15 Most Important Travel Safety Tips

When you start to travel to other countries, you will fall into one of these two categories: You will become extremely trusting of everyone; you will believe that all are your friends and are there to help you, or quite the opposite, a paranoid belief that all they want is to kidnap you and hurt you.

The truth is, neither. Not everyone wants to be your friend, but not everyone wants to hurt you. It will always be a mid-point, with a very pronounced inclination towards people’s kindness.

So it’s important to always keep in mind a couple of safety tips when traveling to Europe, Asia, Africa, or anywhere in the world.

Preparation

Before you travel, get some information on the most typical scams

Each region has a scam that characterizes it. Most involve children who steal your wallet while you give them candy or take a picture with them; other more elaborate scams involve Chinese students who want to “practice English” and you end up paying for a set of tea; in another scam, they take you on a tour of the city in a tuk-tuk and from one moment to the next, you are paying for a tailor’s suit made to your specifications.

There is no country, no matter how developed, that does not have some kind of scam; it’s just a matter of being alert and not trusting people who are “excessively friendly” or who “want to practice English” in the middle of the street.

Digital scams have added a new layer to watch for. Fake QR codes placed over legitimate ones — in restaurants, transport hubs, or tourist sites — can redirect you to phishing pages designed to steal payment details. Unofficial ride-hailing apps or drivers posing as authorized services are another common trap. When scanning a QR code or booking a ride, verify the source first; when in doubt, type the URL manually or use only the official app.

AI-generated scams are an emerging threat worth knowing about. Voice-cloning technology can now mimic a family member’s voice convincingly enough to make a fake emergency call — demanding money urgently while you’re abroad. If you receive a distressing call from someone you know asking for a wire transfer or gift cards, hang up and call that person back directly on a number you already have. Agreeing on a family code word before you travel is a simple and effective safeguard.

Have Travel Insurance

Accidents and illnesses happen anytime, anywhere. There’s nothing worse than having to interrupt your trip because you had to pay a hospital bill and you no longer have money to continue or, worse yet, leave the country.

To be honest, many of the activities I have done during my trip would not have been possible or I would not have felt safe doing them if I did not have medical insurance to back me up.

The clearest example is going up to Everest Base Camp. In case of an emergency, my insurance covered the evacuation by helicopter, which can cost more than $3,000 USD.

This will be item number 9 on the list, but without a doubt, it is the best security tip for traveling, especially if you travel to Europe, where medical expenses can be exorbitant. 

When choosing a policy, pay close attention to the coverage limits for emergency evacuation and medical repatriation — these are the costs that can genuinely derail a trip. A policy that covers treatment but not the flight home can still leave you with a five-figure bill. It’s also worth checking whether your policy covers the specific activities you plan to do, since adventure sports, trekking above certain altitudes, and motorbike riding are commonly excluded from standard plans.

Scan all your documents

Passport, birth certificate, travel insurance documents, driver’s license, national ID, and any other essential cards or permits — scan them all before you leave.

Save copies to your email and to a secure cloud storage service (Google Drive, iCloud, or a password manager with file vault support all work well). Share access with a trusted person back home so someone else can retrieve them if your phone is lost or stolen.

It’s also worth making sure at least one copy is accessible without an internet connection. Apps like 1Password or Bitwarden can store encrypted document scans locally on your device, so you can pull up a passport copy even when you’re offline or roaming without data. A simple offline folder in your phone’s photo library works too — just make sure the files are encrypted or the folder is locked behind biometric access.

Movements

Don’t stop in the middle of nowhere (if traveling by car)

The main rule for anyone traveling by car is not to stop in the middle of nowhere. If you’re thinking of saving money on a hotel and taking a nap right on the seat, don’t pull over on the side of the road or, worse, drive into a field—no one will notice if something happens there. Choose parking lots, places near gas stations, or police checkpoints. Also, look where the truckers hang out. These guys have a lot of experience traveling, and therefore they know exactly not only the places where the food is excellent but also where it is really safe.

