Our greatest journey security tricks to think about earlier than and through your journey.
Lots of people take time to plan a trip, however how many individuals really plan for potential issues when on trip?
It isn’t probably the most thrilling factor to consider when reserving a visit, holidays are imagined to be a carefree time to get away from stress. However it can save you your self a variety of heartaches if one thing occurs by planning upfront and following our suggestions.
Earlier than Leaving for our Trip
Planning for a protected and wholesome trip begins earlier than we even depart the nation.
As soon as we’ve our journey dates booked we’ve a listing of issues we do to arrange earlier than we go. If we observe these steps, it makes for a extra enjoyable trip and provides us the instruments we’d like ought to an emergency happen.
Journey Insurance coverage
The primary factor we all the time do earlier than touring is to ensure we’ve journey insurance coverage. We name our supplier to ensure we’ve full protection all through our trip and discuss with them about what we will and can’t do.
If we’re mountain climbing or scuba diving we take an in depth take a look at our coverage for any common exclusions in addition to definitions of high-risk actions.
Excessive-risk actions like skydiving usually are not coated
Personally, Dave and I select to be insured collectively on one coverage, which finally ends up being more economical than two single insurance policy.
Annual Plan vs Single Journey
We additionally buy an annual medical plan as a result of we journey greater than yearly. It’s extra handy than having to get separate plans for every journey and it saves us cash by buying one bundle for the yr moderately than separate plans for every journey.
Since turning into Allianz Journey Insurance coverage Ambassadors, we’ve discovered that Allianz International Help brokers are on name 24/7 at 1-844-310-1578, so we will all the time get a solution it doesn’t matter what time of day a journey insurance-related query may pop into our minds.
Even earlier than we travelled for a residing, we all the time purchased journey insurance coverage. If we had been crossing the border for a brief one-day procuring journey or a month-long backpacking journey, we would all the time ensure we had been coated.
Something can occur at any time regardless of how quick the journey.
Journey Emergencies Can Occur
Dave and I’ve been in a bike accident, I’ve had a critical blood an infection, we have each been violently in poor health and as you could know, Dave broke his again within the Amazon.
Insurance coverage helped us out in these situations by overlaying the eligible hospital bills, prescriptions and even flights house.
However there are lots of different potential points of journey insurance coverage that make it priceless to us when reserving a trip.
Journey insurance coverage could assist us with many issues like:
If we have to cancel or delay our journey. Typically emergencies occur past our management and we cannot go on the holiday that we already bought. Insurance coverage might be able to assist us out in sure conditions like a sudden and unexpected medical emergency a fireplace or flood, housebreaking, vandalism or pure catastrophe. (Or like when WOW Air went out of enterprise and left passengers to search out their very own means house.)We want emergency dental or develop into sick or injured throughout our journey – I’ve traveled with associates who tripped and broke a tooth and wanted an emergency go to to the dentist. My brother broke his arm whereas on trip and Dave had second-degree burns on his leg that required a number of hospital visits in Thailand for them to vary the dressing and clear the wound. With out medical insurance coverage, all these circumstances would have value out of pocket bills or might have minimize the journeys quick to fly house.Our baggage is misplaced or stolen – There may be nothing worse than arriving at a vacation spot, with out your baggage. Whether or not our baggage is delayed or misplaced, we might be reimbursed to the maximum-specified quantity for the the harm, loss or theft of our bags.
Having peace of thoughts earlier than we step on a aircraft understanding we will likely be coated ought to an emergency come up is the very best factor we will do to make sure a protected and glad trip.
You possibly can go to the Allianz International Help web site to decide on the plan that’s best for you.
Notice:
The authorities of Canada recommends your journey insurance coverage consists of well being, life, and incapacity protection.Additionally they counsel in case you are flying, it would be best to think about flight cancellation, journey interruption, misplaced baggage, and doc substitute.
