10 Travel Safety Tips You Should Know

In general, the world is a relatively safe place for travelers. It's always a good idea to be prepared so that you can minimize the chances of something bad happening to you when you are traveling. The truth is, we are more vulnerable when we travel. It's easy to get lost or confused and there are many times when we might struggle with the language or customs of an area we are visiting. These 10 safety tips are fairly easy to implement so that you can be prepared and just a little bit less vulnerable next time you travel.

 10 Travel Safety Tips You Should Know

1. Educate Yourself on Common Travel Scams

From fake police officers to broken taxi meters to offering free bracelets or flowers, the travel scams are abundant. The truth is travel scams are common and they will probably happen to you or someone that you know. Doing a little research before you travel could help save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars and the embarrassment and frustration of falling for a scam. 

2. Split Up Your Money

My husband and I have several duplicate credit cards. When we travel together, we tend to break up the cards so that if one happens to get stolen or lost, we aren't left without a cash source.  The same goes for carrying cash. Don't carry all of it in the same place, instead consider purchasing a travel wallet belt that can be worn inconspicuously under clothing. You can tuck extra cash in a hotel safe {if it's reliable} or look into purchasing a more creative way to hide your cash like this hairbrush or this water bottle. 

3. Be Careful of Open WiFi Networks

Staying connected is great, getting hacked is not. Many of us want to connect to open WiFi networks, especially in places where we may not have the use of consistent data from our cell phone provider. However, be careful about the information that you share on open WiFi networks. 

4. Leave Your Valuables at Home

I don't have a lot of expensive jewelry that can't be replaced, but the jewelry that is most meaningful to me, I leave at home. I have a plain wedding band I wear when traveling and any jewelry I wear is costume jewelry. I would rather not take the risk, so I leave all my valuables at home.

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5. Have Copies of Important Documents

Your passport and your driver's license are the two most important documents you'll be traveling with. Take a picture of the important documents and store them in a safe place {like dropbox} that you can access offline if necessary. Some people like to make copies of the documents and carry a hard copy with them as well.

6. Try Not to Look Like a Tourist

When it comes to travel, the wrong clothes can set you aside as a tourist making you a target for scammers and thieves. As a general rule of thumb, most countries are more formal than we are in the US, so steer clear of anything that might be normally considered gym attire. Some clothing attire is required for travel as a sign of respect. For instance, women covering their heads in Islamic countries, or having the proper attire for visiting religious facilities like churches in Rome. As a good rule of thumb, if it's a conservative country, dress more conservatively.

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7. Eat and Drink Carefully

I think more people are concerned with getting some sort of travelers' diarrhea than they are about getting mugged. You shouldn't be afraid of trying new foods in a country, just make yourself aware. Bottled water is usually your safest bet for what to drink and brush your teeth with if you are out of the country. Steer clear from bacteria on food, by eating fruits and vegetables that have been peeled rather than those with the skin still on them. I usually avoid most lettuce and salads in developing countries.

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8. Beware of the Information You Give Out

Be cautious when you share your hotel room number in a public space. Especially if you are a woman traveling solo. Sometimes you need to share the number at the hotel restaurant or bar if you are placing the bill on your tab, in that case, keep the room number written down so you can simply flash it and share it instead of announcing it. Many people as they are getting to know you, will ask you leading questions like "is it your first time here." If you get a bad vibe, feel free to give them a little white lie to help expose your vulnerabilities.

9. Be Confident

Even if you aren't confident, stay alert, keep your head up and be aware of your surroundings. You don't want to look like an easy target, so avoid looking lost or scared and project an air of confidence.

10. Trust Your Instincts

If it doesn't feel right, don't do it. Trusting your gut is a good first step in assessing the situation at hand. Don't discount your brains' ability to alert you to a situation that may put you in danger. Traveling is a great way to see the world. You want to return from your trip with stories of what you saw, did and experienced, not stories of unfortunate things that happened to you. With these 10 travel safety tips, you should feel confident about exploring the world!
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