Travel Guides

Top ways to stay safe abroad

By Dominic Welling

dominicwelling@consumerchoices.co.uk

Travelling as a student is fun, but can be even better if you take these tips to stay safe.

When you’re travelling as a student you’re bound to meet some weird and wonderful new people and experience many crazy new things.

However, there is still a possibility that you might also experience some less enjoyable moments during your time on the road.

The likelihood is you will make the trip and nothing awful will happen to you, but it’s worth being prepared just in case.

Keep your eyes on your money

The most important thing to keep safe when you’re travelling the world on a shoestring is your money, there are many tips to minimise the risk of either losing it or getting it stolen.

For starters, when you arrive at where you’ll be staying - and provided there is one - lock your valuables either in the safe in your room or in the main hotel safe.

Alternatively, if you’re staying in a hostel, use the lockers provided to store your important documents such as passport, credit cards, tickets and of course the bulk of your money, they’ll be safer there than on your person.

When you go out, only carry a small amount of cash on you and also take a photocopy of your passport with you at all times to use as ID.

Although your passport, cash and credit cards are most secure when locked up in some kind of safe, when you do have to carry them with you, make sure you split them up and conceal them in several places rather than putting them all in one wallet or pouch.

Also it’s important to avoid handbags or bum bags and try not to use the outside pockets on backpacks as they're easy targets for thieves.

Furthermore, bum bags in particular scream “I'm a tourist” and will draw the wrong kind of attention.

Instead, one of the safest places to carry valuables is in a pouch or money belt worn under your clothing.

Be on the lookout for pickpockets as well, don't rule out anyone. a child or a woman carrying a baby could be a potential pickpocket.

Be streetwise

To avoid being singled out as an easy target for thieves in a foreign city a good trick is to wander around confidently, act like you belong there and be aware of your surroundings.

For example, look around when you’re walking, avoid keeping your head down, and make sure you look like you know where you're going.

The key here is to look at your map before you leave the hotel so that you know where you're going and how to get there.

Fumbling with your oversized map on a street corner and speaking English loudly in a foreign country will make it clear that you're a tourist and will make you an easy target.

If you do get lost, still pretend to know where you are going, and only ask directions from someone who you consider to be trustworthy.

Be especially cautious in areas where tourists might be targets, such as crowded subways, train stations, tourist sites, market places, festivals and marginal areas of cities.

Transport

Walking

Try not to travel alone at night and especially make sure you don't use shortcuts, narrow alleys or poorly lit streets.

In fact try not to get the underground or metro alone late at night either in a foreign city - if in doubt just get in a taxi, it may be more expensive but it should be much safer.

Trains

When you’re travelling train journeys can be long and uncomfortable but there is also an added threat of having your stuff pinched while you have a snooze.

Although robbery on trains is rife along popular tourist routes at any time, it is more common at night and especially on overnight trains.

1. If you have a compartment, lock it. If it can't be locked securely, take turns sleeping in shifts with your fellow travellers, so they can guard your belongings.

2. If that's not possible, either try to stay awake or, if you must sleep, tie down your luggage, strap your valuables to you and sleep on top of them as much as possible.

Get insured

It should go without saying, but if you are going to travel the world, it’s a good idea to make sure you have some insurance in place before you do.

There is a huge variety of travel policies out there, so be sure to get one that is as comprehensive as possible for your specific needs.

Clearly you’ll want to be covered for loss or theft abroad, but primarily you’ll want proper health insurance for your time away.

Consider specialist student travel insurance and please see our gap year travel insurance guide. Many providers now cater specifically to students, especially those travelling on their gap year.

Insurers concentrating on student insurance may also cover studying abroad, volunteer programs and working abroad.

Other useful tips

Learn a few phrases in the local language so you can signal your need for help to the police, or a doctor should you need it.

It is also a good idea to make a note of emergency telephone numbers you may need, for example the police, the fire brigade, your hotel, and for worst case scenarios - the nearest embassy or consulate.

The most important thing to remember though is if you are confronted, don't fight back. Give up your valuables – in a nutshell, your money and passport can be replaced, but you can’t.

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