Don’t tell people other than trusted ones your travel plans. Ask neighbors to pick up mail and newspapers; tell your neighbors when you are leaving and coming back. Leave a key with a trustworthy neighbor; give the neighbor phone numbers where you can be reached in case of emergency. Cancel deliveries if nobody can pick them up. If you’re going to be gone a while, have someone cut the grass. Leave the blinds open in the normal position. Hide empty garbage cans. See if someone can put trash on your curb on trash pickup day. You can put your valuables in a safe deposit box. Find out if the police will check your home while you’re away. Before you leave, make certain the doors and windows are locked especially basement and garage doors. You can leave radios or televisions on or put them on automatic timers. If possible, leave a car in the driveway. By doing these things, you can come back to a safe home.

1. Get the required immunizations
There’s nothing worse than falling sick when you’re on holiday. However, if you are entering an environment that is alien to the one that your body is normally used to, it becomes easier for infection to penetrate your immune system, as your immune system is not expecting an attack in that form. As such, always make sure that you have the required immunization shots. Also remember that in some vacations spots, visiting a local doctor may not fill you with over confidence.

2. Get the right visa and make sure your passport is up-to-date
It is always essential that you enter a country on the correct visa. Making sure that you have the appropriate visa should, therefore, be one of your primary goals before you depart. Also, you should keep in mind that some countries do not allow foreign resident/nationals to enter their country if the duration remaining on the visitor’s passport is less than one year. Consequently, if you have one year or less remaining on your passport, please make sure that you are not going to have any problems with this when you arrive.

3. Book your hotel before you leave
There’s nothing worse than sleeping on a park bench. However, sleeping on a park bench in a country you don’t know has to be the ultimate low. To avoid this you need to make sure that you book your hotel accommodation before you arrive in the place you’re visiting. Also, to make sure that you’ll have no problems with this, double confirm your booking 24 to 48 hours before you arrive at the hotel in question.

4. Make sure you’re fully insured
Overseas trips can become very expensive if anything goes wrong. To avoid this you can pay a small premium and obtain holiday insurance. The sort of holiday insurance you should be looking to get would include insuring your travel money; your health; and, in the event that you are going to drive, car insurance.

5. Make sure your methods of payment are going to be acceptable – not all countries are willing to accept credit card and/or travelers’ checks.
In order to have a good time, you’ll likely need to spend money. However, you should not assume that because your credit cards work in your home country they are automatically going to work overseas. Likewise, don’t assume that your ATM card is necessarily going to work. You need to check with your bank that both of these facilities are going to be available to you (and, as far as ATMs are concerned, it’s a good idea to get some idea of how many machines may be at your convenience). In this regard, you should also check that your travelers’ checks are going to be freely accepted. Some countries are reluctant to accept travelers’ checks drawn on banks that might charge them a commission for processing the check. As such, check this.

6. Finally, try and talk with someone who has recently visited
Finally, to make sure you don’t miss anything off your list of things to do, try and talk with someone who has recently visited the place in question to see if there have been any recent developments that you should be aware of. A good resource for this is the Internet.

1. Walking / Pedestrian
When walking as a pedestrian in a foreign country always be aware of the traffic patterns around you. Where possible, walk on the pavement. In countries where walking on pavements is not possible, try to ensure that you walk into oncoming traffic, not with your back turned on it. Also, make sure you’re wearing reflective, bright clothing; especially if you are out walking at night. Finally, some countries have different rules regarding walking across roads at intersections and pedestrian-crossings. In this regard, do not automatically assume vehicles are going to stop for you; for example, at red-lights there may still be a right of way when turning left or right, as the case may be.

2. On the road
When traveling anywhere by road, try to avoid overloaded/overcrowded vehicles. If you think the transport may be overcrowded or overloaded, ask for a refund and/or travel on the next one. During the journey, if you believe the driver is acting recklessly, politely ask the driver to adjust his/her driving style. If they refuse, kindly ask to get off the vehicle and take their name so as to report this to the transport company.

3. Motorcycles
One of the major causes of road accidents whilst on holiday involves motorcycles – especially where the driver is not used to driving a motorcycle and where a beach is near by. If you are going to be visiting a beach resort, and you want to rent a motorcycle to get around, do not drive the motorcycle in the attire you’re going to be wearing at the beach (i.e. swimsuit). Make sure you cover up well and wear a safety helmet. Remember, tarmac on raw skin not only hurts but is likely to leave a scar that’ll not go away easily.

4. General
Aside from those road safety tips mentioned above, please keep in mind the following general road safety tips:
a. only take taxis that have safety-belts. If you’re in a country where this is literally impossible, ride in the back.
b. Avoid intoxicated/over-tired taxi drivers. In some countries, taxi drivers are required to work long hours in order to make a living with little or no legislation requiring them to take a rest period. If this applies to the place you’re visiting, make sure you avoid any taxi driver you believe to be tired or intoxicated.
c. Let someone else know where you’ll be / carry a mobile phone. If you plan a journey, make sure that others know what bus/coach, etc. you’re going to be on. Also, if possible, always carry a mobile phone – just in case you need it. In this regard, try not to take taxi rides late at night by yourself if you are unfamiliar with your surroundings.

Above all else though, stay alert at all times and don’t let a traffic accident spoil your vacation.