Scary experiences travelling solo

JenniferEccles

Oh yes Barcelona. It’s notorious for pick pockets.
We called in there on a cruise a few years ago and the Captain came on the tannoy after we had docked to tell us to be very careful and to take the bare minimum out with us, in terms of money and bank cards.

Despite his warning we heard later that one passenger had had his passport stolen from his backpack.

We visited Barcelona once on a day trip from our resort and one of the other passengers put a bag under the table when we had coffee in a street cafe. Of course it got pinched and he lost all his paperwork , passport travellers checks and cash. They had to take the whole bus load of us to th police station which delayed us no end. DH had his cash hidden in his socks. Why this silly man had all his valuables with him goodness knows.

Many moons ago I traveled across America. In one big city I popped into a cafe bar for lunch, and when I used the loo, which was outside in the backyard a group of men gathered around whilst I was inside the toilet, yelling racist comments.
I was stuck! Eventually the manager came out to see what all the fuss was about, shooed them away and advised I leave by the back entrance and find another venue. He was quite cross with me too!

Thought I'd just post this article.

amp.theguardian.com/travel/2024/mar/07/the-joy-and-freedom-of-a-solo-holiday-as-an-older-woman

I’ve never travelled alone but Dh nearly had his money taken from his waist bag in Piza. A young pregnant girl with even younger children pushed up against him, opened the zip. I pushed her away, as he was oblivious.

Scary in Colombo Sri Lanka , a man helped us across a busy road and hurried us into a Tuk tuk, to be taken somewhere. We managed to get out quickly.

A mentally disabled man grabbed me in a Vietnamese market.

All these incidents were with dh and others.
Goodness knows if I’d been on my own. 😳

Back in the very early 70s dh and I wandered around Damascus with zero problems - except that we were probably the only tourists, the road signs etc. were naturally only in Arabic, so we got lost, and it was quite a while before we found anyone who understood French, let alone English.

In the souk I was somewhat unnerved by women with thin black veils entirely covering their faces, who were crowding around me and touching my hair - long and blonde at the time. But it was just curiosity at this strange creature!

At a safari lodge in Zambia I met 2 women one French one Dutch that were cycling from Addis Ababa to Cape Town, this was a few years ago you probably couldnt do it now.

Chatting to them about security, no problem, they stopped at the local school every night, there was always someone who could speak English or French. They were always offered food and a guard for the night, as any guest would. This reflects my experience of local populations, friendly, law abiding and keen to show you their way of life, however humble it is.

The locals of course know who the local trouble makers are and any incident involving “guests” would bring swift and very painful justice.

If I'd have thought of that, I'd have worn one in Turkey.
The men there were an absolute nuisance.

After buying something in a shop in Damascus I was invited back for supper by the owner. I got into his car and went without a second thought. We drove to a large Arabic house on the outskirts. I had expressed an interest in Islamic architecture and he showed me around. His relatives were visiting from Lebanon and we had a lovely meal which went on for several hours. The conversation was all in French. They expressed curiosity about a woman travelling alone but they were charming people. At the end of the evening the shop owner drove me back to the city center and dropped me at my hotel.

I also met many charming and hospitable people in Iran (late 90s) who, again, were curious about a woman travelling alone without a husband. I had to go with a group to be allowed into the country (there were no solo visas then) However I soon dumped the group. I hate travelling in groups. And I had visited Iran before in the 1970s when the Shah was still in power. Of course I had to buy hijab for the trip but there are many Islamic shops in Manchester.

When I think now of the risks I took when I was younger and more mobile ..... However I never wore jewellery or watches in public and seldom wear them at home. The great thing about wearing hijab is that you simply blend into the crowd and its only when you stop to buy something that they realise you are a visitor from the west.

Where I live now many of the women wear hijab and some wear the niquab with the face veil.

My worst experience was coming back from Scotland on the megabus.

