Who doesn’t love traveling? Meeting new people, seeing new places, eating new food, all these experiences make for a great trip. After putting out all the money and planning for the excursion, you’ll want it to be worth it. However, if you get yourself into a dangerous situation, that is a sure-fire way to ruin your trip. Being safe is key to a good trip, so here are some ways to make sure your trip goes great.
Traveling Internationally?
Have a photocopy of your passport! Things happen. Things get stolen, lost in the trip, misplaced, etc. Your passport should be one of your most prized possessions when traveling internationally and always keep it in a safe place. (If you are in a hostel setup, make sure you use your lockers given to you!). However, things do happen, and if for some horrendous reason you lose your passport, you should have a backup photo copy of it. This makes it easier for the American embassies to help you get back home. For extra insurance keep a digital copy on your laptop, phone, or tablet, and make sure one (or multiple) people back home have a photo copy of your passport.
Sharing is Caring
Speaking of the folks back home, always tell them your itinerary. Flight numbers, accommodations, train or bus numbers and time tables, and destinations, anything that goes into your trip should be made known to a family member/and or friend. Follow up with these people to so they know you arrived and arrived safely.
Traveling internationally can be especially tricky when it comes to staying in contact with your family and friends. You may not have cell service if you don’t purchase an international plan, so plan ahead for this. Make sure you have a way to contact people and let them know when you’ve reached your destination and to update them about any change in plans. This makes it easier for people to reach you in case of an emergency.
Stay Aware
In a time of air pods and Spotify, everyone is walking around with their headphones. If you’re walking in a unfamiliar location, no matter how safe it seems, do not walk around with headphones in. In major tourist destinations, there are people who look to take advantage of clueless tourists. For example, when I was studying in London, a major issue was “moped crimes”. A moped crime was people literally on mopeds, would drive onto the sidewalks and snatch phones, bags, etc. out of the hands of unsuspected pedestrians. Another issue, of course is pick pocketers. You can avoid being a victim to crimes like this by being aware.
Keep Your Stuff Close
As I mentioned before, pick pocketers are a real issue in many travel destinations. There is a good way to prevent getting pick-pocketed is to, very simply, not keep things in your pockets. And if you do keep things in you pockets, don’t put them in your back pockets and keep your hands in you pockets with your stuff. But, the safest way to keep your stuff is to carry it in a bag. They make pick-pocket proof bags, but that’s not a necessary purchase. Having a purse or side-bag that you can keep your hand on is all that you need, just keep your hand on it.
Do Your Research
My last bit of advice, and this should go without saying, is that you do your research when planning a trip. This is especially for picking a place to stay because cheaper is not always better. You want to make sure you find a place safe to sleep at the end of your busy days, without having to worry about danger being nearby. Read reviews, from multiple sources. Be aware of the situation you are getting yourself into before you leave so that you can plan accordingly.
I hope these help anyone planning a trip, whether in the near or far future. Safety should always be the number one priority while travelling. Trust me, you’ll be able to enjoy yourself way more knowing that you are being safe.
Happy and safe travels!
