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.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that may earn me a small commission should you click through and make a purchase (at no extra cost to you)

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:

• Common Mistakes to avoid when backpacking
• How to save money while traveling
• How to choose a hostel

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Being smart and savvy with your funds is the key to extending your travel budget. This means getting out of your vacation mode and into the backpackers mode. More hostels, less hotels. Less eating out, more cooking. People value different things, so figuring out where you’re okay with cutting back, is essential. It’s all about finding the balance between budgeting and enjoying. The balance between becoming so focused on saving every penny you possibly can and having pasta for every meal, and splurging money on hotels and fancy restaurants. After all, the purpose of traveling is to experience new things! Of course you want to treat yourself once in a while.

If you love having a good coffee, saving money by drinking instant coffee probably feels like too much of a sacrifice, but perhaps you’d be okay with cutting down on cocktails and alcohol. Depending on what you value – figure out where you’re willing to cut back and where not. I would for example not be willing to give up a good cup of coffee for an instant coffee, but am perfectly fine with walking for 20-30 instead of taking a taxi.

Use these 16 travel tips to save money while traveling!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that may earn me a small commission should you click through and make a purchase (at no extra cost to you)

1. Eat the local food

The phrase do as the locals do, is classic for a reason. Eating the local food will be far cheaper than going to a touristy burger or a pizza place.

2. Stay in hostels

One of the best ways to save money while traveling is to stay at hostels. They are a fraction of the price you’d pay for a hotel, take advantage of that. Staying in hostels is not just a great way to save money while traveling, it’s also one of the best ways to meet other travellers.
If you haven’t stayed in a hostel yet, or if you haven’t had much luck with previous hostels – this blog is for you: How to Choose a Hostel

3. Do some research

I’m not talking about spending days and weeks doing a thorough research, but just a quick google search can go a long way. Planning on visit a popular tourist attraction? Have a look and see if they offer online discounts, or if it’s cheaper to visit during specific times of the day or week. Many places have a small discount if you book your tickets online, take advantage of that. This will also save you time since you don’t need to queue at the ticket office.

The same thing goes for accommodation! Check booking.com, hotels.com, Hostelworld, Expedia… Sometimes it can also be cheaper to book directly through the hostel/hotel, so once you’ve settled on a place – see if they have a website and book directly there if it’s cheaper!

4. Have a picnic instead of eating out

Head to a grocery store and get some fruits, croissants or whatever you feel like having and have a picnic on the beach or in a park, instead of eating out. Not only will this help you save money, but also, picnics are fun!

5. Don’t go out for drinks every day

I get that you want to go out with your new hostel friends, but try to limit the times you go out for drinks, cause even if drinks tend not to be very costly in many countries, if you end up getting eight of those throughout the night, well it’s not so cheap anymore. Yes it’s tempting to go out when seemingly every person at the hostel is going out, but it also happens to be a very quick way to burn through your savings :)))

6. Choose cheaper countries

How much you spend during your travels, will of course depend greatly on which country you’re in. Iceland would for example not be an ideal destination for someone looking to stick to a tight budget The same would apply to popular cities such as Paris, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London… Some of my favourite budget friendly countries include Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Slovenia, Portugal, Croatia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Dubrovnik, Croatia – not the most affordable city in Croatia but definitely possible to do it on a budget.
Would highly recommend this hostel if you’re looking for an affordable place to stay

7. Get a local sim card

It’s usually way cheaper to purchase a local sim card, than to purchase some sort of travel pack or whatever from the phone company in your home country. This especially goes for Central and South America, as well as Asia. The cost of a local sim card with 10GB can range from 5$-10$ and can easily be refilled at any supermarket. I understand that a lot of people from the US have a locked phone, and hence can’t change the sim card in their phone – in that case, try getting your hands on a used phone that you can use as a “hot spot” for your actual phone

8. Avoid eating in the touristy areas

A good rule is to never eat within three blocks from tourist attractions. The further you get from touristy places, the more you’ll get for your money. I get that it can be tempting to have lunch at La Rambla if you find yourself in Barcelona, but that will mean paying an excessive amount of money for an average meal at best. Instead, you can grab a drink there and then head somewhere else to eat.

