Travel safety tips that actually matter, for any destination

Most trips are trouble-free. The ones that are not usually go wrong in ordinary ways: a phone taken from a café table, a taxi that took the long way round, a night out that went on too long. Good travel safety is less about fear and more about a handful of habits that make those ordinary problems unlikely and survivable.

This is general advice. For anything specific to a country, the official travel advice published by your own government is the best source, and it is updated as conditions change.

Read the official advice before you book

Most governments publish travel advice for every country: the general risk level, any regions to avoid, local laws that surprise visitors, health notes and entry rules. Read the page for your destination when you start planning, and again a week or so before you leave, because it changes.

Also look at the local rules that are different from home. Laws on alcohol, drugs, photography, dress and behaviour in religious places vary widely, and not knowing them is not a defence. This is the single most useful piece of research you can do.

Tell someone your plan

Share your itinerary and your accommodation with a person at home, and agree how often you will check in. On a group trip, it is easy to assume someone else has the details, so make sure at least one person outside the trip has them.

Keeping the plan in one shared place helps. If your group's plan is already written down, as in planning a trip together, sharing it takes seconds.

Protect your documents and your money

The aim is that no single loss ruins the trip.

• Copy your documents. Keep photos of your passport, tickets and insurance in a place you can reach without your phone, such as an email to yourself or a trusted contact, and keep a paper copy separate from the originals.
• Spread your money. Carry more than one card and keep them in different places. Keep a small amount of cash apart from your wallet.
• Keep valuables low-profile. A bag that closes and sits in front of you is harder to take than a pocket at the back. Avoid showing expensive things when you do not need them.
• Use the safe. If your stay has a safe, keep your passport and spare cards in it, and carry a copy.

Tell your bank or card provider if they ask for travel notices, and know how to freeze a card from your phone.

Stay aware without being anxious

Awareness is a habit, not a mood. In crowded places such as stations, markets and tourist sites, where pickpockets work, keep your bag closed and in front, and your phone in your hand only when you are using it.

A few patterns to recognise:

• A distraction followed by a bump is a common way to take a wallet.
• A friendly stranger who insists on helping at a ticket machine is not always helping.
• A fake petition, a spilled drink or a bracelet tied on your wrist are classic set-ups.

A firm "no" and walking on is nearly always enough. You do not owe a stranger an explanation.

Getting around safely

Use official taxis or a ride-hailing app, and check that the car matches the details before you get in. Agree the price or ask for the meter before you set off if that is how the local system works. At night, choose the busier, lit route even if it is longer.

In a new city, learn how the transport works before you need it. Public transport in a new city covers the basics. If you are driving, learn the local rules and the side of the road, and read driving abroad first.

Looking after yourself

Health is part of safety. Before you go, ask a travel clinic or your doctor which vaccines or medicines suit your destination, and do it in good time, since some take weeks. Carry any medicines you need in their original packaging, with a note if required, and check whether they are legal in the country you are visiting.

On the road:

• Drink safe water, using the local advice on whether tap water is fine
• Take sun, heat and altitude seriously
• Eat where the food is fresh and busy
• Sleep and eat properly, since tired travellers make poorer decisions

Make sure you have travel insurance that covers medical care, and check what it excludes, such as particular activities. Keep the insurer's emergency number somewhere you can find it.

Alcohol, nights out and your group

Many problems follow late nights. Keep an eye on your drink, never leave it unattended, and decide beforehand how you will get home. Stay with your group, and if someone needs to leave, make sure they do not leave alone.

Agree a simple rule, such as nobody goes back to the stay alone, and a way to find each other if you get split up: a meeting point and a time.

Phone and online safety

Your phone is your map, your ticket, your camera and your bank. Set a screen lock, turn on the feature that locates or wipes a lost device, and back up your photos. Be careful on public wifi: avoid banking on an open network, and if you must use one, a trustworthy VPN adds protection. Be wary of links in messages about your bookings.

If something goes wrong

Have a plan for the common problems before they happen.

1. Emergency numbers. Know the local number for police, ambulance and fire. Many places use one number, and it varies by country.
2. Lost or stolen items. Report a theft to the local police, since insurers usually ask for a report, and cancel cards at once.
3. Lost passport. Contact your country's nearest embassy or consulate. See what to do if you lose your passport abroad.
4. Illness or injury. Call your insurer's assistance line as soon as you can.

Keep the numbers in your phone and on paper.

Next step

Read the official advice for your destination, copy your documents, and tell one person your plan. These three things take half an hour and cover most of what can go wrong.