When it comes to traveling, safety is undoubtedly one of the most important things.
In this article I would like to give you some practical advice to start quietly, in order to start your journey in the best way: a little lighter at heart.
Before starting I would like to point out that I wrote this article based on my travel experiences in Europe, South America and I learned to my detriment how much even a small accident can ruin an entire trip.
Before leaving, it is therefore useful to do some preliminary operations, so as not to find yourself in unpleasant situations, some of which, in addition to ruining the holiday, may also force you to interrupt it to go home.
Generally there are no "good" or "bad" countries because crime occurs all over the world - sometimes a few simple tips are enough to improve your safety and make your travel experience more pleasant.
If you don't already have insurance, you absolutely need it . Do not think that money is "thrown away": bad things on the road can happen but above all think that when you buy insurance, you do not only buy your safety, but also the tranquility of those who love you and are waiting for you at home!
I understand it, I did it in the past too! Then I realized one thing. I never worked on the laptop . Before leaving I said to myself that in the evening in the hotel I would write the blog, the truth is that I think I never even turned it on when I was on vacation.
I learned (reluctantly) to leave my beloved SLR camera at home too , preferring a smaller, lighter but above all mirrorless camera that attracts less attention than any thieves who meet.
When you pack, try to give up, if not everything, at least something: you will travel not only lighter, but also safer . And you won't have the problem of having so many valuable things with you, perhaps to leave unattended in the hotel room!
In addition, having copies will be very useful when they ask you to leave your ID in the hostel or hotel.
In addition, I also learned to write down all my login details for EMail, Facebook, etc. before leaving. - helps if you forget your logins or if your laptop is stolen.
Make a list of these numbers because it's really important.
In case something happens, you may not have time to look for numbers for the local police or ambulance services or directions to the nearest embassy. You may also be too stressed and panicked to think clearly.
Never put yourself in this situation. Instead, record this information in advance and create an "Emergency Plan" to follow if things go wrong. Save them on your phone somewhere or simply if you are not very technological do like me and write them on a sheet of paper!
In this case you could also take it to plasticize to protect it from humidity and then keep it in your wallet.
This way, if something goes wrong, you will always know who to call and where to ask for help.
We all think we are too smart to be scammed - but unfortunately it does .
Knowing the methods of scammers is a fairly easy thing, just perform a simple google search on the scams in the country you are going to visit.
Among the most common famous scams there is that of the girls from Budapest who invite you to drink in agreement with the owner of the place, only to then disappear and leave you with a very salty account (the same is done in China by the scammers who with the excuse to want to learn English invite you to have tea).
In such particularly serious circumstances, the importance of being tracked as quickly as possible and - if necessary - assistance is evident.
In my opinion, this is a necessary service when traveling to countries that are not really safe or when traveling alone . You can report your data via the web, by phone, by sms ... in short, it is easy, fast, it costs nothing and gives you the certainty that if something happens, someone will know where to look for you.
Maybe nothing happened to him ... but what if it happens to you? It seems a bit superficial not to get vaccinated (which costs little and takes little time) and at least run the risk of getting something bad .
Before leaving for the exotic destination of your dreams, ask your doctor if it is appropriate to make vaccines and which ones.
The best way is to send the complete itinerary by e-mail to some family member (and double check with them that they have received it, do not assume that if you have sent it, it has necessarily arrived, sometimes it can even end up in the spam and not to be seen) ..
Before I travel, I make sure my parents know where I am going, what my general plans are and when I should go back.
In this way, if they have no news for a few days, they can help inform the competent local authorities, the embassy, about my travels and make any searches easier and faster .
Some of my favorite hiding places include:
How much cash to bring? This is a subjective thing that also depends on the country of destination or the time you are away. At least I carry 200 euros hidden in various places (a little in clothes, a little in a backpack, a little everywhere in short).
Some I hide them on me for example with a belt, some in my bag. Even a backup credit card is wise.
Now if things get really bad, and we no longer have a lira, what can we do? Call a friend or family member and ask them to send you the emergency money you left with them before leaving, via a Western Union or Moneygram transfer.
I hope you never get to use this method . But these things happen occasionally, and it's better to devise safe travel techniques rather than ignore the possibility of getting caught unprepared.
