Best Tips on How to Stay Safe While Travelling

Everyone loves the excitement of planning a trip. What will you see? What things will you do? There is so much to think about. And as significant as these things are, its important not to get too caught up in the moment and forget about the things that could derail your trip in the blink of an eye. Here we list our most important travel safety information so you can be prepared for any situation.

Travel Insurance

Nobody ever wants to have to use their travel insurance. Just like nobody ever wants to have to use their house insurance, but unfortunately, life happens. Good travel insurance will cover you for trip cancellations, injuries that might occur, sickness, baggage loss or delay, the list goes on. Don’t ignore this part of the planning process because it is arguably the most important. We never leave home without it!

Picture of an insurance policy page beside a calculator, a pair of glasses, a black pen and a phone.

Check Travel Advisories

Always check travel safety advisories for your destination on your government’s official website. Each country will be listed with an advisory on whether or not it is safe to travel and what precautions to take while in the country. Major upcoming events will be listed as well which can draw more crowds and higher risk. Even countries that you might perceive to be safe may have unexpected advisories.

A colourful semicircle chart showing danger levels ranging from low to extreme.

Pack Safe

Without a doubt the most important travel safety item I have ever purchased is my Pacsafe cross body bag. Opportunistic theft is an unfortunate reality in a multitude of countries all over the world. Don’t leave your wallet in your back pocket loaded with cash. This is an easy opportunity for anyone to take it from you. Pickpockets are very quick and you likely won’t even feel them take it. In my opinion, you can’t be too careful with your valuables.

I never leave our hotel or Airbnb without my Pacsafe bag and keep our cash, cards and passports inside at all times. All of the Pacsafe bags are lockable with an RFID pocket and slash resistant straps and come in a variety of styles including slings and waist packs. I like that these bags are big enough for me to hold all of our valuables, including phones and passports for the entire family. This way I know everything is safe and I don’t have to worry about anyone trying to hold their own things. It’s almost like a wearable safe! I also love that I don’t have to keep it on my front at all times. I am much more hands free which is important when travelling with kids!

Mom with 2 kids walking through the streets of Rome. Mom is carrying a black Pacsafe cross body bag for travel safety

Don’t Leave Luggage Unattended

This kind of goes without saying as we have all heard this travel safety message come over the speakers while in an airport. And it seems like a no brainer. But there are times when you may not even think about it.

A backpack left unattended in an airport
  • If an airport official wants to check through your bag make sure it is done right in front of you.
  • Nobody wants to ever have to sleep in an airport but flights get cancelled and plans can change in an instant. Make sure that if you have to sleep in an airport that you use your backpack as a pillow or tether it to you somehow so that it is not an easy target.
  • Never let anyone watch your bag for you while you use a bathroom. Even if that person looks trustworthy. Always bring your luggage with you if you are travelling alone. As a family we always have one parent stay with the bags while the other takes the kids to the bathroom and then switch.
  • Subways can be crowded so make sure to always keep your luggage with you no matter what.
  • Keeping luggage with you isn’t always possible on trains as they usually require you to store it near the doors. Whenever possible I try to sit near the storage area.
  • Air tags are an option to place in your bag so that you can track it if needed.

Research Your Destination

A police officer pulling over a driver and writing a ticket

This is such an important part of travel. There are so many things that are inevitably going to be different than your home country.

  • Research and respect local customs and traffic laws.
  • Know which direction the traffic flows and look in the appropriate direction when stepping off a sidewalk. The UK, Australia and Japan are only a few of the countries that drive on the left side of the road. There are actually many more. Research before you go.
  • Obtain an International Drivers License if you plan on driving.
  • Research dress codes in conservative countries and make sure to follow them, especially for women. Be conscious of tight fitting and short clothing as well as head coverings that may be required when entering certain religious landmarks.
  • Research emergency numbers as they may be different than your home country. 911 is not universal.
  • Know where to find your country’s embassy.
  • Make sure you know the address of where you are staying and how to get back there.
  • Know what areas of town are safe. Ask a local if necessary.
  • Attempting to speak a bit of the language goes a long way. Most people will appreciate it and can sometimes help to avoid unnecessary conflict. This is also useful to ask for directions or help.
  • Act responsibly. Don’t get inebriated in public as this likely won’t go over well and could land you in some trouble.
  • Avoid looking lost or like a tourist. It will make you more of a target for pickpockets.
  • Be courteous to everyone and remember that you are in their country. Nobody likes an arrogant tourist.

