Tips to stay safe when travelling abroad 

Research before travel

If on a leisure trip, doing some advance research about the place you will be visiting always helps. Find out if it is a safe place to visit and reside for a short duration. There are plenty of sites with reviews available that can help you make this decision. Additionally, you can talk to people who have already visited the place or a travel consultant for the right kind of advice. 

Carry your cash and credit cards separately

Always distribute your money and credit cards; keep some in your wallet, some in your suitcase, and the rest in your laptop bag or other safe location.    

Carry two sets of important documents

Make two scanned copies of all your relevant documents. Carry one set with you and keep another   in your luggage to ensure you have a backup copy in case of emergencies. In situations of loss or theft, it might take a while to get a new set of documents made.

Here is a list of 10 important documents you must carry while travelling abroad:

• Passport
• Visa
• A medical prescription from your doctor
• Contact name and details at the place of your origin and destination
• Travel insurance copies
• Passport size photographs
• International Debit/Credit Card
• Foreign currency
• Proof of accommodation
• A detailed travel itinerary
  

The Passport and Visa copies would be required to be shown to the authorities at different points during your travel journey. It is, therefore, recommended to keep them in a place where you can find them easily. 

Staying healthy during travel

Ensure that you carry all your medication with you when you travel abroad. It is also mandatory to take all the necessary shots and vaccines before you start your trip. Each country has a list of medical pre-requisites for tourists – try and be up-to-date for not only the shots on the required list but the recommended ones as well, like Typhoid or Tetanus. The best recourse is to check with your travel agent for
better guidance. 

Sanitize your hands 

The last thing you want during an international trip is to fall sick. Travel comes with its own set of challenges to acclimatizing to a new environment. 

Your hands are the most common carriers of infection from contaminated surfaces in restaurants, restrooms, and other public places. Thus, it will be a smart idea to keep a hand sanitizer or nitrile gloves with you. It will prevent you from picking up flu germs or dysentery-causing bacteria from common places  .

Keep travel insurance at hand

Keep a copy of your travel insurance handy in case of a medical emergency. Terms of coverage might vary from vendor to vendor, and so you must be aware of what your insurance offers.  

Stay connected on the phone

Staying connected to your family and friends back home is essential. Regularly update them about your whereabouts using an international roaming facility on your smartphone. You may also use a local SIM card for your place of visit for the duration of your stay.

Protect your belongings from theft

Use a sling bag that can be slipped along your body diagonally, so that you are always in contact with your belongings. You could also use the insides of your front pocket to store things. It is not a good idea to keep anything in your back pocket as it would be easy for someone to grab your wallet without you realizing it.

Let good sense prevail

At times, it may not be easy to blend with the local crowd as a tourist.  

In such a case, avoid doing things such as drawing undue attention, stepping out alone, or giving out too much information.  

Using the American Express Credit Card for travelling abroad

As an Amex Card Member, you get basic automatic travel insurance for both local and international travel once you purchase your travel ticket(s) on your American Express®Credit Card.

Please note that the Basic Automatic Cover has the following exclusions.

• Pre-existing medical conditions are not covered
  
  
• Hazardous pursuits, partaking in activities that can endanger your life, like sky diving