15 infallible tips for traveling safely in any country.
While these safety tips are more focused on your international travel, they also apply to domestic travel.
For everyone, your safety and that of your family is paramount in your daily life and when we travel it is much more important.
First, you are usually going to an unknown place, then if something happens, there are no people you know who can help you.
After an unknown place, it becomes much more difficult to make the best decisions, in addition to being much more vulnerable.
Who has not seen talk of problems in Brazil, of tourists entering a dangerous place, without knowing it, and that they had some problems?
Then, following these 15 infallible tips, you will be much safer and you will only have great situations to talk about.
1 – Know everything you can about the place you are traveling.
For me, this is the most important, because by knowing everything about the place, you will definitely make the best choices and avoid bad situations.
Today we have access to a lot of information and I gather here a lot of what you need for each place you go, travel guide link.
For each subject below I will leave several site tips where you can find the necessary information for each subject.
2-Although the world is wonderful, it is not pink.
The overwhelming number of people are good, but unfortunately, the bad guys are the ones you’ll encounter most often.
Not because they are the majority, but because they are creating traps for you to fall into.
And an unsuspecting traveler is a sheep among wolves.
I had the opportunity to have FBI agent security training and some points I never forgot.
- The bandits are not after you, but an opportunity, that is, do not be this opportunity for them.
- They are like sharks and attack school fish that are distracted, slow, and don’t notice their arrival, so don’t be that fish.
Some of the popular sayings have in essence the ideas that if you are not aware of the environment, the probability of something bad happening is very high.
Shrimp that sleep, the wave takes.
The alligator that stays still becomes a bag.
Little bird that accompanies bat wakes up upside down.
But others show that if you are attentive and smart, you stop having problems.
The old monkey doesn’t put his hand in a bowl
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Not everything that shines is gold.
When the alms are too much, the saint is suspicious.
Don’t wear obvious ‘tourist’ clothing such as a gaudy shirt with a camera slung around your neck, that’s the same as having a target on your back.
3 – Surely you are not to blame but know that you are responsible.
No one is directly to blame (with exceptions) for the problems encountered on trips, many simply happen.
But that doesn’t give you the right to get rid of responsibilities and consequences.
Mainly that we ourselves indirectly attract many of the problems when we ignore tips 1, 2, and even this one.
We also forget that part of our behavior leads us to fall into scams with our greed and arrogance of thinking we are more and better than others.
4 – Never accept transporting anything from a third party.
For any situation claiming ignorance does not exempt your responsibility.
It is super important to know what is legal, allowed and what is NOT allowed to enter the country you are going to.
If you accept to take something from a friend, open the package and make sure that what you are taking is really something that can be entered into the country.
For your safety NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES accept strange things.
AND NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES take something that you haven’t opened and personally verified what it is.
5 – Always have the documents required by each country.
Having all the documents required by the country you are going to travel to is essential to avoid problems at immigration and to avoid being refused entry.
For Brasilian on the Itamaraty portal, there is contact information for all embassies, with addresses and contacts so that you can check the requirements of each country in advance.
Also, keep your passport as safe as possible.
Basically, you only need a passport when traveling and buying tickets, etc.
Always have more than one original document, but avoid carrying your passport with you, one copy is more than enough for everyday life
If something happens that needs the documents, you will definitely have the opportunity to present the original.
I always take a copy of the photo page, personal data and entry stamp.
If you want, you can have another original document such as your driver’s license.
Today, almost no one asks for your document when you make purchases with a card, and if they do, you usually have time to come back.
6 – Always have someone in the family know where you will be.
Leave copies of your documents at home and with you.
Scan important documents, including your passport, driver’s license, visa and travel itinerary, and leave copies of them with a trusted friend or family member before you leave.
If something happens to your documents while traveling, you can get copies with a quick phone call.
This person may also notice something strange or lack of information and contact you and even take some action
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7 – Health care for those who need continuous medical care and/or medication.
For everyone, it is recommended to visit your doctor before trips longer than a week.
It’s like traveling with the car without doing a review beforehand, you can have problems on the trip and this can spoil your long-awaited and dreamed vacation.
If it is an international trip, it is always good to have your needs in an international classification, as it is clear to the doctors your illnesses and necessary medicines.
As the remedies have different names, having the active ingredients and dosage makes it easier to find the remedy if you need to buy it.
Have your doctor’s prescriptions, as in some countries there may be substance restrictions.
Travel Insurance: For everyone, we should have insurance, because you never know if you will need it, but for those who have a pre-existing illness it is more important that this insurance covers this illness.
For those who are going to practice some sport or adventure, it is necessary to have insurance with the correct coverage, it brings the security of having the necessary resources if something happens.
Here’s how to find out which one is best for your situation.
Covid 19 – Although we are in a much better time, having insurance that covers covid 19 is essential.
Vaccination
Vaccination is also another concern.
For Brazilians these are the basic vaccines, but each country may have its own requirements.
The most common is Yellow Fever.
Here you can see the main vaccines for each country.
