Using Common Sense Will Keep You Safe on Vacation

When going on your hard earned vacation, you want to make sure that you have fun. You want to unwind and enjoy your time off. But, you want to make sure that you come home safely. Just follow these tips and you should have a safe, relaxing time on your next vacation.

Be Prepared
When you are preparing for the intricacies of travel, safety is usually far from your thoughts. No doubt you will read countless reviews of your hotel, choose the seats for your outbound and return flights taking into account sunset times and city views, plan which excursions you’ll take and which aren’t worth the money. But how much time do you spend checking out the safety of the country you are visiting?

Just because you’re not flying into a war zone, it doesn’t mean there aren’t important facts you should learn about your destination before you arrive. The U.S. Department of State’s website, has a wealth of up-to-date travel safety information about every country in the world. And it’s not all about dodging kidnappers and avoiding guerrilla armies.

The State Department site has a fact sheet for every country detailing current health risks, security concerns and areas to avoid. Many countries in Europe, for example, have had minor outbreaks of avian flu among farm animals. Although this poses a negligible risk to travelers, it’s worth finding out how to avoid contact with farm animals and what to do if you think you are at risk.

Know Where You’re Going
As well as checking out the safety issues of the country or city you are flying to, make sure you know where you are going when you land. The excitement of being in a new and strange place can quickly turn to panic when you realize that it’s getting dark and you don’t know how to get to your hotel.Plan your route to your hotel before you embark on your trip. Whether by taxi, shuttle bus or foot, find out where you have to go and roughly how much it’s going to cost to get there so that you can be sure to have enough cash when you arrive.

If you are planning on walking to your hotel, check with someone who knows the area – your hotel is probably your best bet – to make sure that it’s a safe walk. As wonderful as today’s mapping websites are, they remain blissfully unaware of whether your intended route takes you through an area renown for gang crime or, for that matter, whether the two mile hike is entirely up-hill. Print out directions before you leave and make sure you have enough cash to hail a taxi, if necessary.

Don’t Make Bad Choices
In many cases, sampling the local culture means sampling the local alcohol. You’re on vacation. You’re enjoying yourself. Who can blame you for going a little crazy?The old adage says that, when you’ve been drinking, your first faculty to fail isn’t your speech or your coordination, it’s your judgment. And it leaves you early in the evening.

You wouldn’t dream of walking back to your hotel from a strange bar down a strange road in the sober light of day, but after a few glasses of local rum, it seems like a great idea.While it’s important to have fun while you’re on vacation, don’t do it at the expense of your safety. When you’ve had too much to drink, you’re much more likely to make a bad decision that may put your possessions, and maybe even your life, in danger.

Needless to say, indulging illegal drugs – no matter how socially acceptable it may be to the locals – significantly increases your risk of getting into a situation that could put your life in danger (not to mention the risk of being arrested and deported).

Make Sure Someone Knows Where You Are
When you are traveling overseas, it’s easy (and, in some cases, preferable) to drop off the radar a little. But, however liberating it may feel to not have to worry about your mundane life awaiting you on your return, you should not detach yourself entirely from your life back home.

Whether you are traveling with friends, your partner or your family, make sure that someone back home knows the essential details of your trip – where you’re going, how long you’ll be away for and how to contact you in an emergency.

For people who enjoy traveling alone, keeping your whereabouts common knowledge is even more important. Let the hotel front desk know if you’re going out for the day and roughly when you plan to be back. Also, leave details of how to contact friends and family back home in case of an emergency. You don’t have to provide anyone with a minute-by-minute itinerary of your comings and goings, but letting someone know of your rough plans could be life-saving if the worst happens.

Don’t Think It Could Never Happen to You
Don’t ruin your vacation by being overly-paranoid that you are going to be attacked at any minute. At the same time, it’s important to be aware of potential safety pitfalls and prepare for these eventualities.


Make at least two copies of your passport, drivers’ license and any other documentation that you might need. Keep one copy in your suitcase and one copy with friends or family back in the U.S. If you lose any of these documents, having a copy on hand will significantly speed up the process of getting replacements.

Also, take out traveler’s insurance before your trip. The insurance policies we sell cover medical emergencies, lost baggage and even flight delays that result in lost hotel rooms; it’s worth the price for peace of mind.

Whether you’re taking a short vacation in the Caribbean or the trip of a lifetime around the world, travel safety should always be a priority. If you prepare well before the trip and keep your wits about you while you are there, you can avoid potentially dangerous situations while enjoying your well-earned vacation.