Travel safety tips, resources, and recommendations can help make your trip smoother and easier when traveling abroad or closer to home.
Wherever wanderlust leads you, we’ve got essential insight and firsthand experience from decades of global personal and business travel.
To clarify, we’re not in the security industry. However, we’ve learned much while traveling the world for years. As well as having worked with local, national, and international security experts during our careers.
Please note, we’re American citizens, so this article reflects specifically that perspective and parameters for travel documents.
Still, travel documents notwithstanding, these tips, resources, and recommendations apply generally to all travelers.
Additionally, if you’d like to dive deeper into comprehensive travel safety and security information, then you’ll find official agency websites linked in the Travel Safety Resources section.
Ready? Let’s go!
Travel Safety Tips: Table of Contents
- Travel Safety Tips: table of contents
- Necessary Travel Documents
- Travel Safety Tips Before You Go
- Travel Safety Tips for the Holidays and Vacations
- Travel Safety Tips for International Trips
- Travel Safety Tips for All Travelers
- Travel Safety Tips for Life
- REAL ID Map of United States and Territories
- Travel Safety Tips: Resources
- Travel Safety Tips: Recommendations
- Check Out More Recommendations
- FAQs
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Necessary Travel Documents
Your all-important official travel documents such as REAL IDs and passports certainly take time to obtain after application and also for renewal.
So, above all, prepare for your travels well in advance with this timely top tip:
Check and double-check your necessary travel documents to make sure everything is in order and up to date.
Make sure you have REAL ID.
Starting May 7th, 2025, airports and border crossings in American destinations require domestic travelers to show either a REAL ID or a current valid passport.
This requirement applies to air travel and border crossings in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and territories of the United States of America.
The territories include American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands.
More REAL ID information from the Transportation Security Administration is in the Resources section below.
Make sure your passport is current and valid.
International airports and international border crossings require travelers to possess and present a current valid passport.
Furthermore, the passport expiration date must be at least three months, and for some countries six months, following the date of departure.
Besides your current valid passport, countries may also require visas and other documents.
Check with your travel agent or State Department regarding the specific passport validity date and any other necessary documents for each country of entry.
Make sure to get your international driver’s license at home.
Whether you’re planning on a rental car during your travel abroad, or just want the option to rent a car, you must get your international driver’s license at home.
Special Note: Due to international treaties and regulations, an International Driver Permit (IDP) can only be issued in your home country.
The United Nations oversees the International Driver Permit (IDP), as an international driver’s license is officially known, and authorizes the official national agency.
In the USA, the American Automobile Association (AAA) issues the International Driver Permit to holders of valid state driver’s licenses.
No AAA membership is required to receive an IDP, only a small fee and your valid state driver’s license. Not to mention, enough time to apply and receive your IDP before your departure abroad.
Often, the quickest turn-around is to apply in person at a local AAA office.
The official AAA International Driver Permit information and application link is in the Resources section below.
Travel Safety Tips Before You Go
Consider travel insurance and medical insurance.
Before your trip, it’s critical to understand the level and coverage of travel insurance and medical insurance through your existing insurance policies and your credit card.
Talk to your insurance agent and also your credit card company to clarify what, where, and how your vacation destinations, activities, and risks may or may not be covered.
With this important information, you can choose whether or not supplemental travel insurance and/or medical insurance policies are in order.
Follow best practices for home security.
Home security can entail smart home security systems, professional monitoring, neighborhood watch groups, and other measures.
No matter how elaborate or smart the system is, home security starts with a few simple best practices:
Install timed lights inside and outside your home.
Consider having a trusted family member or another vetted house-sitter stay in your home.
Also, consider holding off until you’ve returned home to post on social media about your awesome trip. There’s plenty of time to share all the fun – and, of course, all the photos! – after the fact.
Pause your newspaper, subscription products, and other regularly scheduled deliveries with the providers.
Hold your snail mail and magazines through the U.S. Post Office.
The official United States Postal Service (USPS) Hold Mail Delivery information is in the Resources section below.
Travel Safety Tips for the Holidays and Vacations
In recent years, tourism has increased annually, most notably during summer vacations and the holidays. These are the busiest travel times, also called peak season or high season.
