Many people say that when travelling abroad you are an easy target for crime, but that is really only true if you don’t know how to blend in. Like all countries, there is crime, however, you really need to be educated on the culture and understand how not to like a tourist. This article contains a number of helpful tips on blending into the native culture and not looking like a tourist.
Pack lightly when traveling. People always tend to pack much more than is necessary, and end up using only about half of what they take. Choose a few items that you can wear multiple times, and try to coordinate everything. If you forget to pack a particular item, you will probably be able to find something appropriate at your destination.
Before leaving on a trip, find out and write down the addresses of the American embassies in the countries you’ll be visiting. While the embassy is not a traveler’s aid office, they can help you if your passport is stolen or if you find yourself in some kind of unexpected legal trouble while overseas.
If you are traveling in a poorer country, consider purchasing a large woven sack, like the type used to transport potatoes or other vegetables. Put your bag into this sack, and it is protected from dust, bugs, and moisture. It also nicely camouflages your possesions against thieves, as they will see a bag of farm goods instead of a tourist’s bag.
Join a price watcher for travel. This will notify you of the prices of places you are interested in visiting. When your fare drops to a price you determined to be reasonable, you will receive an alert. This saves you from the need to check the prices yourself every day.
When traveling, make sure you make a list of all the items you want to take with you. This will help you to not forget something as simple as a tooth brush or deodorant. You can save money by buying these items before you leave rather then wasting unnecessary money and time while you are traveling.
Replace the lock on your luggage with a combination lock. Many pieces of luggage come with locks and keys. Keys get lost. Not that it matters. The locks are so cheaply made, they can be broken right off. It would not be a bad idea to discard them entirely and replace them with a sturdier combination lock.
To prevent yourself from becoming sick after a long flight, you may want to consider using a saline spray in your nose. This is proven to help fight any bacteria that may be dormant in the air. It’s a great way to get one up on the passengers beside you if they are sick.
When traveling to a foreign country, try to learn at least a few words of the language. Knowing how to say simple phrases like “how are you”, “may I have the check”, or “where is the bathroom” can help tremendously as you navigate throughout your destination. It also helps the locals to see that you are making an effort, which may make them friendlier toward you.
Be aware of the opportunity to get travel credit and continue to watch the price of your flight even after you make your reservation. Many major airlines will give you a credit for future travel if the price of your flight goes down after you have purchased your ticket. You could save money on a future vacation by being aware of the price fluctuations.
Don’t hoard your frequent flyer miles. It’s hard to know if those miles will be worth anything in the future, especially since many frequent flyer programs expire miles if they have not been used in eighteen months. If you don’t want to use them on flights, most programs also offer magazine subscriptions and product discounts.
To help you eliminate worry on your next vacation, you should contact your credit card companies before you travel. Informing your credit card companies of your trip is important because it can eliminate the delay they may place on your card by unexpected foreign spending. They can also help to arrange for bill payments to be made while you are away, along with other services they can provide for you on your trip.
If you have a smartphone, contact your carrier before you leave to find out options on international use. You may be able to pay a fee for the ability to use you phone in a foreign country that would otherwise have been either restricted or very expensive to use.
To avoid losing everything if your bag happens to get robbed on a trip, try splitting up your valuable into different locations. This entails placing your various credit cards, debit cards, bank cards, traveler’s checks, etc. in different pockets, bags, and wallets. This ensures that if you are robbed from one source that you won’t be strapped for cash on your trip.
Take safety precautions to avoid contacting turista, or Traveler’s diarrhea when on your trip. Be very aware of what you drink and eat during your travels. A foreign bacteria could be in whatever food or drink that you consume on your trip and when that gets into your system, you can get very sick to your stomach.
If you want to save money while taking a vacation, find a house or condo to rent that has a kitchen. Doing this will allow you to bring your own groceries, or buy them at your destination. Having your own food will help you save money by not going out to eat for every meal, which can really break the bank.
As was stated in the beginning of the article, knowing how to blend in with the local culture is crucial to not being a victim of crime. Criminals prey on tourists, but if you apply the advice from this article the chances of you becoming a victim of crime are much less.
