Holiday Safety and Security

Hopefully, every holiday you take abroad will be trouble-free - but there is always the possibility that you may be the victim of an accident or crime.

And while you don’t want to spoil your trip by needlessly worrying about your own safety and the safety of your family or friends, there are some precautions you’d be wise to take.

On the street

Respect the country’s local customs and dress appropriately. What is acceptable clothing in one country can cause great offence in another, and might even be illegal.

Don’t tempt thieves by flashing the cash. Be discreet with your money, only carry as much as you need for the day, and keep it in a money belt, ‘secret’ pocket or inside pocket. Don’t wear expensive jewellery, and ask your hotel to look after your valuables in its safe.

Keep your bags and camera cases shut and visible, facing front - especially in crowded areas, where pickpockets and other petty thieves love to operate.

At night, stick to well-lit, popular thoroughfares and avoid dark and lonely areas. Don’t resist your attacker if you are mugged. Hand over whatever he or she demands. It’s better to lose money and valuables than be violently assaulted – or worse.

Carry a slip of paper bearing your hotel’s address so that if you get lost and can’t speak the language, you can still show your note to a taxi driver or police officer to find your way back.

Look both ways when crossing the road because it’s easy to forget that in most foreign countries motorists drive on the right, and cars might not be obliged to stop at what look like pedestrian crossings.

In your hotel room

Whenever you leave your room, leave the lights on and the windows shut. Lock the door even if you are only nipping out for a few minutes.

Not all countries have the same fire regulations as the UK, nor are they always as strict. Familiarise yourself with the fire procedures notice in your hotel room. Make sure you know how to raise an alarm, and are aware of the location of the nearest fire exit and post-evacuation meeting point.

Exercise caution when handling electrical appliances. They ones you take with you may not be suitable for the local electricity supply, and the ones in your room might not be as safe as you might expect them to be in the UK.

On your hotel balcony

Don’t let children on to balconies unsupervised, and don’t test the strength of the balcony’s railing by sitting or leaning on it. You don’t want to discover that it’s rickety the fatal way. Be extra careful on your balcony after having a drink.

In bright sunshine, glass balcony doors can seem open. They may not be, and they might not be fitted with safety glass either, meaning you could suffer a nasty accident.

At the swimming pool or beach

Keep a careful eye on your children at all times. Don’t let them run around the edges of the pool (which is unlikely to have its own lifeguard), and don’t let them stray too far on the beach.

European Union regulations that have now come into force require private pools on rented properties to have a fence around them, but you still need to be vigilant.

Don’t swim immediately after eating or drinking. Reapply sun block after swimming.

Make sure your sun-lounger or deckchair is properly and firmly set up before sitting down.

If the beach has lifeguards, make sure you know where they are, and if it has a flag warning system, find out what the flags mean and where you can safely sit.

Be informed about when the tide comes in, and what areas of the coastline are reserved for water sports.