Before we left on our big adventure, our good friend Pat (aka “The Mayor” because he’s never met a stranger) gave us a list of 12 tips for travel safety. We’ve been traveling for a while now, and we’ve road-tested almost all of these suggestions. The Mayor knows what he’s talking about (20 years of being a flight attendant probably has something to do with it).
Top 12 Tips for Travel Safety
- Always know where your companion is! e.g. Walk each other to the bathroom and when one goes out on their own inquire as to when they’ll return.
- When arriving in a new town: Determine a central meeting place in case you get separated, a high place that can be seen from anywhere in your new city. That’s your meeting point…ALWAYS.
- Always check your room/apartment/home: under the bed, shower, locks on window and door.
- Always be aware of who is watching you.
- Always check your shoes before putting them on. Oh, and your underwear, too. Make sure they are yours!
- Have a word/phrase that indicates you are in distress, something that can be said in casual conversation, yet the other will know it is unusual.
- Always carry money in two separate places - keep extra cash in your shoe and another place not in your wallet.
- Never, ever leave a drink unattended….that’s just wrong on so many levels :)…seriously, keep it in your hand at all times.
- Always have paper products with you…it doesn’t need to be expanded on.
- Don’t immediately trust everyone you meet…they might not have your best intentions in mind.
- Always look both ways before crossing the street…and don’t stand too close to the curb…those bus mirrors can get you!
- Pick up a few things in each language: please, thank you, where’s the bathroom, etc.
I have to admit that I thought #9 was a little bit overboard. Until I experienced it myself repeatedly in restaurants and public bathrooms that ranged from very nice to not-so-nice, that is. So I am now a believer and carry a “square to spare” in my backpack.
Do you have any to add? Specific experiences to share about any of the above rules? We’ve love to hear them.
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About Betsy
Find someplace that feels like “home” just before the six month point. The State department told us that at six months people often “lose it” and are ready to quit. By having a safe spot, you can make it through and move forward.
I still carry a tubeless role anywhere I go:>) and sleep with $ in my sock on the road.
Your “mayor’s” rules are quite good. One I picked up was - if you think it could be a sacred spot- treat it with great respect. You never know who is watching.
You probably already do that! Happy travels!
Janette, we are planning to nest in Argentina for a while after we return from the Antarctica cruise in March, so our timing fits with your recommendation.
I think you get what you put out in this world, so you are right that we treat sacred spots with respect even if they aren’t sacred to us. You are a wise woman!
Lol, I’d add a tidbit about checking the ‘inside’ of your shoes before putting them on. Especially after you leave them outside in the tropics. Things that like warm, dry, and dark spaces LOVE the inside of your shoes .
After the butterflies mobbed Warren’s shoes in the highland jungle, I am very wary of leaving mine outside overnight! You may have just given me the heebie jeebies and affected my sleep tonight.
So fun to know The Mayor has been so helpful! He is definitely the savviest traveler I have ever met - I love Janette’s comment above - a place that feels like home at times along the way - while you are settling into your nomadic life for sure - this one may be a tremendous “find”.
It is probably safe to say that in some of the places you have been in …. there aren’t many ‘squares to spare’!
Continued adventures to you both.
With love - The Mayor’s Wife
The Mayor is pretty savvy about travel, and we have used all of his tips. Funny to learn about the importance of a “square to spare” from a guy!
We can’t wait for you guys to visit us on the road to make sure we’re following the rules correctly.
When Dan and I are walking around in a city and one of us gets an uneasy feeling in our gut about someone following us or the scene around us, that person will just pull over on the side and say something like, “I need to check the time” as a cue for the other person to stop. Then we let the suspicious person pass on and we continue on our way. Probably 99% of the time it’s unnecessary, but better to be on the safe side. Great list here!
That’s a great plan, Audrey. You are right that most of the time it is harmless, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Especially when you stick out like a sore thumb as we do here in Pasto, Colombia and attract so much attention. We’re used to seeing other travelers wherever we go, but here we have not and our looks and clothes definitely attract attention. Warren and I both agreed it was a good thing I didn’t have the blonde hair anymore!
