How to Stay Safe When You Travel as a Female?

Is it possible for a woman to travel the world solo and stay safe? Even if you plan to visit the developing countries and don't speak the local language? Women who've travelled all over the world have had worst of experiences, getting pickpocketed, experiencing worst journeys while moving from one place to another and even getting scared because of unknown factors relating to safety. The experiences will make you panic and think otherwise but trust us, we’ve researched well to get these simple and easy travel tips collated to give you the confidence to travel the world solo!
Most people are scared before taking off on their first solo adventure and it’s quite acceptable to get nervous before heading somewhere new. We all should understand it’s all in our head and our brain creates the worst-case scenarios that aren’t likely to happen. Let’s take a look at the simple rules to follow to keep you safe on your first and even more travel journeys:

Examine your destination thoroughly before your trip

For many female travellers, planning and researching about the destination is almost as fun as actually traveling! In between listing out the most beautiful beaches and coolest cities, take some time to research the safety information for the destination you are headed. What are the safest neighbourhoods and the ones you should avoid at all times? Are there only certain kinds of public transport or taxis you should take? Is there and how far is a medical centre in the city, just in case?
When it comes to your accommodation, how are its ratings for safety for women? What are the reviews of former guests about their experiences of the accommodation? Are there any patterns you can observe in the reviews that you should be concerned about? How are you going to get around to attractions in the destination? Is it feasible to travel safely at night?
When it comes to outdoor activities, especially adventure sports, what are the risks associated with it? If unfortunately, you do injure yourself, will you be covered by your travel insurance?
Are there any local health issues for which you should prepare before taking off? You need to do your analysis in advance, much before your trip begins.

Never keep your valuables on you, while in transit! 

Women travellers shouldn’t bring valuables in the first place! True. Never carry anything you would be despondent to lose: family heirlooms, expensive jewellery, your birth certificate, and the like.

Presently women travel safely with an amount of technology that was unfathomable a decade ago. Most of them bring a smartphone at the very least; many even bring laptops, tablets, Kindles or other e-readers, DSLR cameras with pricey lenses, and more. Once you consider the costs to replace any one of those items, they definitely count as valuables.

Plan to make a day bag into which you can fit all of your important items: your passport, your camera, your medication, your jewellery, the credit cards, your smartphone, photography or otherwise valuable equipment. 

Never put together all these items into your general backpack or put these items into the luggage hold on a bus. Never place any of these items into your checked luggage on a plane, as if you let them out of your sight, there’s a full probability that they could be taken away from you forever.

Only carry what you actually need and leave the rest locked up

You should never go out for a walk in the city with all of your credit cards, your passport, and the equivalent of $500 or more in cash. Only take what you need for the day: maybe just around equivalent of $50, tops, and a backup debit card and always keep the rest locked up safely in your accommodation. Almost every respectable hotel or hostel has lockers available for guests and utilize them if they have them.

Presently guesthouses, hotel rooms, or other places that don’t have a locker or safe for you, get hold of a portable safe instead: a slash proof bag you can fill with your valuables and lock to a pipe or something else sturdy in the room. While it doesn’t ensure to eliminate the risk 100% as professional criminals have all the tricks to rob you. But most criminals are opportunistic, they'll go after the person who left his or her valuables out in the open, much more easily accessible to them.

Don’t trust anyone too early!

When you’re traveling solo in a new destination, it can be tempting to join up and find a tribe while you move around in the destination. Sometimes these tribes can turn into lifelong friendships, but they don’t always. Some con artists do exist everywhere that have mastered the art of befriending travellers, getting them to leave their valuables unattended, and robbing them before taking off.

When it comes to love and romance, you may desire to crank up the speed when you meet someone outrageously sexy, but that’s not always the best idea. Sex is common while on the road, but make sure to protect yourself as much as possible from conmen.

