Safety is an integral part of many things, and dating is assuredly on that list. Be safe with your contact information and personal information. Remember that you still have not met the other person one-on-one yet.
Some people choose to have a secondary Facebook account or use email chat services to continue talking with the other person and communicating with them, even if will be traveling a distance.
A benefit of phone chat hotlines; as long as you set up times in advance to touch base and talk, you could also use the phone dating service. One of the benefits is that you can keep more of your personal details closer to your chest until you know more about the person and feel the person is someone that you trust with that information.
Have a date buddy set up.
Let a trusted friend or two know that you are going on a date, where you are going, and what time the date is. Check in with them once or twice per date to let them know how the date is going and that you are okay.
Do not spend too much time doing this, but make sure that there is communication with your date buddy. If the date unexpectedly changes locations, let them know where you are going and how long you anticipate being there.
If you know someone in the city that you are traveling to, for long distance dates, it may be a good idea to let them know that you are in town as well. Sometimes it makes sense to have a backup plan in case you decide that you want to get out of the date. A person that lives in the city you are going to is often a good choice.
With phone dating, a higher percent of dates go well than many other types of dating services, so odds are your preparations won’t get used for anything. Still, having them is a comfort and just in case is a smart idea.