Safety is an important topic when it comes to traveling. Safety concerns are even the reason some people never see the world, they simply think it’s too dangerous. I don’t want you to be one of those people, so I want to share with you these 14 tips for staying safe while traveling.
Luckily, I have never had any problems during my travels, and the majority of travellers will not experience anything more serious than pickpocketing. I still keep these safety tips in mind when I’m traveling.
Here are 14 tips for staying safe while traveling, that are applicable around the world.
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1. Be aware of your surroundings
Always be aware of your surroundings and follow your gut if something feels off. Sometimes there are certain areas/neighbourhoods within a city that are considered unsafe, make sure to google that or, what I usually do is asking someone at the front desk of my hostel/hotel.
2. Don’t flash your valuables
Avoid flashing your valuables, especially in poorer countries. You will be seen as a “rich person” which could make you a target for pickpocketers. Just an average camera can be worth more than the monthly salary in some countries. You want to avoid standing out as a “wealthy tourist”.
3. Only use ATM’s inside banks
Manipulating ATM’s to copy your credit card information, is unfortunately something that happens around the world. As you probably want to avoid that, only use ATM’s that are located inside a bank branch, preferably during their opening hours.
4. Inform yourself about common scams
Scams happen around the world. Some are universal, like the one where one person will somehow distract you while the other one steals your valuables. Then there are scams that are typical for each country. In order to avoid becoming a victim of one, look up common scams at the country/city you are about to visit.
Another common scam, that I’ve heard about in Bangkok and Costa Rica, but surely happens in more countries: Someone will approach you in a bus or a train station, ask you where you’re going and will then tell you that all buses/trains to there has been cancelled due to a strike/national holiday or whatever. Either they will then tell you that their friend, or themselves, are a taxi driver and can take you to your destination. Of course for an outrageous price. People that fall victim to this scam will believe that all trains/buses have indeed been cancelled and will pay the price, thinking that it’s their only option.
If you are planning a trip to Costa Rica, check out these 21 things you must know before visiting Costa Rica including a common scam that takes place on the road between San José and the airport.
5. Do not carry your passport around
Obviously losing your passport while traveling is a hot mess, so unless you are gonna use your passport, do not carry it around. Instead leave it in a safe place at your accommodation. Carrying it around for no reason is just an unnecessary risk. It could get stolen, you could lose it or you could even just spill a drink on it or which might ruin it.
Some countries state that you must carry your passport at all times – in that case, carry a photo or a scanned copy of your passport. You can even get a notarised copy of your passport at your home country before you leave.
6. Keep an eye on your bag
Always keep an eye on your bag, there are some professional pickpocketers out there. If you’re in a crowded area, never carry any valuables in a backpack on your back, rather move the backpack to your front.
7. Avoid walking around late at night
Many places get more dangerous after dark. Avoid walking around late at night. If you do, stick to the more crowded streets and try walking with a group if you possibly can. Consider taking a taxi if it’s very late and streets are mostly empty, even if you’re with another person.
8. Don’t get wasted
There’s nothing wrong with going out and having a few drinks, but avoid getting too drunk as this might make you an easy target for all sorts of crimes.
9. Do some research before taking night buses
Night buses tend to be a popular option for longer trips, as you can hopefully sleep through most of it as well as not having to pay for accommodation that night. Usually night buses are safe, but in certain areas night buses are a frequent target for robberies. If you are considering taking a night bus, do a quick research to see if the route has a history of being targeted for robberies.
10. Follow your instinct
If something feels off, follow your instincts. This could be your instinct about a person, a place or whatever.
Find the perfect hostel or hotel for your trip here! Make sure to read the reviews before booking
11. Be careful if (sketchy) people ask if you’re traveling by yourself
If someone you find sketchy and/or you don’t know, asks you if you’re traveling by yourself, always say no. Say you’re traveling with a group of friends, your family, your coworkers, whatever – and make it sound like they’re just around the corner. This could be at the cashier line in the supermarket, a random person on the street that just strikes up a conversation – if something feels off about it, do not say you’re traveling by yourself.
I’ve had this happen a handful of times, and to me it just feels weird that a complete stranger is asking me if I’m traveling by myself, why do they wanna know that? They most likely have no bad intensions and are just curious – but I mean it’s an innocent lie, better safe than sorry.
12. Do not take unofficial taxis
In many countries there are a bunch of “taxi drivers” that basically put a taxi sign on their car, but are not official taxi drivers. Make sure to avoid those as they are not registered/tracked and are likely to try to rip you off as they don’t have a meter.
So how do you recognize they official ones from the unofficial ones? The easiest thing to do is to have the reception/a restaurant/wherever you’re leaving from to call one. In case you are flagging down a taxi on the street, look for their registration number and/or if they’re wearing a uniform. If you’re unsure what the official taxis look like, just approach a local and ask.
13. Have a backup phone
In this day and age, not having a phone can be, well, challenging. Especially if you’re in a foreign country. I’m not sure if I’d last a day without google maps in a place I’m not familiar with haha. So I like to have a backup phone, which is just my old phone, in my luggage, in case anything happens to my other one. In case your phone gets lost, broken or stolen – this will allow you to get by until you figure something out. See if your family or friends have an old phone lying around that you could borrow, in case you don’t have one.
14. Walk like you know where you’re going
Even if you don’t have a clue about where you are or where you’re going, walk like you know the place like your palm and have no doubt about where you’re going. Looking lost will make you look vulnerable and thus, an easier target.
I hope you found this post helpful and will be able to use some of these 14 tips to stay safe while traveling – if you want to get notified when I publish new blog posts, just click the red bell in the bottom right corner :))
If you are planning backpacking trip, you might also want to read these posts:
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