Cellphone Your Financial institution and Credit score Playing cards
We had been just lately in Cuba and I forgot to let my financial institution know that we would be touring. Whereas in Havana I went to the ATM to withdraw Cuban pesos and my card did not work.
I then tried my Visa and it did not work both. I assumed it was the ATM, however after I bought house, I had a message that there was a fraud alert on my playing cards and my accounts had been locked.
It induced us a variety of trouble as we needed to attempt quite a few ATMs and completely different playing cards. Fortunately, Dave’s card labored and we finally withdrew some pocket cash but when it did not, we might have been out of luck shopping for something.
If all our accounts had been locked, it might have value us priceless trip time having to cellphone the financial institution to attempt to unlock our playing cards.
Verify Journey Advisories
Earlier than reserving our journey, we all the time do a fast search to test journey advisories to see if there are any warnings within the nation we’re visiting.
Up to now, we have made the error of not checking. And through one in every of our travels, we did not understand that an election was happening that induced violent protests and unrest. Had we checked the advisory of the nation, we might have waited to go to as there have been a number of deaths and arrests.
Fortunately we weren’t affected, (though we did see a navy convoy of tanks drive by to arrest the opposition and his followers). It was a really unsettling expertise.
It is all the time good to know what sort of state of affairs you’re going into so test advisories for hurricane season and climate, volcanic exercise, conflict or illness outbreaks.
In Canada, we test the Canadian Authorities journey advisories and we additionally test the U.S. State Division earlier than selecting our vacation spot.
Social Media
Wait till you’re house to share your journey
I do know persons are actually excited when happening trip and need to inform all their associates, however letting everybody know on-line that you’re going to be out of city is an invite to be robbed. In case you actually really feel the necessity to brag about your wonderful trip, wait till you get house.
Dave and I hardly ever put up social media in actual time. We do not need folks to know the place we’re at any given second and we do not need folks to know once we’re not in our house.
So save the picture sharing till you come.
Cease Mail and Newspaper Supply
In case you reside in a home, nothing says “we’re not house” greater than a pile of newspapers, It is a easy cellphone name to cease mail and newspaper supply when you are away.
Get to know your neighbours and ask them to choose up any flyers which can be left on the entrance door. Flyers are the one factor we have not been in a position to determine how you can cease coming in, so it’s good to have a pleasant neighbour maintain a watch out.
Put Timers on Lights
We’re large followers of placing timers on lights to make folks consider somebody is house.
Once we had our home, we had a timer set to activate our exterior lights within the night.
We had a few lights arrange inside too and we set the timers to activate our indoor lights from 7 – 11 pm.
They are often purchased at Walmart, Residence Depot or Canadian Tire for peanuts and it might save a break in.
Get Correct Vaccines
If we’re going someplace unique, we do our analysis to see what vaccines we’d like properly upfront. Some vaccines can take weeks or months to get the sequence of photographs wanted.
There are lots of life-threatening illnesses that may be contracted in sure elements of the world the place a vaccine might save our life.
Relying on the place we’re touring, we may have vaccines for typhoid, yellow fever, cholera, Japanese Encephalitis and extra.
Nations, the place Yellow Fever is a threat, will not even allow us to in if we do not have our Yellow Fever vaccine certificates and it’s all the time good to have Hepatitis A & B wherever we go.
We test our vaccines usually to ensure they’re updated so we will ensure to remain wholesome.
There may be a variety of info on-line, however we sometimes go to a journey clinic to see a health care provider who makes a speciality of journey illness so we all know precisely what we’d like.
Secure Journey Throughout the Journey
Prescriptions and Drugs
Earlier than we journey, we ensure to fill any prescriptions that we’d like and pack them in our carryon bag.
We by no means test prescription treatment in our baggage and all the time ensure we’ve it on us, with a replica of our prescription.