Sometimes, you may desire to be part of a group so badly that you start trusting people much before you should. If you’re looking to know someone on the trip, don’t blindly trust him or her to guard your expensive electronics while you’re in the bathroom. It’s may look rude but in case you're cautious, don't worry. You should take things slowly, and if someone earns your trust, that’s when you depend on them.

Keep your drinking in limits

This is one travel safety tip for women that doesn’t get said often enough. It’s applicable whether you’re at home or on the road. Whenever you drink alcohol, it dulls your nerves and slows your reaction time, which in turn makes you vulnerable to others.

That doesn’t imply that you should avoid drinking altogether. But look to drink slowly and pace yourself. Always eat beforehand or during the party. Remember to have a glass of water in between each drink and your body will definitely thank you in the morning. 

Be mindful of what you are actually drinking, and prefer to take drinks directly from the bartender. Look to resist the pressure, gentle or otherwise, to keep up with others who might be able to drink more than you.

If people the group are taking turns buying rounds for the whole table, say up front that you don’t plan on drinking as much as everyone else and they’ll grasp your concern. Never think on the terms you need to go drink for drink with your companions, especially if they happen to be beefy rugby players from New Zealand.

Blend with the background as much as you can

Your attire can easily win attention of people with not good intentions. If you show up in shorts and a t-shirt in Paris, definitely you'll get the attention of every pickpocket in the streets of Paris. As normal as shorts and a t-shirt are anywhere in North America, you would never see that style happening commonly in most of the Europe. As wearing shorts on streets openly are rare and Europeans in general dress much more neatly than North Americans, especially in France and Italy.

The more you dress to stand out, the more you brand yourself as someone who is unfamiliar with the location, which makes you more an easy target to criminal attention.

Instead, do a detailed analysis for attire on your destination in advance, observe how people dress, and try to pass as a local. If that looks difficult like if you’re in Thailand or Mexico and look neither Thai nor Mexican, try to pass as a long-time resident. Look to wear neat and tidy clothing, by covering your arms, legs, and cleavage in Muslim countries, wearing loose clothing in India, and wearing long pants in Europe and Latin America. In tandem with fusing in, it’s important to maintain composure at all times, and even if you’re hassled by something, at least maintain the appearance of confidence.

Whenever moving out or walking down the street, hold your head up and your shoulders back. Always look to move straight ahead and walk with a purpose. Always pretend that you have somewhere important to be, and if you are falling prey to street harassment, ignore it and keep moving. If unfortunately, you become lost and you need to find your way, go into a shop or café to consult your map privately before continuing on.

Check in regularly

It’s an excellent idea to have at least one designated friend or family member to keep a copy of your itinerary in advance. Right from Cheap flights numbers, your hotel accommodation details, and a general schedule of where you’ll be on specific dates, as well as vital information on your travel insurance, credit cards, and a bank account number.

Schedule ahead of time on how you’ll check in and how often, whether it’s through daily emails, texts, social media updates, or regular Skype chats. Whatever mode and frequency you choose to do, make sure you keep a consistent schedule.

Don’t walk alone at night

In some countries, you'll find it’s perfectly safe to walk alone at night but in others it can turn out to be a risky affair. Things can get really scary if someone grabs you from the back in the dark. Whenever moving out in dark, prefer to stay in lighted areas and walk close to couples or a family. If you ever feel like you're being followed, pop into the nearest restaurant or hotel. There you can find someone who speaks English and helps you remain safe.

More Information: What are the best flight deals on domestic & international airlines?

How Do I Get the Best Discounts on Airline Tickets?

Who on this earth won't like to have a discount while making a booking for a flight ticket? Flight tickets can be very expensive and may at times can force you to cancel the trip if they exceed your travel budget. A discount, may be little or big, is always beneficial and goes a long way in making a successful trip happen. If your budget is tight and your destination can only be reached if travelling by air, then getting Cheap Flight Tickets is just like getting a feeling of heaven. All the time before we begin to search the flight tickets for our destination we are thinking about the fact 'Why do the airfares to a destination always fluctuate?" and 'How do the airlines set the airfare for a destination?'

