How to Stay Safe When Traveling Abroad

From getting through customs to protecting yourself on foreign streets, here's how to make your international trip safe and hassle-free.

A Safe Journey

Americans have been taking to the skies and seas again. If you're preparing to venture out of the United States, here are some tips, as well as important government resources, that can help ensure a safe journey.

Do Your Research

Security Warnings. If you want to have a safe trip abroad, you have to do your homework. This means finding out about any security concerns in the region you're traveling to. An excellent source of information for international security is the U.S. Department of State, which issues Consular Information Sheets for every country in the world. The sheets describe unusual entry and currency regulations, unusual health conditions, the crime and security situation, political disturbances, areas of instability, special information about driving and road conditions and drug penalties. They also provide addresses and emergency telephone numbers for U.S. embassies and consulates.

You can access the Consular Information Sheets, as well as the Department of State's public announcements, travel warnings, fact sheets and regional travel brochures, at the Bureau of Consular Affairs Web site. In addition to getting information on the Internet, you can hear recorded information by calling the Department of State in Washington, D.C., at 202-647-5225, or receive information by automated telefax by dialing 202-647-3000 from your fax machine.

Local Laws and Customs. Whatever your destination, you're subject to the laws of that country. So, before you go, try to learn as much as you can about the local laws and customs. Good resources are your library, your travel agent, and the embassies, consulates or tourist bureaus of the countries you plan to visit. And it's essential that you keep track of what's being reported in the media about recent developments in that region.

Arrangements to Make Before You Go

Your Itinerary. As much as possible, plan to stay in larger hotels that have more elaborate security. Safety experts recommend booking a room from the second to seventh floors above ground level to deter easy entrance from outside, but low enough for fire equipment to reach.

Credit. Make a note of the credit limit on each credit card that you bring. Believe it or not, in some countries, Americans have been arrested for innocently exceeding their credit limit. Find out from your credit card company how to report the loss of your card. Toll-free 800 numbers do not work from abroad, so your company should have a number that you can call while you are overseas.

Insurance. Find out if your personal property insurance covers you for loss or theft abroad. More important, check if your health insurance has international coverage. Medicare and Medicaid do not provide payment for medical care outside the U.S. Even if your health insurance will reimburse you for medical care that you pay for abroad, it may not cover medical evacuation from a remote area or from a country where medical facilities are inadequate. To be assured of that type of coverage, you may want to consider purchasing one of the short-term health and emergency assistance policies designed for travelers.

When packing your bags, keep these safety tips in mind:

• To avoid being a target, plan to dress conservatively. A flashy wardrobe or one that is too casual can mark you as a tourist.
• Don't pack any knives, sharp instruments, or any other of the prohibited items in your carry-on luggage.
• Try to travel light so you'll be able to move more quickly. You'll also be less tired and less likely to set your luggage down, leaving it unattended.
• Carry the minimum amount of valuables necessary for your trip and plan a place or places to conceal them. Your passport, cash and credit cards are most secure when locked in a hotel safe. When you have to carry them with you, try to conceal them in several places rather than putting them all in one wallet or pouch. Avoid handbags, fanny packs and outside pockets - they're easy targets for thieves. One of the safest places to carry valuables is in a pouch or money belt worn under your clothing.
• If you wear prescription eyeglasses, pack an extra pair. Bring them and any medicines you need in your carry-on luggage.
• To avoid problems when passing through customs, keep medicines in their original, labeled containers. Bring a copy of your prescriptions and the generic names for the drugs. If a medication is unusual or contains narcotics, carry a letter from your doctor attesting to your need to take the drug. If you have any doubt about the legality of carrying a certain drug into a country, consult the embassy or consulate of that country first.
• Bring traveler's checks and one or two major credit cards instead of cash.
• Leave a copy of the serial numbers of your traveler's checks with a friend or relative at home. Carry your copy with you in a separate place and, as you cash the checks, cross them off the list.
• Pack an extra set of passport photos to make replacement of your passport easier in the event it is lost or stolen.
• Make two photocopies of your passport identification page, airline tickets, driver's license and the credit cards that you plan to bring with you. Leave one copy with family or friends at home; pack the other in a place separate from your valuables.
• Put your name, address and telephone numbers on the inside and outside of each piece of luggage. Use covered luggage tags to avoid casual observation of your identity or nationality and if possible, lock your luggage.
• Consider getting a telephone calling card. If you already have one, verify that you can use it from your destination. Access numbers to U.S. operators are published in many international newspapers. Find out your access number before you go.