Cash and Credit score Playing cards
Dave and I all the time cut up up our cash and bank cards ought to one in every of us get robbed. If we’ve all the things in a single bag, we’re out of luck ought to a bag be stolen.
We wish to unfold bank cards round our luggage so we all the time have a back-up plan. Plus, once we are at our vacation spot, we solely carry a small amount of money with us and we solely have one or two bank cards on us once we exit.
We made the error as soon as of getting me carry all the things and Dave and I had been separated on a practice in Switzerland. He bought caught on the practice when the doorways closed and ended up going to an deserted station.
He did not have a cellular phone, cash and even his pockets. I had all the things.
He needed to wander across the station and get again on the practice with out a ticket praying that no one stopped him. I had no means of understanding when or how he’d get again and your complete ordeal took greater than an hour till we had been united.
Dave celebrates in Switzerland after we reunite!
We by no means put all our cash and bank cards in a single place once more.
We felt that Switzerland was protected, and we had been solely going direct from the lodge to the airport, so we thought we would be high quality having all the things in a single bag. Boy had been we improper.
Over the Shoulder Bag
Over the shoulder RFID safety from Id theft
My journey day bag is an over the shoulder bag that’s practically unimaginable to grab.
I actually just like the Pacsafe model as a result of there are a number of safety measures like locking zippers and a slash-proof strap. I additionally like utilizing a Pacsafe pockets as a result of it makes use of RFID blocking expertise.
In right this moment’s digital age, you do not have to lose your bank cards to have your info stolen. RFID skimming is turning into extra widespread.
What’s RFID skimming? It’s a type of theft utilizing wi-fi transmitters to realize info to your credit score and debit card identification chips.
They’ll decode private info like your identify, deal with, cellphone quantity, and non-public social insurance coverage and safety numbers. As soon as anyone has that info, they will do something from the acquire entry to your accounts to stealing your id.
Now that is scary. I take advantage of RFID wallets and luggage even when at house.
Journey Scams
Nothing wrecks a trip greater than getting scammed. The guilt of understanding that you have simply been “had” is the worst. We all know, we’ve been there.
We have had a digicam stolen in Namibia, we have misplaced half our cash at a shady cash change in Myanmar.
We’ve even fallen for a scheme the place we purchased right into a trip membership whereas touring in Mexico. Each state of affairs ruined our journey after the very fact.
Earlier than we begin our trip, we have a look to see what the principle journey scams are within the space.
In Asia, tuk-tuk and Rickshaw drivers are identified to rip-off vacationers by providing an affordable journey solely to take them to markets and eateries the place they get a fee.
In Morocco, sellers tempt you with tea and pleasant tricks to make you buy an excessively costly rug. The checklist goes on and on.
We have now an article that rounds all of them up at The highest Journey Scams Across the World
Just a few journey scams we have in mind are:
ATMs – Once we go to an ATM, we solely go to a correct financial institution. We by no means use a generic ATM on the facet of the street. We search for the nationwide financial institution and go throughout enterprise hours. We have been all around the world, and good worldwide banks have menus in English they usually have clear indicators stating that they take Visa or MasterCard and that they’re on the Plus system.Bag Safety – As I stated above, an over the shoulder bag that has locking zippers and is tough to grab get into will deter pickpockets or theft.Taxis – Once we land on the airport we both have a automobile rent booked to fulfill us at arrivals with our identify or we go to the official taxi stand to catch a cab into city. We’ve fallen for the crowds of individuals asking if we’d like a journey and ended up going with a shady unlicensed taxi driver that overcharged us and didn’t take us to the lodge we needed. They went to the lodge the place they get a fee.Overly Pleasant Locals – We’re all the time cautious of locals which can be too pleasant. The dialog begins off harmless and shortly turns right into a high-pressure gross sales pitch. We aren’t saying that we aren’t open to assembly new folks on our travels, however typically occasions an individual that may be a bit too pleasant both desires to take us on a tour someplace to promote us objects for his/her commissions or they lull us right into a false sense of safety after which rip-off us out of our cash.The Swarm – We’re all the time conscious of crowds on subways or within the streets. Many rip-off artists use distraction strategies like swarming, bumping into an individual and even squirting somebody with issues like mustard to seize whereas their associate in crime robs the sufferer.
