We find ourselves travelling for all sorts of different reasons. Some people fly around the world to explore the different sights and cultures that each country has to offer, others are driven by their career to seek out clients and customers in new places. Whatever the reason behind your next journey, it’s probably safe to say that you want to make sure you’re as secure and comfortable as possible.
The following travel safety tips are some of the most crucial things to think about the next time you head to a distant, or even not-so-distant foreign location. Not only will they help to keep your cash and valuables secure, but they’ll also ensure that you’ll feel more comfortable exploring an unfamiliar place.
1. Secure Your Luggage
When it comes to travel safety tips, they don’t come much simpler than this. When everything that’s important to you for the next few days, or weeks, has been bundled into a single bag, it’s pretty important that you keep that bag safe and sound. Even if the content of your suitcase isn’t worth much, the chances are you don’t want to risk having it stolen.
Keeping your luggage safe means securing it in the best way possible, to deter anyone from stealing it, or tampering with it. A TSA-approved padlock is a good place to start, as it will keep your bags secure, while ensuring that airport security don’t have to cut away your safety measures to access your bag if needed.
2. Defend Your Cash and Credit Cards
No matter how much time and energy you’ve devoted to travelling light, there’s one thing you’ll need to take with you on any trip, and that’s cash. Unfortunately, if you end up losing your cash or having your credit card stolen in the middle of your journey, you could find yourself in a very sticky, and stressful situation.
A good way to stay protected is to purchase a hidden travel purse or wallet that you can wear under your clothing, out of the eye line of potential criminals. At the same time, try to keep most of your cash locked away in the safe at your hotel when you’re not using it, so that you have less chance of losing much-needed notes.
3. Try to Blend In
The more you stick out in a new place, the more likely you are to become a target for criminals and thieves. Take your time to do some research before you go on your next adventure, and try to blend in with the local culture wherever possible. To some degree, this simply means avoiding wandering around a crowded place with a huge tourist map in your hand, or carrying a camera around your neck.
If you do need to check where you are, or find an escape route, use your smartphone. Technology is great for a lot of travel safety tips. You can download maps ahead of time so that you can still use them without a Wi-Fi connection later.
4. Stay Alert
Finally, when you’re new to a city, travel safety tips dictate that it’s important to keep your wits about you as you explore. Examining the people that you come across and the atmosphere of the area you wander into should be enough to give you an insight into whether you should be heading in a different direction. If you don’t see any other tourists, and you do spot some threatening looking people around, walk confidently back in the direction you came, without getting your map out.
