While many travelers have learned the value of travel insurance, for some it’s still not on the radar. Until something happens, that is. At that point, travelers begin scrambling to find coverage for their upcoming trips.

Unfortunately, it’s often too late for them to get adequate coverage or protect the financial investment they’ve already made.

We always recommend that travelers purchase their travel insurance very soon after making their initial trip payment. In fact, buying your travel insurance as soon as possible is essential to avoiding some of the common travel insurance ‘loopholes’ so many travelers complain about.

Here are 5 reasons travelers should not wait to purchase their travel insurance.

1. You can’t predict the future

All insurance plans are designed to protect against the unknown: trees that fall on houses, snowplows that crash into parked cars, hurricanes that destroy beach resorts. It’s the unknown things that can ruin your vacation and even leave you in deep financial trouble. Travel insurance is designed to protect you against all that.

Once something becomes a known event – like when a hurricane is named, or a medical condition is diagnosed and treated – that event is no longer something travel insurance can protect you against. It’s already happened. Purchasing your travel insurance plan early protects you against those events no traveler could predict.

2. You want access to certain coverage

Some travel insurance coverage requires that you purchase the plan soon after making your first trip payment. Again, this goes back to the first rule of insurance: it only covers unknown events.

Some of the coverage that requires early purchase include:

• ‘Cancel for any reason’ coverage
• ‘Cancel for work reasons’ coverage
• Pre-existing medical condition coverage
• Financial default coverage
• Hurricane coverage
• Work conflict coverage

For many travelers, these are essential coverage for their trip and advanced purchase is required, so this is a big reason to purchase your travel insurance early.

3. You know your state of health right now

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, and even if you don’t, you know your state of health right now and you can plan to have the right travel medical coverage in place if you need it on your trip.

Even if everyone in your party is completely healthy, without adequate travel medical coverage, you could be paying serious money for medical care if someone gets sick or injured on the trip. Just see these recent traveler stories if you need convincing:

• Injured Snowboarder Needs Close to $80,000 for Medical Evacuation
• American Couple Trapped in Costa Rica after Tragic ATV Accident

In addition, if you do have a pre-existing medical condition – that is, any medical condition that has been diagnosed or treated prior to your trip – you’ll want to be sure that your travel insurance plan includes coverage for pre-existing conditions.

4. You can make changes if necessary

Not only do travel insurance plans come with a free review period, typically 10-14 days long, you can make changes to your plan after you make your initial travel insurance purchase. Add a wildlife tour to your travel plans? Add that to your total trip costs and cover it.

If you end up with lower trip costs, you can make changes to the coverage and get a partial refund as well. After you’ve reviewed your plan documents, you can even cancel the travel insurance plan if it doesn’t suit your needs, but be sure to replace it soon with a plan that does!

5. You want to be able to cancel if necessary

Travelers have to cancel their trips for all kinds of reasons they never expected when they made their reservations. Fortunately for you, there are two primary options for trip cancellation:

• Standard trip cancellation – which reimburses up to 100% of your pre-paid, non-refundable travel costs when an unforeseen event causes you to cancel your trip
• ‘Cancel for any reason’ – which reimburses between 50% and 100% of your pre-paid, non-refundable travel costs when you have to cancel your trip for any reason at all

‘Cancel for any reason’ was designed to give travelers the option to cancel for those reasons not covered by standard trip cancellation coverage, which has a list of exclusions. For example, if a traveler reserved a mountain getaway in Colorado this summer but now wants to cancel due to the devastating wildfires, they won’t likely have coverage with standard trip cancellation.

There are a few travel insurance providers that allow you to make a last-minute travel insurance purchase. You’ll find them by putting your basic trip details into our travel insurance comparison tool. It’s important to note, however, that you must carefully review the plans that result from the comparison to be sure they will deliver the coverage you need before you purchase. After all, you may not have time to make changes to your plan before your trip.