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9. Take a bus or a train instead of flying

A relatively easy way to save money, is to avoid flying and instead take a bus or a train. Yes it’s tempting to get an hour flight instead of a long bus or train ride, but it comes at an extra cost. I’m not saying you should avoid flying all together, but if you take a flight rather than bus/train every time you get the chance, it’s gonna add up quickly. Lets say a bus will cost you 15$ and a flight 90$, plus you’ll need to add in transport to and from the airport. While it may not seem like a lot each time, if you do this four times during your trip, it will cost you an additional 340$, which is the equivalent of 20-30 nights in a hostel.

10. Be selective

Do I really need this? Can I do without this? Can I perhaps get this cheaper somewhere else? Don’t be impulsive when it comes to shopping. Before purchasing, ask yourself if you really need this. And depending on the situation, consider if you can get it somewhere else for less.

10.Get a reusable water bottle

Don’t waste money (and plastic) on buying multiple bottles of water each day. They might not cost so much, but guess what, even though it’s just a few dollars a day, it quickly adds up! Get one of those refillable water bottles and fill it up. Tap water is save to drink in most countries, just make sure to ask at your hostel/hotel if it’s ok to drink the water. Additionally, many hostels have filtered water available for free. Alternatively, you can buy those big 5L bottles which will be way cheaper than buying all those smaller ones.

11. Visit during off season

Before booking your trip, do some research to find out when the peak times are. If you’re looking to save money (which you probably are since you’re still reading this post ) – avoid traveling during those peak times. Traveling off season might mean occasional rainy afternoons or even some rainy days, but it also means less tourists and better deals on flights and accommodation.

12. Walk!

Don’t jump in a cab whenever you need to get from A to B. Unless it’s the middle of the night and/or you have a ton of luggage, consider walking or taking a bus instead. I almost never take taxis, with the exception being if I need to get to/from the airport after dark in a city that I’m not very familiar with and/or doesn’t have a reliable public transport.

13. Avoid using ATM’s & currency exchange at airports

In both cases, you’ll get a shitty rate and pay a ridiculous amount of fees. Currency exchange offices might have one of those “no fees” signs, but don’t let those fool you. It just means you’ll get that much worse rate.

Get great deals on accommodation and get genius discounts by using booking.com!

14. Be flexible

When it comes to purchasing flights, flexibility is key. Both in terms of dates and destinations. Here I’m talking about long haul flights, for example a flight from Europe to Asia, or from Peru to London. Plane tickets can be one of the biggest expense of your trip, and when it comes to those, flexibility is everything! If you’re set on flying from Bangkok to Stockholm on the 6th of September, well guess what, you don’t have that many options. The more flexible you are, the more options you have, and the more chances you have of getting a cheaper flight. Let’s say you want to visit Laos, Thailand and Vietnam – check flights to/from those countries around the dates you’re planning to go, and then decide where you’ll start and where you’ll end.

15. Bring your own airport snack

Lets face it, airport food has some of the highest mark ups on the planet. Avoid having to get one of those 12$ cheese sandwiches and 5$ juice, and instead get some snacks at a grocery store before your flight.

16. Ask locals how much you should expect to pay

In many non-western countries, things don’t necessarily have a fixed price. Instead, prices are determined by whatever the seller believes you can afford to pay. And if you look like a tourist, the price is gonna be higher than what a local would pay. If you’re going to a market, taking a taxi or purchasing whatever else that doesn’t have a clear price tag, ask at your hostel/hotel reception how much you should expect to pay. Here I’m obviously talking about when making larger purchases, I’m not suggesting that you consult with a local if you’re buying fruits at a local market When taking a taxi, make sure they have a meter or negotiate the price up front to avoid getting ripped off.

I hope you found these tips useful and that they will allow you to travel more for less money!
PS if you want to get notified when I publish new blog posts, just click the red bell in the bottom right corner or follow me on instagram where I usually announce new posts :))

If you are planning a backpacking trip, you might also want to read:

• How to Choose a Hostel
• Common Mistakes To Avoid When Backpacking
• 14 Tips For Staying Safe While Traveling

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If you are planning your first backpacking trip, you might also want to read these 14 tips to staying safe while traveling. These are things I’ve slowly learned through my travels, and are applicable around the world.

