6 Safety Drills Every Black Woman Should Practice Before Her First Solo Trip
Here's something most solo travel safety guides get wrong: they tell you what could go wrong and stop there. They don't tell you what to actually do — in the moment, in real language, in the exact order — so that if something does happen, your body already knows the next step before your brain has to think about it.
That's the idea behind a safety drill. Athletes use them. Emergency responders use them. And solo female travelers — especially Black women traveling alone for the first time — benefit from them enormously, because mental rehearsal before a trip is what turns panic into a practiced, calm response on the road.
Below are 8 safety drills every Black woman should run through — ideally out loud, ideally more than once — before her first solo trip. None of these are about living in fear. They're about giving yourself a script so fear doesn't get to write one for you.
1. The Getting Lost Drill
Getting lost in an unfamiliar city is one of the most common solo travel experiences — and one of the easiest to prepare for.
The drill: The moment you realize you're lost, stop walking. Step into a business — a café, a shop, a hotel lobby — anywhere with other people around. Take a breath. Pull up your offline map (downloaded before you left home) and figure out where you actually are. Never wander the streets looking visibly lost — that's when you become a target. Orient yourself indoors, then move with purpose.
2. The Feeling Followed Drill
This is one of the most important solo travel safety tips for women, and it's almost never explained clearly: if you think someone is following you, do not head toward your accommodation. You don't want anyone to know where you're staying.
The drill: Walk toward the nearest busy, public space — a restaurant, a hotel lobby, a pharmacy — and move toward staff or other people. If the person follows you inside, quietly ask staff for help or call your emergency contact. Stay until you're certain it's safe to leave, and arrange transportation directly from that location.
3. The Bag or Phone Theft Drill
If your bag or phone is taken, the instinct to chase is real — and it's also one you want to override in advance.
The drill: Don't chase. Move to a safe, public location immediately. Contact your emergency contact, report to local police (and get a report number for insurance purposes), and contact your bank and phone carrier to lock everything down. Having these numbers saved before your trip — not searching for them in a panic — is what makes this drill work.
4. The Accommodation Entry Drill
Where you sleep is where you're most vulnerable, which makes this one of the most overlooked safety drills for travelers.
The drill: Before entering your accommodation, notice who's nearby — never enter if someone unfamiliar is lingering at the entrance behind you. Once inside, lock and deadbolt the door, and consider a portable door alarm (a small, inexpensive travel item that alerts you if a door is opened). Know your nearest exit the moment you arrive at any new property.
5. The Transportation Verification Drill
Rideshares and taxis are one of the highest-leverage places to build a safety habit, because the verification only takes seconds.
The drill: Before getting in, confirm the license plate, driver name, and photo match the app. Share your live trip with your emergency contact. Sit in the back seat. If the route feels wrong, say so out loud immediately — "I'm just double-checking the route, why are we going this way?" Trust that instinct over any social discomfort about asking.
6. The Medical Emergency Drill
This drill is less about a physical action and more about information you already have ready.
The drill: Before you travel, know the address of the nearest reputable hospital at your destination and save your travel insurance's 24-hour emergency line in your phone. If something happens, that number is your first call — they coordinate care and handle billing, which removes a huge amount of stress in a moment when you need it most.
Why Practicing These Drills Matters
The research on solo female travel safety is more encouraging than fear suggests — most solo travelers report feeling safer than expected once they're actually on the road. Drills like these aren't about preparing for the worst. They're about removing the uncertainty that makes solo travel feel scary in the first place, so that what's left is the part you've actually been looking forward to.
Want all drills in one place — with the exact scripts, word for word? The Solo Sister's Safety Manual includes complete step-by-step drills for every situation above, plus a full Black-friendly accommodation guide, your travel cousins community roadmap, and a 25-resource toolkit built specifically for first-time Black female solo travelers.