Now, domestic and international tourism either are meeting, and in popular destinations, surpassing the tourism records set in 2019.
You surely don’t have to look far to see strains on the travel infrastructure and problems with global travel logistics.
Adverse weather conditions, shut-down runways, airport expansions, labor strikes, and staffing shortages fill the news and social platforms.
But it’s not only tourists and vacationers driving the demand during the summer season from Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day weekend.
It’s also friends and family visiting loved ones for important holidays, for example, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year.
Holiday and vacation travel should be about relaxing and having fun. Enjoying wonderful places and meaningful experiences. Above all, creating magical and memorable moments to remember.
The following travel safety tips, put in action with your advance preparations and on-the-road awareness, are about making sure your vacation achieves these happy goals.
Book in advance as much as possible.
On occasion, spontaneity and serendipity align superbly and seamlessly with last-minute travel bookings.
In truth, the summer vacation and holiday travel season is not this occasion.
Adding to the logistical concerns as noted above, the record-setting number of visitors are arriving earlier than ever in popular destinations.
Which means that the peak vacation and holiday season is starting sooner than before.
So, book your flights, ground transportation, and accommodations well in advance.
Along with flights, ground transfers, and hotels, you’ll also want to book attractions, excursions, and restaurant reservations with as much notice as possible.
Allow more time for everything.
Give yourself the ease of arriving at the airport at least 3 hours or more for international flights, and 2 hours or more for domestic flights.
Ensure your connecting flights allow a cushion of 2-3+ hours for international flights, and 1.5-2 hours for domestic flights.
Next, when you have a timed-entry ticket to a museum, attraction, or excursion, then arrive earlier than the indicated time.
It’s better to arrive early, have a coffee or a snack, and relax; rather than to rush, get stuck in a long line, and possibly miss out on your travel plans.
Travel Safety Tips for International Trips
Register in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.
Travel safety tips while traveling abroad start with the first STEP, that is, registering in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
A long-standing initiative of the U.S State Department, the STEP program is a helpful resource for safe travel and expatriate life abroad.
Once you create an account and enroll in the STEP program, you’ll be able to register your trips abroad.
Afterwards, you’ll receive need-to-know information and travel advisories in your international destination.
Travel advisories may include weather and natural disasters, health alerts, security issues, and crisis situations.
Also, if an urgent situation should arise, then your STEP registration would assist the U.S. Embassy in contacting you or your emergency contact.
STEP program information, enrollment, and embassy directories are in the Resources section below.
Print paper copies of your travel documents.
Even in this digital-first world, paper continues to play a vital role, especially in times of loss, theft, or emergency.
Print at least two paper copies of all your travel-related documents and information:
- Necessary travel documents – your passport (image page and barcode page), REAL ID, and International Driver Permit.
- Destination-specific paperwork in addition to the above travel documents.
- Complete travel itinerary with locations and dates
- Additional travel confirmations such as hotel bookings.
Give one set to your emergency contact at home. Keep another set with you, and/or your travel companion, separate from your original travel documents.
Surprisingly, there have been times when a paper boarding pass has saved the day; e.g.:
- Cellular service goes down.
- The phone battery runs out of juice with nowhere to recharge.
- The airline must re-book you on another airline.
Paper copies are like travel insurance: Something that you hope never to need. But if an unfortunate situation does occur, then you’re so glad to have it.
Travel Safety Tips for All Travelers
Protect yourself.
Discretion and attentiveness are your trustworthy travel companions at all times.
Upon arriving at an airport, hotel, restaurant, and other new locations, look for the emergency exits.
Use credit cards rather than debit cards always, and ATMs inside banks when possible.
Order taxis and ground transportation with apps such as Uber and Blacklane, our go-to global chauffeur service. Because the price, route, and driver are clearly known.
When meeting new people while traveling, rendezvous in a coffee shop or another neutral location rather than reveal your hotel information.
Protect your things.
Pickpocketing and other petty crimes can and do occur even in small towns and otherwise safe places.
So, keep track of yourself and your surroundings when traveling abroad and at home.
Maintain alertness in airports, public transportation, crowded areas, and busy attractions.
Furthermore, please leave the flashy fine jewelry and fancy designer logos at home.
