View More Images

Travel Tip Tuesday : Staying Safe While Traveling

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.

Travel advice comes in many forms. Sometimes it’s garnered from an unfortunate event – even from a tragedy. There are experiences that make us take a second look at things we seem to take for granted. This Travel Tip Tuesday, Stephanie has written a travel essay as an important reminder of why it’s important to stay safe and be aware while traveling.

Here’s Stephanie:

In the middle of November 2009, the death of Robert Stone brought Marist College to its knees. I still remember when I opened the email on a Saturday morning after having a fun, carefree college student Friday night. Covering my mouth as I read that my classmate Robert Stone had died from falling down the stairs at Santa Maria d ‘Aracoeli in Rome, Italy, I couldn’t stop myself from saying out loud “Oh my God,” in a disbelieving stupor. For the next few weeks, I kept thinking of how Rob had been abroad in Europe for the semester, having the time of his life, and that all he had been doing on that day was sightseeing with his roommate.

I realized from this tragedy just how easily an excursion could turn into a nightmare, and that something like this did not even seem preventable. How do you stop yourself from a miss-step or being bumped by another tourist and falling? But upon reflection, I think I can see that Rob’s death, though it could not have been prevented, does give us an important insight: that when we are on vacation and exploring new places we are not invincible.

It may seem like a preschool redundancy, but I think that no matter where we are, we should try to remember how to keep ourselves safe, especially while on vacation. I know that when I go to new places I am never thinking about looking both ways while crossing the street, being aware of my surroundings outside of their aesthetic value, and making sure I am not in the wrong place at the wrong time. Though freak accidents are hard to prevent, being aware is the most we can do for ourselves and there is a lot of value in that.

Potential accidents are not the only things that can encroach on our safety while travelling. There are still the problems of criminal activity to try to prevent from affecting you. While on vacation, you should definitely make sure that your hotel is in a safe area and that you always lock the door behind you, even if just briefly leaving the room to go down the hall. To combat the problem of pick-pocketing, which is a real threat in Europe, hold your purse or bag close to your body, and try to use something with a zipper so that it is harder for the pickpocket. If you plan to drink, try to set a specific limit of intake so that you are not too drunk in an unfamiliar setting, making it easy for immoral people to take advantage of your state.

All of these points may seem like common sense, but I think we all need to be reminded about the realities of certain situations. A safe trip is a good trip, in my opinion, so let’s all try to keep this in mind while visiting new places.

How do you stay safe while traveling? Care to share something that may have happened to you while traveling- and what you learned from it?

—

Don’t forget to check out My Bella Vita for more travel tips today!

Twitter Stumble Facebook Delicious

Digg Reddit Mixx Tumblr

Paulita
February 23rd, 2010
I’ve met a number of travellers who have fallen victim to thieves and pickpockets. In all my travels, I’ve never encountered it. Does that just make me lucky? I remember coming home from one trip to France and in the Newark, NJ airport I met a guy who was cutting short his trip to Paris because he was mugged in the Champs de Mars. Meanwhile, I had walked throughout Paris alone, taking the train back to the suburban apartment where I was staying without a worry. The one time a Frenchman became a little pushy trying to get my attention, I ducked into a church and sat through mass.
Paulita´s last blog ..Midnight Baking

Gray
February 23rd, 2010
That is an incredibly sad story. None of us want to believe something so bad could happen to us while we’re on vacation, but of course it can–and has, to people before us. But of course, freak accidents can happen at home, too. Good reminder, though, to be careful no matter where you are.
Gray´s last blog ..Guest Blog Post at Women On The Road

Robin @ My Melange
February 23rd, 2010
Paulita – Thanks for the comments! Just hearing the last part of your story- I’d say you are street smart. And a little luck never hurts either

Robin @ My Melange
February 23rd, 2010
Gray – Yes- very sad story. But like you said- accidents can happen. The important thing is to just be aware.

zoe zolbrod
February 23rd, 2010
A sad story that you’ve turned into a good reminder. In the U.S, where lots of safety measures are mandated, it’s easy to get lulled into thinking things like seat belts and helmets and room capacity limits are as much of a drag as a benefit. How often do tourists ride motor bikes without the proper training when they’re away from home, as if nothing bad could happen on such pretty, winding roads?

I’ll admit that when we went to Mexico last year, we didn’t take our baby’s car seat because it wouldn’t be illegal to drive without it, never mind that the point of the car seat is to keep the baby safe, not to avoid a ticket. (We had only a couple short car rides on the trip! I promise!)

But can a traveler worry too much worry about safety? Like Paulita, I’ve wondered whether safe trips are more about luck or smarts, especially when it comes to womwn traveling alone. Here’s my post on it if anyone is interested.

http://zoezolbrod.wordpress.co.....nd-safety/

Cherrye at My Bella Vita
February 24th, 2010
Definitely sad. Can you believe I was planning to write about staying safe when traveling for next week’s TTT? You know what they say about great minds!
Cherrye at My Bella Vita´s last blog ..Travel Tip Tuesday: How Not to Look Like a Tourist in Southern Italy … for Men

Travel Insurance Lady
February 24th, 2010
I agree, traveling safely is a combination of preparation and good luck. It isn’t possible to anticipate every possible hazard, but you can purchase a reasonably-priced travel insurance plan to help you deal with ANY KIND OF TRAVEL-RELATED ISSUE that might occur; it doesn’t need to be an illness or injury. This can be of critical importance when the unexpected occurs, especially in a foreign country where you do not speak the native language. As someone who has been hospitalized while traveling outside the U.S., I can attest to the value of a comprehensive plan. Full disclosure: I’m now a travel insurance broker.

Robin @ My Melange
February 24th, 2010
@ Zoe Thanks for your thoughts. It’s tough to make those calls sometimes. You just never know.

@ Cherrye Well, If I remember correctly- that’s how we go into this mess