Top ten tips for travel safety

As we approach exam season, students are starting to think about how to spend their gap year. While many devote their time to finding the perfect trip, it seems that there are a significant proportion of would-be travellers who give little thought to their personal safety. Statistics show that 71% of young people don’t see insurance as essential for travel, and 1 in 3 backpackers travel without insurance.

ACE European Group Limited (ACE), the company behind ACE Traveller insurance, has teamed up with personal security experts red24, and gap safety specialists Objective Travel Safety, to highlight the importance of travel safety and to offer some valuable advice to travellers taking a sabbatical, career break or gap year:

1. Plan your trip and research your destination thoroughly. Look at culture, religion, environmental and political factors
2. Minimize the kit you take with you. Rucksacks should be no bigger than 80L
3. Lower your profile. Play the grey person, not the ‘hot chick’
4. Look confident: aggressors choose nervous looking people
5. Never give strangers details of where you are staying
6. Conceal high value items such as cameras, mobile phones etc - use a day sack
7. Be aware of your companions - ask yourself; are they an asset or a liability?
8. Never trust anyone unless you know them very, very well
9. Never carry anything across borders for other people

And most importantly,

10. Take out travel insurance

Travel safely and think about the risks you take and it’s likely you’ll come home with nothing more than a few travellers’ tales, but if you only act on one piece of advice, make sure it’s taking out travel insurance.

With ACE Traveller you’re not only insured but you’re also guaranteed access to invaluable travel advice - ACE Traveller Insurance offers free security information and advice through its partner, red24, as well as benefits such as search and rescue, and cover for over 100 different sports and activities at no extra cost. Wherever you’re going, whatever you’re doing, make sure that you’re covered with ACE Traveller –- insurance and advice for a safer trip.

Find out more at Acetravellerinsurance.com.