If you do travel with such valuables, it’s a good idea to deposit them in the hotel safe. Because the hotel safe is more secure than the guest room safe.
Cross-body bags and sling bags are appropriate for male and female travelers alike. This style keeps necessary items near and visible to you.
Avoid hanging your bag off the back of your chair or on the floor at your feet.
Instead, keep your bag on your body – yes, another benefit of the cross-body bag. Or loop the handle around and secure it with a sturdy caribiner.
Additionally, consider a tracking device for yourself, your travel partners, and your things.
We discreetly place an Apple AirTag in each suitcase, both checked and carry-on, as well as every backpack, sling, tote bag, and purse.
Protect your devices and data.
Quite simply, using free public WiFi or insecure WiFi anywhere is risky business without a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
One VPN service in particular rank tops overall for digital security, top-notch encryption, affordable packages, and user confidence: Surfshark VPN.
Besides these privacy-focused features and global coverage, Surfshark VPN provides the benefit of unlimited device connections.
Network strength, speed, and reliability are further requirements for work while traveling, which we do.
For data, we’ve carried a portable WiFi for years. However, last year when traveling abroad in the remote Balkans, we paid hundreds of dollars in data roaming charges.
So this year, we left our portable WiFi at home and switched to digital eSIM cards. Wow, what a difference!
Holafly eSIM cards cover over 250 destinations worldwide with swift, steady internet connections and zero data roaming charges.
Holafly’s consistent service, excellent support, and unlimited data plan have been game-changers for us, especially off the beaten path.
Protect your skin.
Skin is the body’s largest organ, so take good care of yours with sun protective clothing and, of course, sunscreen.
Even Paul, with his Mediterranean skin, wisely embraces this recommendation now.
Special Note: The Skin Cancer Foundation, a global authority, recommends sunscreen with a minimum 30 Sun Protection Factor (SPF).
The Skin Cancer Foundation advises sun hats and fabrics with an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) of minimum 30 to 49 provide “very good” protection. UPF 50 delivers “excellent” protection.
Paul and I both sport sun hats that are packable, lightweight, cool, and comfortable.
With UPF 50+ protection and wrap-around brims, the stylish chapeaux further provide full coverage.
For sunscreen, which I’ve worn daily since 1990 (literally), a new development arose with my rosacea diagnosis right before recent departure abroad.
Our dermatologist subsequently recommended a facial sunscreen with an elegant gel formulation that’s invisible and non-irritating. Most importantly, the sunscreen has valiantly withstood the intense Greek sun.
Our sun hats and sunscreens are in the Travel Safety Recommendations section below.
Travel Safety Tips for Life
In travel and in life, these final safety tips apply to everyone, in all domestic locations and international destinations, during each travel season and life season.
Pack a first aid kit.
It’s a smart idea and prudent plan to have a first aid emergency kit just about everywhere, for instance:
- In houses, hotels, and vacation rentals.
- On road trips and outdoor adventures,
- Aboard cruise ships, ferries, and boats.
- When taking buses, trains or planes.
A well-thought and thoroughly equipped first aid kit is a worthwhile expense which, like insurance, you hopefully never need to use.
A travel first aid kit takes up a small space in your luggage, yet delivers quick relief in times of emergency.
Paul, a Chief Scout who continues to live the motto “be prepared,” carefully researched many options on the market.
Finally, he selected MY MEDIC for the high-quality inclusions hand-picked by experts, its rugged cases and bags, and lifetime guarantees. The MY MEDIC system is refillable, HSA/FSA approved, and made in the USA.
MY MEDIC MyFAK Pro or Standard First Aid Kit backpack is designed for road trips, recreational vehicles, and, of course,home use.
The Pro First Aid Kit backpack comes fully outfitted with high-performance items for life-threatening traumas and medical emergencies, as well as supplies for burns and common injuries.
The Standard First Aid Kit backpack provides life-saving items for traumas, burns, and injuries on a somewhat smaller scale than the Pro version.
For travel, MY MEDIC MyFAK Mini First Aid Kit fits neatly into a suitcase or carry-on.
The Mini First Aid Kit pack is lightweight, compact, and portable. Still, it’s packed with well-chosen items for on-the-spot treatment while traveling, hiking, and camping.
