Traveling is always a bit stressful and you have to deal with navigating the airport and getting to the hotel on the other side before you can start to enjoy yourself. But hopefully, everything will run smoothly and the trip will go off without a hitch. Unfortunately, that’s not always the way that things pan out and there are a lot of disasters that could happen along the way. Sometimes, you can’t avoid those problems and you’ll just have to deal with them when they come up, but preparing yourself properly will help reduce the chance of any major problems while you’re away. Here are the best ways to avoid travel disasters.
Pack For Any Eventuality
When you’re packing, you’ll probably think about where you’re going and take weather appropriate stuff. But there are some things that you need to pack wherever you go so you can cover all eventualities. For example, you might be going to a hot country so you just pack sandals, but you’ll be in trouble if it rains so you better put some trainers in as well. Things like sun cream, bug spray and portable chargers are also essentials. If you pack for the worst possible situation, you’ll always be prepared. It’s better to take things that you don’t need than it is to forget things that you end up needing.
Tell Somebody Where You’re Going
This is so important when you travel because if something does go wrong and you’re unable to get home or even contact anybody for help, somebody needs to know where to start when they’re looking for you. For example, if you’re in an area that is hit by a natural disaster like an earthquake and nobody knows that you’re there, it could be a long time before anybody sends you help. But if a friend or family member knows that you’re there, they can start the process of getting you home right away. It’s always a good idea to give a trusted person your itinerary for the trip so they know exactly where you’re going to be. However, it’s important that you’re only giving this information to people that you know and trust. It’s never sensible to tell other travelers the exact details of where you’re going, otherwise, they might take advantage of that information.
Research The Healthcare System
This is a big one and most people forget about it. The healthcare system abroad isn’t likely to be the same as it is a home. That’s not usually a problem because, hopefully, you won’t be using it. But there’s always the chance that you could get sick or injured and need to visit a hospital. If you don’t know what number to call for an ambulance, where to go or how you’ll be paying for it, you could be in big trouble. That’s why it’s so important that you do your research before you go so you can react quickly if you or somebody that you’re with is in need of medical care. It’s also important to get travel insurance that covers healthcare because most countries don’t let tourists use it for free, even if residents can.
Prepare For Plane Crashes
Air travel is the safest form of transport and the chances of your plane getting into an accident are very small, but it does happen. There isn’t much you can do during the accident apart from listen carefully to the cabin crew in a crisis and follow their instructions. Don’t ignore the pre-flight safety presentations either. The other thing you should do is give your trusted friend or family member the details of your flight so they know when you should be landing. Then arrange to contact them and let them know when you’ve touched down safely. That way, they’ll know if anything goes wrong. If you do end up getting into an accident, you need to get in touch with aviation accident attorneys who can help you make a compensation claim. It’s worth checking out some of these companies so you know what you’re dealing with before you fly.
Know The Local Scams
Tourists are prime targets for lots of different scams and criminal activities because they don’t know the country that well. You might be approached by people that attach a small bracelet to your wrist and then demand money or unlicensed taxi drivers that charge you extortionate rates for travel. In some places, people may offer false tours as a cover for muggings. These scams are well known to the locals who can easily avoid them but when you’re in an unfamiliar country, you can easily get caught out. If you do a quick search online, you’ll be able to find details of the areas you should avoid and the things you should watch out for.
It’s also a good idea to read up about the local customs so you don’t end up offending the locals. For example, it’s customary to remove your shoes when you enter a building in a lot of countries and you could cause a lot of upset if you ignore that custom.
Make Sure Your Luggage Holds Up
Often overlooked when traveling, but your luggage should be one of your top priorities. It has to make it through a rigorous checking process, multiple times. Check here for the best checked luggage to make sure you’re prepared for your upcoming journey.
Split Your Money Up
This is an important one because if you get stuck overseas without any money, you’re really going to struggle. If you put all of your money in cash in one bag, what happens if you lose that bag or it ends up lost in the airport somewhere? You’ll have absolutely nothing, that’s why it’s a good idea to split your money up. First off, if you’re taking a large amount of cash keep some on your person, maybe in a travelers wallet that you can strap to your chest. Then put a bit in your carry on and some in your suitcase. That way, you can’t lose it all. It’s also a good idea to use a prepaid travel card so you’re not carrying everything in cash as well.
If you take these steps to prepare before you leave for your trip, you can avoid any major disasters while you’re away.