Letting Your Guard Down

On the Street

• Be especially cautious in areas where tourists might be targets, such as crowded subways, train stations, elevators, tourist sites, market places, festivals and marginal areas of cities.
• Don't use shortcuts, narrow alleys or poorly lit streets. Try not to travel alone at night.
• Avoid public demonstrations and other civil disturbances.
• Keep a low profile and avoid loud conversations or arguments. Don't discuss travel plans or other personal matters with strangers.
• Beware of potential scam artists. Avoid strangers who approach you, offering bargains or to be your guide.
• Be on the lookout for pickpockets. They often have an accomplice who will jostle you, ask you for directions or the time, point to something spilled on your clothing, or distract you by creating a disturbance. Don't rule out anyone -- even a child or a woman carrying a baby -- as a potential pickpocket.
• Even if you are lost, act as if you know where you are going. When possible, ask directions only from individuals in authority.
• Learn a few phrases in the local language so you can signal your need for help, the police, or a doctor. Make a note of emergency telephone numbers you may need: police, fire, your hotel, and the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
• If you are confronted, don't fight back. Give up your valuables. Your money and passport can be replaced, but you cannot.

Safety on Public Transportation

On Trains. Well-organized, systematic robbery of passengers on trains along popular tourist routes is a serious problem. It is more common at night and especially on overnight trains. Here are some precautions you can take:

• If you see your way being blocked by a stranger and another person is very close to you from behind, move away. This can happen in the corridor of the train or on the platform or station.
• Do not accept food or drink from strangers. Criminals have been known to drug food or drink offered to passengers.
• Where possible, lock your compartment. If it can't be locked securely, take turns sleeping in shifts with your traveling companions. If that's not possible, stay awake. If you must sleep unprotected, tie down your luggage, strap your valuables to you and sleep on top of them as much as possible.
• Don't be afraid to alert authorities if you feel threatened in any way. Extra police are often assigned to ride trains on routes where crime is a serious problem.

On Buses. The same type of criminal activity found on trains can be found on public buses on popular tourist routes. For example, tourists have been drugged and robbed while sleeping on buses or in bus stations, so follow the same precautions you would on the train.


Vehicle Precautions

• When you rent a car, don't go for a flashy one; choose a type commonly available locally. If available, choose a car with universal door locks and power windows, features that give the driver better control of access to the car. Request an air conditioner, if possible, so you can drive with the windows closed. Thieves can and do snatch purses through open windows of moving cars.
• Keep car doors locked at all times.
• As much as possible, avoid driving at night.
• Don't leave valuables in the car. If you must carry things with you, keep them locked in the trunk.
• Don't park your car on the street overnight. If the hotel or municipality doesn't have a parking garage or other secure area, select a well-lit area.
• Never pick up hitchhikers.

Protection Against Terrorism

Terrorist acts occur at random and unpredictably, making it impossible to protect oneself absolutely. But the first and best protection is to avoid travel to unsafe areas with a persistent record of terrorist attacks or kidnapping. Consult the Consular Information Sheets and travel warnings (see U.S. Department of State: Bureau of Consular Affairs link at right) for updated, country-by-country information.

The following pointers, in addition to the general safety tips already mentioned, may provide some degree of protection, and can serve as practical and psychological deterrents to would-be terrorists.

• Schedule direct flights if possible and avoid stops in high-risk airports or areas.
• Be aware of what you discuss with strangers or what may be overheard by others.
• Try to minimize the time spent in the public area of an airport, which is a less protected area. Move quickly from the check-in counter to the secured areas. On arrival, leave the airport as soon as possible.
• As much as possible, avoid luggage tags, dress and behavior that may identify you as an American.
• Keep an eye out for suspicious abandoned packages or briefcases. Report them to airport security or other authorities and leave the area promptly.

Getting Assistance Abroad
If you plan to stay more than two weeks in one place, if you're in an area experiencing civil unrest or a natural disaster, or if you're planning travel to a remote area, you should register at the Consular Section of the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. This will make it easier for someone at home to locate you in the event of an emergency. In addition, you'll be able to obtain updated information on your destination's security situation.