Protecting Your Valuables

The best advice with regard to valuables during travel is simple: don’t carry any. However, it is rarely possible for us to travel without some valuables like our laptops, phones, cameras and a number of other things depending on the occasion for travel.

Since you cannot help but carry your valuables, here are some tips to keep them safe:

• Cut down on the number of valuables you carry. If you don’t need all the jewelry you wear everyday, take it off. Get traveler’s checks instead of carrying cash. Moreover, never carry all your credit cards with you when you travel. If you happen to lose your wallet, you will need a lot of time and patience to call all your credit card companies and cancel your cards. Ideally, just take one or two credit cards with you on travel.

• Never put your valuable items in your checked baggage. In the even that your luggage is lost or damaged, you will have a difficult time getting adequate compensation from the airline for all your valuables. Always put whatever valuables you may be carrying in your carry on luggage.

• Use laptop alarms if you must carry your laptop. It will secure your laptop and if anyone tries to steal it, it will sound a loud alarm.

• At your hotel, enquire about a safe in your room. If you have one, keep all your valuables in it and only remove them when required. If you do not have a safe in your room, enquire about a safe in the hotel. Most hotels keep safes for to store travelers’ valuables.

• Never carry your passport in your wallet or purse. If your purse gets stolen, you will need to contact your consulate and go through the hassle of getting a duplicate passport.

• Make a copy of all the cards you are carrying. Also note down all contact numbers of credit card companies. Keep these documents separate from your wallet. In case you lose your wallet, you will have the credit card numbers and contact details handy for quick cancellation of cards.

• Be as inconspicuous as possible. Do not flash your jewelry or cash while traveling.