No matter the time of year, going on a vacation is always a good way to relax and unwind. It also allows you to go on new adventures and explore exciting destinations. Despite this, turning on your “vacation brain” and living absolutely carefree is not a good idea. From health risks to being pickpocketed, you may face several safety issues as a traveler. Therefore, it is vital to stay alert and take various precautionary steps. Whether you’re traveling to another state or leaving the country, going on a solo trip, or traveling with your family, here are five tips on ensuring your safety when you go on vacation.
1. Take pre-travel checkups
During your trip, you may not know the quality of healthcare providers, the law concerning healthcare for foreigners, or even the closest medical center. This makes the thought of experiencing a medical crisis during your vacation even more daunting. Conducting a pre-travel health checkup is an ideal way to avoid putting yourself at risk during your trip. There are several benefits to pre-travel screening. For instance, these screenings help identify and detect existing health conditions, give you the needed medication, and provide guidance on how to stay healthy during your vacation.
Additionally, you can take training courses or seek advice from your various lifesaving health techniques. This is especially beneficial for group travels. Therefore, consider taking a standard first aid and CPR C training course to be knowledgeable and skilled for when the time arises.
2. Stay in touch with trusted family and friends
Although you want some time to yourself when on vacation, it is advisable not to go completely off the radar. Before you leave, share your travel plans with trusted family members and friends. Be sure your itinerary contains details such as where you will be spending the night and number, the city you will be in, and activities you seek to do during your trip. This makes it easy for your family to contact you when something goes wrong. You should also ensure you speak to your family and friends regularly. A text during the day and a phone call at night each day should suffice.
3. Keep copies of your travel documents
Traveling can be quite stressful. The hustle and bustle of getting all you need packed and ensuring your items are with you on arrival are most important to travelers. But what happens if you lose your important documents such as travel insurance, passport, or driver’s license? Misplacing such documents can have serious legal implications and put you in harm’s way. Therefore it is advisable to keep copies of your travel document. The best and most reliable way to keep copies of these important documents is digitally through cloud services. This keeps the document private and makes documents easily accessible.
4. Blend in
Criminals, especially scammers, can easily identify tourists from locals. As a tourist, you may stand out as a sore thumb in several ways. Blending in with locals reduces your chances of being an easy target for criminals. A sure way to blend in is to avoid wearing flashy jewelry and flaunting your money. You can also research the destination to find out more about the locals. This helps reduce the obvious confusion tourists usually face when they visit a new location. You can also speak to trustworthy locals for more advice on how to blend in.
5. Be proactive concerning hotel security
If you aren’t staying with friends and family, then you should be very security conscious of your hotel room, Air BnB, and other accommodation options you may prepare. One of the things you should consider is the door lock, as this would keep intruders at bay. Test the effectiveness of your door lock, and keep the room locked at all times.
Secondly, be sure there are no hidden cameras you were not made aware of when booking the accommodation. Additionally, if you stay at a hotel, you may want to consider using one that uses “swipe cards” instead of keys. Unlike keys, swipe cards are usually not numbered. If you misplace your swipe card or it gets stolen, you can rest assured that they will not find your room. Another security measure you should consider concerning your accommodation is to take note of the elevators, emergency plans, emergency staircases, and exits.
You wouldn’t want what should have otherwise been a relaxing vacation to turn ugly. Therefore, consider implementing these tips among other safety trips to enjoy your trip while safeguarding your security.
