5 reasons why Travelling is Safer than staying at Home – Safe Travel

Why travelling is safer than staying at home? That’s a pretty brutal statement but read on to see how I motivate it. On many fronts, travelling is no more risky than staying at home. In fact, in many ways, travelling involves less risk. Of course, there are points of concern but yes, you have those in your home situation too. Take it from me, statistically you are more safe travelling than at home.

While travelling, and I have been travelling mostly alone for over 10 years now, I have experienced very few situations that were not pleasant. I was robbed once … that sounds intense but read how I solved that problem 🙂 Now, I haven’t had any unpleasant situations in my home situation either but if you study the statistics, you might get second thoughts about that.

5 reasons why travelling is safer then staying at home
Safe Travel

I will elaborate further on these in my 5 reasons why I think travelling is safer than staying at home.

1. Physical violence

Most abuse takes place in the domestic sphere. It is a sad fact but still most abuse takes place between husband and wife (partners), parents and children or housemates. Emotions run high, there is sometimes no way to take a time-out. After all, you live together and so you stay in the negative emotion. In my work as a police officer, I often find myself in this kind of situation. While travelling, I don’t encounter this kind of situation…

So in this respect, you are more secure abroad: So Travelling is Safer then staying at home….

I often travel alone but even if you do travel with your partner, you can find distractions more easily, seek that time-out quicker. For example, do an outing without your partner. Then in the evening you both have a new adventure to tell each other about. It is very healthy and good to have your own experiences and adventures.

• When is it not safe to travel and more likely to be physically violent?

Of course, there are also cases where there is a chance of physical violence. When alcohol is involved, people become more profligate and situations can arise that are out of your control. Think of nightlife where alcohol is abundant. When travelling, I therefore recommend not getting under the influence. You want to stay on top of things and not go beyond your limits. Stay in control. Don’t feel like it and do want to drink more than 2-3 wines? Then do so at your hotel or within a group where you know someone will stay sober and can trust you 100%.

At big events? Make sure you are not left last. Then you are most likely to end up standing/walking among people who are under the influence. Just like on a night out where you shouldn’t hang around on the streets in the wee hours. It is often at the end of an event that things get out of hand. Make sure you are gone by then or stay out of that crowd.

Do also read: Why you shouldn’t be in the streets when its dark / 5 tips to increase your safety when it is dark

Travelling is safer then staying at home

2. Mental violence

There may be emotional and/or psychological abuse in the domestic sphere or in your circle of friends or acquaintances. Unless you are travelling with that very person…. otherwise, the chances of mental abuse taking place while travelling are really very small. This normally only happens in relationships where there is a certain level of dependency.

So in this statement, I could then add that while travelling solo, you are the safest when travelling.

When you surround yourself with people you don’t know very well, where everyone is travelling and likes to explore their surroundings…. There is very little to no room for manipulation from others. Everyone wants a good day, you are eager to explore the culture and nature of your new surroundings. Mental violence often has a deeper layer that can’t arise from a first contact or second contact already.

Of course, there are exceptions to everything. Sometimes the purpose of contact is to swindle or frame someone for abuse or worse. Often, this takes more time than just a few hours together while travelling.

Do you travel together with someone for longer? Then trust your gut feeling, is it normal for people to treat you like this while travelling? Does it make you feel comfortable? If not, say goodbye and move on alone.

3. Accidents in & around the house

Most accidents happen in your own home…. You fall down the stairs, slip in the shower etc. This can also happen while travelling but since you are at home most of the year and spend most of your time there, most accidents really happen at home.

Also, you are not cleaning while travelling (where you stand on those stairs) or doing less indoors. So in that respect too, you are better off travelling! You are more mindful when travelling, you pay more attention to your surroundings and where you are.

