25 Common Sense Travel Tips
| Safety is boring. So is being dead. When you travel, don’t act like a tourist—bring a buddy; dress like a local; keep your valuables on the down low. There are more steps to staying alive and staying smart than you’d think. |
| 1) Check TSA rules while you pack. Confused by the labyrinthine rules of air travel since 9/11? Don’t put lithium batteries in your checked luggage, but carrying them on is OK. You can’t carry on clothing starch in an aerosol can, but a pump bottle of the stuff is fine. Make sure you’ll speed through security—or at least avoid getting stopped—by checking the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Travel as you organize your luggage. |
| 2) Purchase travel insurance. Stuff happens. Whether your two-year-old starts barfing as you leave for the airport or your luggage winds up in Neverheardofit-istan, travel insurance policies protect your health, possessions and hard-earned cash. Try InsureMyTrip.com, which gets quotes from 19 insurers with one form. |
| 3) Get immunized. More adventurous travelers could need shots for yellow fever, typhoid, or Japanese encephalitis. The Center for Disease Control offers a clickable map that lists the recommended and required vaccinations around the world, as well as health advisories for each destination. |
4) Wear a hidden passport wallet. Keeping your money and passport close to your flesh at all times, preferably under your clothes in a round-the neck pouch, discourages pickpockets. Online travel store Magellan’s says the typical scams include overly friendly locals who embrace you which ripping you off, the bump and go scheme and small children as thieves. Magellan’s selection is here and store Travelwares has some interesting options too. |
| 5) Protect your prescription medication. Bring copies of prescriptions and keep them in your carry-on, in case your luggage gets lost. Leave prescription pills in their labeled bottles to avoid customs foul-ups. And you may want to avoid filling prescriptions abroad, the FDA warns, due to the reuse of brand names in foreign markets; instead, bring extra from home. |
| 6) Know the local currency inside and out. Fumbling with unfamiliar change leaves an opening for a merchant to “help” you and pocket a bit extra. Practice making change and identifying the denominations until you’re fluent. |
| 7) What’s the number for 911? In the UK, it’s 999. In European Union member countries, it’s 112. Find out the local emergency phone number BEFORE someone’s bleeding from the jugular. |
 Learn key phrases. Sure, everybody speaks English nowadays, but when someone snatches your wallet in the casbah, you’ll want to yell, “Qif! Harami!” instead of “Stop! Thief!” It might feel paranoid to memorize this stuff, but when you need it, you’ll really, really need it. |
9) Carry a phrasebook anyway. Chances are that you’ll forget how to say, “I broke my leg,” when it matters most. At worst, you can open the book and point. |
| 10) Use a credit card instead of exchanging your money. Generally speaking, credit cards give a better exchange rate than you’ll find at the local kiosks, and less cash in your pocket means less to lose or steal. Credit card purchases are also generally backed by fraud and theft guarantees; cash, no such luck. Make sure that your card issuer doesn’t charge a foreign purchase premium (usually about 3 percent). |
11) Know the latest exchange rates and practice conversions in your head. When that vendor offers so nicely to take dollars instead of Euros, is he really doing you a favor? Popular currency conversion site XE.com offers a WAP site for your web-enabled phone. |
| 12) Locate the local U.S. embassy. If your passport is lost or stolen, this is your go-to spot. Check the list here. |
| 13) Program this number into your phone: 1-888-407-4747. That’s the State Department’s hotline for U.S. Citizens abroad. You can call it for anything from a stolen passport to a coup d’etat to a natural disaster. Oh, and write it down and pull it on a slip of paper in your hidden wallet too. |
| 14) Get the bad news. Many travel guides will give you the shiny, happy version of a locale, but you need to know about the slimy underbelly to stay safe. Check a website with an active user community, like Trip Advisor or Lonely Planet, for the less Frommer’s-friendly info. Where are the bad parts of town? Which tourist traps are over hyped? Afraid of libel accusations, most hard copy guides skip this info. |
| 15) Try to cover as much skin as the locals do, especially if you’re a woman. In many countries, wearing shorts will instantly mark you as a tourist. Blending in makes you less of a target. |
| 16) Use the hotel safe. Don’t leave valuables like jewelry, cell phones or laptops visible in your room. |
17) Pack light. If you’re taking all of your fifteen matched Louis Vuitton suitcases, visit onebag.com and get yourself some help trimming the fat. The less luggage you have, the more quickly you can move, You’ll get less tired, you’ll have less to lose, and you’ll spend less time fumbling for stuff. This all adds up to make you less vulnerable. |
| 18) Traveling while pregnant? Check these tips from the American Pregnancy Association and the Mayo Clinic. The gist? Yes, you can travel by air; avoid tap water and sketchy local foods, and get plenty of rest. Also: you may want to request an aisle seat that’s near the lavatory. |
19) Bring a pocket-sized map—a paper one. For obscure areas, check maps.com to order. When you’re lost, you’re a target. When you’re fumbling with your cell phone’s browser to view a map, you’re also a target. |
| 20) Register your trip with the State Department. It’s not a Big Brother-type thing. If you’re visiting a political hot spot and things flare up, the U.S. will know you’re there and that you might need help. (The State Department’s list of dangerous countries is here; register your trip with them here.) |
| 21) Don’t over share information about your hotel and your itinerary. Everyone wants to make new friends when they travel, but rendezvous with new friends in neutral locations like a restaurant or coffee shop, not your hotel room. |
| 22) Avoid traveling alone. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, but it’s rarely ideal. Act like a scuba diver and use the buddy system. |
| 23) Be careful when purchasing “antiques.” Sometimes the seller is actually an art thief, museum thief, or grave robber. U.S. citizens have been arrested for trafficking in stolen antiquities—seriously. How about just taking a picture of the thing? |
| 24) Figure out how you’ll call home. An international prepaid calling card can be a smart option, but read the fine print for hidden fees. If the local phone system is unreliable or if you’re willing to pay a little more, consider using a cell phone. If you already use a GSM phone, you should be able to use it abroad. If your carrier doesn’t offer coverage in your destination or the rates are too steep, ask to have your phone unlocked; with an unlocked phone, you can pop in a SIM card from a local carrier when you arrive. You can also rent a cell phone: try Cellhire or CellularAbroad. |
| 25) Keep the folks at home informed. Make sure somebody stateside knows where you’re going and when you’ll be back, and give them detailed contact info for your hotels. Leave a photocopy of your passport with them; if you lose yours, they can fax you the info. It’s good to have someone looking out for you. |
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Categories: Travel Info