Practice patience.
Patience is the new black, and savvy travelers wear it everywhere.
Fortunately, patience is more than an admirable virtue. Patience is also an actionable practice.
Life-long experience proves this to be true: On the one hand, Paul is a patient person by nature and by his photography training. On the other hand, I’m slowly becoming more patient now that I purposefully practice patience.
One simple technique to develop and deepen patience is counted breathing.
Counted breathing is an easy technique of counting while taking gentle, deep breaths from the belly, holding, and releasing for several repetitions.
Inhale 2, 3, 4. Hold 2, 3, 4. Exhale 2, 3, 4. Hold 2, 3, 4.
Any time that you feel stress, anxiety, frustration, or anger rising, stop and take a few slow breaths with silent counts.
Breathe in 2, 3, 4. Hold 2, 3, 4. Breathe out 2, 3, 4. Hold 2, 3, 4.
Then go with the flow and get back to travel.
Trust your instinct.
“Instinct is a great matter,” declared William Shakespeare in Henry IV. “I was now a coward on instinct.”
When something or some place or someone seems a little “off” and not quite right for any reason, then do the wise and indeed brave thing:
Trust your instinct. Act promptly. Leave immediately and unapologetically.
Trust your intuition, your senses, or in other words, your “gut.”
In short, dear traveler, trust yourself and travel safely.
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REAL ID Map of United States and Territories
Travel Safety Tips: Resources
American Automobile Association (AAA) International Driving Permit official website information and application.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) REAL ID official website information.
U.S. Department of State Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) official website information and enrollment.
United States Embassies, Consulates, and Consular Offices official website and directory listings.
United States Postal Service (USPS) Hold Mail Service official website and information.
Travel Safety Tips: Recommendations
Luggage Trackers: Apple AirTags for iOS users. Tile by Life360Pro for Android users.
Virtual Private Network (VPN): Surfshark VPN with an exclusive Surfshark deal plus 3 months free for our readers.
Digital eSIM: Holafly eSIM digital cards with unlimited data plans and no cellular roaming charges.
Sun hats for men: the packable Wallaroo Hat Company Palm Beach Fedora with UPF 50+ rating.
Sun Hats for women: the packable Eric Javits Squishee Halo with a full brim 4.25 inches (10.79 cm) wide, chic style, and UPF 50+ protection.
Alternatively, the packable Simplicity visor with a front brim 5.25 inches (13.33 cm) wide and a cute bow bow closure.
Sunscreen: Supergoop Unseen Gel SFP 50 sunscreen, formulated for the face and also suitable for the body.
First aid kit for house and vehicle: MY MEDIC MyFak Pro or Standard First Aid backpack with life-saving trauma treatments and other first aid needs.
Travel first aid kit: the packable MY MEDIC MyFAK Mini First Aid Kit with quality supplies to treat wounds and common injuries.
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Travel Safety Tips: FAQs
Why is travel safety important?
Travel safety is important to protect yourself and your health, money, and things when traveling with family, groups, and especially as a solo traveler. Travel safety helps make trips smoother and easier to enjoy great times and create happy memories.
What three travel documents are necessary?
Firstly, a REAL ID or a current valid passport is necessary for travel within the United States and territories. Secondly, a current passport, valid for at least six months, is necessary for international travel. Thirdly, an International Driver Permit issued in the driver’s home country is necessary to rent a car abroad. Lastly, visas and other requirements may be necessary, so check with your travel agent or State Department regarding each country’s specifications.
What are important travel safety tips for the holidays?
For holiday travel and vacations, make sure all necessary travel documents are current and valid. Consider travel insurance and supplemental medical insurance, particularly while traveling abroad. Book flights, ground transportation, hotels, and activities in advance. Allow extra time due to bigger crowds and longer lines. Keep track of yourself, your companions, your things, and your surroundings.
All opinions expressed are Spotlight Sojourns’ own.
All content and images are original, created with care by yours truly, Marilee Kostadimas and Paul Kostadimas, not AI. We’re the Hidden Gemologists of Spotlight Sojourns: Award-winning travel experts, storytellers, and advocates of meaningful travel. Because meaningful travel is part of a meaningful life. And stories enrich the meaning.