How to Stay Safe When Traveling Abroad (page 2 of 2)

• Family Safety
• Family Travel
• Family Life
• Healthy Habits

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.

• 20 Ways to Stay Healthy and Safe in a Hotel
• Protect yourself while away from home.
• 
• A Leg Up on Healthier Travel
• Frequent flying can present some health risks. Here's how to practice healthy traveling.
• 
• Landing the Best E-Fares
• Nearly half of all travel arrangements are now booked online. Here's how to get the lowest airfares.
• 
• 3 Hidden (and Deadly) Road Hazards
• Stray animals, falling trees, flying debris. Why these hidden hazards are a rising threat -- and how to steer clear.
•