Vacation Safety Tips

2/15/2022 (Permalink)

Vacation season is right around the corner. Follow our tips for safe and stress free travels.

Travel season is right around the corner and right now is a great time to book some great deals.  Make sure to follow some of our safety tips while out exploring the world.

-Don’t post on social media- Save posting the dozens of photos until you get back.  Announcing to the world that you are out of your home for an extended period of time makes your home more vulnerable to robberies even if you think your profiles are locked down.

-Tell a neighbor- Keep your neighbor or neighbors in the loop so that they can keep an eye on anything suspicious.  If someone is feeding pets in the home, ask them to rotate turning on lights so it always appears that someone is home and make sure to lock all windows and doors.  You can also give someone a key or remotely open a door to avoid having to hide an extra key outside.

-Sanitize- Your immune system may have built up an immunity to germs and viruses prevalent to your home but while visiting other cities or countries, that may not be the case so pack sanitizing wipes and make sure to wash your hands frequently.  Also, depending on how you travel, mask may be mandatory to be worn for long periods of time. Make sure they are comfortable and fit appropriately.

-Research- Research cultural norms or learn bits and pieces of the language if visiting foreign countries to avoid sticking out or insulting local residents.  You can also find some of the safest areas to visit and places to avoid.

-Never carry everything together- Never carry cash, credit cards, ID and passport in the same carrying case.  Runner’s belts are great because they can be worn under clothing and are great for stashing cash and an ID or small bits of jewelry.

-Make copies- Make sure to make a copy of your ID, passport and credit cards in case anything gets lost.  By having copies, you can sometimes request new documents online and save yourself hours of waiting in long lines and can be used as emergency documentation in case of an emergency.

-GPS trackers- GPS trackers are great to put on luggage in case it gets lost, a purse if it gets stolen, on the belt loop of a child that gets lost exploring or if you are prone to losing your car keys.  Most are smart enabled so it’s just a matter of logging into an app to find the object or person.

-Bring appropriate weather items- Walking for long periods of time?  Bring the correct shoes. Going out for a late night of dancing?  Pack a spare pair of flats.  Also consider things like sunscreen, umbrella or pocket poncho for unpredictable weather.

-Travel with a buddy- Traveling alone can be a ton of fun but traveling with a friend or companion is always the safest option in a city or country you aren’t familiar with.

-Travel insurance- Consider purchasing travel insurance. It can help with medical bills and even transportation and lodging if you get stuck due a medical emergency.  A good policy will even book the flights for you and may cover missed excursions or events that had already been purchased but were missed due to the emergency.

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