How safe are we while traveling? How much do we know about maintaining our safety on trips? You’ll have the answers after learning the most helpful travel safety tips to follow in 2021!
Take a look at our top 7 tips for safe traveling, no matter how far you might be going; How to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic; and extra safety advice for traveling domestically. Especially with the current state of things, traveling can feel as stressful as ever. Let us help keep you safe while satisfying your wanderlust.
How can we stay safe while traveling?
It’s a great idea to do some research before going on a trip. Most governments and also travel bloggers provide numerous tips online for traveling to popular vacation destinations.
Doing research will help you learn what to expect and what to prepare before your trip. Since regulations for travel during the COVID-19 pandemic regularly change from country to country, checking government websites for each border you must cross before you leave ensures you will have everything required.
What are the 7 safety tips for every traveler?
We don’t want you to spend hours researching tips on safe travel. Instead, we narrowed down all of the basics on this topic in just seven safety tips!
1. Be Careful Where You Put Your Money
Never put all of your money and credit cards in the same place. This tip protects against being stranded in a strange country without any money.
One of the most basic ways to ensure your money’s safety while traveling is to put it in multiple places, such as; a travel purse, different pockets of each of your bags, your shoe, and of course, your regular wallet. Thus, take time to strategically place all of your valuables to avoid losing everything if you are robbed. Remember to always keep your passport on you and never leave it lying around!
2. Always Bring a Map with You
A lot of things can go wrong when you’re traveling, especially when it comes to technology. We seem to rely on mobile tech for everything we need these days, but bringing an actual map is one of our mandatory tips for traveling. Whether it be that your data plan doesn’t activate on time, or you don’t have service, or you can’t find a secure WiFi connection, being mapless in a place where you don’t know where you are can get you into a lot of trouble.
3. Write Down All of the Emergency Numbers of the Country You’re Visiting
Writing down the emergency numbers and contacts of where you are is one of the most underrated international travel safety tips to include. Many people take emergency numbers for granted. Most mobile phones have emergency buttons that will automatically call the police or an ambulance if you’re in danger, but it’s best to take the extra step and write them down, too, just in case your phone dies.
4. Always Research Your Destination Thoroughly
Doing thorough research on your destination is staple advice on how to travel safely. Knowing a little about the culture and even the most common crimes committed there will give you some idea of what kind of situations you might encounter, good or bad!
The purpose is not to panic but to be prepared. By looking into some of the most common ways that foreigners are targeted, you can know what to watch out for and have a greater sense of security.
5. Get Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is one of the most common travel security tips suggested by governments and travel experts alike. While it may not be comfortable to think about the dangers of traveling before your trip, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Travel insurance covers many issues that may arise while you are away from your home country. Perhaps the most critical coverage is medical coverage. You don’t want to get stuck in a foreign hospital without insurance.
Less traumatizing considerations, however, can be theft insurance, reimbursement for lost luggage, and canceled or missed flights. It may cost you a bit extra, but it will ensure you are taken care of if anything unexpected happens.
6. Frequently Check-In with Your Loved Ones
Regular female travelers have plenty of great advice when asked, “how can a solo female traveler stay safe?” A good rule for everyone is to tell your family or friends where you are and where you plan to go each day. Giving an estimated time of when you plan to call or email again ensures that people are looking out for you while you are traveling alone.
7. Staying Safe in Your Hotel Room
Staying safe in your hotel room includes a variety of travel safety tips. Just because you paid for a nice hotel, doesn’t mean you don’t need to stay aware and take certain precautions. Locking your doors and keeping windows closed, especially when you’re away or while you’re in the bathroom, is the first room safety measure to take.
Secondly, if you meet new people and decide to meet up with them at some point, you should wait for them in the lobby, instead of inviting them up to your room. Whenever someone knocks at your door claiming to be the hotel staff, don’t hesitate to call the reception to check if they sent someone to your room.
Travel Safety Tips During COVID-19
There is no question that the introduction of a global pandemic has completely changed the way we think about and are able to travel. By keeping in mind some of the basics such as researching a country’s entry requirements, checking the restrictions and rules daily, preparing for quarantine, and bringing extra masks, traveling doesn’t have to be stressful. You won’t have to keep Googling “travel safety tips coronavirus” because we’ve already got them for you below.
