Follow our tips and advice to help you have a happy holiday and return home safe and sound.

Most holidays go ahead without incident, but accidents can sometimes happen. Holidaymakers can also be a tempting target for criminals. Even minor incidents can spoil your holiday, so follow our tips and advice to help ensure you have a happy holiday and return home safe and sound. 

• Read the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development office (FCDO) travel advice for the destination you are travelling to, it provides essential information and will highlight any scams, security risks, or other forms of criminal activity particularly aimed at tourists.
• When on holiday, apply the same personal safety rules that you would at home.
• Airports often attract pickpockets and other criminals so keep your passport, wallet and other valuables in a safe place i.e., not your back pocket!
• Pickpockets will also often be attracted to areas where they know there are large numbers of holidaymakers, such as popular landmarks and public transport routes to and from airports and train stations, so be vigilant.
• When out and about, avoid carrying too much money or wearing excess jewellery and keep valuables, wallets, bags etc. close to you.
• If there is a safe in your room, put your cash, credit cards and other valuables inside. Only take out enough for your day-to-day expenditure and one credit card as back up. If there is no safe in your room, ask at reception if you can use the hotel safe.
• Some countries require you to carry your passport at all times, where this is not the case, leave your passport in the safe with your other valuables. 
• Ask at reception if there are any parts of town that you should be wary of visiting, particularly late at night.
• If you use a taxi, make sure that it a properly licensed official cab. They will be clearly signposted at official ranks at most airports, and your hotel can order one for you. Never accept a lift from an unlicensed taxi, or a stranger.
• Be wary of unsolicited offers of help from friendly locals, many may be genuine, others may not and it may simply be a way to lure you into a false sense of security.
• When walking on unpaved or unlit roads during the hours of darkness, use a torch.
• Avoid poorly lit areas and if possible, never walk home alone.
• Don’t tag your precise location on social media and remove any automated tagging options on apps you post from. 
• If you are the victim of a crime, report the matter to your travel provider and the local police immediately. 
• If you see someone or something that looks suspicious, report it immediately. 
• In the event of a security incident, follow the advice and instruction of the staff or local authorities. 
• If you are caught up in a security incident and are not sure what action to take, follow the guidance to ‘Run, Hide, Tell’ which can be applied to many places and situations both at home and overseas. 

For further tips on how to have a safe and healthy holiday click here.