Travel is a fantastic experience and can be massively enriching wherever you go. However, like in your daily life, you can be presented with threats or risks as you travel. As a traveler, you need to have your wits about you to ensure that others’ criminal activities don’t impact your travels. You can remain safe and enjoy your adventures as you planned without having everything ruined due to others’ actions.
With this in mind, how can you stay safe as you travel and ensure that you and your belongings are as safe and secure as possible?
Top Tips For Staying Safe While Traveling
Research
Researching your destination or destinations is crucial. It’s not just about knowing the crime rates, warnings, and tourist traps. It’s about empowering yourself with the knowledge of who to call for help, where the local police stations are, and what to do in case of an emergency. This knowledge will give you the confidence to handle any situation that may arise.
Be aware of local laws and customs and heed any travel safety warnings so you know what to expect and what to do should the worst happen.
Use A VPN
A VPN is a must for travelers, and everyone should use one. It’s a tool that encrypts your internet connection, making it more secure, especially when using public wifi.
You never know the safety of using internet connections or public wifi wherever you are, so a VPN can add an extra layer of security to your browsing habits and ensure that you are not risking your information being exposed regardless of where you are in the world.
Plus, you can bypass any geographical resources, like watching Netflix outside different regions, as your ISP will be hidden, so it is a win-win. Download a vpn for your travels, especially if you’re working while you’re away.
Copies Of Documents
Anything that is vital for your travels, you need copies of. This includes your passport, visa, your check-in details, flight transfers, insurance, etc. You need at least one copy, either a photo taken on your cell phone or a physical photocopy.
Keep them all separate so that if you do lose the originals, you have the copies to rely on. This way, you can still get to where you need to be or access help, such as getting a new passport at the embassy.
It can also be a good idea to scan them online and upload them to a cloud account so that you can access them if you can get them online. Backups of backups will never not be useful in many circumstances.
Tracking
While you don’t want everyone to be able to track you, allowing loved ones to stay on top of your travel arrangements or your location can help keep you safe, especially if you’re travelling alone.
Tracking here refers to using apps or services that allow your trusted contacts to know your whereabouts. This can be particularly useful in case of emergencies or if you’re in an unfamiliar place.
You can use a tracking app so people can pinpoint where you or your cell phone are. You can have regular check-in points or leave a detailed itinerary you can update. This way, people can check where you’re supposed to be and, if you’re not, get help.
Delay Social Media Postings
Scammers will often target tourists via their online activities. Whether you are using local wifi connections, tagging yourself, or using hashtags for your adventures, there are many ways you can be targeted.
Instead of posting in real-time, delay your social media activity until you have left or the next day so that people aren’t aware of where you are at that exact moment via your social media activity.
Safeguard Hotel Rooms
It doesn’t matter whether you’re traveling alone or not; you need to make your hotel room as safe as possible. This can be done by using deadbolts or other security measures on hotel room doors, using safes for important documents, or using door jammers that you slip under doors to prevent unwanted visitors.
You can also place a do-not-disturb sign on the door and not let anyone into your room, even if they work for the hotel.
Don’t Let Your Guard Down
Staying aware of your surroundings at all times is vital, especially for places you’re unfamiliar with. Don’t walk around with your head in your phone or wearing headphones, which means you cannot hear what’s going on around you.
Constantly scan your surroundings so you know what is happening around you, keep your personal belongings on your or close to you at all times, don’t let others take your possessions, especially at airports, and use your judgment when talking to people. Don’t be afraid to be firm and say no and move away if you feel uncomfortable or dip into shops or cafes to remove yourself from public view if you feel uncomfortable.
Stay Under The Radar
This could mean that you don’t wear too much flashy jewelry that could make you a potential target for thieves or scammers. You might also want to choose your clothing better to fit in with locals so you don’t stand out as a traveler or simply not making a scene so people don’t realize you’re there.
The more you can fly under the radar, the safer you can be, as you won’t be drawing unnecessary attention to yourself.
Emergency Details
While having your emergency details on your person or phone won’t keep you safe, it can get you help faster if you need it and you can’t provide it yourself. Have something on your person, maybe in your wallet or in the back of your cell phone, that details who you are, your passport number, any health issues, and next of kin contact details.
This way, if anything does happen to you, the information is there. It can be helpful to have this in your native language and the language of the area you are traveling to.
Thanks for stopping by!
Magda
xoxo