 

Airlines have been using 'Dynamic pricing model' to price the Plane Tickets and this has nothing to do with costs or travel distance but more to do with customer's demand for a particular route, probability of selling the tickets in future, previous bookings and flight capacities. The airlines make use of Airlines Revenue Management system to price the Airline Tickets to maximize their profit as much as possible without losing many customers. Airlines also separate their customers into business and leisure category and will start pricing their holiday destinations higher in advance as people who are going on vacation will book in advance and later look to lower prices to fill capacity. On the other hand, business destinations' fares will rise steeply just before a week to take advantage of business travellers as they are willing to pay almost 60 percent higher on an average to secure a seat.

Being Flexible with Travel Dates and Flight Times

Air fares are different on separate days of the week, time of the year, and approaching celebration time such as Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Thanksgiving, or the Fourth of July. People look to go for vacation at distinct locations all around the globe in particular months and everyone looks to go somewhere warm in winter and travel when the kids are looking to have summer vacation. In short if we can say, if we're going to fly when everyone is flying, then due to higher demand you won't be able to get Cheap Airline Tickets.

Try to make adjustments with your travelling times as some locations like Paris will always be expensive in the months from June to August but instead plan in later months when fewer people visit and airfare are comparatively cheaper. To get discounts on airline tickets is to fly off-season. Look for alternative dates so that you can capitalize on the discounts offered on the Flight Tickets.

Timings of the flight can help you land on big discounts as no body prefers to take the Red-Eye flights and they generally go at very less capacity. Airlines offer great discounts for them rather than morning flights because that's when most business-travellers fly. Same framework goes for flying in the middle of the week than on a weekend because most people travel on the weekends and airlines hike their prices then.  Make adjustments with your dates and times of the flight and you’ll save yourself some major money by getting unusual discounts.

Fly Budget Carriers

In previous decades, if anyone wanted to travel in between continents, they were mostly stuck with the traditional expensive airlines. They used to have the same flights, same destinations and even took off at same time of the day. We lacked for choices but presently that's no longer true. In more connected world, the passengers can fly most of the way around the world on a budget airline. Surely, they're not comfortable as the traditional airlines and these budget airlines may charge extra dollars for premium upgrades like checked bags and meals, but they bring the world to your doorstep without breaking the bank.

The Budget airlines have been granted permission to fly on the short and medium-haul routes, even due to smaller size aircrafts they're best-operated on short and medium-haul for optimum utilization of resources. Plenty of them exist now, for a passenger traveling on a flight route can avail great discounts in comparison to the traditional expensive airlines. The passengers need to be smart enough to look from them as some of them don't show up on Flight Booking portals as they don't enter into profit-sharing agreements.  

Passengers need to vary about the fees they pay for the boarding the flight. These budget airlines are charging for almost everything ranging from checked bags, carry-ons, printing your boarding pass, using a credit card, and anything else they can get away with. Before committing to any budget airlines, add up the cost of the ticket and the fees to make sure that the price is lower than a larger carrier flying on the same route. 

Another important point to cross-check is the location of the budget airline’s airport at your intended destination. Budget airlines based on the permission, often fly in and out of airports that are quite far from the actual city, with limited and expensive transportation options, and the cost of reaching the airport should also be added to the final tally. 

Don’t Always look to Fly Direct

Being flexible with dates and destinations indeed helps in getting discounts, but being flexible with the flight route even is another way to get cheap airline tickets. It's possible if you're taking direct flight to London it may be very expensive at nearly $900 but taking a budget flight to Amsterdam and then taking a connecting flight can land you a deal in less than $700.

