Safety tips for meeting someone while travelling

Before you meet

Meeting a match or a travel buddy in a city you don't know is different from meeting at your local café. You have fewer people to call and less sense of which areas are busy. A little preparation closes that gap.

• Have a phone or video call first, so you know they are who they say they are.
• Research the meeting place: is it busy at that time, and how will you get there and back?
• Keep your phone charged and carry a power bank.
• Save the address of where you're staying offline, in case your network drops.

Make the first meeting public

Pick a busy café, a popular market, a museum or a well-known viewpoint during the day. Avoid their place, your room, quiet beaches or remote spots for a first meeting, however nice the plan sounds.

Get there on your own and leave on your own. Don't accept a ride from someone you've just met, and don't tell them where you're staying until you're comfortable.

Share your plans with someone you trust

• Your itinerary: where you're staying, where you're meeting, who you're meeting (their name and profile) and when you expect to be back.
• Live location: share it with a trusted friend for the time you're out.
• Check-ins: agree on a time to message, and what your friend should do if you don't.
• A code word: a word you can text if you want a friend to call with an "emergency" so you can leave.

Rooms, money and ID

If you're travelling on together after the first meeting, keep your independence.

• Separate rooms are always an option, and a sensible one on an early trip. Book your own if you'd feel more comfortable.
• Split your money: keep some cash and a card in your bag and some at your stay, so losing one doesn't leave you stuck.
• Keep ID copies: carry a photocopy and keep a digital copy, with the original somewhere safe.
• Hold your own ticket home so you can leave whenever you want.

Transport you trust and emergency numbers

• Use registered taxis, prepaid taxi counters at stations and airports, or app cabs, and share the trip details with a friend.
• Check the vehicle number matches before you get in.
• Avoid travelling alone late at night through unfamiliar areas when you can.
• Save 112, India's emergency number. It connects you to police, fire and ambulance services.

Red flags, and how to leave

• They push to change the plan to somewhere private or remote.
• They pressure you to drink more, or to stay when you've said you want to go.
• They ask for money, a loan or your card details.
• Their story or photos don't match the person in front of you.
• They get angry or sulk when you say no to something small.

You never need a reason to leave. Say "I'm heading off now", pay for your own share if you like, and go somewhere busy before you book a ride. Message your friend once you're on your way.

Safety built into planning

SwipeTrip, a dating and travel-buddy app for India, verifies every member with their Aadhaar and a live selfie. For trips you declare, you can add an emergency contact, check in along the way and use SOS, and location is shared only for the duration of the trip. It's pre-launch, opening city by city.

Questions people ask

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  What is the emergency number in India?

  112. It connects you to police, fire and ambulance services across India.

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  Should I tell my match where I'm staying?

  Not before you've met and feel comfortable. Meet in public and get there and back on your own.

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  Is it okay to ask for separate rooms when travelling with a match?

  Yes. Separate rooms are a normal choice, and anyone respectful will understand.

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  How do I leave a date that feels wrong?

  Say you're heading off, go somewhere busy, book a ride you trust and message a friend. You don't owe anyone an explanation.

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  What should I share with a friend before meeting someone while travelling?

  Their name and profile, where and when you're meeting, where you're staying, your live location and when you'll check in.