In our everyday lives back home, we carry many things in our wallets that are terribly useful as we go about our daily lives: video rental cards, discount cards, work ID cards, etc.

Many of these items are not useful or necessary when we travel. If stolen, the loss of some of these items can cause a great deal of trouble for a traveler.

For example, it’s not recommended that travelers take their debit cards with them on their trips. Your credit card has better protection if it’s stolen. A thief who obtains your debit card, however, can drain your bank account – an action that’s not covered by any bank protection or travel insurance.

There’s another reason to minimize what you carry in your wallet when you travel: identity theft.

If a thief gets your wallet with either or both your social security card and driver’s license, they have everything they need to steal your identity and create a nasty financial mess you’ll be cleaning up for years to come.

Therefore, we recommend that the last step you take before you zip up your suitcase is to go through your wallet and remove any items that are not necessary to your trip.

15 Items to Remove from Your Wallet Before Travel

Before you take a trip, remove these items from your wallet:

1. Social security card
2. Debit card
3. Work ID card
4. Voter’s registration
5. Library card
6. Department store credit cards
7. Gasoline credit cards
8. Local discount cards
9. Personal momentos
10. Irreplaceable photos
11. Receipts
12. Video rental cards
13. Checks or deposit slips
14. Pills or medications
15. Gym ID cards

We’ve even heard that some people carrying their birth certificates in their wallets. Remove that item right now and store it in a locked safe or a safe deposit box instead. Your birth certificate should never be carried in your wallet – not even back home.

Stop to Consider your Cash and Health Insurance Cards

Travelers should keep only the cash they need for that day in their wallet. Too much cash in your wallet, and you’re a prime target to be mugged or robbed. Too little, and you could be stuck if you wind up somewhere where credit cards aren’t accepted.

Travelers should also be careful about taking along their health insurance ID cards if they are traveling to a location where their insurance coverage does not extend:

• If you’re traveling inside your home country but outside your health insurance network, your health insurance ID cards are still useful. You’ll be paying out-of-network charges for your medical and dental care, but some coverage is better than nothing after all.
• If you’re traveling overseas, it’s not likely that your health insurance will provide any coverage at all. Leave the cards at home to protect them from being stolen.

Make it Easy with a Separate Travel Wallet

Consider a separate travel wallet when you travel. After all, it’s far easier to transfer a few items – your driver’s license and credit cards – to a travel wallet than it is to take the proper time to get everything you don’t need out of your everyday wallet.

Fool Pickpockets with a Fake Wallet

Consider a fake wallet to fool pickpockets. Some travel experts recommend putting in some old cards – outdated library cards and used gift cards work well here – and even some fake money into a cheap wallet. Carry that wallet in a more accessible location and keep your real wallet secured.

Stepping on broken glass on a beach, contracting a nasty stomach virus, getting into a traffic accident – many things can ruin a young traveler’s holiday as well as their bank account. Yet, students and young people who travel abroad often leave the safety of their health insurance and family network without a second thought.

When young people travel, either with you, with their school, or on their own, they run risks most of us wouldn’t even think about.

Foreign medical care isn’t offered with a child or student discount, and the cost of treatment can be just as devastating for a young traveler as it can be for a mature adult.

Here are 7 reasons young travelers need travel insurance too.

1. They sometimes do crazy things

The simple fact is that young people often do crazy things when they’re outside their home area and normal routine. They bungee-jump off foreign bridges, they eat strange foods, they drink too much – in short, they take risks they may not otherwise take simply because they are away from watchful eyes.

Travel insurance is especially essential for adventure-seekers and sports enthusiasts. In most cases, travel insurance plans specifically exclude sports and adventure activities, but there are specialized plans and optional add-ons that can overcome the exclusions and ensure that a young traveler is protected while participating in risky activities.