8 – Transport safety.
Air Travel
A – Know the rules of what you can carry in your luggage.
They all say that if you buy, there are rules, you just have to familiarize yourself with the rules and follow them.
B – At the airport, observe and have your luggage with you at all times.
When picking up your bags, keep an eye on how it appears on the carousel, as someone could pick it up by mistake, and also make sure that the bag you picked up is yours.
It’s always good to have something of your own in your suitcase, so you avoid mistakes.
I use different colored padlocks so I don’t get my bag mixed up.
C – Take off/land with lights off
The lights are turned off so that the passenger can get used to and see the emergency signs more easily.
D – Seats in an upright position
This is due to a sudden deceleration, the body is projected forward so the vertical position reduces the impact on the spine.
Smoking is prohibited
Nicotine clogs air conditioning filters and can harm the pressurization system.
F – In case of depressurization, put the mask on yourself first
This is a golden rule of incident situations and on the plane, it is important because first, you have to be well to be able to help others.
G – Prohibited the transport of lithium-ion batteries as cargo in airplanes
This is because they can catch fire and if they are in the basement, no one will see them until the problem is too big.
Public transportation:
Make sure you are buying the ticket at the company’s official ticket window and choose well-known companies, avoiding clandestine ones
The most important thing is to make sure your belongings are safe and your documents are with you at all times.
If you need to deliver the document, at the time of boarding, make sure that it does not leave your sight.
Taxi:
Always close to the train and bus stations, there are countless people offering transportation, prefer official taxis.
Always check how the trip is charged and have an idea of how much it will cost before entering.
As today we have many applications, we can check the route taken by the taxi driver.
There are several scams made by bad taxi drivers.
Here are some of them and how to avoid them.
As an option in many countries, we have Uber or other similar services.
Car rental:
In addition to choosing an official rental company and having insurance that can put you at ease if something happens.
Special transports that only have in place.
In many Asian countries, motorbike rental is a very viable and easy option to rent.
Be careful as there are many scams.
Try to rent with someone indicated by your hotel, or known agency.
9 – How to take care of money… credit card.
That old adage applies here.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Always enable and/or notify the bank of the date of arrival and departure from the country.
Cards usually block if the purchase is too out of your standard.
So on your trip you don’t need to take all your cards and cash.
Choose two and only carry one, leaving the second safely in the hotel safe.
For cash, also have on hand only what you will need that day, leaving the rest safe in the hotel safe.
If you need to change your money, the ideal is to change less than you need for a few days and change as needed.
It is only in some cases that you are going to travel to remote areas where you are unable to exchange money that we can exchange more.
Check with your bank if it has an agreement with ATMs where you can withdraw money in local currency.
Just watch out for the costs. Each flag has its costs. Check beforehand.
10 – Beware of scams
It’s really unbelievable the amount of scams out there.
Almost all of them are based either on your lack of knowledge, your greed, and/or “smartness”
But follow the main ones.
Taxis or any transport.
Charge more than race value.
Saying the place you want to go is closed, but he’ll take you to a better place.
Take you to buy that special rug..
street games
Those little cups that everyone wins and when you go to play you win one or two and then you lose all your money.
Spill something on you.
The goal is to keep you distracted and someone stealing your wallet.
Something falls to the ground, and it has value, which says it’s yours.
The objective is to sell something that has a very high value for a very low price and in the end is worthless.
Buy a branded product at a low price
In the end it’s all fake.
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11 – Having insurance, because the cheap can be very expensive.
I’m always asked here why have insurance if I’m going out for a while and I’m not going to use it.
As I’ve mentioned in several places, the world is wonderful, but it’s not rosy and besides, it’s not your fault but the responsibility is.
You never know what’s going to happen, and if you’re prepared for what could go wrong, you’re always in good shape.
That’s why it’s important to choose the best insurance, some important coverage
A – Support for medical emergencies. It’s like a health plan. If you don’t have anything it seems like a waste of money, but if you stay in the hospital for a few days you’ll be glad you took out the insurance.
B – Cancellation of flights, lost luggage.
C – Accidental death – We don’t like to talk about this, but it can happen and the costs will be exorbitant.
Among others and the main thing for me is
D – Peace of mind that if something happens I have the resources and support to face the situation.
12 – Dress like a local or respect the local culture.
Dress for the culture visited.
When you’re traveling to a foreign country, it’s best to blend in with the crowd. Keep cultural differences in mind when choosing what clothing or jewelry to wear and bring. This will ensure that you avoid drawing attention to yourself, your family, and your wealth.
Especially for women, should be more attentive because there are several cultural and religious restrictions that may be absurd for us, but it is the culture of the place.
Although we may not agree, we have to respect.
I have been to many Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, etc temples.
And I always respected the manners and rules the moment I was entering the place they considered sacred.
13 – Social Media
It’s super cool to be on social media, doing lives, checking in, etc, but be very careful with the information, as it reveals a lot about your situation, like your house (empty or not).
There are many malicious people monitoring the networks.
