Must-Have Solo Travel Apps of 2023: OZZI

Are you a first-time solo traveler? On the hunt for the best solo travel apps to aid you on your first solo trip? Well, you’re in luck! I have the perfect travel safety app to bring along on your adventure to help ward off danger and provide the most stress-free vacation possible. Trust me when I say it’s the ultimate travel buddy.

First things first: congrats on taking the leap into solo travel! It’s one of the most thrilling and rewarding experiences you can have in life. Hellen Keller once said that “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all,” and she was definitely onto something.

While this is applicable to life in general, it also applies to the art of travel. Adventures rely on elements of risk and uncertainty. Without these, the experience of travel can seem far less exciting. Conversely, travel can also involve danger — often unexpectedly. Whether you’re someone who seeks it out on purpose, or stumbles across it by accident, it’s best to educate and prepare yourself for potentially dangerous situations prior to booking a vacation. This is where the newly-launched travel safety app, OZZI, comes into play.

What is OZZI Travel Safety?

OZZI is anything but your typical Google maps travel safety app. It was designed by parents who had a vision for helping their children stay safer in the outside world. OZZI’s data and sources have even been vetted by the U.S. Government Intelligence and Defense teams to ensure maximum accuracy. In fact, it’s safe to say it’s one of the best apps of it’s kind. In fact, there’s no other app quite as comprehensive or informative on the market. Not only does OZZI help travelers get their final destinations safely, it’s one of the best solo travel apps for empowering travelers to do what they love most: explore the world.

How does the App Work?

Here’s why it’s a great tool: within the app, travelers can create individual travel “portfolios” for upcoming trips based on specific location and their travel dates. When creating portfolios, it’s best to be as detailed as possible to ensure accuracy. For example, I currently have active portfolios for Cartagena, Colombia, Marrakech, Morocco, and Granada, Nicaragua. Through these portfolios, the app provides insight on the safest neighborhoods to book hotels or rentals, and sends real-time alerts regarding natural and human-made safety incidents to minimize disruptions.

These features have been especially useful to me as a solo traveler. In fact, I consider it one of the best solo traveler apps out there. Just this week, multiple real-time alerts notified me of an increase in violent crime in the neighborhoods throughout the city of Managua. One alert in particular caught my eye: an elevated threat in the neighborhood of Barrio Martha Quezada, near Parque Historico Nacional Loma de Tiscapa.

Upon further inspection, I realize my hotel is right at the edge of what is displayed as a red zone for streets and specific locations with the highest threat. In this case, it was a bus station. This prompted me to book another hotel in a neighborhood with no red or orange zones of caution, so when I finally arrive at my destination, I’ll have peace of mind.

Perhaps if I had kept my previous hotel booking, all would have been fine regardless. However, I didn’t want to take that chance. Travel is a beautiful thing as it pushes us beyond the realm of comfort. But here’s the thing: that’s where it should stop. Being slightly uncomfortable due to being in a new place versus putting yourself in actual danger are two totally different things.

OZZI helps identify potentially threatening incidents and empowers solo travelers to make informed decisions to avoid trip disruptions or worse. Instead of obsessing over potential threats and safety, travelers can instead focus on meeting new friends, taking food tours, exploring, and having the experience of a lifetime. It’s truly a great app!

What are the features of the App?

1. Ratings

OZZI utilizes an easy-to-understand “traffic light” ratings system that reveals safety conditions in real time. Ratings are on a scale of 1.00 – 5.75 indicating Minimal, Low, Moderate, High, and Extreme levels. The ratings categories are below:

2. Safety Maps

There is nothing worse than arriving at a destination that looks far from how it was advertised. Take it from someone who experienced this during a solo trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2021 (hi, it’s me). OZZI helps to prevent this with interactive maps that show travelers real-time conditions of neighborhoods well before they reach the front door to their accommodation. OZZI also provides information for local emergency contacts, currency conversion, emergency services, financial crimes including credit card theft, and various events happening during your trip.

3. Safety Alerts

OZZI sends out real-time, verified safety alerts from the nine categories listed below:

– Security (civil unrest, crime, armed conflict, kidnapping, threats of terrorism, and security services);

– Health (disease and threats, mental health risks, medical facilities services, and food and water conditions);

– Legal (local laws, emergency contacts, embassies and consulate information);

– Culture (significant dates and holidays, business hours, body and hand gestures); 

– Environment (air quality, environmental risks, man-made hazards, natural disasters);

– Political (corruption, government stability, rule of law, sanctions, current government leaders);

– Entry/Exit Border Control (required visas, pre departure requirements, on-arrival);

– Financial (currency information, credit card fraud/use, taxes, and tipping culture); and

– Infrastructure (local bus routes, road conditions, cyber attacks, driving habits).

Push notifications must be turned “on” in the OZZI app to receive alerts. All alerts are actionable and provided within 2 to 15 minutes from the incident occurring so travelers can make the most informed decisions about their safety as possible.

4. Local Guides

The OZZI app may be one of the most in-depth travel safety apps out there, but they also cover the “simpler” side of travel, too. From passport and vaccine requirements, to travel guides and helpful destination tips, travelers can get security compliant intel and manage their trips all in one place. It’s an essential app to have on your phone for any travel occasion!

Download the OZZI Travel Safety for your Next Adventure

OZZI is available in the App Store four different affordable membership subscriptions: the Travel Pro 30 day, Travel Pro 60 day, Travel Pro 90 day, and the Travel Pro Annual.

These memberships are designed to fit every type of traveler, from solo female travelers to the “occasional” adventurer, gap-year adventurers, and even the expat abroad. Planning to spend the summer enjoying international travel while you traverse Europe? The Travel Pro 90 Day membership might be for you. Have your first solo trip coming up? The Travel Pro 30 Day may be just what you need. If none of these plans fit the length of your trip, or if you are looking for group pricing, you can always contact the OZZI team at info@ozzi.app.

The good news, is that downloading and using the app is easy. It can be completed by downloading via the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.

Select the membership that fits your upcoming vacation:

1. Travel Pro 30 day
2. Travel Pro 60 day
3. Travel Pro 90 day
4. Travel Pro Annual.

– (Use my code ECC23 at Checkout for 20% off)
– Verify the email address used at checkout
– Download OZZI Travel Safety from Apple App Store or Google Play
– Login
– Add your upcoming vacation on the Travel screen

Visit OZZI’s website to learn more about the app’s features, the team behind the technology, and how to manage subscriptions.

Why Should You Use OZZI Travel Safety?

Downloading OZZI will not only expand your travel possibilities, but improve your travel experiences. Wether you’re traveling half-way across the world or taking a road trip to the next state, it is sure to empower and educate. Having access to the world is a privilege, but being able to enjoy it safely and without fear is a right that we all have.

Has using the OZZI app safety features allowed you to travel more confidently domestically or in different countries? Tell me about your experience using this travel safety app, and feel free to leave positive reviews in the comments below. Safe Travels!