6 Essential Travel Safety Tips 

While most tourists consider safety when making plans or when they’re on the road, it’s rarely their priority.

Travelers can easily get carried away by their new adventure and forgo basic security measures. 

This article will give you six essential travel safety tips you should remember during your next trip. 

Keep an Eye on Documents and Valuables

Treat your passport, wallet, and other valuables like they’re your children – always have them in sight.

Avoid walking around with important documentation or expensive items. Only bring what you need for the day.

Before leaving the hotel, leave everything behind. Many hotels have safes where you can store valuable possessions. 

If you have to bring something valuable with you, store it securely in your bag and only take it out when necessary. 

Staying in a hotel on a day-by-day basis can indeed be stressful and inconvenient, especially when it comes to managing your important documents and valuables. A more relaxed and secure alternative could be opting for a monthly hotel stay. 

This way, you can settle in comfortably, familiarize yourself with the hotel’s security measures such as safes, and reduce the frequency of moving your valuable items around.

Be Mindful of Cyber Risks

Your physical safety shouldn’t be your only concern when traveling. More and more criminals are moving to digital scams to make money. 

Unless you’re doing a digital detox, you’ll probably bring your phone and maybe your laptop on your trip.

Your phone will be a life-saver when it comes to navigation, but it can also serve as an intermediary for hackers to gain access to your information. 

One significant cyber risk tourists face is public wifi. Unprotected public networks are the perfect environment for hackers to execute man-in-the-middle or similar attacks.

Download a good VPN before your trip to stay protected while using public wifi. A VPN will encrypt your communication with the network and protect you from hackers. 

Don’t Be Scared to Talk to Locals

Locals will always have more knowledge than you about the area. No matter where you are, you’d be surprised how willing people are to help a stranger in need.

When you’re unsure about a situation or about going somewhere, consult with a local and ask for their guidance.

Hotel or local shop workers are usually very approachable and happy to help. Ask them about the different areas surrounding you.

Find out which areas are safe and which aren’t. You can also ask about the most common crimes in the area, so you know what to look out for. 

With that said, you also shouldn’t overshare personal information with people you just met. Don’t Act Like a Tourist 

Acting like a clueless tourist is a sure way to put a target on your back. Scammers and criminals often look for tourists as they’re the easiest targets. 

Even if you know nothing about the place you’re in, act as if you’ve lived there your whole life. Knowing the local language will help, but it’s not a must. 

To blend in, dress as the locals do, and act like you always know what you’re doing. Avoid wearing designer clothes or flashy jewelry. This will draw a lot of attention, but not the kind of attention you want. 

One last thing: a giant camera hanging from your neck is a dead giveaway that you’re a tourist! Stay Sober (As Much as Possible) 

Vacations are an excellent opportunity to unwind and have some fun. But that doesn’t mean you should have a bottle in your hand throughout the entire trip.

Being intoxicated will cloud your judgment and significantly increase the chance of ending up in an undesirable situation. 

There’s nothing wrong with having a drink or two, but know your limit and don’t exceed it. Being in unfamiliar territory is dangerous enough, let alone when drunk. 

Let Loved Ones Know Where You’re Going

Never keep your travel plans to yourself. Tell some of your close friends or family where you’re going.

Share what you plan to do and when you plan to return. That way, they’ll know where to look for you and who to contact in case of emergencies. 

It may sound a little morbid, but it also helps you mentally, knowing that people will be thinking about you and will notify authorities if something bad happens. 

Final Thoughts

Staying safe in unfamiliar territory can be tricky. But that shouldn’t stop you from exploring the world and meeting amazing people.

With these travel safety tips, you’ll be able to take on your newest trip like a pro and have a fun yet safe time.