Travel Safety Tips

Antigua, Guatemala (2020)

These are my tips for keeping your items and money safe while traveling. It’s important that you enjoy your trip while being smart and cautious at the same time. If you follow these tips you will greatly lower your chances of being put into a bad situation in a place where you aren’t familiar. Happy Travels!

Tip #1 Stay Aware!

   Safety 101: You must be aware of your surroundings! Look around you, check out the people, look for the exits, and pay attention to the safety signs around you. This is most useful when you are in large public places like tourist areas or public transportation.

   Walk confidently even if you don’t know exactly where you are going. Don’t walk looking down at your phone, not paying attention to what is around you. You never know who is watching and waiting for you to slip up.

Do your research on common scams in places you are going to visit. It takes a quick minute to google this important information that can potentially save you a lot of grief at the end of the day.  Remember to trust your gut feeling. If something doesn’t feel right, it’s probably because it’s not. Don’t do anything you would deem unsafe in your own neighborhood. Basically, just be a little more aware than you would be if you were back at home and be educated about what dangers to look for. You will be just fine.

 Tip #2 Locks!

    I definitely encourage using locks to secure your items while traveling. My backpack as a built-in lock and so does my Away carry-on suitcase. The lock on my suitcase makes sure that no one is able to get into my suitcase without me unlocking it. Of course, the lock is TSA approved in case I need to check my luggage and it gets searched before getting put on the plane.

   I always keep my luggage locked, even if I leave it in my room. Most of the hostels I stayed at provided lockers that were large enough to fit my luggage inside. I would lock my luggage and then lock my luggage in the locker while I was away during the day. Sometimes you will need to store your luggage at a hotel or hostel if, for example, you have to check out at 11am but you want to do some exploring before you leave for your next destination in the evening. I have had to store my luggage in some odd places where anyone could just go in and open my bag if they wanted. This is why I was so happy I purchased luggage with a built-in lock and why I suggest you do the same.

  Pickpockets are going to be main reason you will want a backpack with a lock. We don’t have eyes in the back of our heads and unfortunately if you are traveling solo, like me, you are a target for pickpockets. If you don’t want to purchase a whole new backpack with built in locks, I have also seen travelers use regular small padlocks on their bags as well so that can save you a little money.

   Having a lock on your backpack can also keep you safe on planes, trains, and bus rides when you may need to put your bag in an overhead-bin or you are at risk of falling asleep. I have heard stories from too many travelers who fell asleep on a bus or train only to wake up and find that all of their belongings have been stolen. I would hate for that to happen to me or you!

Paris, France (2020)

 Tip #3 Protect your money!

   This is probably the most important thing to discuss in this blog. If your money is gone, your trip is greatly affected. Here are some tips on how to keep your money safe.

   You should always have a backup bank account or credit card in case one of your other accounts is compromised. I met a girl in Bali who got her account hacked. She was traveling with one bank card and she was on the first month of her six-month trip in Asia. I’m not sure how the situation turned out, but I do know she’s still traveling in Asia at the moment so just know if this DOES happen to you, there is a way out.

  Never carry all of your money and cards on you unless it’s a travel day. That way if one of your cards gets lost or stolen you will have a backup. I lost two cards during my fourth month trip. I lost one card when I was in a hurry trying to buy a ticket for the train in London. I lost my second card was lost when I was, once again, in a hurry trying to catch the Ferry in Bali. I left my card in the ATM machine because the ATMs in that country give you the cash first, then your receipt, and then your card. NEVER RUSH AT THE ATM.

  Always check and make sure you have your wallet whenever you leave somewhere. Purchase a wallet with RFID blocking. If your card has the “tap” feature then you can be at risk of having your card “tapped” without your knowledge just by someone walking past you in a crowded train station with a device that can take money from your card.

   Never keep your wallet in an open area like a back pocket or in the front pocket of your backpack where someone can easily reach it. I always keep my wallet in the locked portion of my backpack so that I can’t get pickpocketed. You can also purchase a money belt that goes under your clothing to keep your items safe as well.