Those traveling alone may feel uncomfortable at times. Others may avoid solo travel alltogether and instead join an expensive, large group travel tour company. For those who do wish to embark on a solo journey, there are some helpful tips you can follow to make your trip a more pleasant one. A few of these guidelines are of greater value to vegan travelers or solo female travelers. However, several of the tips can benefit any solo traveler!

1. Take a copy of the books “Vegan Passport” or “PointIt” with you so that you can communicate your vegan dining needs in countries where you do not speak the language and the restaurant waitstaff do not speak English.
2. Take a foreign language class at an adult education center prior to your trip. Some places offer classes primarily for travel. You should memorize basic travel lingo such as “I do not eat chicken or fish”, “Where is the bathroom?” or “Is it safe to walk alone here at night?”. Also, learning the language can sometimes help you with bargaining for better deals at bazaars or markets. The locals appreciate the effort you took to learn their language.
3. Dress appropriately for the destination country. In Greece or Arab countries, women should dress modestly in religious venues such as temples. You may be treated with more respect and get better prices at the markets for example if you where a head scarf in Egypt.
4. Speak to the locals, hotel/hostel staff, bus drivers, taxi drivers to determine which areas or streets are dangerous for a solo traveler to walk after dark.
5. Realize that in some countries, the concept of “vegan” is misunderstood. Be sure to mention that you do not eat chicken, fish, or animal broth and that no bones should be in the soups either.
6. You may be interested in signing up with a local tour company for a city tour of your destination. This would be safer as you can travel to a more remote location with others.
7. Wear a waist pouch under your clothing to hide money.
8. And the obvious.. Do not wear expensive jewelry or anything that looks expensive!
9. Do your vegan restaurant research in advance before your trip. Go to online sites such as happycow.net or vegdining.com. This will prove advantageous for two reasons. Vegans will be able to dine on suitable meal options. There will be no need to wander about town seeking out vegan dining establishments and not knowing how safe a particular neighborhood is.
10. If no vegan-friendly restaurants exist in your destination city, the best alternative is to determine if there are any ethnic restaurants closeby. Vegans should find out if their destination vicinity has any Indian, Thai, or Mid-Eastern restaurants. Those cuisines offer several vegan meal options.

Following these tips will ensure that your travels are happy and safer!