2. They don’t always have enough money

An afternoon in the hospital with a broken finger or a two-day stay for an emergency appendectomy can be really expensive. A young traveler may not have the cash they need or enough credit to pay for their medical treatment. The last thing you want is for them to neglect getting the medical care they need because they fear the cost.

A travel insurance plan with medical and dental coverage will pay for emergency treatment when a young traveler gets hurt or sick. This coverage pays for medical transportation, physician’s expenses, medication, x-rays, and more. It’s also wallet-friendly because many providers will pay the treatment facility directly (sometimes a co-pay is required).

3. They may need your help

If your young person is injured or ill, are you prepared to get a pricey last-minute ticket to be at their bedside? Even worse, are you prepared to pay for their repatriation back to their home country if they are killed?

A travel insurance plan with emergency medical transportation coverage typically includes the benefit of bringing one person to the medical facility where the insured traveler is being treated. This means you’ll be able to travel to the young person’s bedside at no additional cost to you. You’ll also have repatriation coverage if you need it.

4. They are just learning how things work

Young people are very tech-savvy, but ask them how to replace a stolen passport and they may look at you funny. The simple truth is: they don’t know. They’re just learning how these things work.

Travel insurance plans include toll-free hotlines staffed by people who are experts at travel disasters. The worldwide travel assistance services is the first call any traveler should make when they encounter a problem they don’t know how to solve. The representatives can help a young traveler book alternative flights, replace a missing passport, find good local medical care, and more.

5. They may forget existing medical conditions

Young travelers have existing medical conditions too, and they may not know that they need to account for those when they choose a travel insurance plan. If they’re traveling with a school program that includes insurance, it’s typically a one-size-fits-all plan that may not suit your young traveler’s needs.

A pre-existing medical condition is any condition a traveler experienced symptoms for or had diagnosed and treated prior to their trip. Travel insurance plans typically exclude all expenses that result from a recurrence of a medical condition diagnosed prior to the traveler’s departure, but you can purchase plans or add-ons that cover pre-existing medical conditions.

6. They may have to cancel their trip

Many travelers experience situations that cause them to cancel pre-paid travel plans. A working adult may have to cancel a trip due to work conflicts or an ill parent, but a young traveler could face a very different range of issues that cause them to cancel their pre-paid trips.

Having a travel insurance plan with trip cancellation coverage can save a young traveler from losing their trip investment. Be sure they read the travel insurance plan to understand the covered reasons for canceling, and consider ‘cancel for any reason’ coverage if they are likely to face a situation that may not be covered under standard cancellation coverage.

7. They may have to be evacuated to escape danger

In 2011, a good number of foreign students from around the globe had to be evacuated out of Egypt due to the violent uprising. Some study abroad programs include some level of insurance, but they don’t always have coverage for civil protests, terrorism, or acts of war, so you could be working with the U.S. government to get your young traveler out of danger. Those evacuation costs are not paid for by the government: they’re paid for by the traveler or their family.

If your student is traveling with a study abroad program, check the plan carefully. If they are not traveling for school, a travel insurance plan with security evacuation coverage could (literally) save their life. See our review of security and political evacuation coverage for more information.

 

While all travelers face certain risks when traveling, young travelers are not as capable or knowledgeable about how to handle travel disasters. Having the right travel insurance plan can make all the difference and get them home safely.

Recently, three new travel rewards credit cards – two from Bank of America and one from JPMorgan Chase – were introduced, reportedly in response to consumer frustrations over air miles.

Many travelers make the mistake of thinking they have the same protection as travel insurance with their credit card, but they are wrong.

Credit card travel protection is not comprehensive travel insurance – a fact that has caught many travelers off guard.

Here are 4 reasons your credit card travel protection is essentially junk:

1. Maximum trip costs are much lower with your credit card

Trip cancellation coverage allows a traveler to cancel their trip (for a covered reason) and be reimbursed for their trip costs. Some credit cards offer trip cancellation, but the maximum coverage for their trip can be as low as $1,500. When is the last time a family vacation cost you just $1,500?