Keep your car locked

Always keep your car locked, even if you’re away for a short time, and keep valuables in the trunk or with you. If you like to throw backpacks, cameras, or laptops around the cabin, then don’t be surprised if your car is rudely opened, the glass is broken, and your belongings are stolen by local hooligans.

Look around

Whether the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower, Machu Pichu, Angkor Wat, or any other monument is before your eyes, if there is a crowd watching the same thing, don’t forget to look around from time to time.

Many people take advantage of these small moments of tourist perplexity to make their own, so don’t let that happen to you. You don’t need to distrust everyone around you, just a little look over your shoulder will suffice.

A security study revealed that a thief will avoid attacking people who are more alert to their environment, so as your first piece of security advice when traveling abroad is to develop the habit of looking at your surroundings.

Don’t act or look like a victim

Continuing this same study, people select their victims because of certain traits, including why they walk or act like victims.

I am a certified Krav Maga trainer, and in every course I give, I always repeat the same thing, when you walk on the street, do not act like a victim, even though you are dying of fear.

If you appear to be a person who is at least going to resist an attack, chances are they won’t attack you. If I’m a thief, why choose someone who’s going to fight if I can choose someone easier to assault?

Don’t walk at night

Nighttime is not the best time to walk around the city, and urban suburbs and poor neighborhoods in most countries are best avoided during the daytime as well

Close your bag or backpack all the time.

When you’re in a foreign country, everything you see around you is new and amazing, and more than once you’ll want to get the camera out of your bag or backpack as fast as you can to take a picture, but chances are at that time you’ll forget to close the bag again.

Most of the lost things of travelers are because they are not careful enough to reseal their bags, which does not mean that they have been stolen; just walking is more than enough for some of your things to jump into the street without you noticing.

Make a habit of constantly checking that your bag and backpack are closed, and you’ll see that you won’t lose anything again. I’ve seen this behavior, especially in Europe, so as a safety tip for traveling to Europe: Close your backpack.

Stay Connected and Share Your Location

Staying connected while traveling isn’t just about convenience — it’s a genuine safety layer. If something goes wrong, your ability to call for help, share your location, or access a map can make a real difference.

Get a reliable data connection before you need it. eSIMs have made this significantly easier. Services like Airalo or Holafly let you buy a local or regional data plan before you leave home and activate it on arrival without hunting for a SIM card vendor. Having consistent GPS and data access means you’re never stuck navigating an unfamiliar city offline.

Use your phone’s location-sharing tools actively. Before any long day of travel, share your live location with someone you trust — a family member, a travel companion, or a close friend. WhatsApp, Google Maps, and Apple’s Find My all offer this. It costs nothing and takes thirty seconds.

A few practical habits worth building:

• Keep your phone charged — carry a small power bank, especially on long transit days
• Save the local emergency number for each country you visit (it’s not always 112 or 911)
• Download offline maps for your destination via Google Maps or Maps.me before you arrive
• If you’re traveling solo, let someone know your rough itinerary for each day

None of this replaces situational awareness, but it means that if you do need help, you’re not starting from zero.

Set Up Emergency SOS Before You Leave

Modern smartphones come with built-in emergency features that most travelers never configure — and that’s a mistake worth correcting before you board. Spending five minutes on this at home can matter a great deal if something goes wrong on the road.

Configure your phone’s SOS shortcut. Both iOS and Android have emergency SOS functions that can call local emergency services and share your location with designated contacts — triggered without unlocking the phone. On iPhone, it’s activated by pressing the side button rapidly; on Android, the method varies by manufacturer but is usually found under Safety & Emergency in Settings. Set it up, test it, and make sure your emergency contacts are saved correctly.

Add safety apps as a backup layer. Apps like Noonlight and bSafe let you check in with a contact in real time or trigger a silent alert if you don’t respond within a set window. They’re worth having for solo travelers in particular — especially on days involving night transport, remote hikes, or unfamiliar neighborhoods.

