Tips For Safe Travelling

Hi Guys!

I thought I would do something a little more personal. It’s something new I’d like to start trying out on my blog so, let’s just see how it goes.

I’m going to include some pictures of the places I talk about just to make this whole personal thing a bit more ‘real‘. So, light a candle, grab a drink and get ready for some first hand travel safety tips.

My Travelling Experiences

If you don’t already know I actually live in Spain and have done of many years now. I am from from the UK but, when I was young my parents decided to emigrate , bringing me and my brother up in southern Spain.

Where I live there isn’t much crime (thank god), seeing someone rob something from a corner shop is about as much action as we get. So when I moved back to the UK for two years I was shocked at how different lives can be and at how stupid I could be.

Let’s just say I wasn’t very street smart. Living in England did toughen me up and make me more aware of the things going on around me. Of course I had been away to different countries and had experienced different things but, never really without adults or my parents.

What happened?

Basically, I lived back in the UK for two years before deciding I wanted to travel. Me and my boyfriend set off in my car around Europe.

We went to a ton of countries and experienced a million different things. We thought we were beyond wise when it came to being in large cities and parking in strange car parks but, it turns out we had a lot more learning to do.

Side note; Mum if you are reading this all of it is a lie and nothing bad ever happens to me when I travel.

1 # Pick Pockets

My first tip for safe travelling is beware of ‘Muggings’. My first ‘mugging‘ experience was way back in 2013. I was only 17 at the time and for my boyfriends birthday his family and I went to Madrid for a weekend away  to go and see a concert.

This was my second time in Madrid. The first time me and my boyfriend went alone for the day and from then on thought we were the all seeing eye at all things scary and city like.

Anyway, this time around one night we all decided to go to the ‘gay district‘ of Madrid, it was crowded and jam packed full of all sorts of people. Me and my boyfriend took a different taxi to the one with his family as their wasn’t enough seats.

When we arrived of course we were lost, stranded in the middle of this ‘district’. I was only 17 and still naive and super inexperienced, I remember having this stupid dangling little bag over my shoulder full of every ones money and phones, which looking back made us such a target.

You’re probably thinking the ‘mugging’ happened to us, well no. When we eventually found his family they were bursting to tell us their ‘experience’.

Whilst waiting for us a friendly man came over and started a conversation with them, before my boyfriends dad knew the man had taken his wallet and was halfway down the street with his expensive camera.

Luckily his dad noticed and ran after the guy and got all of his stuff back but, had he not been paying attention everything would of been gone.

This actually terrified me and as I said before, I had never experienced robbing or crimes right in front of me before, so it left me on edge for the whole weekend away.

Here are some top Don’ts to stop yourself from being mugged and keeping safe while trvaelling:

• Never ever put your phone in your back pocket, even if you think you will feel the robber sticking their hand in, you won’t and before you know it your phone will be gone.
• Don’t trust everyone. If somebody is innocently asking for directions try and stand slightly back so they don’t have access to your pockets or bag.
• Don’t carry little bags or bags with small straps. They are so easy to rip off and run with.

2 # Be Wise

I was recently in Lyon  travelling through Europe. I loved Lyon, it was a fantastic place but, you could see a huge divide between the rich and the poor.

The city was incredible but we had been warned about the night atmosphere and boy did you notice it once it became dusk. I am quite easily scared by situations and I always follow my guy instinct which made me super paranoid…

On the way back to our hotel we took a wrong turn (my boyfriends fault, not mine!). We ended up down a backstreet in Lyon where quite clearly tourists weren’t meant to be.

Before we knew it there was a man clearly following us with a lead in his hand. I was a wreck and on the verge of tears, I was trying to think what to give up first, my camera or my money or would he stab us both until he took everything?

The man dissapeared and a flood of relief washed over me until I saw one of the oldest tricks in the book. A complete random dog came out of the street just seconds in front of us, with a collar and no lead.

I had been warned about this trick. As a dog loving tourist you take hold of the dog and head down the street where your mugger is awaiting you.

I love dogs and every instinct inside of me was telling me to walk away, which we did. Well, actually it turned in to a sprint whilst I fretted for my life.

God knows what would of happened had either of us taken an interest in the dog, the man actually might not of even been dodgey but my gut feeling was screaming bad things at me and I just knew it wasn’t right.

Top Tips on Staying wise and some tips for safe travelling:

• Don’t take shortcuts. Stick to the main route.
• Wise up on tricks and scams so you can be aware of what to avoid.
• If you feel in danger, get out of their. Your gut instinct is almost always right, listen to it.
• In big cities everywhere there is somebody waiting to take everything you have, only take out what you really need and perhaps keep a hidden note somewhere on your person just in case.
• If you are completely lost, don’t act it. Imagine yourself as the prey, if you look vulnerable the hunter will know.

