How to Stay Safe While Traveling

Staying safe while you are traveling is one of the most important things you need to look into. Staying safe is not just about protecting your life; it is about protecting your money and the things that you have on you; it is about abiding by the law of the land and avoiding trouble. It is about being wise and thinking ahead rather than acting in the moment.

Stay Safe While Traveling

The world can be a dangerous place if you are not prepared, but don’t let this prevent you from traveling and exploring. Yes, some places you should avoid, but on the whole, the world is out there, and you can and should explore it. To help you out, here are a few ways you can stay safe while you are traveling.

The Language

If at all possible, you should try and learn the language of the county you are visiting, especially if you intend on staying for a prolonged period of time. You cannot always rely on the idea that English is the international language. Learning the language can actually make you enjoy the experience even better. It is also extremely useful if you run into any issues which are bound to happen during traveling. It is part and parcel of the experience.

If you are headed to South America, for example, it may be worth your while to learn Spanish before you go. You don’t need to be fluent, but the more you know, the better, and while you are away, you will improve your skills too. It will probably take you about three months of learning Spanish every day, to arrive at a good basic level. That is, if you practice every day and are motivated to learn as much as possible.

Learn About Your Destination

It is important that you read up on all your destinations. The more informed you are, the more armed you are. You need to know what the safe and unsafe areas of the cities you intend to travel to are. It would not be fun to find yourself staying in some dodgy hotel in the rough part of Buenos Aires, for example. Some areas of town a particularly bad for tourists too, so learn as much as you can.

In some countries, you may stick out like a sore thumb as you look so different, like in China if you are from a European or American town. Find out the best ways to travel in the town, roads to drive on if you are hiring a car, and places to stay.  

Laws, Rules, and Regulations

Every country will have some variation in the law. You cannot assume all countries are as liberal or lax on certain things. So it is your duty to learn all these laws, rules and regulations. Things to consider are the drinking laws, drinking in the street, or is DUI a misdemeanor or a felony. All countries have different over the limit limits on alcohol, so you need to be aware of this.

There may be some rules around the things you need in a car if you are going to be traveling that way. You may need to have fluorescent jackets in case of a breakdown. The speed limit is another thing to pay attention to.

You may even need to pay attention to the credit and financial laws. In some countries, if you go over your credit limit, you will have issues. Medication is of paramount importance. If you have prescription opioids, you cannot take these in some countries. Even if you have a medical note, you may be put in prison.

Another thing that may affect you is the laws around taking videos and photos. In some religious places, you may need to be very respectful, for example. Read up on the law in all the countries that you intend to visit. Otherwise, you may get burned. 

Travel Insurance

If you are going to be traveling for quite a long period of time, then you really should invest in travel insurance. This may be even more important if you plan on doing any extreme sports. If you are going to be hiking in some remote areas or mountain biking, if you have an accident, you may need to be airlifted to a hospital and then treated. If you don’t have insurance, then you will have to pay for this all yourself. Having travel insurance to cover all emergency medical treatment and evacuation assistance is highly recommended. Going without this can cost you thousands if something goes wrong.  

Watch Your Belongings 

You are not in Kansas anymore, and a tourist in some areas is a prime target. So, you need to be careful. When you are transferring from one place to another, this is the time to be extra vigilant. You will have all your luggage with you. Pickpocketing is rife in some areas, so it may be an idea to have a money wallet under your clothes. Wherever there are a lot of people with luggage and things on their minds, train stations, bus stations, and airports, there will be someone waiting to pick you out and take advantage. Don’t let that happen to you. That would be a nightmare.

If you have a backpack, perhaps wear it on the front while you are here. Even if you have a lock for the zips, this doesn’t stop them from using knives to slit the bag itself. It may even be worth disabling the contact feature on your bank cards to stop people from cloning the cards using certain technology. 

Withdraw Money from the Banks

In a lot of countries around the world, the ATMs have been manipulated to copy the information on the cards being used. This is called skimming. If you use a dodgy machine, you will have money stolen from your bank account. It is better actually to go into the banks and withdraw in there. Although this means you can only withdraw during opening hours, it is much safer.

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