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Traveling is one of the most exciting and pleasurable things to do in this world. That is, unless you have your valuables stolen from you. Then instead of a great trip, you have a great deal of trouble. It can be a disaster if someone steals your passport, tickets, credit cards, or money.
Believe me, it can and does happen – a lot! One couple I know lost their passports and tickets at Heathrow Airport in London, right after landing there. These were just lost, not stolen. The couple had laid them down on the roof of their rental car while loading their luggage. They drove off, forgetting about this. The folder 
holding the items fell onto the pavement of the car park. Luckily, an honest person found the packet and eventually returned it to them, intact. However, the couple went through days of anxiety, repeatedly called their embassy, had to alter their trip schedule, and had to fight London traffic at rush hour to meet the man to regain their passports and tickets. Then, of course, there was the cost of the “reward.” This whole scenario ruined days of their precious, once-in-a-lifetime trip! And that was just losing the items, not actually having them stolen. In such a case, their problems would have been far worse.
So, here are some quick tips to avoid having your valuables stolen:
- When arriving or departing airports, train stations, hotels, bus depots, or taxis, you should always be aware of your valuables. This, as with the couple mentioned above, is when a lot of losses and thefts occur. You are distracted. It’s easy to forget you laid your passports down somewhere, like on the seat next to you in the taxi that just drove off with them. So focus when in these situations. Don’t forget for a minute how important your passport, for example, is for your trip.
- Try to keep your valuables with you at all times. A small overnight bag, the type airlines allow with you onto the plane, is a good place to store valuables. Remember, you want them near you, or in your sight as much as possible.
- Don’t carry valuables where thieves can easily access them. This means avoiding using purses, outer specialty compartments of luggage easily accessed, or in outer pockets of your clothing. Men like to carry their wallets in their hip pockets. Thieves know and love this!
- Upon your arrival at a hotel, try to have your valuables, including your passport, placed in the room safe. If one isn’t available, perhaps you can use the hotel safe. Don’t leave your valuables in your room while not there! This is placing too much trust in sometimes-transient hotel staff.
- When you need your valuables with you, don’t be afraid to use a money belt. Yes, this sounds old-fashioned, but it works. Often, you might also want to use a wallet, as well, to carry a small amount of money, but keep the bulk of it, and other valuables, in a money belt.
- Try not to carry large amounts of money on your person and if you do, don’t display them in public. Pulling out a huge wad of cash to pay for something in a restaurant, hotel, or shop, is a sure way to garner the wrong type of notice. Instead, obtain the local currency as and when you need it.
With this last bit of advice, the issue is raised as to where and what the cost of obtaining the currency will be. Currate.com can help you with this. With Currate.com’s daily updated and reliable conversion rates, you will always know what the current exchange rate is. And if you have a mobile phone with Internet browser capabilities, you can have the conversion rates any time, and practically anywhere. Just go to http://currate.com/m.php, or http://currate.com/e.php (for phones that can handle more enhanced features).
And as always, banks, or bank ATMS are usually the best place to get cash, offer the best conversion rates. But do remember there are fees, so balance what you think you will need with what these withdrawals will cost you in transaction fees.
Oh, and with regard to that “couple” mentioned earlier – I was the one who placed the folder with the tickets and passports on the roof of that car. And if a seasoned traveler like me can make such a mistake, anyone can. So, please be careful.
Rob Shelsky, Currate.com Contributing Editor
References:
How To Protect Valuables While Traveling
http://www.ehow.com/how_4523951_protect-valuables-traveling.html
How To Keep Your Valuables Secure While Traveling
http://www.flights.com/tips/Keep-Your-Valuables-Secure-While-Traveling.html
Theft While Traveling
http://www.da.usda.gov/pdsd/Security%20Guide/T4travel/Theft.htm
Don’t Let Your Valuables Vanish On Vacation
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517331,00.html
Security While Traveling
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/police/crime-prevention/docs/Sectrav-web.pdf
While traveling, one should be very careful about his/her belongings. To avoid theft during travel, it is advisable to not share the personal information to strangers. Some special association should be formed to teach the travel security to the people.