Why I don’t arrive to new travel destinations at night
One of my key tips for solo travelers or travelers is that, if at all possible, they should not arrive to a new destination at night. There are many reasons for that, but let me explain why by telling you of my experience of arriving solo in Rome for the first time at night.
I was already in Italy and had spent the past few days exploring Venice. I was set to take the train to Rome to meet up with my travel buddy, but my adventurous self spontaneously decided to detour and stop in Pisa, the small town where the famous leaning tower is. I mean, it was on the way, so why not? I bought my train ticket to Pisa and then bought another train ticket from Pisa to Rome. Pisa is a charming little Italian town; I’m glad I got to explore on foot for a few hours and, of course, take the iconic shot of me “holding up” the tower.
However, my spontaneous Pisa detour meant that I would now arrive in Rome after dark. As my train pulled into the station, I was so excited to FINALLY be in Rome, Italy. The hotel where I was supposed to stay was in walking distance of the train station, so my plan was to take the 10 minute walk there. I have spent a lot of time in Europe and thought that was doable. I had written the directions on a small note card that I had in my bag. I quickly glanced at the directions and memorized them so that I wouldn’t draw attention to myself as a tourist.
“I noticed that this man seemed to be following me”
I headed out from the station on this narrow cobblestone street dragging my wheeled duffle bag. After I got a ways down the street I noticed that this man seemed to be following me. He was maybe a 30-40 feet behind me, but it felt like he kept looking at me and walking the same direction I was going. It terrified me, but I didn’t show it. Though it was night, there were some shops open and some people on the street, but not many. So I decided to stop by one of the shops that had some merchandise on the sidewalk to pretend I was shopping to allow him to pass me, so that I would now be behind him. After he walked pass me I waited a bit before continuing on my journey to the hotel.
Then, I got a little lost. Great. But then that guy was gone so that was one less thing to worry about. If you’ve ever been to Rome, then you know there are a lot of intersections with 5 streets and they can be confusing. I found myself in one of those intersections, unsure about which road to take. I knew I was close to the hotel but I couldn’t figure out which road I was supposed to take. Just then I turned and saw the same guy that was following me across the street! He was standing at a bus stop, so I told myself not to panic…maybe he was just waiting for a bus. However, several busses passed him and he didn’t get on any of them. And of course, he was looking right at me. I saw a taxi stand nearby so I walked to that to stay close to other people. Then I pulled out my phone and called the hotel and asked for the room of my travel buddy - surely they would have arrived already while I was galavanting in Pisa. When they got on the phone, I quickly explained the sketchy situation and asked if they could come find me at the taxi stand immediately. Thankfully, in 5 minutes my travel buddy arrived to rescue me, and once that man saw my travel buddy, he disappeared.
Here’s the moral of the story: it’s best to avoid arriving to a new travel destination at night. There are obvious safety concerns, especially if you’re a solo traveler, because it’s easier for people to take advantage of you at night when there are less people around. It’s also easy to get turned around in an unknown location because you don’t know where you’re going. If you seem lost or flustered, you could be seen as more vulnerable as a target, especially if it appears that you can’t speak the local language of where you are. You could also be jet lagged or just tired from your journey and may not be as vigilant as you’d normally be while traveling.
In moments when a late night arrival cannot be avoided, keep the following tips in mind:
Have a plan for getting to your hotel. Arrange for transportation in advance and ensure you have the address and the phone number of the hotel handy. Don’t just keep it in your phone; phone batteries can run out. Make sure you write down the information and keep it in your hand bag. You should also have a general idea of where your hotel is in relation to the airport or train station where you’re arriving.
Learn a couple useful, simple phrases in the local language. I’m referring to phrases such as “how do I get to…” or “could you tell me where X is…”. That way you can pull them out in case you need to ask for help.
Be vigilant. You don’t have to live in fear, but you should always be aware of your surroundings. Most people have good intentions, but all don’t. Make sure you’re aware enough to notice the difference.
Regardless of what time you choose to arrive for your next trip, have fun and be safe!
Until the next adventure,
~T