To make effective use of this technique, find out how much you need to pay for going directly to the destination. Then, open the flight aggregator site and type in that destination’s continent to look at prices to nearby airports. Once you the get the flight prices, look to see how much it is to get from the second airport to my primary destination (either by flight or train, if it’s not too far). You can make use of the same technique at the time of leaving to also and searching other airports to check if it’s cheaper to fly/drive/train there and then flying to the final destination.

It’s important while making reservations for separate flights, you at least have a buffer of three hours so as to avoid any anomaly. It can also entitle to claim travel insurance since most companies have included this clause. This technique requires much hard work and imagination as you need to figure out different routes and checking different airlines. 

Checking Mail for Special Deals from Airlines

Before the traveller initiates the flight search, make sure going through the airlines websites and some newsletters. Registering for the mailing list for airlines and last-minute deal websites will give the passenger access to the absolute best deals out there.

Almost, most of them might not fit your itinerary but keeping an eye open on the deals can help you grab an amazing opportunity to get a discount on airline tickets. These mails may be part of your junk mail sometimes but often can land up deals may not be offered every time by the airlines. Most of the airline newsletters offer frequent flier bonuses which can help you save dollars and these points & miles from newsletters can add up to free flights and awesome upgrades.

Use the Reward Points and Miles

A great way to earn discounts on the airline tickets is by signing up for a travel rewards card. The rewards program is one of the best ways to earn free flights, travel perks, and even free hotel stays.

Passengers can earn flight upgrades, welcome bonuses, access to free events, access to airport lounges, and many other perks come as a part of the package. Doesn't make a difference how often you fly, make sure you're enrolled for a reward program. Some cards offer the benefit of earning miles that too without flying or spending extra money and they get added up by purchasing normal grocery items even.

The only thing to take care here is always check on the expiry of the points as they’re valuable and can help you save plenty of dollars on your dream destination trip. Ensure to utilize them before they expire or set up a target to accumulate the number of reward points or miles before going for a dream destination trip.

Make early reservations for flight tickets

Airline ticket prices keep rising as the departure date gets closer, but there is a sweet spot when the airlines begin to either lower or increase fares based on demand. The most appropriate time to book the flight is around two to three months before the departure date, or around five months before if you are going to your destination during their peak season.

You can use this technique as a guide only but don't make it as a hard and fast rule for booking the flight tickets early. Look for the flight prices for the current week showing in the calendar and make the comparison of the flight prices with the planned date of travel. You'll easily ascertain the variation in the fares you can expect when you flight date comes near.

More Information: How to Find the Cheapest Flights Every Time

 

How to Stay Healthy When Traveling to the United States?

If you've been traveling with your family & friends and do get worried about maintaining healthy lifestyle, especially while you're on a vacation? Travelers while on holidays always ponder how is it possible to have a good time, enjoy local cuisine and get in some exercise without depriving yourself of a true vacation. Fareferry has loads of travel expertise and will display how to combine pleasure with wellness when you're on the road, because isn’t living your best life the point of a vacation in the first place? Read on the article to discover simple ways to stay healthy when traveling to the United States.

1. Carry the Sanitizing Wipes:
If you wish to avoid contracting bacteria on the plane, carry the sanitizing wipes and clean the food tray, toilet flush button, the seatbelt buckle, and the overhead air vent. Take few seconds out and clean the surface with an antibacterial wipe, and it could save you from catching a cold, flu, or other communicable illnesses. These wipes are made from special fabric that absorbs the disinfecting solution and releases it when the wipe is being applied to any surface.

2. Go for a short walk before takeoff & wear compression socks in flight or train:

If you're taking a flight or a train for traveling, you've to sit for long duration of time in a confined position, you’re more likely to enhance blood clots in your legs. A situation like this can spoil the mood of whole vacation and its of critical importance we take of our us through simple precautions. To protect yourself, take a long, brisk walk before takeoff, and on the flight wear compression socks, and stay hydrated at all times. While on the flight or train, get up from your seat for walks down the aisle when you can, or at least stretch your calf muscles while sitting if the seatbelt sign is on.

