I would like to add the following:

1. Don’t allow anyone into your hotel room or go to anyone’s room. Use the public lobbies, etc., for socializing

2. Never allow any hotel staff into your room unless you have requested something to be done. If in doubt, call the front desk.

3. Don’t accept any rides in any cars with people you have met locally. You don’t know where that ride will lead to.

4. To prevent theft in your room by staff, keep everything that you think is really tempting under lock and key. A friend of mine just had a $200.00 new pair of sandal stolen from her room. But on the other hand, do you want to lock up even your shoes. I don’t think so. This was done at a very reputable hotel.

5. I had money stolen from my safe because I was in a rush to meet the tour guide. I forgot the card/key on the bathroom counter – the safe was in the closet in the bathroom. Since then, I have bought a bag with a lock that is made for this purpose. So even if a person gets into the safe, they would need a key to open the bag. And if they walk away with it, they will need a sharp tool to cut all the wires that encloses it. Then for sure the hotel management would probably know who had a key to the room.

6. Be always aware of what is going on around you and don’t think that only hotel staff steal. Some hotel guests are dishonest in many ways.

I did my first solo trip last year in Paris for 3 nights. My hotel and neighborhood felt very safe, but it got a little quiet and dark in the area at night. I wanted to go roam around and see the Eiffel Tower lit up at night since it was only a 5 minute walk away, but I felt paranoid the whole way there and back since it was so dark and not many people around. I didn’t know what to do otherwise – didn’t want to take a cab for a one to two minute drive (I had a cabbie turn me down the day before because the ride was too short). Looking back, I probably should have brought a flashlight