When you’re at home, it’s easy to spot security risks. You’ve already developed a routine that involves keeping yourself safe, such as locking the doors before you go to sleep and avoiding streets in seedy areas at night. When you’re on vacation, it’s sometimes hard to anticipate what you’re getting yourself into. Be sure to adopt good practices that will keep you secure in any environment.
- Be Careful What You Carry
Carrying all of your cash and cards with you is a bad idea. If you lose your wallet (or it gets stolen), you won’t have access to any of your money. Only take the cards you know you’ll need to use and limit the amount of cash you carry with you. If your wallet goes missing, you won’t be without resources until the situation is resolved.
- Be Wary of Public WiFi
If you’re buying things online, paying your bills back home, or even signing into an email or social media accounts, anyone on public WiFi can see what you’re doing. Using a VPN can put you in a secure tunnel, so anything unsafe lurking on public WiFi can’t see what you’re doing and intercept your information. Even if you’re only downloading music or movies for your trip, keep yourself safe with a VPN.
- Have a Backup Plan for Your Phone
What happens if you lose your phone in a strange place? Could strangers hack it and obtain personal information about you? Add as many layers of security to your phone as possible. If you can turn on location tracking. You’ll know where it is if you’ve lost it. This comes with a bonus: you can arrange for a trusted individual to be able to track your movements via your phone if you’re traveling alone.
- Use the Buddy System
If you don’t give someone access to your phone tracking info, at least be sure to tell someone where you are and when you intend to be back. This is helpful in multiple ways, even if you’re perfectly safe. If you get lost and your phone dies or you can’t get reception where you’re at, this person can send someone to help you if they don’t hear from you within the agreed upon amount of time.
- Keep Your Home Safe
You’re going to be gone for a while, and empty houses are a great target for thieves. Have a friend or relative stay at your place to keep a watchful eye. Stock your fridge with plenty of snacks and offer up a comfy place to sleep – it will seem enticing. If you can’t do that, at least let your neighbors know that you’re leaving and give them your contact info. They can call you if they see anything suspicious.
- Don’t Overshare
Social media makes it easy for you to tag your posts at any particular location. There may be a few people you want to know where you are for safety purposes, but you don’t know who else is going to see that. If someone were looking on Facebook or Instagram for vulnerable tourists, you could be putting yourself in a bad spot. Go back and tag the photos after you get home.
- Keep Your Valuables Secure
Don’t carry around your laptop, your tablet, and your digital camera while you’re wearing a brand new Rolex and a gold wedding band. Taking all of that stuff everywhere with you only maximizes the potential of something going awry. Get a hotel room with a safe or great security. Only bring what you need for the day.
You can still have an incredible time while being cautious. In fact, you might even have a better time if your vigilance keeps you safe throughout your trip.
About the Author
Amelie Mahone is a loving wife and a mother of 3. She loves to read about history and write articles on various topics, such as business, education, history, teaching. As a young mum, Amelie also likes to read about motivation and parenting.