Maximum trip costs with travel insurance plan are much more likely to cover the cost of a real-life vacation or business trip ($5,000, $10,000 and higher).

2. Reasons to cancel are very limited with your credit card

Trip cancellations are only covered if the reason you are cancelling your trip is specifically stated as a covered reason. This is true of travel insurance and it’s true of your credit card benefits as well.

Unfortunately, the list of covered reasons with your credit card is very limited. Typically, covered reasons for trip cancellation with your credit card includes death, accidental incapacitating injury, and serious diseases. Sometimes the illness or death of an immediate family member is covered (but not always). Sometimes the bankruptcy or default of a travel supplier is covered (but not always).

Most travel insurance plans let you cancel your trip for a wide range of reasons including hurricanes, job loss, terrorism, and more (depending on the plan). Plus, with some travel insurance plans, you also have ‘Cancel for any reason’ which (as the name implies) lets you cancel your trip for any reason at all. You can’t do that with your credit card protection.

3. No medical or evacuation costs are covered

If you are injured or have a medical emergency outside your home insurance network, you could be facing huge costs like this couple stranded in Costa Rica or these travelers who were refused medical treatment in the Bahamas. In some cases, a travel medical emergency can bankrupt a traveler with huge medical bills.

Credit card travel protection simply doesn’t have the same level of emergency medical or coverage for evacuations as travel insurance does.

4. Exclusions can’t be overcome with your credit card

Just like travel insurance, credit card travel protections come with exclusions. Some of the common exclusions with credit card protection and travel insurance plans include:

• Pre-existing medical conditions
• Accidental injuries due to participation in sports activities
• Wars, invasions, and acts of foreign enemies
• Being under the influence of drugs or intoxicants
• Injuries or illnesses due to cosmetic surgery
• Travel against the recommendation of a physician
• Traveling for the purpose of obtaining medical treatment
• Travel during the third trimester of pregnancy
• Sporting equipment losses
• Losses due to emotional trauma or mental illness
• Piloting or learning to fly an aircraft

The interesting bit is that travel insurance plans have options to override some of these exclusions, including coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, hazardous sports, sports equipment, and lots more.

Where Travel Insurance and Credit Card benefits are similar

There are credit card travel protections that are very similar to those offered by travel insurance plans:

• Lost or delayed baggage
• Rental car protection
• Travel accident coverage
• Global travel assistance services

So, depending on your credit card agreement you may rely on these benefits rather than getting travel insurance for them. For everything else, only travel insurance will keep you safe and only if you read the policy.

Many travelers these days are taking bike tour vacations as a healthier, slower way to savor a new region or foreign country.

Many bike tour companies have started up to deliver all kinds of cycling vacation options, from family-friendly tours to tours for special interests like local wine, food, art and more.

Just like any other trip, it’s important to put a little thought into your personal safety on a bike tour vacation, so we’ve researched the tips essential to enjoying a safe bike tour.

1. Have the right bike for your tour

This one really isn’t a secret. Every rider knows that the right bike can make all the difference on a cycling trip. Get a bike that’s too heavy, and you’ll tire easily. Get one that’s too light, and it won’t handle an unpaved trail. Either way, you’re on vacation and you’ll want it to go as smoothly as possible.

Your best bet is to spend some time riding on the types of road surfaces you’ll encounter on your vacation before you leave. This will help you learn what works and what doesn’t. Many riders bring their own bikes on their bike tours because they are more familiar with them.

Hint: Bicycles are often covered with travel insurance baggage coverage (up to the covered limit) when your bike is checked with the airline, so you may not need extra coverage unless your bike is expensive.

2. Have the right protective gear

A good helmet is the most widely recommended safety gear, and wearing it is required in some regions, but gloves, a wind- and water-proof jacket, and sunglasses also help keep a rider safe and comfortable. Lots of biking-specific clothing has reflective features so you are more easily seen in low light.

