Keeping Your Belongings Safe When on Holiday
There are certain important belongings you are forced to bring with you when holidaying in another country. Your passport is one example, along with credit or debit cards, cash and travel cheques. The problem arises when you get to your destination, as to what to do with these personal items. The hotel safe is the obvious choice, but are there any other options?
Take Some of Your Valuables with You
Pickpockets and petty theft can be a problem in many cities around the world, which means it can be a worry having to carry valuables on your person. There is a fine balance between bringing items with you and leaving them behind in the hotel safe. An even split between the two is probably the best. The items you carry with you should be kept in an interior pocket, preferably with a zip. If you’re using more than one memory card with your digital camera leave one with all the photos of your holiday so far, locked away in the hotel safe.
Hotel Room Safe or Hotel Office Safe – Which is the Best?
Most hotel rooms now have an in-room safe, however, these do not have the best of reputations. A far safer option would be to use the hotel office safe. The contents of in-room safes are very rarely covered under the hotel’s liability insurance, but the lobby or office safe will be covered. For any items you leave at the front desk, be sure you get a receipt.
Combination and Cable Locks
It’s very likely you are going to have valuables that are far too cumbersome to be carried around all day. These can be locked into your carry-on luggage. Laptops or iPads are another item you might not want to carry with you at all times. Use a cable lock and attach one end to some heavy furniture in the hotel room.
Do Not Disturb
Hanging this on your hotel room door handle will certainly put any would be intruders off. It will also mean you don’t get your room cleaned by the housekeeping staff. But this is a small price to pay for the safety and security of your belongings.
One reason why in-room safes are not used all that often is because holidaymakers are worried about leaving their belongings behind when checking out. One tip to overcome this problem is to attach a note to the inside of your hotel room door. It should be a reminder to check the safe before leaving. Alternatively, put it in one of your shoes.
The advice from the experts at Securesafe Ltd, is to always have a backup plan and to be prepared for the worst case scenario. Take copies of your credit and debit cards, passport, driving licence and tickets. Leave these back at home with a member of your family or scan them into your computer and save them on a storage cloud.