You can consider this your beginners backpacking guide – your backpacking 101. So if you are planning your first backpacking trip, or if you simply feel that you haven’t really mastered the art of backpacking just yet, this post is for you. Now let’s get into some of the common mistakes to avoid when backpacking!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that may earn me a small commission should you click through and make a purchase (at no extra cost to you)

Bringing too much stuff

Be very selective about the things you bring, especially clothes. It can be tempting to pack every piece of clothing you feel like you might possibly wear – been there, not a great idea Eventually you will just be dragging around extra weight and you’ll have a harder time finding the stuff you are actually using. You probably don’t need to bring that t-shirt you haven’t worn for a year. Nor do you need to pack multiple pairs of sneakers just because you can’t choose one. 

There is also no need to be carrying huge bottles of shampoo, conditioner or any types of toiletries, so go ahead and put those into smaller travel-sized bottles. You will be carrying your backpack through airports, to and from bus stops, what have you – so believe me when I tell you that you want it to be as light as possible. 

Planning too much in advance

Unless you are traveling during easters, christmas, or other public holidays when things tend to get busy – there is no point in having accommodations lined up weeks or months in advance. You can book hostels from your phone in a matter of seconds through the Booking, Agoda and Hostelworld apps.

You might also like: How to choose a hostel

This especially goes for booking hostels in places where you haven’t been before. Let’s say you are planning a trip to Colombia. You can’t possibly know in advance if you will only want to spend two days in Cartagena, or if you will love it (like I did) and want to spend three weeks there. So lining up accommodations in advance is essentially just guessing how long you want to stay in each place, instead of deciding when you’re already there. You also might meet people that are planning to do something really cool and you’d love to join, but oh, since you have already booked all your accommodations for the next three months, you don’t really have the flexibility to join them.

In my experience – you don’t really gain anything from booking and planning every little thing far in advance. But you lose is the ability to go with the flow and go on spontaneous adventures, which for me, is what backpacking is all about.

Bringing the wrong type of backpack

This is one of the common mistakes to avoid when backpacking! You will want to travel with a backpack that opens like a suitcase, not one that only opens at the top. Why? 
Picture this: You have been laying on the beach and eating tacos for three weeks, and have now decided that you would like to change that. So you need to find that one set of workout clothes that you’re pretty sure you brought, and are probably sitting somewhere at the bottom of your backpack at this point. You will most likely end up having to empty your backpack to find it, oh and then put everything back in. This can of course apply to just about anything, not just workout clothes :))

What I’m saying is that you do not want to travel with a backpack that only opens at the top, you want to bring one that opens like a regular suitcase.
This is the backpack I’ve been using ever since my second backpacking trip. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a backpack for their next trip – it’s super convenient to travel with. It does indeed open like a suitcase, and the straps can be zipped away which is important when bringing it on a flight or on a bus, preventing them from getting dirty when thrown around by airline staff or when loaded on a bus. It also has a side handle so it’s easy to carry around even when the straps are zipped away.

Traveling too fast

This is a very common beginners mistake. I get that you want to see as much as possible during the time you have, so it might be tempting to squeeze in as many places as you possibly can. Visiting three countries in a month may seem like a great idea at first glance, but what you will discover is that running from city to city, from one attraction to another, will quickly become exhausting. A part from becoming tiring very fast, the biggest disadvantage of traveling too fast is that you won’t really get to know a place. Yeah you might tick lots of countries off your list and snap a photo or two in front of the main attractions, but you won’t really experience the countries and their culture. 

You might end up spending half your time on busses or trains, which lets face it, is just not very pleasant way to spend the day. It will also be more expensive because you’ll be getting on some sort of transport every few days. You will also find yourself taking flights instead of a bus or train to save time, but will of course cost much more. Instead of enjoying exploring and taking in the culture, you’ll end up running around trying to stick to your packed schedule.

If you are planning backpacking trip, you might also want to read these posts:

• How to choose a hostel
• How to save money while traveling
• 14 tips for staying safe while traveling

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Having stayed at hundreds of hostels around the world, let me walk you through how I choose and book hostels. When it comes to booking both hostels and hotels, you can’t just make a decision after looking at a few photos. The fact that the photos look great, doesn’t mean that the hostel is any good. It could even be straight up awful. The most common reason would probably be that the photos are very old and the place hasn’t been maintained since it was build. The pool you might have seen on the photos might not have been in used for years and the place could be falling apart.

Hostels are a great way to save money when traveling, while also giving you the chance to meet new people. In my experience, choosing a good hostel can be the difference between having an awesome or just an average time. 

