Travelling with your family can be plenty of fun but there are lots of things to get organised. Once you’ve booked your flights and accommodation you’ll need to start thinking about safety precautions. To keep your family safe while travelling, pay close attention to these key areas.

Make copies of documents

Before you go travelling you should make copies of all of your important documents. Make copies of your passport, health insurance, plane tickets, accommodation, and transfer docs. Losing your documents can be a huge problem, but if you’ve got backup this experience will be far less stressful. It’s best to have both digital copies and paper copies so that you’ve got all bases covered.

Secure your hotel room

It’s not uncommon for thieves to prey on tourists, which is why it’s important to secure your hotel room. There are many things that you can do to keep your hotel room secure such as:

• Consider adding a portable door lock to the inside of your hotel room. These don’t work on all types of doors, but they are a great way to add a little extra security.
• Use a safe to store your valuables.
• Put a lock on your luggage and then attach your luggage to an object in the room that cannot easily be moved. You can use a cable and micro- lock to do this.
• Put the ‘do not disturb’ sign on your room, (even if you are not inside your room).
• Check your windows and doors carefully before going out.

Try safety apps

There are plenty of different safety apps which are useful for travelling. You might like to give a few of these a go:

Sitata Travel Safe:

This application will update you on safety hazards across the globe. You’ll receive info about protests, violence, natural disasters, or disease outbreaks. You can learn which vaccines you need, and get help to change your route if you need to.

CloseCircle: 

The CloseCircle application was designed to work like a digital bodyguard. You can get support from security personnel, plus plenty of safety advice. The app has lots of useful features from location tracking to SOS support.

Try safety gadgets

There are lots of affordable safety gadgets that you can take on holiday. You might take a personal alarm, a money belt, or luggage padlocks.

When you arm yourself with safety gadgets you’re more likely to feel at ease while you’re travelling. To prepare for theft it can be helpful to read articles like ‘stolen phone what to do’. Of course, safety gadgets alone aren’t enough, you need to be careful, and pay close attention to your surroundings.

Read up on scams

Criminals are always thinking up new travel scams to target tourists. If you want to keep yourself safe it’s helpful to read up on a few of these before you go. When you understand the risks it’s far easier to keep your wits about you. The more you learn before you set off- the better. Read about the common travel scams and how to avoid them. But just in case, as some scams might be a little harder to avoid (such as ATM exchange rates), you might also want to look into having a plan put into place in case something were to happen- scam or not. For example, if you’re travelling to India for vacation (as this country is known for its scams and charging very high prices to tourists), then you might want to look into the exchange rate of 10000 INR to Euros and vice versa and look into the options of family potentially sending you money (especially if your bank card got lost or stolen).

Look after your health

Looking after your health is particularly important when you are travelling with your family. To ensure that you stay safe and healthy, keep the following in mind:

• Ensure that you and your family have all the vaccinations that you need.
• Make sure that you have travel and health insurance policies.
• Take plenty of sunscreen (if appropriate).
• Pack clothing items and footwear according to the weather.
• Take any medications that you need with you.

Prepare your kids

You must have a discussion with your children before you go travelling. Ensure that they understand the rules associated with going abroad. Warn them about the dangers of getting lost in another country, explain that they’ll need to stay close to you and be well behaved. Younger kids may have a harder time understanding, but it’s important that you have a talk with them anyway.

Research beforehand

Before you go travelling you’ll need to do plenty of research, find out about the different areas, and how safe each neighbourhood is. You’ll want to avoid areas where you could put yourself at risk, it’s also helpful to read up on the local customs.

Researching is also a great way to plan out your itinerary. Creating a schedule will help you to make the most of your trip. If you’re looking for an app to help you get organised, TripIT is the perfect tool to create an itinerary.

Follow safety advice

Make sure that you follow any safety advice that you’re given, this is particularly important if you are going on a hiking trip, or trying any water sports activities. Unless you listen carefully to safety instructions you could put yourself and your family at risk.

For general advice about travelling with your family the following podcasts may come in handy:

The Family Travel Podcast:

Do you need some inspiration to plan your next family travelling trip? If so, this podcast can help. Tune in to get some inspirational stories and plenty of tips.

The Jetsetting Family Travel Podcast: 

A few years back Jessica and Rod Sanchez decided to quit their jobs and start travelling the world with their kids. Recent episodes have explored topics such as kid-friendly travel activities and staying safe abroad.

Family Adventure Podcast:

This podcast interviews different families who have made their travelling dreams come true. Tune in to learn how you can have the trip of a lifetime with your family. Get inspired today with plenty of beautiful stories! Sometimes all you need is a few ideas to help you plan a great trip.

Using these tips and tricks you’ll stay safe when you’re away. Planning a travelling trip is lots of fun, but you should start getting organised early. Booking things in advance can help you to save money.

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