Staying Safe and Avoiding Travel Emergencies

Every adventure whether road trip or flight destinations can have it's up and down moment. What's important is to learn to let go and move to the next entry in your itinerary. Below are things you might want to re-consider in your next trip.

Read the map.

Know in advance where you are heading to.  Find the central train stations and bus terminals.  Try to study the nearest subway exits to reduce walking time.  Check the closest banks, hospitals or drugstores near your hotel.

Download offline maps and travel guide applications.  If you are a bus rider going to Singapore, you may want to download their application. Going to Seoul and traveling on train, then load this tool.  Heading to US and having a road trip alone, visit Turo. Study your GPS navigation system - you don't know when you'll need it.

Don't forget to get lost! That's when you'll experience the real adventure.

 

Know the latest!

Listen to the news and the latest happenings in the metro.  If you can't avoid your trip and learned that there is national issue ongoing to your destination, do more research on the places where you can stay safe.  Avoid demonstrations and heightened police areas as it may be dangerous for foreigner like you as you might not understand what's happening as the locals speak.

Know upcoming transportation strikes, road closures for festivals (like Philippine provincial street parties or Fuji-san marathon) and all-shutdown holidays (like Nepi Day in Bali) or attractions with scheduled preventive maintenance (like gondola or cable car service). 

What's the weather?

You may be dreaming to see snow, but you should know when to avoid blizzard.   

You also don't want to spend all your day and night in the hotel or  getting stuck in traffic for hours, just because the city is under a bad weather.

 

Do you still have the money?

Carry money that is beyond your budget.  Notify your credit card provider that you are traveling abroad to allow foreign transactions.  

Keep in mind that this is not for your shopping spree.  You'll never know when emergencies happen.  It can be simple as you’ll need to buy new boots due to your frozen feet when using your old gamuza type of shoes during a sudden rainy autumn day. Or you unexpectedly need a jacket since you missed to check that you brought a wilting leather suit.  Or it can be a shocking sight in the arrival belt that you’ll receive your luggage on its broken state. And you can no longer bring it back home, so you need to buy a new luggage.

Worst is being affected by weather condition and getting delayed or canceled flights. You'll need to have money to provide yourself additional unaccounted meals and accommodation that is beyond your prepared budget.

Stay connected.

You maybe out on your solo adventure, hibernating from the bustling busy life in your home city - but don't make your family worry about you.

Have a constant communication with them with your day's itinerary and your whereabouts – It’s not just you reporting to them, but also you knowing the latest with the people you left behind for your trip.  Be good even when you are away from home.  Take note you will still need their approval on your next adventure.

Article requested by Emma Powers, the Community Coordinator at Turo. They are a peer-to-peer sharing car rental service, and with the shift to more of a sharing economy, we are inspired by personal experiences and advice.  I have not personally tried the service, but for safety and security read.