Here I will list things you need to consider when choosing a hostel.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that may earn me a small commission should you click through and make a purchase (at no extra cost to you)

Filter out the not-so-good ones

Just like with hotels, there are all sorts of hostels out there. Some of them have their shit together, while others don’t. In my experience, hostels with above 80% rating will have their shit together. With that being said – the first thing I do when looking for hostels, is to filter out hostels that have a rating below 80% on booking.com or hostelworld.com. This will help you stay clear of hostels that might or might not have toilet paper, those that haven’t been cleaned for weeks or those that have a broken air conditioning that they’ve been meaning to have fixed but just haven’t gotten around to it. Unless you’re on a very tight budget, don’t choose the cheapest hostel. Spending an extra 1-2 dollar per night can make a HUGE difference in terms of what you get. 

Set your priorities straight

Once you have filtered out the not-so-good ones, you can start figuring out what your priorities are and what type of hostel you are looking for. Here I will list a few factors you should consider.

Party hostel or a quiet one

Are you looking for a party hostel or do you prefer a quiet one? Do you mind loud music playing until late or would you rather have the chance to go to sleep before midnight? Party hostels tend to attract younger guests whose sole purpose of the trip may or may not be to see the inside of as many nightclubs as possible, rather than to explore anything else. If you are more interested in chasing waterfalls and going on day trips, you might not find your type of people at a party hostel. You can usually tell from the negative reviews from angry travelers that were not looking for a party hostel but got one, whether or not a hostel is a party hostel. 

Air conditioning

Are you from a cold country and traveling to a tropical, hot and humid country? If so, having an air con in you room is definitely an important factor when choosing a hostel. Believe me when I tell you, you do want to spend whatever amount needed to have an a/c in your room. I once ended up spending a night in Nicaragua in a room without an a/c due to series of unfortunate events (mainly, we forgot it was Easters so our only options were to sleep on the street or in this very crappy hostel which sure did not have a/c, nor running water) – it was not a pleasant night I spent the entire night awake, not sure if I was about to fall asleep or if I was about to pass out from a heatstroke. You will want to avoid this at all cost

Plug-ins next to the beds

Things like having plug-ins next to the beds, is something that can be easy not to pay attention to, but once you’re in bed and your phone is at 8%, you will wish that you thought of this sooner. So if you are person with a phone, having a plug-in next to your bed is something you want to keep in mind when choosing a hostel.

If you have a power bank (get one here) this probably won’t affect you that much. The same goes for plug-ins that aren’t working. Once again, you can tell from angry reviews from travelers that woke up to their phone at the same 3% as the night before. 

Check-in times

Make sure to look at the check-in times, especially if you will be arriving late. Not all hostels have a reception that’s open 24/7, so always make sure you will be able to check in at the time you arrive. You don’t want to be standing outside with your luggage at 11pm only to find out that you can’t get in. 

Lockers

Almost all hostels have lockers of some sort. Make sure to bring your own padlock (get one here) as most hostels don’t provide one. Some hostels only have small lockers that would fit things like your phone, wallet, passport, etc. Depending on how much you value your stuff, you might want to make sure that the hostel has large lockers that will fit all your things. 

Common areas

Chances are that you are not looking to spend a whole lot of time in your room – and that you want to meet new people. If that’s important to you, make sure that the hostel has a common area where you can hang out.  

Reading the reviews

Once you have narrowed down your choices based on your preferences – you will want to go through the reviews before booking. Reading reviews from people that have stayed in the hostel can give you a lot of valuable information that you can’t find elsewhere. These can be things like if there is a construction going on next door that starts at 6am every morning, are the beds comfortable, is it a party hostel or a quiet one, how the atmosphere is – basically lots of things you will want to know before making a decision. Read the negative reviews and check if the things people are complaining about is something that would be a deal breaker for you. 

Here you can search for hostels and read reviews:

I hope this gave you an idea about how to choose a hostel, and perhaps more importantly, will help you to stay clear of the not so good ones.
PS if you want to get notified when I publish new blog posts, just click the red bell in the bottom right corner or follow me on instagram where I usually announce new posts :))

If you are planning backpacking trip, you might also want to read these posts:

• Common Mistakes to avoid when backpacking
• How to save money while traveling
• 14 tips for staying safe while traveling

PIN IT!

The post How To Choose a Hostel appeared first on Sóldís Alda.