Getting Around - Taxi or Private Car

You know what its like after a long haul flight, you're feeling weary and disoriented and all you want to do is get to your accommodation to drop off your luggage and have a shower. And maybe sleep.

So you walk out of the arrivals area and look desperately for a taxi. In most airports there will be a line up of cars waiting for you, and you don't really have a choice which car you jump into. If you're lucky, the driver will know where you need to go to and wont try to rip you off by going the long way. If you don't speak the local language, you may have an issue communicating your destination (I always screen shot my location and show the driver if I choose to catch a taxi).

There may even be some chit chat along the way.

 - "Where are you from"
 - "Are you travelling alone"
 - "How long are you here for"

The usual stuff of taxi conversations. If the taxi driver is particularly entrepreneurial, he/she may even ask you if you need a private guide and offer their services for the duration of the holiday.

I met a women at a recent conference in Berlin who flew in from the States and we got to talking about how she caught a taxi from the airport and went the long way which cost her an additional 20 Euros to what the guide book suggested. She also mentioned that she had a "creepy" feeling from the driver who knew she was alone and knew where she was staying and knew for how long she'd be there for. He even offered to be her private guide for the week, including taking her out to some restaurants and bars of an evening.

Of course she declined, however this didn't make her feel any less at-ease in a new city.

I always hire a private car to collect me from the airport when I arrive in a new city that I haven't been to. It may cost a little more, but in my mind it's worth it.

A private car will have had all the necessary vetting, and will be waiting for you as soon as you walk out of the gates. You won't need to try to navigate your way through an unfamiliar airport to a taxi stand where you have to wait in a queue, travel-lagged and wearied.

A private car will also take care of your luggage, so the risk of leaving it behind in a taxi is less.

A private car will unlikely chit chat with you along the drive, unless you instigate it. There will be no discussion about why you'e travelling alone, where you husband is, how long you're there for etc. So there is no "slip" of potentially critical information that could put you at risk.

In the event I do have to jump in a taxi, I'm always very careful about the information I give away. In some cases I lie. I might say that I'm meeting my husband at the hotel who arrived days before I did. Or I might politely decline conversation by saying that I'm not feeling the best.

Of course this all sounds so over the top and unnecessary. The chances of something happening from a taxi driver are very small, however being in emergency assistance for travellers I've become more risk adverse than the average traveller.

I'm yet to try Uber in a different country, however I swear by Uber in my hometown as opposed to Taxis. Maybe on the next trip........

Violent Act in Vienna

Falling ill or injuring yourself on holidays is generally unexpected. I say "generally" because I happen to know of many people who travel knowing they have a medical condition that may flare up, or of travellers jumping head first into risky activities. But for the most part, most travellers don't intend on falling sick, or having an accident. 

Most travellers also don't expect to be attacked. Sadly it happens far too often; in my line of work we see approximately 30 cases per year of some form of assault on travellers and it's important to know what to do if it happens to you. 

Here is where I speak from recent experience. Not just "bystander" experience from the travellers we help every day, but from real life scary personal experience. 

A few days ago I was travelling by myself in what would be considered one of the safest cities in the world - Vienna. I booked myself into a mid-range hotel close enough to the action that I could walk around the city without fear. 

How wrong I was. 

Still suffering a little jetlag, I decided to explore the city as soon as there was light and ventured out at around 8am. I must admit my guard was down because I thought..... well, Vienna! The fifth safest city in the world, this is the land of the Von Trapps, of Sacher Torte and Viennese Coffee with whipped cream. 

I knew the moment I walked down a quiet street, and heard the footsteps behind me that I was in trouble. I had to think clearly and quickly and located a small shop with an open door approximately 100 meters in front and I quickened my step toward it. My attacker moved in fast, and as he approached me he grabbed my arm and swung me around so fast that I landed on the road, hitting my shoulder and head on the curb.

One saving grace was that my bag was across my body and under my coat - not easily accessible without some effort. My other saving grace was that the incident was witnessed by a man turning the corner who ran to my rescue and scared my attacker. 

The police were called, and I was taken to be checked out. Thankfully nothing broken, only a few bruises and a little anxiety about walking and sleeping on my own. 

With wise words from a friend, I ventured back out that afternoon (back on the bike so to speak), to savour some positive memories of the place and separate the incident from the city.  I then moved onto the next city the following day.

While this was an awful experience, here are a few "tips" that helped in not making it worse. 

 - My handbag was worn across my body and under my coat (its 1 degree right now)
 - I don't wear headphones with loud music, so I can hear my surroundings
 - I'd read the map before leaving my hotel room and "knew" my route
 - I was lucid and had my wits about me to plan an escape/exit
 - Sheer luck! 

My advice to anyone who may be attacked in a foreign country is to get help immediately. Don't blame yourself, and don't blame the city. Blame the person who attacked you.

If you require medical treatment, contact your travel insurance straight away so they can arrange it for you. If it's anything more serious, make sure your embassy or consulate are aware so they can provide any language or legal assistance for you. 

If you really feel unsafe, remove yourself from the area. 

And call a friend. It really helped to download it all and move on. 

Where to Lay Your Head......

I recently spoke at a travel event in Australia attended mostly by travel agents, airlines and travel insurance companies. 

During my presentation, I spoke about the importance and education of duty of care for travellers, and provided a case study of a traveller ill-informed of the risks of travel that ended up costing her a lot of money. 

The hot topic of accommodation came up, with AirBnB now partnering with Qantas and opening up a "business" channel. This enraged the travel agents, but excited the travellers and airlines. 

