You’re in for a treat if you decide to go on a women-only trip. With women-only trips, women of all ages can meet like-minded women, try local cuisine, and visit local communities they’ve never visited. When taking a ladies-only vacation, you should also be careful and take precautions. Here are some of them.

How to Prepare for Ladies-Only Vacations

There are 5 tips and precautions you should take into consideration for your ladies-only vacation.

1. Use Common Sense  

You should carry a purse that zips up when going on a girl’s trip, whether alone or with friends.

Find out what types of transportation are best in different areas. While trains may be faster in Europe and other better-developed countries, buses may be faster and nicer in other countries along certain routes.

2. Research Your Destination

When you travel alone or with tour operators like Road Scholar, find out if you need vaccinations or if you need to prepare for local health issues. This also goes for finding the best type of transportation to take in certain areas, as mentioned before. It may be tempting to buy a travel guide or watch the travel channel and learn as you go, but that’s a good way to endanger yourself.

The process of planning and researching is almost as enjoyable as the actual travel. Between looking for beaches, national parks, women-owned businesses, and cities, don’t forget to look up safety information first.

Look at traveling to amazing destinations like Mexico City, the Canadian Rockies, or the Grand Canyon. Also, find out where you should and shouldn’t stay, if you should only take specific taxis, and if there’s a hospital in town if you need it.

Find out how your lodging rates for safety and what former guests have to say regarding their stay. If you’re going on a women’s outdoor retreat, find out what type of retreat it is and how rustic it is. It may be a good time to form new friendships with other like-minded travelers. Here are some additional questions you should ask yourself:

• Are you concerned about any emerging patterns in the ratings?
• How will you travel? What are the public transportation options at the destination?
• Is a rental car necessary?
• Can you travel at night safely?

If you’re participating in small-group travel with a travel expert, they may give advice on things you can do in your free time every step of the way, like walking tours or popular destinations you can check out. Don’t forget to check out the great food available at the new destinations you’ll be visiting, especially if you’re a foodie.

3. While You’re Traveling, Keep Your Valuables With You

Don’t bring valuables with you if you can avoid them, but if you must, keep them on you while in transit. Generally, most people have smartphones when they travel, but some bring laptops, Kindles, or expensive DSLR cameras. The cost of replacing these things makes them valuable.

Keep a bag that can fit your passport, medication, jewelry, credit cards, mobile device, and other valuables you bring. Avoid putting these items in a general backpack or a bus or plane’s luggage hold. You can lose them by letting them escape your sight.

4. Take Only What You Need and Lock the Rest Up

When you travel with a purpose, you don’t need to take all your payment cards and large amounts of cash every day. It’s best to take only a small amount of cash with you – perhaps $50 maximum, and a second credit card, and lock up the rest in your hotel room.

In recent years, people have had valuables lost or stolen while traveling – 10 percent have had a smartphone stolen, 9 percent have had a credit card stolen, 8 percent have had a debit card stolen, 6 percent have had a license stolen, and 4 percent have had a passport stolen.

Every hostel with a good reputation has lockers for guests. Make use of them if they’re available. Use a portable safe when you are staying in a guesthouse, hotel room, or another place that does not have a locker or safe. You can fill the bag with valuables and secure it to something sturdy like a pipe. You could still be robbed by a determined professional criminal, but criminals tend to be opportunistic. Taking away this opportunity will lead them to go after someone else who left his or her valuables out in the open.

5. Don’t Trust People Too Quickly

If you’re visiting a new place alone, you may be tempted to look for a group of fellow travelers. Other female travelers can be good company, sometimes leading to new friendships. However, this isn’t always the case. Women travel groups have been targeted by con artists, who rob them before they take off, by enticing them to let their valuables go unattended.

It’s tempting to speed up romance if you meet someone charming and attractive, but it’s not always the best idea. Traveling is a popular time for romance but remember to protect yourself as much as possible.

Sometimes we want to belong to a group of friends so strongly that we begin to trust them sooner than we should. Instead, be cautious. If you’re chatting with someone, don’t let them see expensive electronic devices. Being cautious isn’t rude. When another person has earned your trust, you can rely on them.

Preparing for Ladies-Only Vacations

You need to know these things if you’re going on a women-only trip. There are a lot of great adventures for women you can go on, but to stay safe and have fun, you need to follow these tips. Whether you’re going on a women’s outdoor retreat, being a purposeful nomad, or participating in adventure travel, if you follow this avice, you’ll have a good time, reduce the risk of losing any valuables, be able to experience as much as possible while you’re there, and make some new female friends along the way.