One day, while staying at a hostel in Belgium, Andrea Perchotte woke up early to take a shower, thus avoiding the crowd. The co-ed shower was in the basement of the hostel and the walls were thick. Moments into her shower, a drunken man in his early twenties came in. Naked and frightened, a young Perchotte froze.

"Thankfully, he was a nice Canadian guy, and although drunk, he said he was just looking for company," said the seasoned traveler, who has visited six continents and traveled to nearly 60 countries. "That was one of a few close calls during my two decades of traveling, most often while I traveled on my own."

Over the years, Perchotte has missed flights, been scammed and lost luggage.

Today, Perchotte has parlayed her passion for adventure and her wealth of travel knowledge into a business.

She is an author of Travel Smarts: Essential Tips and Strategies for Traveling Smart, Safe and Affordably, as well as a travel coach and lecturer.

"I hope to empower women and men on how to travel smart and save money," said Perchotte.

Perchotte is coming to Richmond on Saturday, July 24 to talk about important and valuable tips for single women who travel alone, during Jet Leg Travel's Girls Going Global outdoor potluck.

Besides how to stay safe while traveling solo, Perchotte will also touch on practical tips including, packing lighter, saving money, staying healthy in foreign countries, best cruise lines and unusual and inexpensive accommodations, during her one-hour discussion and question and answer period.

Her first travel adventure was a school trip to the former Soviet Union when she was 15. From then on, Perchotte, who has honour degrees in Japanese and education, has traveled by car, sea, air and train. Over two decades, she worked as a flight attendant with Air Canada, a cruise ship purser, a hotel inspector for Tourism B.C. -- where she rated the safety of 125 hotels, motels and B & Bs -- as well as a Japanese translator.

She said she comes by her love of travel honestly, as all of her family are ardent travelers, who jet set all over the world on a regular basis.

"I really want women to feel safe and go out and travel more ... I don't want to frighten them, just make them smarter world travelers," said Perchotte, who recently got married. "I like to help contribute to women getting out there so they can appreciate, as I do, the beauty of different cultures.

"Some of the most amazing music I've ever heard comes from small villages in the far corners of the earth."

Perchotte could go on and on about what she has gleaned by trekking around the world and through her work in the industry.

Here are some questions you will get answers to July 24:

You want to get upgraded to first class? "Don't wear jeans," said Perchotte. "If you dress well and there is room on the airplane, you will have a better chance of being bumped up to first class than someone who didn't dress appropriately."

When is often the best time for booking airline deals? "Mid-afternoon Tuesday to late Wednesday night."

Or how about where to be extra careful while traveling solo?

"Getting on or off a bus or train, escalators, night trains, Internet cafes, crowded areas such as street markets and at airport security."

Meanwhile, Vickie Hodgson, owner of Jet Leg Travel Fashion Boutique, invites all women to the Jet Leg Travel's Girls Going Global outdoor potluck and Travel Smarts presentation Saturday, July 24 from noon to 4 p.m. at 4391 Colchester Dr. Besides Perchotte's presentation, Christine Boecker and her 10-year-old daughter will talk and show pictures about their recent journey on an African safari. This is a free event and you are only asked to bring along a dish to share with others and whatever beverage you wish to drink. To secure your seat, call Jet Leg at 604-277-3331 or visit the store at #110-12031 2nd Ave. in Steveston. For more information about Travel Smarts, visit www.travelsmarts.ca. Travel Smarts: Essential Tips and Strategies for Traveling Smart, Safe and Affordably is available at Jet Leg or on Perchotte's website for $4.95.

IMPORTANT TIPS

-- Courtesy of Perchotte

- Wear a money belt around your waist, as pickpockets are savvy. They range in age from five to 85 and often work in packs. "I've heard of some pickpockets who will trip their victim on an escalator and while one is "helping" the victim, another is stealing their wallet."

- When staying in a hotel, be aware of your surroundings. Some people lounge around lobbies looking for women they think are traveling alone. They will follow a woman up to her room if she isn't paying attention.

- Walk with confidence. While traveling in any country, be wary but exude confidence. People who target women go after those who look unsure and nervous.

- Before you leave, purchase a door/jam stop and place it in the door jam of your hotel room before you go to bed at night. It gives you extra security in developing countries, where some hotel rooms are not as secure as North American ones.

- Don't wear expensive jewelry in foreign countries. "A lady told me about her daughter, who was traveling in South Africa, whose necklace was ripped right off her neck in broad daylight while walking with a friend," said Perchotte.

Websites to save time, money and other great travel links:

- www.betterbidding.com

- www.travelzoo.ca

- www.airfarewatchdog.com

- www.alternateairports.com

- www.avoiddelays.com

- www.unusualhotelsoftheworld.com

- www.tripadvisor.com

For any travel question you may have, Perchotte suggest you log onto the Lonely Planet's forum, The Thorn Tree, (www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree) where people from all over the world exchange travel information, advice, hints and tips.