Naturally, the question turned to me. Not only do I deal with all kinds of emergencies from travellers in trouble, I'm an avid traveller myself (read - I'm a travel addict) and I don't necessarily stick to the "safe" zones. I write travel safety guides, so naturally my audience expected me to have a solid opinion. 

So, what's safer for a solo female traveller - a hotel room or AirBnb?

Thats such a tricky question. Obviously my travel agent friends want to say that Hotels are safer - with 24hr concierge etc. But not all hotels are like that and not all travellers have a budget for a hotel with 24/7 security and concierge. 

Hotels can vary depending on location and budget. I've stayed in some fancy pants places that I didn't want to leave, but I've also stayed in some places where I've not been able to sleep for fear of being murdered in the middle of the night. 

I've also use AirBnB and have had the same level of difference. When travelling with my family I have no issue at all staying in an AirBnB - we usually take the entire apartment/house and have an awesome time. 

In fact, the first AirBnB I booked was for a wedding in Belgrade. I chose an apartment with a guest rating of 100%, and let the owners know who was travelling and why we were there. Amazingly, the owner messaged me and noted I was going to a wedding, so she offered to make a hair and nail appointment for me. I probably wouldn't get that level of customer service from the fanciest of hotels. 

Over a 4 week period travelling through eastern Europe, we stayed in eleven different places through AirBnb. Only one of the eleven was "dodgy" and we quickly moved on. Overall, for three of us it only cost AUD1500 for a month of accommodation in what we considered comfortable, stylish and fun. If we'd slept in hotel rooms, this would have doubled our budget easily. 

But travelling solo and staying in an AirBnb is a little different.

I decided to throw myself on the sword and test it out in Germany with a cute little one bedroom apartment all to myself. I was met by a colleague of the owner who showed me around the place and left me with the keys. I didn't feel quite as easy knowing that someone else knew that I was travelling alone and that there may or may not be a spare set of keys. 

But here's the thing. To be an AirBnB host, you have to have gone through specific police checks. You also consider hosting a form of investment or income earner - so why would you do anything that would ultimately lead to a jail sentence and loss of income? 

I was left with a wine cellar, should I choose to partake. I was also left with some basic food essentials in case I wanted to cook, as well as a case of sparkling mineral water because..I dont know why. 

There is a delicious bakery across the road from me, and a cafe down the road who knows my coffee order after only two visits. I also have a washing machine, and as mundane as this sounds - when you're travelling, your clothes don't clean themselves. 

So for now, I'm enjoying sharing my money with people just like me, and getting to "live like a local" in different cities around the world. 

This post is NOT sponsored by AirBnB

Pack your Heels!

Gypsy blood runs through my veins; I'm a born traveller and I grab every opportunity to jump on a plane and explore somewhere new.

I also manage an amazing team who look after travellers and deal with emergency situations every day, so it's no surprise to me that travel comes with a certain risk. Every day, my team manage multiple cases for Australian and New Zealand travellers with situations ranging from lost passports to serious medical conditions. I've been in the business a long time and there are not too many situations that surprise me any more. 

I've written numerous emergency response plans for corporates sending staff on location, as well as travel safety guides for leisure travellers. Armed with this information doesn't make me immune to travel emergencies, it only means that I'm more aware of the kinds of situations that can happen. 

I sincerely hate pulling the solo female traveller card out - but the reality is as a solo female traveller, the element of danger is more heightened and I'm living proof!

This year alone I have explored 11 countries from Bosnia to Austria and unfortunately have experienced one or two incidents. Rather than let it ruin my love of travel, I decided to jot down few pointers that I hope will help other female travellers. 

Here are the top five measures I take to lessen the risk of being a target:


 1 - Arranging a car pick up on arrival into a new city
The extra money for a private car is worth it when arriving into a city I've never been to before..

I fly from Australia which means regardless of where I travel to, its likely going to be a long flight and I'll be weary walking through the arrivals gate. If I'm flying into a new city, I won't know the lay of the land and by jumping into a taxi (or metered vehicle), I could easily be a target to be ripped off. 

A private car (or town car), will also help you with luggage in and out of the car so there is little chance of leaving something behind. If it is left behind, you have a higher chance of it being returned to you. 

2 - Wear a wedding ring, carry photos of children
Even if you're not married or don't have any children, wearing a wedding ring will give you a certain status. This doesn't necessarily mean you have an invisible protection dome around you, but it does mean you can politely decline unwanted invitations with a "safe" excuse. 

You can also embellish your travel plans if you're feeling vulnerable - "my husband is joining me shortly..." kinda thing. 

3 - Watch your drink being poured
I know this a no brainer, but it needs mentioning again and again and again. In our business, we see hundreds of cases where women (and men) have fallen victim to drink spiking and the results can be both emotionally and physically damaging.

Drinks get spiked all the time so if someone offers to buy you a drink and you're happy to accept, watch it being poured and don't leave it out of sight. 

4 - Pack a Pair of Heels!
This may sound silly if you intend on backpacking throughout the Himalayas, but high heels can serve a few purposes. 

Last minute party invite.... heels help you party. 

Dodgy hotel and not sure if the door lock is working? Use the heels as a door jam when you're inside. 

Feeling unsafe on a long distance train or bus? Quickly whip out a heel to be used as a weapon if aimed in the right place. 

5 - Download a city map onto your smartphone before you travel
This will give you an idea of where you're staying (if you know), and you won't need wifi if you have to quickly refer to the map to find the closest facilities (police, hospital, cafe). Believe me, you don't want to be fumbling for a wifi connection when you need to quickly find a police station. Or toilet for that matter! TripAdvisor allows you to download maps for free! They're my "go to" essential on every trip!



Things will happen whether you stay at home or travel to distant lands and is not fool proof but hopefully this will give you a few ideas on how to travel safer.