Just like any sport, cycling comes with a range of specialized gear that can make your vacation more comfortable and more safe.

3. Pack a repair kit – and know how to use it

The more reliable and full-service bike tour companies will have a lead rider or a repair service that will repair your bike when things go wrong, but if you are going solo you’ll need a minimal repair kit.

Of course, what goes in that kit will just be dead weight if you don’t know how to use it, however, so take what you need to do the repairs you know how to manage.

4. Know the local biking rules

Different countries have different rules of the road for driving, cycling, and walking, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with those rules. In France, for example, it’s a legal requirement for riders to wear yellow reflective vests when cycling after dark.

If you’re riding with a good tour company, they will have a list of rules you can review and memorize. If not, a good guidebook can provide this information.

5. Pack a map – and keep it dry

On most bicycling tours, the rider will be given or have brought with them a map, but pulling out the map in the rain or touching it with sweaty hands can make it hard to read. Keeping your map dry is essential, so consider putting it in a plastic zipper bag you can see through.

This one trick alone could save you from a much longer ride than you expected should you get lost.

6. Stay well hydrated and nourished

You’ll be working hard and burning lots of calories and sweating, so it’s critical to have plenty of water and a little food with you each day of your cycling vacation.

If you’re riding a rented bike, ask the rental company if it comes with water bottles. If not, consider bringing a light-weight backpack with a water pouch. You can find these at any sports equipment store.

7. Avoid a sunburn

Even when you’re cycling under cloud cover, your skin is exposed to the sun’s rays. Sunscreen is key to keeping your skin protected and avoiding a sunburn. Put it on before you start and have a small container of sunscreen to re-apply during the day. Your helmet and clothing will provide some protection too.

8. Be prepared for a medical emergency

Depending on your health insurance coverage and where you are taking your cycling tour, you’ll want to be prepared for accidents, illnesses, and dental emergencies that may occur on your trip. Most bike tour companies will have you sign a waiver to limit their liability, so you’ll need to have your own coverage.

See our Adventure Travel Insurance tutorial for the information you need to help you choose a travel insurance plan for your cycling vacation.

As the summer travel season approaches and travelers make their vacation plans, it’s time to think about hurricanes. Last year, many travelers found themselves stuck or had to shell out additional cash because they made mistakes with their travel insurance purchases.

In some cases, travelers didn’t have any travel insurance. Others simply didn’t understand their policy coverage.

These are the most common mistakes travelers make when buying hurricane travel insurance.

1. Buying trip insurance after the hurricane is named

Travel insurance, just like any other insurance, cannot cover ‘known events’. That’s like buying home insurance after the house is on fire!

Once a hurricane is named, it’s a known event. Therefore travelers must purchase their travel insurance before the hurricane is named. Ideally, soon after making your first trip payment.

2. Hurricane warnings are not a covered reason to cancel

A hurricane warning is just that – a warning that a hurricane may hit a particular destination with a particular force. Cancelling your trip for concerns over a possible hurricane is not covered by travel insurance (with one exception).

Recently, MH Ross updated two of their plans (Bridge and Complete) to allow trip cancellation refunds when a hurricane warning is issued.

3. Assuming hurricanes are covered

Many travelers assume that hurricane coverage is included with their travel insurance plan, but in many cases, it’s not. While it makes sense that you would want to cancel your trip if a hurricane is imminent, that’s just not enough for travel insurance plans.

Your travel insurance plan has to specifically list hurricanes (or severe weather) as a covered reason for trip cancellation and post-departure trip interruption (in case a hurricane veers toward your destination) if you are to have coverage.

4. Buying hurricane insurance from a cruise line or travel agent

It seems like an easy win to buy your insurance while you’re making your reservations, and a lot of travelers make this mistake. These plans are not 100% travel insurance and they have left a lot of travelers stranded without the coverage they need.

