Travel safe – tips for tourists and other general travellers
This article gives several safety tips which a traveller must keep in mind while travelling within the country or abroad. The tips include what travellers must carry while going on a trip. It tells about various safety precautions a tourist must take while staying in a hotel or travelling in buses or trains abroad. It is a complete safety guide for anyone travelling abroad.
Tips for safe travelling for tourists and other general travellers
• Check up that you carry the entire document needed by you before you start your journey. Your Identity card, passport, tickets, visa, money bag, credit cards, travellers' cheques, driver's licence and any other important documents you need to carry must be put into a place where you can easily reach them.
• Make a note of credit limit in each of your credit cards.
• If required keep the Xerox copies of the important documents handy in case of any loss or theft.
• Prefer to carry travellers' cheques or credit cards rather than cash.
• Don't forget to carry your mobile if you have one. Sometimes you may also need to carry your laptop if you have one.
• Carry the contact Nos. of hotels, relations etc where you have to say. Take medical inoculations or vaccinations if required.
• If you are travelling in a company, don't get lost and always listen to the advice of the guide or the leader of the group or you may be left alone causing embarrassment to others in the group.
• Obey the laws and rules of the country of your visit if you are going abroad.
• Leave a copy of your travel itinerary with someone at home to keep a contact with you in case of need.
• Try to know the weather conditions of the place of travel and carry your clothes accordingly.
• Find out the places of tourist interest which you want to visit at a new place and make a list of them so that you don't miss any important place to visit.
• Keep the phone of your embassy or consular and also of the country of your visit handy with you for any emergency.
• When going on tour within the country or abroad, prefer to travel as a member of the touring group to enjoy your travel and stay at the place of your visit. You will always have a company to share your views and pleasures of journey.
• Don't wear expensive jewellery and show that you are very rich. Carry minimum valuables and conceal them properly so that they are not visible. Don't display them. Put your cash and valuable in different pockets or bags if you can. Avoid handbags, or outside pockets. This will be giving an invitation to the wrong doers who will always be for the look out for a gullible traveller.
• Try to carry as light a travel luggage as possible for a convenient travel. Only carry items which are very essential for the journey and stay. You will feel less tired this way. Remember, you don't get porters in many countries and you have to carry your own luggage. So lighter the luggage, the better comfort for you.
• Have an extra pair of glasses if you wear them.
• Carry any medicines which you regularly use. Carry them in their original packages or containers. Take copies of your doctor's prescriptions along with you to avoid trouble with customs. Contact the embassy if there is any legal problem in carrying certain drugs which may not be permitted in the country of your travel.
• Get your costly electronics equipments registered with the customs to avoid any trouble on your return.
• Type your name, contact numbers, email id, postal address with pincode and keep it inside as well as paste it securely outside every piece of your luggage.
• Lock your luggage at every place where it can be opened.
• As far as possible, get acquainted with local laws or customs of the country of your visit. Consult websites, libraries or embassies for help in this regard.
• Try to find out a hotel which is popular and good for secure stay. Take help from travel agent or tour guide in this respect.
• Avoid to book ground floor rooms in a hotel if possible.
• Better to take insurance cover during your travel or for any theft or loss . Many insurance companies will be happy to that for you.
• Take extra safety precautions at crowded places, rail road stations, elevators, tourist sites, market places, festivals and other crowded and danger prone areas.
• Try to use commonly used roads and street and try to avoid short cuts or dimly lit streets.
• It is better not to travel alone at night.
• Don't get caught in public demonstrations and processions.
• Don't get into loud arguments and conversations with anyone.
• Be very careful with the strangers and don't discuss any personal matters or your travel programmes with them.
• Be extra vigilant in selecting your guides. Preferably select state or government approved tourist guides.
• Beware of pickpockets and thieves. They may try to jostle you and may even try to fool you and distract your attention by saying that something has fallen on your clothes and using such similar traps. Be cautious about vagabond children who may distract your attention and pick your pocket.
• If lost, try to find you way asking some police officials or some individuals in authority. Don't get misguided by miscreants.
• Try to find out the conversion value of the currency of the country you visit. Always keep small change for using the wash rooms / toilets etc which is common in some countries.
• Learn few phrases of the local language for using phones or for taking police or medical help.
• Always keep handy the list of important emergency contact numbers of police, fire station, hospitals etc.
• In case you are confronted with some cracks, it is better not to show your valour but give up your valuables and immediately report to the police.
• Always lock your hotel room before you go out and don't leave your money or valuables in the hotel room.
• In case you have some important work to do at night and there is a possibility of delay in form the front desk personnel about your late return.
• Prefer not to use elevator if you are alone and there is suspicious looking person already inside.
• Use taxis which are authorised by the government of the country. Don't use any numberless taxi.
• Try to avoid overnight journey by train or bus lest you face some organised gang of robbers or miscreants.
• Do not eat or drink anything given by strangers. It may be drugged.
• Don't use still or video cameras where photography of video recording is prohibited.
• Be very careful while purchasing antiques or popular items of a country. They may not be genuine and you may lose your money.