When I got to Victoria, I was just hopelessly, terribly lost.

I didn't even know what direction to walk in, or which platform for the train, and I was panicking.

A nice woman came and gave me a stern talking to, and pushed me (none too gently!) towards a station.

I got so lost, that I added hours onto my journey by travelling to Barking, because it was the only place name I recognised in the end.

Deedaa soldiers, hah!...

When I was 17 I travelled by train and ferry to stay with a family in Germany for three weeks.
On the journey home I met and got chatting to two British Army soldiers who were travelling home on leave.
I had a huge suitcase so, being gentlemen, they carried it for me and I carried one of their bags.
Going through passport control at the Hoek van Holland they showed their ID: "British Forces? Carry on through sir."
I showed my passport: "British Forces? Carry on through madam."
I explained I wasn't Forces but got waved through.

The soldiers and I were now going our separate ways so we swapped our bags back.
"We thought that would work," they told me, "that bag you carried through is full of porn magazines." 😳
I later heard they'd been going AWOL as well 🤦

My husband regularly had his lorry stopped by police in Italy. There would always be some obscure traffic law that he had transgressed. They would want him to pay a fine and then go off to the nearest Autogrill for breakfast with the money. Coming from an Italian family himself he had no problem with this arrangement! I caused a bit of alarm myself when I had to use the gents' loo at a truck stop because I couldn't find the man who had the key for the Ladies. The Austrian lorry driver I bumped into on my way out looked rather shocked!

The most unsettling experience I had on my own was on a coach from Cornwall to Victoria. I got talking to a couple of soldiers who told me about their time in Norther Ireland. By the end of the journey I was very pleased that people like them existed, but even more pleased that I would never have to see them again.

Had my bum pinched very hard in the market in Tunis if that counts. I was very sorry I'd just bought some leather shoes off him. Couldn't say anything because I didn't want MrA to get in a barney with the Tunisians but had a bruise for weeks. Told MrA I banged it on a door handle 😄

When I was 19 I went to Jugoslavia and Italy for a month with a friend. On the return journey we had several hours to wait at Milan Station. Two young Italian men came and chatted with us. They invited us back to their village for lunch and .... sorry Mum! .... we accepted. They drove us to their lovely village where we had a delicious pasta lunch with all the large family, including the obligatory grandma in black. They were all very welcoming. We were driven back to the station in time for our train and said thank you and goodbye.
I have 3 Dds and would have been horrified if they had done this! We also went to a nudist island !!!!!!

Problems in Barcelona as well. Walking with my mum down the street when a young man jumped out of the bushes and cut the strap of her cross body handbag. fortunately, he didn’t hurt her, and another very kind young man ran after him and got the bag back. She was of course, very shaken up, and the first thing she said was don’t tell your dad. The reason she said that was because she had been told by both of us not to take both credit card and cash out together, and she had!

My ex husband was working in Nigeria. You have to have a driver, you can’t drive alone. The car was pulled over by the local police and he was robbed at gun point , the driver was a wreck

My husband was working at a motor dealership in England.
He took a customer out for a test drive.
When he stopped the car so they could swap seats, the customer pulled a gun, locked the doors and drove off, leaving my husband stranded in the middle of nowhere. No mobile phones in those days either!

The only issue I ever had was a man following me around the soukh in Marrakesh and I could not shake him off. I went into a cafe for a drink and he was hanging around the doorway. I told the cafe owner and next minute two very burly cousins of his appeared and ushered him a way. One of them escorted me to the taxi rank and waited with me until one drew up.

Yes there are sometimes over friendly men in hotels but I have a "special tone" of voice I use as though I was talking to a naughty child. That was usually sufficient to deter their efforts.

I have travelled solo and stayed alone in hotels many times. Aside from some half hearted chat ups from bored businessmen I’ve been pretty lucky and not experienced anything horrendous.

I’m very careful when travelling, especially alone, careful with my personal safely and my belongings.

