DateableHow to get around a new city safely on a trip with a date
Know how to get home on your own at any hour. Save your hotel address offline, download a map, keep your phone charged and plan the route before you go out.
Know how to get back to your hotel on your own, at any hour, before you go out. Save the address offline, download a map, charge your phone, carry cash for a taxi and share your location with a friend at home: then you can leave whenever you choose.
Save your hotel address offline
Before you leave for the airport, screenshot the hotel's name, street address and phone number from the booking email. A screenshot works with no signal.
A screenshot does not help if your phone dies, so also write the address on paper and keep it in your wallet. In a country where you do not speak the language, ask the front desk for the hotel's card, or the address written in the local script, to show a driver.
Download a map of the area before you go out
Google Maps and Apple Maps both let you download an area so the map works without internet: look for "offline maps" in the app's settings or your profile menu, and download it on hotel wi-fi. With it, you can still see where you are and find your way home with no signal or roaming.
Download the area around your hotel, any restaurants or bars you might visit, and the main streets you will walk. You do not need everything. You need the bits that matter.
Charge your phone before you leave
NZ Police advise keeping your phone charged and planning your way home when you go out 1. On a trip that matters more: your phone is your map, your translator, your ride and your way to call for help. Charge it fully before you head out, and carry a small power bank and cable for a long evening.
Turn on battery-saver mode once you drop below about a third. It slows the phone down, and it keeps enough charge to get you home.
Plan your way home before the night starts
Do not wait until eleven at night to work out how to get home. Over breakfast, look up the route from the evening's venue back to the hotel and answer four questions: how long is the walk, where is the nearest taxi rank, which ride-share app works here, and is there a night bus or train? Screenshot the answers.
You make these choices better rested and in daylight than tired, late and under pressure.
Carry cash for a taxi
Cards get declined and apps stop working, and some taxis only take cash. Carry enough local cash for a taxi home from anywhere you plan to be, kept apart from your main wallet. Ask the hotel front desk what a typical fare costs so you know how much.
Get in from a lit, busy spot, not a side street. Sit in the back, give the address, and follow the route on your offline map. If the car heads the wrong way, say so.
Tell someone at home where you are
Share your location with a friend at home for the evening, and tell them where you are and who you are with 1. They do not need a running commentary, only a way to find you if something goes wrong. The first date safety guide has the rest of the routine.
I'm heading out to dinner at eight. I am sharing my location with you for the evening. If I do not text you by midnight saying I'm back, give me a call.
It tells your friend exactly what to do, and when.
Use it: leave when you want
With these in place, you never depend on your date for a way home. If something feels off, say so and go, and do not feel bad about cutting the date short 1:
I'm going to head back to the hotel now. I'll message you tomorrow.
If you ever feel unsafe, go into a staffed hotel lobby, restaurant or shop and call a taxi from there. More on staying safe is on the safety page and in safety posts.
Sources
- New Zealand Police (2026). Safety advice.
