Traveling safely: Safety during travels
Essential to remember
To travel safely: appropriate health insurance, passport copy in the cloud, never show a lot of money in public, avoid unlit alleys at night, follow the country’s news. Common sense and preparation are enough for most destinations.
Travel anecdotes often relate to foolishness or unusual events!
All conscientious travelers always ask themselves fundamental questions regarding crimes, murders, drugs, and vandalism in the regions or countries they visit.
But when you watch the news on television, it seems like they only give bad news, for example, earthquake in Indonesia, flooding in Thailand, assassination in the United States, and so on! You immediately get the impression that you are better off where you are, and that travel is not very enjoyable and is dangerous, right?
After what I just said, could you think that it is crazy to want to travel and discover new things? Of course not.   ;During my total of 2 and a half years of traveling (in several trips), I have traveled through more than 20 countries in total. Some of these countries were on the list of dangerous countries, notably Thailand (at the time of problems between the Cambodia-Thailand border), or Indonesia (due to the eruption in 2010), I have also been in non-tourist areas considered dangerous, notably southern Thailand (city in the Hai Yai area). I never felt unsafe!
My experience
In 6 years of traveling, I was robbed twice: once in Italy (wallet in the Rome metro), once in Argentina (phone at a café terrace). Never in Southeast Asia. “Dangerous destinations” are not always what we imagine.
Did you know?
According to the Global Peace Index 2024, the 10 safest countries in the world are Iceland, New Zealand, Ireland, Denmark, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Czechia, Singapore, Japan. France ranks 87th out of 163.
I am not saying this to claim that I am a traveler who fears nothing, but compared to what is said and what happens locally, there are precautions to take and respect to avoid these conflicts!
Although my goal is to visit as many countries as possible, there are plenty of places I do not want to visit. For example, all war or conflict zones (Afghanistan, Syria, etc.). I will not go to Baghdad (in Iraq) for at least the next 10 years! Ivory Coast is also off my list unless someone tells me which areas of the country to avoid; I would go there avoiding those specific places by informing myself beforehand.
Advantages
- Common sense is enough for 90% of cases
- Many very safe countries
- Free government application (Ariane)
- Very supportive traveler community
- Well-covered insurance
Weak points
- Risks vary depending on destinations
- Certain inaccessible areas
- Thefts due to personal negligence
- Health risks (water, malaria)
- Unpredictable natural disasters
Traveling safely: questions to ask yourself
Here is the informal list of travel advice that I follow in the countries I visit:   ;- Are tourists targeted? In many places, such as what happened in Tunisia (Arab Spring), there is nothing against Europeans or foreigners! Even during internal conflicts, you have nothing to fear because tourists are not targeted! However, in some countries like Yemen, tourists are targeted precisely because they are tourists!
- Should I visit the problematic city or region? As explained earlier, most countries are very large so making a generalization is wrong. Inform yourself a bit about what is happening, avoid following local news.
- Don’t get caught in the middle of something! Even if you are not responsible, you have no business being in that demonstration, gathering, etc.
- Blend in, don’t stay in luxury hotels and avoid looking like a tourist if you can avoid it!
- Always have a backup plan.
The greatest danger does not necessarily come from conflicts when you travel! A statistic says that the deadliest accidents come from road accidents! Most serious injuries for travelers come from accidents involving bicycles, motorcycles or scooters! There really are other dangers than those on the news! Think about your personal safety, don’t do things you might regret later!
The classic trap to avoid
Never show your phone or camera in crowded public transport, especially in Latin America and Italy. Snatch thefts are quick and impossible to prevent once they start.
| Precaution | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ariane Application | Report your trip to the MEAE |
| Document copies | Cloud + paper in hotel safe |
| Money | Card + cash distributed |
| Insurance | Health coverage ceiling €200,000+ |
| Vaccines | Up to date according to destination |
Safety should be the priority when you travel, don’t worry about problems that don’t exist. Do your research, use common sense, that should solve most potential problems !
Some additional resources if the topic interests you: security precautions to lay the groundwork, packing tips for the practical aspects, and jobs where you travel to go further.
I will write later another article on precautions to take when traveling !
Which countries are the most dangerous?
According to the Global Peace Index 2024 : Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, South Sudan, Russia, Ukraine. France Diplomatie publishes formally advised against areas.
Should you register on Ariane?
Yes, it’s free and allows the MEAE to contact you in case of a crisis in the area (disaster, attack, conflict).
How to react in case of theft abroad?
Report the theft to the local police station (mandatory report for insurance), block your cards via the banking app, contact your embassy if your passport is lost.
