BE SAFE-KNOW your local WAY Abroad

1. Leave Your Valuables in the Safe

If you’re going to be hopping on and off buses and trains all day, don’t bring valuables like laptops or expensive purses with you. Crowded buses can be prime places for pick pocketing to occur, and you don’t want to give a potential thief any reason to target you.

2. Don’t Dress Too Flashy

Along the same lines, don’t wear your nicest jewelry while traveling and using public transportation abroad. This can draw unnecessary attention to yourself and make potential pickpockets wonder what other nice things you might be carrying.

3. Stash Your Cash Wisely

Don’t take out large amounts of money from the ATM and keep all of it in your wallet. It’s best to keep some in your suitcase, some in the hotel safe, and just enough in your wallet for whatever you have planned that day. That way, if your wallet does get taken, you won’t be out too much money.

4. Travel in Pairs at Night

If you’re in an unfamiliar place, no matter how safe it might seem, it’s usually best to avoid traveling alone at night. Try to make sure you stick with your friends after dark, or ask someone you’ve met at your hostel to ride the bus back with you to your room at the end of the night.

5. Mind the Time

Check out the local transit schedules so you know what time the different bus and train lines stop running at night. If you’re out enjoying the local nightlife late into the night (or into the early morning) and you don’t keep track of time, you could find yourself stranded with no buses in sight.

6. Keep Correct Change

Know how much your bus or train journey costs before you even get to the station so you’re not fumbling with various bills and coins when you get on the vehicle. Have the exact change ready to go and easily accessible, or consider purchasing a local transit card so you can p-reload it with enough money for a few transit journeys.

7. Keep Your Bags Zipped

When on a bus or train, make sure your backpack or purse is completely zipped up so your belongings don’t fall out and no one is tempted to reach in and grab anything. Cross body bags are recommended for women, as they’re harder for a potential thief to grab.