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10 ways to protect your valuables when traveling

Posted by / February 10, 2013

Passport and Currency

Traveling with cash and important documents always presents the issue: how to keep your money and other precious items safe from theft yet accessible when necessary?

USA Today (via SmarterTraveler.com) has published a list of top 10 ways to accomplish this feat.

  1. Divide money in different places – if a thief is successful in taking some money, you’re likely still to have enough remaining to last you until you can get help;
  2. Favor on-body storage – particularly useful if you are sleeping in a place that has no safe;
  3. Keep small bills handy – useful for small daily expenditures and so you don’t have to pull out large bills in public;
  4. Carry an anti-theft bag – these typically have slash-proof fabric or steel-cable-reinforced straps;
  5. Trim your wallet – before leaving home, take out of your wallet or purse anything unnecessary for your trip;
  6. Use a dummy wallet – along the lines of keeping your money in separate pockets or locations, having a “dummy wallet” with some small bills can give you something to give muggers while you escape;
  7. Buy a travel wallet – if you have a separate wallet for travel, the pockets are not likely to be stretched from everyday use and will be less likely to have accumulated items that you won’t need on your trip;
  8. Adapt to the local money culture – research your destination to see if your credit and debit cards are accepted there, or is cash preferred?;
  9. Use money alternatives – multi-use tickets for transportation or admission in to tourist attractions will reduce the number of times you have to retrieve your wallet and possibly lose it;
  10. Stow valuables securely – use safety-deposit boxes in your hotel or cruise ship cabin – but don’t forget your items when you leave!

These tips will help ensure your vacation is worry-free. For more details see: USA Today and SmarterTravel.

More travel stories and information.

Photo credit: © volgariver – Fotolia.com

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