Only one unfortunate experience when I used to travel alone a lot. I arrived late at night in Sydney and checked in at my hotel ok. A very friendly man in the lift kept persistently talking to me and when I got off at my floor he followed me and seemed to think we were going to spend the night together. He just wouldn't go away. So I simply rammed my wheeled suitcase very hard at his legs, several times, until he got the message and I was able to shut the door. Eventually he ran off, muttering dreadful insults at me.
I was in that hotel for a week but never saw him again. But there was a cockroach in my bedroom that first night. I reported both events at the desk the next morning.
Partly my own fault of course. Never again did I get into friendly conversation with men in lifts.

Please do not let anything spoil your travel alone. I have a trip to Scotland every year on my own and I can honestly say I love every minute of it. Just be careful and mindful and don’t take any risks. Enjoy!

Whether you are alone or with a group you may be targeted by thieves, I had my purse stolen in Paris with a group. Personal attacks are different, there are parts of the globe where you do not go out at night alone - male or female, on the occasions that I have I’ve always taken a guide. We stayed in Johannesburg a few years ago, the hotel told us DONOT go out alone, we will take you, the station, the airport, wherever. The commuter train was safe - there was a guard in every carriage, so do take notice of local advice.

There are countries and cities worldwide, that are considered quite dangerous for both men and women travellers alone.

If possible it is best to travel in "a group" and pay the extra fee for the supplement of an individual room.

As a couple, we travel once or twice a year on "Cultural Circuits" ( By: Coach within Spain) and one trip via air to other E.U. countries.

Definitely carry only a color photocopy of one´s Legal Residency Card or Passport ( not the authentic document ).

And today, it is un-necessary to use a debit or credit card at an ATM Cash Machine. They have "fingerprint" and / or "electronic signature" sign in´s to get cash needed.

Of course, never venture in the "unknown" after sunset. Always ask the hotel for restaurant recommendations. They are very service oriented.

And do not speak on your mobile in crowded streets.
Hop into a bar or hotel lobby to make calls.

Place one´s bag across your body verses hanging off shoulder.

Be aware who is behind you and in front of you and on your left or right sides.

I had my purse stolen in Avignon, France, outside the Palais des Papes. A group of little girls were begging and surrounded me, stealing my purse from my bag. I have been more careful with my bag ever since.
I was teaching GCSE French when it was new, wth role play situations in the oral. I used my experience as a learning situation for my pupils:
Asking the way to the police station
Reporting a theft
Describing the item and contents
Recounting the story

I had my train ticket in a separate place, so I was able to catch the train back to where I was staying. In the compartment were some older ladies who were very chatty. I told them of my experience and one of them was kind enough to give me the coins I would need for my bus fare when I got off the train. I had more money which I hadn’t taken with me, so though it was upsetting, it wasn’t a huge problem.

My granddaughter is just back from Thailand on a solo trip which she loved. She felt perfectly safe, and used lots of apps to book hostels, ferries, bike hire etc. Her only problem was D and V from food poisoning.

Oh yes Barcelona. It’s notorious for pick pockets.
We called in there on a cruise a few years ago and the Captain came on the tannoy after we had docked to tell us to be very careful and to take the bare minimum out with us, in terms of money and bank cards.

Despite his warning we heard later that one passenger had had his passport stolen from his backpack.

My blind, red-headed daughter had problems in Egypt when a man offered to buy her by bartering with her tour guide. 😄 I was accosted by two youths in Jerusalem who tried to lash out at me and, bizarrely, was followed at night in Bergen when trying to find my hotel. Why I assumed I was safe in Bergen I'm not sure. In Liverpool (I know it's not abroad but what the heck) I was lured on to my balcony by pebbles thrown and then had a brick lobbed at my head which concussed me for a week. None of this has made me nervous of travelling/being on my own.

Sorry don’t know where the first words came from should read never happened to me!