Know the Country’s Entry Requirements
Country’s vary on their entry requirements and are prone to change from day to day as the pandemic plays out. Make sure you check these requirements 48 hours before you travel to make sure you don’t need to get an extra test or have a certain kind of paperwork to enter any of the countries you will have to enter (even if it’s just for a flight layover!).
Prepare for Quarantine
One of our essential holiday travel safety tips is considering the possibility of quarantine. While not all countries require it, rules can change, leaving you with no choice but to adhere to restrictions.
Many countries allow you to self-isolate in your hotel room, while others require mandated rooms at the airport for up to two weeks. There may be ways to avoid quarantine, such as having proof of being vaccinated. To be safe, prepare to prolong your trip, and have enough money to support yourself if it does happen.
Bring Extra Masks
If you type in “travel safety COVID” and read through the pages, you’ll find the most common advice is to bring extra protective masks and sanitizer. You never know how equipped the pharmacies are in the place you’re visiting. For instance, in Milan, people couldn’t find masks to buy for a whole month!
When the world is in such a fragile state, people can be prone to panic. Especially as outbreaks continue to happen, the most vital travel safety tips COVID are to have a face mask for every day you’re staying, pack a generous amount of disinfectant to carry with you at all times, and as always, wash your hands!
Check the Info on Restrictions and Rules Every Day
Rules and restrictions for COVID-19 travel protocols are prone to change from day to day. Carefully monitoring travel and tourist updates from where you will visit is among the mandatory travel safety tips 2021. Being over-prepared for stricter restrictions to arise while you travel will help keep you safe in this unstable climate.
Be Prepared to Cancel Your Trip
It has to be said; there is a much larger possibility than ever before that you may be forced to cancel your travel plans. You might not have been the type to opt for cancellation insurance before, but one of our main travel safety tips is to get it if you want to go on vacation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
By paying the additional amount to get flight cancellation coverage, trying to book accommodation with free cancelation, and delaying any purchase of extra amenities until you arrive, will ensure you don’t miss out on a great trip and have to pay for it anyway.
Domestic Travel Safety Tips
Are you planning on exploring the beauty of your own country? Traveling within your home country may come with less preparation, but there are still many safety concerns to consider applying on your trip.
Don’t Let Your Guard Down
It can feel safer to take trips closer to home because you stay within the realms of your own culture, but don’t let this become a disadvantage. Out of all the safe travel tips, the first is to stay alert about your safety. Don’t leave your backpack or any other belongings unattended, keep your money in a few different places, and make sure you lock the doors of the room you are staying in. By researching the destination you are visiting, you can be aware of any cautions to look out for and maybe find a few new places you’d like to see!
Be Careful Who You’re Revealing Your Travel Plans to
Being vigilant about who you share your travel plans with is one of our traveling safety tips, especially for those planning to travel alone. While it’s safest to share your travel destination and where you are staying with close family and friends, be careful letting anyone else know, especially on social media or with new people you meet on your journey.
Be cautious about using location pins and “checking in” to places online, as many times it can be publicly viewed on the location’s page, allowing others to track and see exactly where you are and that you are from out of town.
Invest In a Locked Briefcase
A prominent reason for domestic travel is because of business! While business travel safety tips are essentially the same as regular travel tips, there are a few more things to consider when traveling for business.
If you carry a laptop, make sure that you keep it with you at all times. Business travelers are targets for thieves because they are known to have computers and other expensive technical devices with them. Investing in a briefcase with a lock can help you protect company property, even if your bag does happen to get lost or stolen.
Travel Security Tips: Conclusion
Even with all that is going on globally, travel is still something that many people either need or want to do. Keeping safe while traveling involves a bit of preparation, especially with the Covid-19 pandemic occurring. By doing regular research on your destination, the current tourist rules and restrictions, and what kind of crime is common, you eliminate many unexpected problems that might arise.
Once at your destination, keeping your guard up and being vigilant about where you keep your money are just a few of the travel safety tips covered in this article that allow you to keep safe and enjoy your traveling experience.
Bon Voyage!