3 # Hotel Rooms

I am not saying all cheaper hotels rob and get in to peoples rooms because even some high end hotels are guilty of it but, there was twice in my life I was actually scared to leave my things.

The first time was in Edinburgh. Again I loved Edinburgh and within the city I felt beyond safe, it was an amazing place to experience and the hotel was actually super centrally located and amazing however, the night before whilst doing my thing on tripadvisor I came across some reviews of this hotel with people saying they had actually been robbed from inside  their hotel rooms.

Our trip was all booked and there was no going back but it did leave me really questioning the safety of my items.

The hotel was lovely and I couldn’t of imagined anyone trying to rob anyones things inside the hotel as it was so nice but, it did give me a strange feeling to think whilst exploring the city somebody could be rifling through my bags.

With that said all I did was take a little lock with me, lock up our bags and I took a photo of our bags in the room before we left. Nothing ever happened but, if it had of done we would of had evidence and it was probably a bit of a deterrent seeing a lock had somebody come in.

The second time I felt uneasy whilst in a hotel room was in Luxembourg. Again, wonderful place, in fact it was breathtaking.

We stayed in this little mountain lodge type hotel and seemed to be the only guests. Whilst checking in we did make some jokes about cannibals and lost travelers but disregarded it all as we were just winding each other up.

However, the doors couldn’t be locked from the inside of the rooms and the reception had a spare actual key for every single room, again not that worrying. Except we did seem to be the only travelers their and we did have an expensive camera and a laptop on our arm.

I don’t know why this hotel creeped me out but, it did so, me being the paranoid wreck I am loaded all of our bags against the door whilst we slept and as we left the room to explore the country,I tried as hard as I could to pile up the bags against the door, so if somebody came in they would think they had knocked in to something.

My top tips on how to stay safe in hotel rooms and some tips for safe travelling:

• If you’re unhappy about it, do something about it. Try what I did and pile some bags against the door.
• Invest in a small padlock for your case as a deterent.
• Take photos of your room before leaving so you know if anything has  been disturbed.
• Use the safe or hide your most valuable belongings right at the bottom of your bag or inside your dirty washing.

# Keep your wits About you

It’s extremely easy to get carried away and not pay attention to anything but yourself when away travelling or on holiday but, you do need to keep your eyes peeled.

Of course you can’t be worried 24/7 about your bag or your belongings but, you do need to be alert.

I was recently in Seville in Spain and whilst walking along a busy street in the middle of the day I clocked a man eyeing up a girls, small string bag.

She had it across her body but the string was so small, a baby could of yanked it off her.

She was laughing and giggling away with her boyfriend and taking no notice of the man who had just crossed the street and was about an inch from her body.

He was so ready to take her bag (I would of shouted as he did it don’t worry!) when her boyfriend for no apparent reason turned to look at her and clocked the man.

The man took a swerve to the right and pretended to be doing something else but, he knew he had been caught. The couple picked up their pace and hopefully became a little more aware of their surroundings.

My top tips to being aware:

• Keep alert. Enjoy every second of the country you’re in but, do try and be aware of your surroundings and strange shifts in movement.
• Keep your bag to the front of you and only take out things you are going to really need.
• Know that people will rob you and not think twice about it.

Some Extra Tips…

I have a ton of stories about countries I’ve been too and something strange happening or even something uneasy happening to me. Of course all of the wonderful people from each country weigh out the bad but, just know there are bad ones out there.

• If an alley is too dark, don’t go down it.
• Stick to well lit, busy areas.
• Always be aware of the things you’re carrying.
• Don’t think the floor is a good place to put your handbag, it’s so easy for a robber to run past and pick it up. Keep it next to you or on your lap.
• Always, always always listen to your gut.
• Drink from bottled drinks if you’re in a club or festival. It makes it a lot harder for someone to stick a pill or drug in.
• Know your surroundings. Try not to keep opening up your map in the middle of the street, it makes you a lost target. Before you leave the hotel room plan where you’re going and try and get a grip on the route you’re making.
• Also remember no matter the area, there’s always a wrong turn to be made. Whilst in Amsterdam I noticed even in the most seediest of areas it actually was fine but, one wrong turn and you could end up in the wrong place and end up god knows where.

Finally,

Don’t let this put you off because as I said before there are a ton of other good things that have happened to me whilst travelling. Just always keep your wits about you and be wise!

I hope you enjoyed my more personal post  on Tips For Safe Travelling if you did please let me know in the comments below!

Lauren.x