It is surprising just how often things go wring when you travel, perhaps through unfamiliarity but nevertheless these can be minimized by using some basic tips. OK, problems occur from time to time but if you can prevent them in the first place, travel can be a less stressful experience where you may end up out of pocket. Or worse still, a situation that sees you locking yourself in your hotel room, afraid to go out, or even spending time at the local Police station. Your common sense is still the most trusted method of traveling safely so whether you are just walking down a street or dining out, if you feel a situation does not feel right then act accordingly.

Trust your instincts if something doesn’t feel right, do something about it. It is a common mistake for many travelers to carry all of their valuables with them in the belief they are safer, this could not be further from the truth. Expensive and necessary items like identification tickets for example should be left at the hotel in their safe or the room safe if you have one; it is much easier to recover your vacation if you only lose a few important belongings instead of all of them. There is nothing worse than having to cancel credit cards on vacation so to protect your assets further when you are out and about, hide them and the cash in different areas about your person in small amounts; that way a possible thief would not get much.

Many couples who have not adopted the travel safely ethos will have 2 credit cards, both accessing the same account; it is much easier to use two cards, each accessing separate accounts so if one is lost or stolen, there is a backup. One simple trick to stop a bag thief is to place the strap over the head and across the chest as opposed to on the shoulder where it is easy to grab. If you are the person carrying the camera or bag, then walk away fro the edge of the road where it is easy for motorcycle thieves to grab something and make a quick getaway. Criminals love tourists as they are usually considered easy prey and we all underestimate how very proficient they are at relieving people of their personal belongings.

The truth is we always believe it won’t happen to us because we are too streetwise but it is that arrogance that gets us caught out and these individuals do this every day. One way to help reduce the chances of things being stolen is by using a back pack with a padlock, this makes it more difficult to get into and therefore acts as a deterrent.