Traveling solo can be exhilarating, but it can leave you susceptible to crime. There are measures you can take to make traveling sans company more safe. The following information will help you stay safe on your travels and have a more enjoyable trip.
When you travel make sure you take a travel-size bottle of Febreeze or similar product in your handbag. The person who sat in the seat of the plane, bus, or train before you may not have had time to shower before sitting down for a long flight. Avoid spending your trip smelling the previous passenger’s body odor by spraying your seat with Febreeze.
When you’re taking a trip that requires a passport or any type of paperwork for that matter, make sure that you have a second copy available. Go to your local photocopy shop and make a copy of all of your documents. This is a great way to stay safe, even if you lose your original documents or if they are stolen.
If you want to get the best price on a cruise vacation, either book your cruise early or at the very last moment. With booking early, you get the widest selection of accommodations plus you save 25 to 50 percent off the published price for each traveler. With booking at the last moment, you will not have the best choice of cabins but you can sometimes save more than 50 percent off the published price of your cabin.
Read the fine print on all travel purchases you make. This ensures you will always get treated fairly. For example, sometimes airlines try to tell you they can not change your flight, but their contract often states that they can. Companies try to hide this information from you because they want more of your money. Be a prepared consumer so that businesses will not be able to take advantage of you.
When packing for a cruise, be sure to bring along a pair of slip-resistant rubber soled shoes. These will work when you are walking across wet, slippery decks, as well as for most of your shore excursions. The fewer pairs of shoes you can bring, the easier your luggage will be to store.
When you’re visiting an unfamiliar city, make sure to spend a few minutes chatting with your hotel concierge. The concierge is an expert on the area and it is his or her job to ensure that you enjoy your stay. Ask your concierge to make restaurant reservations or reserve show tickets for you. Your concierge can often get you in to in-demand places.
Compare and contrast multiple flight options using a mega-search website like kayak.com. Sites like kayak.com save you a lot of time by pulling intelligence from the biggest travel sites into one convenient location. More importantly, it can save you a lot of money by making sure you get the best price possible for your tickets.
Take a photo of your luggage that you are checking. It will save you a good bit of time and grief if it should get lost during transport. You will be able to present a photo of the bag to the airline and they will have no question as to whether the bag that they have found is yours or not.
Inspect your hotel room for those nasty little bed bugs. As soon as you check in, turn down the covers and check the seams of the mattress for traces of bed bugs. Traces include bloodstains or the actual bugs themselves. This will prevent you from bringing the bugs home with you.
If you are traveling to a beach location, bring home a little bit of sand with you. This makes a great souvenir; put the sand in a small bottle and write the name of the beach on it. You can also write something special that you did while you were on your vacation. If you are able to collect sand from several different places, you will probably be surprised to see how different they are from each other.
When filling out your luggage tag, do not put your home address on it. Instead, fill in your business address. This is beneficial should your luggage get into the wrong hands– you do not want a thief to know your home address. Also, put your business phone number on the tag instead of your home or cell number.
Before you travel, make copies of all your important documents, such as your passport, credit card numbers, insurance details, and visas. Carry one copy with you separately from the original documents, and leave the other copy at home with someone trustworthy. This way you won’t be stranded in an unfamiliar place without vital documents.
Give the appearance of confidence when you are out and about at your travel destination. If you look lost and confused, you are likely to be targeted by criminals or scam artists. You will look like an easy target if you appear as though you do not know where you are going.
If you are going to travel, make sure that you are aware of the local laws and obey them. If you are out of your area more than likely the laws are different, and ignorance does not necessarily mean that the court systems will show sympathy. There is a common saying “When in Rome do as the Romans do”.
When preparing to pack for your vacation, make sure to check the weather forecast for your destination. Try to check the forecast the day before you leave, for the best accuracy. Even though weather forecasts are never 100 percent correct, you can get a general idea of what type of clothing and shoes to bring.
As you can now see, traveling doesn’t have to be difficult. However, you do not have to travel in groups for safety. There are other things that can keep you safe. Use the advice that you have learned to your advantage.