Holidays are supposed to be fun and relaxing but sometime stuff happens and a few precautions can minimize the chance for something to spoil your trip.
Pre-trip Preparation
A little pre-trip preparation can save lots of grief on your travels:
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- Make a copy or two of your passport, driving licence and credit cards – carry a paper copy and/or save on a secure file on the internet
- Have your credit card information saved on a secure file on the net
- Your mobile phone is a favorite target for thieves and often contains a lot of personal information – secure with personal sign in code or finger print. Also do not carry in a back pocket or unzipped bag. Activate the tracker feature so you can remotely lock phone and perhaps find it
- Leave your valuables at home. Flashy watches, jewelry, and rings put a target on your back. Ask yourself, do you really need them when on holiday?
- Have a “money” belt or similar that can be worn under clothes.
- Insurance: Check your homeowners policy to see if covers injury or theft while on holiday. Does your credit card cover you? Consider a travel insurance policy – ask for recommendations
- If you have vital medications – carry a list with you in your wallet or purse; have your Doctors contact info. See if you can get a paper prescription from your doctor to carry with you. Often you can go to pharmacy with a script and get your medications – probably much cheaper than at home if you are from US!
- Have health insurance that covers you overseas?
- For additional tips prior to international travel see here
When you arrive
- Be aware of your surroundings and groups.
- Use licenced taxis or Uber [best]. Particularly do not take offers of taxi’s when you arrive at airport – use official taxi stand. Uber is best since some taxi drivers rip-off riders.
- Shoulder bags/purses: Should be zip-able and worn across the body with bag at front.
- Back-packs: Its very easy for someone to get into your back pack. Wear It Backwards — On crowded public transportation, a lot of people wear their bag backward because this allows them to keep on eye on it. Lock The Zippers — At a minimum, you’ll want to lock your zippers. You don’t need anything fancy — a simple luggage lock will work well.
- Wallets and phones: do not carry in back pocket or in open bag or back pack. Carry in front pocket.
- Keep your phone off the table at restaurants – easy for someone to snatch and be gone.
- Also at restaurants or whenever you are sitting somewhere: do not hang your bag over a chair. Do not place bag by side of table or seat. When you’re at a restaurant, loop your bag’s strap around your leg or the leg of your chair so someone can’t come by and snatch the bag. Similarly, it is smart to secure your bag to a chair or luggage rack while you’re on a train.
- Carry minimal cash and dont flash a roll of notes.
- Carry one one credit card – leave the rest at apartment or in body belt
- Don’t carry passport – just a paper copy – leave at apartment, in safe if available
- Know emergency numbers for police [17 or 112 from mobile], fire [18 or 112 from mobile] and ambulance [15]
- Be aware of groups of kids – 2 or 3. One can distract you by offering help while the others pilfer your bags or pockets.
- A popular scam is for someone to ask you if you lost a ring which they show you, meanwhile a second person helps themselves to your wallet etc while you are distracted.
- Another one is for someone to ask for you input to a survey – another distraction with same result as in #12
- Double lock the door at your apartment when you leave or go to bed. Most doors have a double lock which prevents any one slipping a card into door jam to open door. Even though all our apartments require a key or electronic key to open entrance door down stairs sometime it is possible for someone to slip in. Similarity close/lock patio doors when you leave.
- Computers: Leave at apartment. Make sure you have it password protected and have a copy of id, just in case.
- For English speaking emergency hospital service try: Lenval Foundation – Children’s Hospital, 57 Avenue de la Californie, 06200 Nice, France.
- Enjoy!!
