meet in a public place for the first meeting. Share the person's profile and planned location with someone at home. This is non-negotiable.
If you are followed
Go into a shop, not your hotel
If you believe you are being followed, enter a busy shop or restaurant — not your accommodation. You do not want anyone knowing where you are staying. Ask staff to call you a taxi from inside.
- Learn the local emergency number before you arrive — it is not always 999 or 911
- Download the local maps offline before you travel so you can navigate without data
- Keep your hotel's business card in your pocket when you go out — useful in any language if you need to get back
- If a situation feels wrong, leave. Do not wait to confirm whether your instinct is correct. It usually is.
- bSit near the driver or a family on public transport at night, not in an empty carriage
06
Before every trip
Rachel's personal pre-trip checklist
- Travel insurance confirmed and policy number saved offline
- Passport photo page and visa photographed and saved to cloud
- Local emergency number looked up and saved in phone
- Accommodation address saved offline in Notes app
- Live location sharing set up with one trusted person at home
- Rachel Bloom GPS tracking activated and tested
- Emergency cash (local currency, small denomination) in a separate pocket
- Bank notified of travel dates and destination
- Itinerary shared with someone who will notice if you go quiet
- City-specific risks in this guide reviewed for your destination
- VPN app installed and tested
- Offline maps downloaded for destination city
The Bloom Circle
"Travel should expand your world, not shrink it. Carry smart. Stay aware. Trust your instincts."
— Rachel Bloom