These are great travel tips. Since you asked, here are a few more:
1. When boarding a train or bus, have a system worked out if you are to get separated. It happens more often than you think it would. When we traveled, we agreed that whoever was on the train would go one stop, get off, and stand right there on the platform. The other person would take the next train or bus and meet the other at the next stop. This works well unless you’re traveling on a once-a-day bus.
2. It’s okay to look like an American, just don’t look like a wealthy American. That means the diamond earrings, $400 handbag and gold watch stay in the hotel, or even better, back in the States. Nowadays, there are plenty of Americans traveling abroad who aren’t targets, because they look like they have nothing worth stealing. That’s who we always sought to look like.
3. Don’t assume that your phone works where you are, even if you used it in another part of the same country yesterday. If you plan to rely on it, check it.
4. Always try to have local currency in your possession, in as small bills as possible. Look for opportunities to break down larger bills, because you won’t always be able to. And make sure that both partners have local cash, in case you get separated or one gets robbed.
5. Know the name of the hotel you are staying in and exactly where it is. When you check in, take a business card or brochure from the hotel and carry it with you. It can be harder than you think to keep track of hotels during long trips, and you may need help getting home.
We hope you both enjoy your first Christmas as nomads, and look forward to hearing from you soon.
¿Qué? No hay españoles?
Joe, these are great tips, and especially welcome from a seasoned traveler like you. We always talk out our Plan A, B, C before we leave so we are prepared for problems. It doesn’t account for everything, but hopefully it keeps us together and with our stuff so we can regroup if needed. I love your tip about getting off the train/bus one stop ahead if we get separated.
The points about each person carrying their own money and ID is a good one, because if you do get separated there is no option left for the one without funds/ID. And small money is a godsend - you are either going to leave a ginormous tip to a cab/hostel that helps you out of a bad situation or go without if you only have big bills.
I left my wedding ring back in the US and only brought an inexpensive watch. I have only seen one big diamond ring since we left (and I think it was fake), so this was a very good decision. We joke that we’ll feel safer on buses once our bags get a little more roughed up.
Thanks for contributing these tips, Joe. Hope you guys have a great holiday and the little princess gets everything she wants.
Great tips and ones we always follow- especially the shoes and checking the room. Not just for unwanted people but for all unwanted visitors.
I like Joe’s tip on don’t look like a wealthy American- I leave all my jewelry behind except for my plain gold wedding band and a couple pieces of pretty but cheap costume jewelry and walk most places feeling fairly overlooked. That was tough in Italy where everyone is so well turned out while I looked kinda scruffy but not so bad the Policia might decide to harass us : )
I hope your first Christmas abroad is awesome- some of our best holidays have been while we were travelling!
Michelle, our favorite Christmas to date was in San Francisco, where we attended the Kung Pao Comedy Festival - a show of only Jewish comedians that takes place at a fancy Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. The place was packed, and we met all kinds of interesting people because we dined at communal tables. A great memory!
We are looking forward to our first Christmas and New Year in South America.
One cheap but great item to pack for “jazzing it up” is a colorful scarf. You can easily dress up even a plain outfit and it won’t make you a target for theft. Plus, it doesn’t take up much room in your bag.
Great tips! I’m a fairly seasoned traveler myself, and there were a couple of things I hadn’t thought of before.
A note about #9 - I have been carrying my own for YEARS. Charmin makes wonderful little tube-less rolls in a plastic clamshell. I order them by the dozen on Amazon, and restock when I need to! It has definitely come in handy more times than I can count!
Happy Holidays!
I so enjoy the blog!
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Angie, I’ve never seen those Charmin rolls before - wish I had stocked up before we left. It also comes in handy when you have to use a pay bathroom and don’t have the right change. I learned the hard way that there are 2 prices to enter one of those bathrooms - with and without paper. The first time in a bus station I had 10 cents and large bills and needed 15 cents to get paper. Now I am sure to always have some in my backpack.