Once we are conscious of the widespread scams on the market, we discover when they’re taking place and are ready. For us, it has been a lesson discovered the exhausting means, we fell for a lot of scams early in our travels.
Meals to Keep away from When Touring
Dave is infamous for ignoring his personal meals guidelines and has been violently in poor health for a number of days on finish. Do not be like Dave, sickness can break your trip, however it is rather simple to keep away from.
We solely eat meals which have been cooked or that we will peel. We additionally keep away from meals like lettuce and minimize uncooked fruit.
If we’re at a resort, we ask if we will drink the water. If not we drink bottled water. But when more often than not we don’t wish to contribute to plastic air pollution, so we use a Steripen to purify our personal faucet water. It really works nice!
We additionally are likely to keep away from soups and any meals that’s ready. If there are sandwiches which have been sitting out for some time, it is best to not eat them. We solely order freshly cooked meals.
All that stated, we’re nonetheless adventurous when consuming and touring.
Road meals might be a wonderful alternative whether it is freshly barbecued. There may be nothing improper with consuming from avenue distributors if the meals is cooked. Often, the meals stalls have very recent meals as a result of it sells quick and is continually being restocked.
Whether it is cooked over a flame or deep fried we eat it.
Automobile Leases
We love renting automobiles when touring. It offers us the liberty to go off the overwhelmed observe and discover on our personal. However when renting a automobile, it is necessary to be savvy.
We normally ebook upfront. Reserving a automobile rental with our flight in a bundle has saved us large time.
Insurance coverage is all the time a tough determination. Automobile leases are normally fairly cheap, however when you add on their insurance coverage, it could actually add up rapidly.
We use our American Specific platinum for our automobile leases they usually have full insurance coverage, so we by no means get additional automobile insurance coverage.
We even have full insurance coverage on our automobile at house and that features automobile rental insurance coverage as properly. However we all the time name them earlier than we depart to double test that we’re coated.
When in New Brunswick final winter, we backed right into a pole and dented the bumper. It did not matter although as a result of we had full protection with the rental firm so we simply returned the automobile and went on our merry personal means.
Typically having peace of thoughts might be simpler than saving some cash. Had we not had protection, we might have had an enormous trouble of going by our insurance coverage to get the harm coated.
When doubtful, we all the time name our insurance coverage supplier or bank card firm to ask about all of the stipulations.
Leases – Scooters, Jet Skis
Lots of people are likely to hire motor scooters, velocity boats, or wave runners on trip. But when you do not have expertise driving one, or don’t have the suitable worldwide allow or native license, we do not do it.
We had been in a bike accident in Thailand years in the past when renting a scooter. We thought we might deal with it, however we crashed.
Once we first arrived, we seen a variety of vacationers coated in bandages. We thought there have to be coral reef break or one thing on the island, however we quickly discovered that everybody rents a scooter and most of the people crash.
We have now since gotten our motorbike license and discovered how you can drive a motorcycle correctly.
Once we’ve pushed jet skis or velocity boats we do it on a tour with knowledgeable main the way in which who gave us a lesson on how you can drive it correctly.
Simply because we’re on trip, it does not imply we’re invincible, so we take the identical precautions we do at house.
Study from Our Errors
It was years of trial and error that helped us lastly be taught our lesson to have protected and wholesome travels.
Now that we observe these guidelines, we normally have a protected and wholesome journey. Or not less than we’re ready when emergencies do occur.
Disclosure: This put up is sponsored by Allianz International Help (AZGA Service Firm) I’m a model ambassador for Allianz International Help (Canada) and obtain monetary compensation.
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