In fact, in the summer and during the holiday periods, thefts increase exponentially. Since there is no one to control, thieves have an easy life, they can take the time they need to observe our house, find any access points and simply enter to leave it emptied of the most valuable things we have.
I know because it happened to me a few years ago during a holiday in Corsica . Not only did thieves take away the things that were in sight but even the complete safe with everything inside!
I swear to you it was one of the worst experiences of my life. Being abroad and learning from the carabinieri by phone that thieves have entered your home can irreparably ruin a holiday that seemed perfect.
And it's ugly even when you come home and wandering around your rooms to see what's missing, you have the terrible feeling of unease thinking that some stranger has violated your personal space.
The first reaction (after that of crying) was to put the fixed bars on the windows. Let's face it is not an easy thing to do, both for the jobs and for the cost and for the permits (especially if you live in an apartment building).
The only other clever alternative that I found was to put the alarm on. There are many different types, what you choose will depend on many factors. For example, wandering around the internet, I came across the Sicuritalia home burglar alarm which seems to me to be an excellent choice. Totally wireless it allows both you (via app on your mobile) and the Sicuritalia operations center ( active 24 hours a day ) to monitor your home even when you are not there (and let's face it, having an entire operations center to control home security is a nice advantage!).
In this article I would like to give you some practical advice to start quietly, in order to start your journey in the best way: a little lighter at heart.
Before starting I would like to point out that I wrote this article based on my travel experiences in Europe, South America and I learned to my detriment how much even a small accident can ruin an entire trip.
Before leaving, it is therefore useful to do some preliminary operations, so as not to find yourself in unpleasant situations, some of which, in addition to ruining the holiday, may also force you to interrupt it to go home.
Generally there are no "good" or "bad" countries because crime occurs all over the world - sometimes a few simple tips are enough to improve your safety and make your travel experience more pleasant.
Travel insurance
In my opinion it is a terribly foolish thing , but still today many people leave without having made a travel insurance that covers any medical costs if something should happen. Sometimes they don't do it believing there is no need, other times they are so busy organizing the trip that they forget it.If you don't already have insurance, you absolutely need it . Do not think that money is "thrown away": bad things on the road can happen but above all think that when you buy insurance, you do not only buy your safety, but also the tranquility of those who love you and are waiting for you at home!
Put little electronics in your luggage
For millennials of technology, it is tempting to bring as many electronic accessories with them : laptop computers, smartphones, kindles, cameras, drones.I understand it, I did it in the past too! Then I realized one thing. I never worked on the laptop . Before leaving I said to myself that in the evening in the hotel I would write the blog, the truth is that I think I never even turned it on when I was on vacation.
I learned (reluctantly) to leave my beloved SLR camera at home too , preferring a smaller, lighter but above all mirrorless camera that attracts less attention than any thieves who meet.
When you pack, try to give up, if not everything, at least something: you will travel not only lighter, but also safer . And you won't have the problem of having so many valuable things with you, perhaps to leave unattended in the hotel room!
Make a copy of your passport and login information
Losing your passport will get you into trouble so you should only carry it in your pocket or purse if you really need it (transfer / crossing borders) - in most situations you just need to have a copy of your passport .In addition, having copies will be very useful when they ask you to leave your ID in the hostel or hotel.
In addition, I also learned to write down all my login details for EMail, Facebook, etc. before leaving. - helps if you forget your logins or if your laptop is stolen.
Make a list with emergency numbers
In an emergency you should always know the numbers to call : insurance, family, bank, doctor ...Make a list of these numbers because it's really important.
In case something happens, you may not have time to look for numbers for the local police or ambulance services or directions to the nearest embassy. You may also be too stressed and panicked to think clearly.
Never put yourself in this situation. Instead, record this information in advance and create an "Emergency Plan" to follow if things go wrong. Save them on your phone somewhere or simply if you are not very technological do like me and write them on a sheet of paper!
In this case you could also take it to plasticize to protect it from humidity and then keep it in your wallet.
This way, if something goes wrong, you will always know who to call and where to ask for help.
Discover the travel scams of the country you visit
Wherever you go in the world, you will always find people ready to deceive you and try to steal your hard-earned cash . If you are lucky, you will notice - but sometimes you happen to run into real scam artists, professionals and cunning.We all think we are too smart to be scammed - but unfortunately it does .