Tips:
- Record your “lives” to post later.
- Try not to inform anything more than what is at that moment.
- For example, don’t say the whole family left the house.
- Give a more accurate hint of where you live.
- How long will you stay in this place etc?
- Pause before posting.
- Think twice or three times before posting, think carefully if what you are posting does not contain personal.
- information or where it could pose a risk to your safety or that of your family.
- Turn off geolocation.
- Several apps and websites have requested access to your location, it’s not necessary, but it’s a huge risk.
- If sharing where you are is important and posting later, it doesn’t change the impact of your post, but it does increase your security.
- When you check in on Facebook, update your Instagram Story, or add a geotag to a Snapchat, they can share your exact location with people you don’t know.
- Use a private Internet connection to do any banking and/or professional transactions.
- Use public Wi-Fi connections, coffee shops, or airports, for social media use only.
- If there is no option, use (VPN) which will bring you greater security.
- Configure your network privacy:
- Be clear about your network settings, and if possible use them to the highest degree possible in addition to restricting what the public sees.
- This reduces the risk of unwanted people having access to your personal data.
- Always ask permission before posting about someone else, whether they’re mentioned indirectly, by name, or in a photo.
- Report harassment or inappropriate content.
- If someone is making you feel uncomfortable online, you can report the interaction to the host site, often anonymously. You can use the “report” button next to the chat window, flag a post as inappropriate, or send a screenshot of the interaction directly to the host site.
- If you experience harassment or abuse on social media, consider taking screenshots immediately and saving them in case the content is deleted or removed from your view.
- Think twice or more before clicking.
- Even if you think you know the person, make sure you don’t see anything strange before clicking on the link.
- Your acquaintance’s account may have been hacked, if there is anything strange, use the means of communication to confirm.
- Choose strong passwords and update them frequently.
- Also, do not use the same password for all social networks, have one for each one. So if one leak, it won’t affect the others.
- Phone exchange message and request for help.
- Be suspicious when you receive a message asking for help.
- Have another means of confirming before you do something.
1 4 – Hosting security.
Choosing secure hosting in a secure area is important.
The place where you stay should be as safe as possible, as it will serve as a support point during your trip, in addition to providing any help you may need.
As accessibility and security features vary greatly from place to place, please keep the following points in mind when choosing your hosting.
Location:
Choose a location close to transport and public services.
If you require special accommodation, check with the hotel that it has adequate facilities, including a working elevator and ramps.
Check the crime rates in the neighborhood where you are staying.
24-hour reception –
Always have the reception contact and opening hours in case it is necessary to be able to call.
Ask the front desk or management about nearby safety and dangerous places in the city.
Have the emergency number written down.
About your room.
Upon arrival, check your room and check behind the curtains, under the bed and anywhere else to make sure it’s safe.
Always lock the hotel door when entering and if there is a chain use it.
Make sure the phones work.
Check for the presence of carbon monoxide detectors, fire alarms, and fire extinguishers.
Confirm that all exterior doors and windows and restrooms have working locks.
Make sure the curtains work for privacy.
Check for odd-looking electronics that could signal hidden cameras. Don’t mess with them.
Try to write your room number outside the key, or avoid showing your room number
Receive visitors in public areas, avoid receiving them in your room.
Report issues to reception immediately.
Review the emergency plan posted in your room.
Locate the nearest emergency exit and familiarize yourself with the emergency route upon arrival.
Check the status of elevators and stairs. They can have easy and unimpeded access.
We never imagined using it, but trying to find out when you need it is not a good option.
During the night.
Always redouble your attention during the night, especially if you are ordering some food to be delivered.
When walking down the street, always be aware and avoid texting on your cell phone.
15 – Safety when walking in the new place.
If someone or somewhere is making you uncomfortable, there’s probably a reason.
Don’t risk your safety, our subconscious sometimes picks up on something we’re not seeing. Trust your instinct.
Don’t be distracted, this leaves you vulnerable and a great target for bandits.
In addition to increasing your risk of being run over or marching on the sidewalks.
Avoid deserted places without public safety.
In places with a lot of people, double your care with your belongings and documents.
As you are on vacation, avoid taking public transport at peak times, this is when most thefts happen.
Even if you don’t know exactly where you are, don’t look lost.
Always ask for information in stores, police, and safer places.
Avoid accepting transport and products that people offer you, better buy only what you want.
walk with little money
Do not use expensive equipment, jewelry, and products.
Dress like the locals, or at least as similar as possible.
When using alcoholic beverages try to stay as sober as possible. Leave the drinking at home and especially keep an eye on your drink and don’t accept a drink from anyone.
Be wary of great opportunities, usually, you are being wronged.
It seems like a very bad picture and maybe it's not so good to travel?
In reality, you go through all these situations in your daily life, you just don’t realize it and when you travel and observe these tips, you won’t have a problem.
The most important thing is that you have really internalized tips 1, 2, and 3.
If you only know these 3, everything else will be understood naturally.
See my round-the-world trip, which was uneventful.
See you around the world.
