Safety Tips for Traveling Abroad
Whether you’re traveling for businesses or taking the trip of a lifetime with that special someone, you want your journey 
abroad to go off without a hitch. Unfortunately, there are forces that can disrupt even the best-laid plans. If you don’t consider safety when you travel, you could find yourself stuck in another country without a penny to your name, or worse, laid up in a hospital. So here are just a few tips to help you keep your wits about you (not to mention your wallet) when you get on a plane for parts unknown.
- Get a money belt. The very first thing you should do, especially if you’re going to be out seeing the sights on your trip, is get yourself a money belt. Tourists are often targeted as easy prey for pickpockets, so it behooves you to ensure that they walk away empty-handed. A money belt has pockets for your money, cards, and passport and it goes on under your clothing. Any thief would have to be a real Houdini to separate you from your belongings.
- Use traveler’s checks. When you lose cash, it’s gone for good. And even though fraudulent charges on a credit card can be reversed, having a card stolen is a pretty big hassle that could leave you without a source of money while you’re abroad. So why not leave the cash and cards at home and opt for traveler’s checks instead? They’re insured, so if they are lost or stolen all you have to do is call your bank or card company to get more sent out immediately.
- Be aware. You can be your own worst enemy when you travel if you fail to pay attention to your surroundings. So unless you want to find yourself utterly bewildered by a mugging or some other type of attack, you need to be aware of what is going on around you at all times and watch for warning signs of danger. And use your intuition! If you’re worried, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Just in case, you might want to get travel insurance, as well.
- Know what you’re eating. When people think of travel safety, they rarely consider the dangers of eating in other countries. But you should be aware that not everyone has the same standards when it comes to food preparation, and totally aside from that, you simply may not be used to eating certain types of cuisine. Cultures that include a lot of fruits, vegetables, fiber, and spices are not likely to be life-threatening, but the abrupt change in diet could definitely derail your trip. So be careful about what you eat. Try new things, but don’t overdo it. And if you’re in a potential malaria zone, drink bottled water.
- When in doubt, ask the concierge. Until someone makes personal security systems to warn people when they’re about to be victimized, you’re going to have to count on your own common sense to stay away from dangerous situations. But when you’re traveling abroad, you might not have all the data you need to make informed decisions about safety. In this regard a concierge can be extremely helpful. He can tell you which areas to avoid, how to dress so you don’t look like a tourist (and a target), and how you should behave in public to keep yourself out of trouble.