Be Aware of Human Trafficking

This is something that none of us want to think about but it is an unfortunate reality in our world today. Whether you are travelling alone or travelling with kids there are ways to reduce the chances of being targeted for trafficking.

  • Beware of strangers befriending you. We always enjoy meeting new people and that’s honestly one of my favourite parts of travel. But be wary when someone is very interested in you beyond casual conversation or if they invite you to go somewhere with them straight away. Make people earn your trust and go with your gut! If something doesn’t feel right, don’t do it!
  • Watch what you drink. Never accept a drink from someone you don’t know in a bar. I have personally had one of my drinks drugged while travelling but thankfully I was with friends who took me to safety.
  • Keep kids close. We never let our kids wander off on their own. We let them run around in parks and public squares but they are always within eyesight and earshot.
  • Share your itinerary, accommodation addresses and flight numbers with trusted family or friends so someone always knows where you are supposed to be.

Travel Safety with Kids

Travelling with kids demands a much higher level of awareness than when you are travelling solo or as a couple. There are many more things to think about when you have little ones to worry about.

Mom with 2 kids holding hands walking towards the Pantheon in Rome through a crowd of people.

Have a Get Lost Plan

Whenever we travel with kids, we always make sure to have a safety plan. Whether it be entering a new attraction or simply navigating our way through a crowd. Kids need to know what to do if they get separated from you.

  • Have a meeting place at every new attraction you visit.
  • Make sure to point out police, security guards or officials so kids know who to look for in an emergency. Our kids know to look for a family with kids as a relatively safe alternative.
  • Make sure they know your phone number so they can call you if necessary. Our oldest carries a phone with her and knows that she can activate her cellular data in an emergency and call us. Better to have an expensive phone bill than a lost child.

ID Bracelets for Young Kids

Road ID bracelets have been an invaluable tool while travelling with kids that are too young to remember phone numbers. They are comfortable to wear, come in a variety of colours and are fully customizable to your needs. Our kid’s bracelets have their names, our name and phone number and allergy information. We know if they are ever separated from us, chances are, they will be found and we could be contacted right away.

Train/Subway Safety

Go over what to do if someone doesn’t get on a train or subway. Our kids know to stay where they are and we will come back for them. If they don’t get off for some reason and are left alone on the train, they know to get off at the next stop and we will come for them. Thankfully this has never needed to be tested but we still remind them every time. We always sandwich our kids in the middle when boarding so that there is an adult ahead and behind them at all times.

KIds walking hand in hand with backpacks on their backs on a train platform.

Make sure they know where you are getting off the train or subway. Once our son thought it was our stop and just hopped off the subway by himself. Thankfully we had enough time to grab him and pull him back on the train. Its very important to keep young kids by your side especially when it is very busy. They can easily hop off a train thinking that you are doing the same.

Child Carriers, Harnesses & Strollers

For very young kids a stroller, harness or carrier can take a lot of stress out of navigating busy areas. Our youngest was a runner who wouldn’t always hold our hand so restraining her was the safest option. She would often run around on the subway platform or on the sidewalk of a busy street and my anxiety was through the roof trying to wrangle her.

We opted for a carrier rather than a stroller or harness as it was much easier to pack than a stroller and she wouldn’t fight it like she would a harness. The Lillebaby carriers come in a variety of sizes and can hold children up to 70 lbs. It allowed us to tote our 4 year old around quite comfortably and she could even nap in it if necessary. She loved to be carried around and it was a nice break for her in the middle of the day when she was tired.

Dad carrying a small child in a child carrier and holding a little boy's hand

See Our Full Post on Travelling With Kids

Safety Items to Pack

  • Small First Aid Kit – bandaids, blister bandaids, antibiotic ointment, antihistamines, indigestion medication, etc.
  • Larq Filtered Water Bottle for access to safe drinking water no matter where you are.
  • Food allergy translation cards. We use Equal Eats for our daughter’s celiac disease. Available in 50 languages, these translation cards can be shown at a restaurant to ensure the staff understand the severity of certain dietary restrictions. They have a wide variety of allergy and special diet cards available depending on your individual needs. This is a very important travel safety tool to have when you don’t speak the language!
  • Portable charger for charging phones. Don’t be caught with a dead phone when you need it most. We always pack one in our day pack in case we are away from our hotel/Airbnb for longer than expected.