3. Take a peaceful sleep:

If you've booked a long or red-eye flight, you might want to take a snooze and when you wake you're bound to have a cramped neck. Sound sleep is required for keeping oneself active throughout the day. Travelers should carry a travel pillow that keeps your head properly aligned. It results in having a sound sleep and doing this over your red-eye flights is even better for your body.

4. Install a fitness app on mobile phone:

For keeping good health & also during the gym workouts, we need services of a mentor to guide us through. However, while on a vacation we can’t enjoy the services as we’re at a different location and more often tend to miss out on our fitness schedule. We all need motivation to work out when on vacation. A personal training app helps to track the normal workout and if you're able to set up goals while on vacation you are on track to maintaining good health.

5. Get plenty of active wear on vacation:

Few travellers don't take any excuse for not working out every day, cannot even afford to miss out on their fitness attire while doing the work out. They pack their favorite athletic wear—as many outfits as they possibly will require — in order to be prepared and ready to go. A fitness attire when worn makes the body & mind active and gets us in the mood for a proper workout. If you've made space for them in your suitcase along with clothes, it'd be a waste not to use them, isn't it?

6. Eating Healthy Food during vacation:

Always remember to pack nutritious and hydrating snacks when you choose the travel by flight or train. Prioritize drinking water but hydration can come from snacks and fruits too. Fareferry recommends melon, cucumber slices with a squeeze of lemon, fresh veggies and a simple vegetable pâté, and salads packed with greens. If you're having food at destination's local restaurants, grab simpler & nutrition-packed breakfast and lunch items from a local market for a healthy start to the day.

7. Stick to the basics while having food:

If you're feeling hungry, order meals like simple salads, healthy grains, and wild fish—basics that are proven to keep you feeling good. If you've been worried about dressing and salt, it's preferred to pack your own dressing and even salt. A healthy diet can save you from illnesses like diarrhea, dysentery, and even cholera for that matter. Any of the illness, if they happen on the vacation trip, can upset the tempo of the trip and can be very costly for medication and treatment at the destination. 

8. Plan ahead to lessen the stress:

Most of us sometimes or more often get frazzled on the trip, if something goes beyond the itinerary. It's recommended to take extra time before the trip to plan ahead and be watchful for the ambiguities that you can come across. Probe your destination, enlist the places you want to see or things you want to do, then sketch out a timeframe or loose itinerary. If you've a certain attraction, tour, or museum you and your family want to check out, consider buying tickets before you leave. Going all the way and not being able to watch the attraction you wanted to for some reason or the other will spoil the mood of the trip. Keep copies of passport, important documents, emergency numbers, handy in case something goes awry.

9. Skipping breakfast & eating oversized portions in meals:

If you're planning to visit outdoor attractions that comprises of hiking, kayaking, snorkelling, or even swimming; it's important for travellers to start the day off right with breakfast, which helps to keep the metabolism running and staves off cravings later. Also, while on vacation most travellers look to have three full restaurant meals a day, that can turn out be too much for day's calorie intake. 

More Information : How to Find the Cheapest Airfare Deals

How to find a cheap flight ticket?

 

For travelers who are passionate about discovering new destinations, traveling should never stop, or if you're someone who desires to travel all the time, there's no way you should wait for the festive season or off-season to Book a Flight. The sweet fact is; that nowadays you can get a discount on all your Flight Tickets any time of the year. Just follow these simple tips & tricks every time you are planning to travel and looking to book your Plane Tickets:

1.      Being flexible with travel dates

 Many websites claim that booking a flight ticket on a Tuesday or traveling on weekdays is cheaper than on other days, but that's not always true. Many travel portals like Fareferry.com have a travel calendar that shows the prices for the entire month. You get a clear picture of days that offer Cheap Flight Tickets for your destination. The process is straightforward; you input departure and arrival cities and initiate the search without entering a date. First, check the one-way airfares and follow the same for return fares. Scrutinize the price chart and book the fares that suit you the best.