Unless you only look at the world through your camera. While walking just looking at your screen to see if you can find a nice picture. It’s obviously nice that you come home with lots of memories (pictures) but make sure you really just look around you. That you experience, feel and see everything where you are. Really, believe me, those memories have more impact on your experience, they let you gain insights and grow. And that way, you will also be safe on your journey.

4. Traffic – always driving the same route

Traffic is so much safer at home than when travelling. You know the chaotic traffic scene of e.g. India, of course. It seems like everyone is just doing whatever and it all happens to go well. I can assure you that this is not so. People pay so much more attention in countries like that because what happens is not so obvious. It is a wonderful interplay with your fellow traffic participants.

Remember that in traffic you are water flowing past obstacles. The fellow road users do the same and in that interplay, everyone sees each other and is grateful that you grant each other the spot. There is nothing more fun than going through traffic that way and having eye contact with others so often and giving each other the spot.

How different is it in traffic at home? You do everything a bit on autopilot. Also you expect everyone to obey the rules…. because then you don’t really have to look to see if someone else is coming. You had the right of way and were therefore allowed to go. If then someone makes a wrong decision, the chances of a collision are high.

And so even in traffic, you are really more safe travelling than staying at home on a number of fronts …

Travelling is safer then staying at home – Safe & Healthy Travel

5. Outside your comfort zone, you are more alert

When you are in an unfamiliar situation, you pay much more attention to your surroundings. You are more alert and so you notice irregularities faster. You are more focused on the outside world and look around with interest and learn from your surroundings.

The fact that you no longer have to do this at home creates a certain laxity, as I mentioned earlier with traffic. You think you already know it all and don’t recognise it quickly or react too slowly when things happen to be different.

When travelling, most things are still new and you look around you carefully. You want to take in your surroundings, you study the habits of the local people. For that reason, you are more likely to recognise deviant behaviour in your surroundings. Maybe you recognise when you are being watched and seen as prey.

Contact with a stranger is more focused tourist activities. So if a conversation becomes personal and inappropriate, you more easily stop such a conversation. You recognise it earlier and can intervene earlier.

Apart from being more alert and observant while travelling, you have to keep watching out for pickpockets…. I know I look at my surroundings differently than the average traveller because of my work. I am more likely to notice if I am being followed, see someone in a strange way more than once…. Some go about their business very shrewdly and it’s hard to resist them.

That’s why I wrote other blogs for that with tips to recognise a pickpocket or to protect yourself from pickpockets.

Travel Safe
What else to look out for?

Is a country safe to travel to?

Of course, you should always check whether the country you want to travel to has code green or yellow. Are you safe travelling through country X or Y. For orange, it is not recommended to travel there, we all know it through corona time of course. To be honest, before corona I never actually checked this travel information. So once I was in Kashmir, India for which a code orange was issued. Yet I must say that I did not feel unsafe for a single moment. I was there at the home of Latif, my local travel agent. He took me to visit his family in Srinagar. Still, of course it is good to know the political – and security situation in a country.

• Check if the country of your choice is safe. Google for your own countries recommendations.

Keep in mind local customs & habits

In some countries, especially Asia and the Middle East, as a woman, it is important that you adjust your clothes a bit. Don’t walk around in very short skirts and with shirts with spaghetti straps. Men often don’t see much female ‘nudity’ and it just demands a lot of attention. Precisely that kind of attention you are not looking for. Read my 6 tips for women travelling in India.

I hope these tips are of some use to you. These underline why I say that you are travelling is safer then staying at home.
I hope these tips get you over the threshold to take that far away beautiful trip.
The world is a beautiful place and you are welcome there!

Would you like to share these tips for safe travel?

Read more travel safety tips?

5x well meant advice you DON’T need

Hiking Tips for women – Hiking Safe as a Solo Women

Tips for Women Travelling alone in India

7 Anti Theft Tips for your Day Bag

Hiking – How to increase your Safety with your Trekkingpoles

Going on safari? Then read these tips

Safe on Safari – What are the Rules?

I hope you enjoy this beautiful world as much as I do