Hint: if you get stuck with one of these plans, you can cancel it if you do it quickly.

Your travel plan should be purchased using a travel insurance comparison site because you’ll have the best options for comparing plans that fit your trip details and your needs – not some generic plan designed for anyone (and no one in particular).

5. Failing to recognize hurricane disruption is widespread

If you miss a connection that means your cruise departs without you because a hurricane disrupted flights, you could be out of luck without travel insurance.

Even if your travel plans don’t take you in the direct path of the hurricane, they could be disrupted. Having travel insurance is important even for those who are not traveling in the hurricane’s path.

6. Ignoring the plan’s exclusions

Every insurance plan has exclusions. For example, standard trip cancellation for hurricanes says that your lodgings must be destroyed and uninhabitable to qualify for the cancellation reimbursement.

That means you can’t cancel for a refund just because the pool is filled with garbage and the beach is covered with junk, but your hotel is still standing and operable.

Your travel insurance plan details will make this clear, but you’ve got to read it. Understanding the exclusions is a critical mistake many travelers make.

The Solution?

Travel insurance is unique in that it comes with a free review period, which you can use to read the plan, think about your travel needs, and make changes or cancel the plan if it won’t work for you. Be sure to take this time to read your plan and avoid these common mistakes.

For a complete picture of hurricane season travel, see our 2012 Traveler’s Guide to Hurricane Season.

According to the CDC, 20% of all travelers get sick on their trips and about 5% of those require emergency medical care when traveling abroad. According to the WHO, tourists are 10 times more likely to die as a result of an injury – and 23% of tourist deaths are caused by injuries.

Even travel to relatively tame parts of the world can result in horrendous medical care costs if you catch a virus or get hurt.

See this pre-travel health checklist to be better prepared on your next trip.

1. Research your destination

Before you travel, you can get country-specific information, such as security alerts, current threats to safety, and more, by selecting your destination here: https://travel.state.gov/travel/travel_1744.html.

You can also learn about current weather and health risks for your destination here:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Travel Notices
• World Health Organization Disease Outbreak News

In researching your destination, it’s critical to discover whether vaccinations are recommended and whether you need to carry anti-malarial medication, for example.

2. Check your health insurance plan

You cannot assume your health insurance will go along with you when you travel, so it’s critical to find out before you leave.

While a few health plans provide some coverage abroad, it’s more likely that you’ll have to pre-pay for your medical care. Many travel insurance plans, like Medicare, do not cover travelers outside the U.S. borders.

Call your health insurance provider and ask specifically whether you will have coverage in the country you plan to visit. If not, see #9.

3. Know your options for medical care

Finding reliable and qualified medical care while traveling, particularly if you don’t know the local language, can be a risky venture. Most travel experts recommend having travel medical insurance and becoming a member of IAMAT.

With travel insurance, you’ll have help locating local medical providers and arranging for emergency transportation.

IAMAT members have online access to qualified, affiliated doctors and clinics in over 90 countries – and participants are fluent in English.

4. Know how the government can assist

If you become seriously ill or are injured abroad, the local consular officer can help by informing family and friends of your condition, but it’s not the government’s responsibility to get you home.

If an overseas crisis occurs, and you have enrolled in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), then the U.S. State Department will send you updated security information.

If the State Department recommends evacuation and no commercial transportation is available, they may arrange for citizens to be transported out of the crisis zone. Those costs are paid for by the travelers.

5. Check your evacuation options

Just as many health insurance plans do not provide coverage overseas, neither do they pay for medical evacuations back to the U.S. Read how one couple was refused medical treatment in the Bahamas and had to get donations to get home.

A medical evacuation can cost tens of thousands of dollars depending on your location and your medical condition.

It’s not likely that you’ll have evacuation coverage with your credit card travel protection either, so your safest bet is to have evacuation coverage with your travel insurance plan.