Knowing the methods of scammers is a fairly easy thing, just perform a simple google search on the scams in the country you are going to visit.
Among the most common famous scams there is that of the girls from Budapest who invite you to drink in agreement with the owner of the place, only to then disappear and leave you with a very salty account (the same is done in China by the scammers who with the excuse to want to learn English invite you to have tea).
Register on the site where we are in the world
" Where we are in the world " is a service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for tourists who can report - on a voluntary basis - their personal data, in order to allow the Crisis Unit, in the event that they occur serious emergency situations, to plan rescue operations more quickly and accurately .In such particularly serious circumstances, the importance of being tracked as quickly as possible and - if necessary - assistance is evident.
In my opinion, this is a necessary service when traveling to countries that are not really safe or when traveling alone . You can report your data via the web, by phone, by sms ... in short, it is easy, fast, it costs nothing and gives you the certainty that if something happens, someone will know where to look for you.
Make the necessary vaccines
This too seems to me a senseless thing or leave without having made a minimum of necessary vaccinations . I often hear "nothing happened to me", well this is a personal case, it must not become a universal rule!Maybe nothing happened to him ... but what if it happens to you? It seems a bit superficial not to get vaccinated (which costs little and takes little time) and at least run the risk of getting something bad .
Before leaving for the exotic destination of your dreams, ask your doctor if it is appropriate to make vaccines and which ones.
Email your itinerary to friends / family
Once you have decided on the itinerary and stages of your trip with dates, make sure someone else knows about it .The best way is to send the complete itinerary by e-mail to some family member (and double check with them that they have received it, do not assume that if you have sent it, it has necessarily arrived, sometimes it can even end up in the spam and not to be seen) ..
Before I travel, I make sure my parents know where I am going, what my general plans are and when I should go back.
In this way, if they have no news for a few days, they can help inform the competent local authorities, the embassy, about my travels and make any searches easier and faster .
Prepare an "emergency" fund
While it is good to do everything possible to avoid the worst-case scenarios , it is equally smart to think that something can always happen and try to act in advance by preparing a parachute. This is the thought behind a reserve of emergency funds, to be kept in a safe place in case of need.Some of my favorite hiding places include:
- Secret pocket sewn into the pants
- Behind a patch on my backpack
- Roll up your socks
- Inside a hidden compartment
How much cash to bring? This is a subjective thing that also depends on the country of destination or the time you are away. At least I carry 200 euros hidden in various places (a little in clothes, a little in a backpack, a little everywhere in short).
Some I hide them on me for example with a belt, some in my bag. Even a backup credit card is wise.
Now if things get really bad, and we no longer have a lira, what can we do? Call a friend or family member and ask them to send you the emergency money you left with them before leaving, via a Western Union or Moneygram transfer.
I hope you never get to use this method . But these things happen occasionally, and it's better to devise safe travel techniques rather than ignore the possibility of getting caught unprepared.
Protect "what you leave"
Well, we are ready to go. We did everything carefully and we are confident in terms of the safety of our trip. And we don't think of one of the most important things, or to protect what we care about most : our home!In fact, in the summer and during the holiday periods, thefts increase exponentially. Since there is no one to control, thieves have an easy life, they can take the time they need to observe our house, find any access points and simply enter to leave it emptied of the most valuable things we have.
I know because it happened to me a few years ago during a holiday in Corsica . Not only did thieves take away the things that were in sight but even the complete safe with everything inside!
I swear to you it was one of the worst experiences of my life. Being abroad and learning from the carabinieri by phone that thieves have entered your home can irreparably ruin a holiday that seemed perfect.
And it's ugly even when you come home and wandering around your rooms to see what's missing, you have the terrible feeling of unease thinking that some stranger has violated your personal space.
The first reaction (after that of crying) was to put the fixed bars on the windows. Let's face it is not an easy thing to do, both for the jobs and for the cost and for the permits (especially if you live in an apartment building).
The only other clever alternative that I found was to put the alarm on. There are many different types, what you choose will depend on many factors. For example, wandering around the internet, I came across the Sicuritalia home burglar alarm which seems to me to be an excellent choice. Totally wireless it allows both you (via app on your mobile) and the Sicuritalia operations center ( active 24 hours a day ) to monitor your home even when you are not there (and let's face it, having an entire operations center to control home security is a nice advantage!).
