Travel and living

How to Protect Yourself if Something Goes Wrong on Vacation

medium_10157127606Even if you have taken the time to carefully plan a vacation, there is always a chance something could go wrong. Whether this involves a disaster at your destination or you losing your travel documents, it is wise to have a plan should the unexpected occur. Running into trouble in a distant location is far more dangerous than it happening at home because you will not have the same support system. By taking a few extra precautions, you can give yourself a better chance of staying safe if disaster strikes.

Email Your Information

Before leaving on your vacation, make sure you email all your personal information to yourself, in case you lose your documentation. This can include things like your social security number, your passport number and any PIN numbers you might need to access your personal information online. By having this information available in your email account, you can access it from anywhere in the world if you run into trouble.

You can also keep the contact information for your country’s embassy in your email inbox, in addition to your wallet, for easy access. This can save you time if you need to find this information in a hurry, since the phone number and address will be in the same location as your personal information.

Give Your Itinerary to Others

Make sure a loved one knows exactly where you will be throughout your travels. This includes where you will be staying, the flights you will be taking, and sights you plan on seeing. Establish a few check-in points during your trip as well. This way, if you do not check-in with the family member when you had planned, he or she can inquire at these checkpoints to see if you arrived safely.

If you make any changes to your itinerary along the way, inform your contact at home of your plans. Even if you are only taking a day excursion to a nearby city, let someone else know about your plans, including the tour company, just in case something goes awry.

Protect Belongings at Home

Because an interrupted vacation could mean you are away for longer than you had anticipated, make sure you have your personal items at home protected. This goes beyond simply locking your doors and windows, as you might want to buy car covers for your automobiles to protect them from the elements and have someone visit your house periodically to check your mail and take care of your yard.

Have the contact information for anyone watching over your belongings while you are away and inform him or her if you run into any problems along your travels. This ensures you will not have to worry about your house and belongings as you make your way home.

Research Your Destination

Always learn about the cities you intend to travel to and countries you will be visiting, so you do not end up with any surprises. Find out where the police station and hospital are located in relation to your hotel because you never know if you will have an emergency abroad. This is especially important if you have a preexisting medical condition or are visiting a dangerous part of the world.

When booking your hotels, try to stay in a touristy area of the city. Though it may make your stay a little pricier, these areas usually have a larger police presence since it is in the city’s best interests to keep its visitors safe. Tourist areas in the center of town are also likely to be close to a hospital.

In most cases, your travel plans will go off without a hitch and all of this emergency planning will be unnecessary. If something does happen, however, you will be glad you took the little bit of extra time to protect yourself and your family. While some people might think being overly cautious is a waste of time, it is always better to err on the side of caution when traveling within a foreign country.

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