6. See a doctor before you travel

Before you travel overseas, it’s a good idea to see a doctor 4 to 6 weeks before your trip to update your vaccinations, check your health, and to protect yourself if you have a pre-existing medical condition.

Your doctor will also be able to tell you which medications to take along to fight illnesses you may encounter on your trip.

7. Check your health status

The rapid spread of the 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) was significantly aided by infected travelers – those who were symptomatic and those who were experiencing the incubation stage.

Aided by travelers, this new virus found its way into dozens of countries in less than 2 months after it was identified.

No one wants to cancel a trip, but there are times when it’s recommended.

8. Sort out your medications

Make sure you have enough medication to last through your trip and pack these in your carry-on luggage. Keep medicines in their original containers as it will cause less trouble when going through customs.

9. Purchase travel insurance

Now that you know the risks and your coverage, you are in a better position to select a plan based on your needs and purchase the right travel insurance to cover your trip.

There are a number of financial risks that people face every single day, but when coupled with the challenges of travel – strange foods, different environments, severe exhaustion, language barriers – the negative impact of these crimes is amplified.

1. Pickpockets and Petty Thieves

You’re riding along on a scooter, weaving easily through traffic when a kid on a motorbike snatches your backpack and zooms away.

Pickpockets and thieves are common challenges when traveling and tourists are easy targets because they are unfamiliar with the region and often distracted.

2. ATM Skimming

You’re at an ATM trying to withdraw cash, but the machine refuses to dispense any money. You remember getting money from a street ATM just a few days ago.

Skimming devices are notoriously difficult to spot and many are specially crafted to each ATM model. When you slip your card into the slot and type your PIN, you’ve just handed thieves everything they need to access your account.

3. Lost Items

You arrive early and your rooms aren’t yet ready, so you leave your bags with the bell captain who hands you a claim check. You return to discover your bags are gone.

Hotels can avoid legal responsibility for thefts on their property, especially because guests are usually unable to show proof they were carrying anything of value. That claim check the bell captain issued? Turn it over and read the fine print – it absolves the hotel of all responsibility.

4. Double Charged

You hand your credit card over to pay the check and the waiter brings you a receipt to sign. Little do you know that you’ve been double-charged and the waiter will forge your signature onto a second receipt after you’ve gone.

Suspicious credit card charges may be caught by your financial institution – especially if they are aware of your trip – but they may have difficulty reaching you to raise the issue.

5. Bribes

You’re pulled over by a police officer in a poor country. He quickly makes it clear that a bribe will make him go away.

In some regions of the world, simply being a tourist behind the wheel of a car means you are an open target for crime – especially if you don’t know the language, local laws, or customs.

6. Stolen Cash

You discover that the safe in your hotel suite isn’t working, so you hide your ‘extra’ cash in the room. When you return, the cash is missing.

Electronic key cards make it harder for unauthorized people to enter hotel rooms, but it’s done little to protect travelers from inside jobs. Anything left behind is fair game and hotels are not liable for what happens to your belongings – even those locked inside the safe in your room.

7. Car Problems

You drive into a small town and a bystander points out that your car is leaking oil when in fact, they tossed the oil onto the ground near your car. They tell you about a garage right around the corner that will fix the problem.

The bystander may, in fact, have been hired by the garage owner to drum up this sort of business.

8. Money Switches

You hand the taxi driver cash but he switches the note with a similar-looking one of a much smaller amount, then accuses you of trying to cheat him. Or, you hand U.S. dollars to a clerk and they give you the change in the wrong amount of local money.

No one handles foreign money with as much confidence as their home country’s currency, so this is a prime scenario for losing your cash.

9. Fake Art

Some very nice young people persuade you to visit their school’s gallery where a number of promising artists are showing their work ahead of an art show – and you can buy early.

High-pressure sales pitches could mean you end up buying something fake, overpriced, or even stolen (which could get you into a whole other vat of trouble).