An important yet often overlooked part to our travel plans is safety while away from home.  There are simple and effective ways to keep your home and family safe while away.  Help from neighbors, accessories made especially for travelers, and tips to keep your family safe on vacation are easily implemented.

 Before leaving for travel, call your local post office and newspapers, and have them hold your mail and deliveries while you are away.  Overflowing mailboxes and unopened newspapers and packages scream to everyone that you are not home.  This is not something you want complete strangers to know about, as many thieves will take note of this fact.  Also choose a neighbor you trust to periodically check on your home for you.  Ask them to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary, so that they may alert authorities in the case of an emergency.

 Traveler’s checks are the safest way to carry money while traveling.  Also check with your banks and credit card companies to determine what their policies are on stolen funds and fraudulent charges.  Keep a list of important phone numbers to these companies in several places – this will allow you to quickly contact them in the event of a lost card or stolen property.

 If the hotel you are staying at offers a safe for its guests, utilize this service for your valuables.  As a general rule, you should never leave anything of value in your room unattended, but if this cannot be avoided the safe will come in handy.  When you must carry cash, passports, and other important documents on vacation, do not carry these in a purse or your pockets.  Thieves are experts at what they do, and these are the first places they will look for your valuable property.  Invest in a traveler’s pouch that is worn around your neck and tucked inside your shirt.  Even if someone tries to take the pouch, you will be well aware of what is going on and hopefully prevent the theft.

 Remember general safety rules that you would normally follow at home.  In unfamiliar territory, you should not walk alone in the dark, or allow your children out of your sight.  If you find yourself in a situation where you are surrounded by suspicious characters, immediately find the nearest exit and notify the nearest official.  With a few of these tactics used by safe travelers, you will ensure a pleasant and enjoyable trip before returning to your home safe and sound.