When you feel that warm blaze on your face that is such a characteristic of Aussie summers, it can only mean one thing: it’s time to plan some thrilling adventures.
Whether you’re looking to travel across Australia or even go abroad to escape the heat, it’s important that you prioritise your own safety and comfort as an adventurous traveller.
So how can you prioritise your own safety when travelling? We’ll be answering just that question today. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll be sharing several essential tips and strategies on how to stay safe while travelling. Read on to help you prepare for your next summer getaway.
Travel insurance is always your best buddy- Stay Safe
Before setting out on your summer trip, it’s crucial to purchase travel insurance to safeguard your journey. Accidents and unexpected events can happen anywhere, and having reliable travel insurance can save you from them and keep you peaceful. Taking out travel insurance may also help you avoid extra expenses for emergency medical treatments, delays in flights, or any loss of your personal belongings.
While purchasing the insurance, consider using travel insurance credit cards which offer you benefits such as earning bonus points for travelling and extra rewards. These credit cards will gain you access to complimentary insurances, making them a convenient and cost-effective option for Aussie travellers.
2. Pack wisely with essential items
Another key element of staying safe while holidaying is simply making sure that you’ve packed adequately for your trip. This means packing comfort essentials like clothing that’s suitable for the climate you’re looking to travel to, as well as comfortable footwear and sun protection (i.e. hats, sunglasses, and SPF 50+ sunscreen!).
You should also consider what emergency essentials you’ll need to bring along with you. This includes things like travel first-aid kits, a flashlight, portable power banks, a good quality water bottle, and some toiletries – just in case you ever find yourself having to use a public restroom that doesn’t have soap or hand sanitiser.
Finally, travellers can also benefit from carrying some small snacks and perhaps even some electrolyte drinks with them – especially if they’re travelling to the outback or any other destination where they can expect to contend not only against the elements but also with the dangers that accompany secluded environments.
3. Ensure a safe driving environment
For many Aussie travellers, road trips are hands down one of the best types of holidays to plan. After all, Australia is a land that’s best seen by its network of rural motorways anyway, so driving cross country comes naturally to Aussie adventurers, no matter where they may be in the world.
But if you’re looking to plan a road trip abroad, there are a few key considerations you’ll need to make to ensure that you’re safe on foreign roads. For instance, you want to abide by the road safety rules for your travel destination. This is best done in the lead-up to your trip rather than simply trying to figure it out the second you arrive at your travel destination.
Another important driving tip is to take regular breaks to prevent fatigue or to avoid driving during peak time, especially in rural areas. If you’ve ever driven down dead-straight rural highways in Australia. You’ll know how vital this travel tip is for ensuring your safety on the road. Also, always pay attention to the speed limit or road signs. To ensure a safe and enjoyable road trip. Naturally, this is a lot easier to do if you’re well-rested and aren’t experiencing driver fatigue.
4. Avoid using public Wi-Fi
While the idea of connecting up to free public Wi-Fi can be very tempting. It’s actually recommended that you prevent using it due to its insecurity and lack of surveillance. Due to their poor security features, hackers can readily access your devices. And look into your sensitive information when you’re connected to public Wi-Fi networks.
Whilst there are ways to minimise To deal with it, you can choose to use a VPN to help you to stay safe while browsing the internet. The VPN can create a secure connection and an untraceable IP address to protect your device from any other users.
Another method is to buy a prepaid SIM card before travelling to make sure that you have a secure and reliable network connection as the connection is encrypted. This helps you to avoid any risks that are associated with public Wi-Fi and thus reducing the risks of your devices getting hacked.
5. Secure your valuables
When you’re travelling anywhere (be it a domestic or international location), you’re naturally responsible for your own personal belongings. There are several tips that you can follow to ensure that you can keep your valuables safe.
One of the tips is to bring only the things that you need when you’re going out. This helps to reduce risks of your losing essential items on every little outing while you’re away. For instance, you probably won’t need your passport with you if you’re leaving your hotel to just go to a corner store.
But if you don’t have a homebase (i.e. if you’re backpacking and going from hostel to hostel). You should make sure that you have your valuables nearby and easily accessible. But still firmly concealed from third-party onlookers. In other words, you should carry your bag in a position where you are able to see it all the time. To prevent it from being stolen. Remember to also stay alert when you are travelling. Especially in public transport like buses, ferries or trains as there can be pickpockets.
6. Know the phone number for any emergency services
Last but not least, knowing local phone numbers for emergency services. Such as ambulance or police services, can save you from dangerous situations when travelling abroad. Before travelling to your destinations. Do not forget to look up to the phone numbers of the emergency services as they may differ from that in Australia.
Besides, it will be a great idea to know the contact details of the Australian embassy. If the city you are travelling to does not have an Australian embassy. Try to find other countries’ embassies that are available to you as they may also provide help that you need.
Travelling to other places can be exciting and thrilling, to say the very least. But in order to enjoy your trip, you need to safeguard both yourself, your belongings, and any other members of your travel party.
After reading all the tips and strategies we’ve outlined above, however, you will be ready to go and have a good adventure this summer!