A few quick steps to take before departure:

• Enable emergency SOS on your phone and confirm your emergency contacts are set
• Add the local emergency number for each country to your contacts (don’t assume it’s 112 or 911)
• Install one safety app and walk a trusted contact through how it works
• Turn on Medical ID (iPhone) or Emergency Information (Android) so first responders can access it from your lock screen

None of this takes long. It’s the kind of preparation that sits quietly in the background — until the one moment you actually need it.

Money and documents

Set Your Money Apart

I have a specialized article on how to save money when I travel, and this is a travel safety tip you should not forget: never put all your eggs in one basket.

If any eventuality happens, like a robbery, you can be sure that you haven’t lost anything and that you can still continue traveling.

When I was living in Madrid, they stole my wallet, and although I brought the whole month’s rent, the most annoying thing was having to replace the cards or find a way to withdraw money. If you follow my advice on how to save money, you won’t have any problems.

Protect Your Cards and Digital Payments

Physical theft isn’t the only way to lose money on the road. Contactless card skimming is a real risk in busy transit hubs, tourist areas, and crowded markets — and most travelers don’t notice until they check their statement days later.

A few habits that significantly reduce your exposure:

• Use an RFID-blocking wallet or cardholder. These are inexpensive, widely available, and prevent contactless readers from scanning your cards through your bag or pocket without your knowledge.
• Travel with a dedicated travel card, not your primary bank account. Services like Revolut or Wise let you load only what you need, lock and unlock the card instantly from your phone, and freeze it the moment something looks wrong — without touching your main finances.
• Enable transaction notifications. Turn on instant spend alerts on every card you carry. If a charge appears that you didn’t make, you’ll know within seconds, not days.
• Avoid using public Wi-Fi for banking or payments. If you need to check your accounts or transfer money, use your mobile data connection instead. Public networks in hotels, cafés, and airports are easy targets for interception.
• Keep a backup card separate from your main wallet. Store it in a different bag or your accommodation safe. If your wallet is stolen, you’re not stranded.

None of this requires a complicated setup. Most of it takes five minutes before you leave home and costs very little — far less than recovering from unauthorized charges abroad.

Don’t put your wallet in the back

Closing the bag is important, but what about men? The recommendation is simple, load the wallet in the front pockets of the pants so you know where you have it at all times.

Try to generate this habit since you’re at home, so it’ll be easier when you’re traveling. Over time, you’ll realize that it’s not only safer but also more practical.

Don’t change money with locals

It is better to overpay a little in official currency exchanges than to get counterfeits.

Food

Go for a bite to eat where there are many locals

A sore point in many Asian and African countries is the quality of food: the complete lack of sanitary control, poverty and unwillingness of sellers to throw away stale food—dangers await the traveler at every step. Moreover, you’re a one-time customer, and you’re unlikely to return for more. So go for a bite to eat where there are many locals—a sure sign of a good reputation of the place.

Use bottled water

Water is a separate story. It is in it that many infections are contained and through it parasites get to the vegetables. You should buy only bottled water (and before you drink it—check if it is well screwed up, because it could have been simply poured into an old bottle—this is what they often do in India. It’s best to avoid iced drinks too—it’s likely that the ice was made from tap water. Even brushing your teeth is best done with bottled water.

If you’re trying to cut down on single-use plastic, a filtered water bottle or portable purifier is a practical alternative. Options like LifeStraw or Sawyer filters can make tap or questionable water safe to drink, and they’re light enough to carry anywhere. That said, in regions with serious contamination — rural India, parts of Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa — bottled water remains the safer default unless you’ve confirmed your filter handles the local water profile.

Never eat where there is no access to a toilet or running water

Apart from the understandable inconveniences, you can run into much bigger problems—dishes in such a place are most likely not washed, but wiped, or rinsed in a bucket—in the same water all day long. And in Asia and Africa, it would not be superfluous to wash your hands before eating.