2. Look for local airlines.

 Most of the search engines miss out on showing the flights of local airlines. This phenomenon happens when searching for plane tickets for remote places or less popular cities. Browse the regional airline's website and check for any offers or deals. This search will help you to Book a Flight at lower airfares. 

3. Use the incognito mode when searching for flight tickets.

 We're sure everyone has noticed that the fares prices increase in your web browser each time you search for your flights. This happens due to the cookies controlled by the website in your browser. The website automatically increases the airfares after repeated searches for the same flight route. This surge in airfares creates panic in the mind of travelers that airfares are rising and they should book their FlightTickets immediately. Fareferry suggests you should open a new incognito window before you begin your search. The previous search won't be stored, and you won't see raised Plane Ticket fares. You can also browse for cheap flight tickets from a different laptop/computer or clear your cookies every time before you initiate your search. 

4. Book a flight well in advance

 If your itinerary is fixed, you should not delay things further to get cheaper airfares for booking the plane tickets. The primary reason for the same is as the departure date approaches, the airfares will only head northwards; very few exceptions exist here. By reserving your flight tickets in advance, you can save a good amount of dollars and use them for other enjoyable experiences. 

5. Set fare alerts

 Plenty of airlines has a fare alert reminder for the popular flight routes. Whenever you visit an airline's page and search for a flight route, do remember to set the fare alerts. This helps you get to know special offers before they sell out and enable you to book Cheap Flight Tickets. Also, many airlines have been coming out with special airfare deals and discount offers on the emailing list, and you need to subscribe to them by checking out the website. 

6. Identify the lowest-airfare place to travel.

 If you're impatient to travel and don't have a specific destination in mind, this tip is for you! The search engines will help you find places that offer cheap flight fares and select the holiday destination according to your interest. Visit Fareferry.com, enter your departure city, and hit the search button for cheap flights from anywhere. Then, choose the destination of your choice from the list of most affordable places to fly and book your Flight Tickets.  

7. Don't always fly direct.

Being flexible with flight dates helps get lower fares, and being flexible with the route supports securing Cheap Flight Tickets. Just calculate how much it costs directly to go to the destination and look for the fares to the nearby destination's airports. If the difference is more than USD 150, look to see how much it is to get from the second airport to the primary destination. Check for fly/drive/train and select the most appropriate route to reach the primary goal. This method requires hard work as you have to figure out lots of different courses and options with airlines/roadways/train operators. This is an effective way to lower the plane ticket fares but requires extra effort and some inconvenience during transit. 

8. Remember, not all Search Engines are equal.

While searching for Cheap Flight Tickets, you need to search multiple websites. Many search sites don't list budget carriers or other international carriers as these airlines don't want to pay a booking commission. Other factors such as language issues & fares derived directly from airlines force many search engines to display a different airfare. You need to understand there is no perfect search engine, and there is a need to browse a few of them to get desired Flight Tickets at the lowest fare.

9. Avoid choosing weekends for your traveling.

Airfares have seen a surge in pricing during weekends, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. This happens because employees in big cities travel to work on Mondays and stay there to work till Thursday. On weekends, they book flight tickets to be able to reunite with their families, and hence the price surge in airfares happens. Fareferry.com recommends traveling mid-week when the prices are comparatively lower and often discounted to book cheap flight tickets. Specific search engines offer discounts on booking tickets at midnight from Monday to Wednesday.  

10. Look for the Red-eye flights.

 A red-eye flight is a term used for flights scheduled to take off in the late-night hours and reach their destination early in the morning. Many people are not comfortable taking these odd-timed flights, and occupancy is very low for all airlines. You can quickly gain an advantage of the Cheap Flight Tickets offered by airlines and save dollars. Many International flights are red-eyed and offer great discounts to passengers choosing them. 

 

 More Information: Things to do when travelling with your family