In Brief

Travel Tips

Share these ideas with colleagues planning business travel to unfamiliar destinations.

By Kathleen Carr, CSO Contributor

March 01, 2006 — CSO —

Pass it on

Share these ideas with colleagues planning business travel to unfamiliar destinations.

Alertness counts

Security for travelers begins with personal vigilance. Traveling workers must be aware of surroundings, facility exits, crowded spaces and local conditions. Seek out information from travel experts, the U.S. State Department and other resources about crime patterns and political conditions at your destination (threats can vary from petty crime to kidnapping and violent political demonstrations).

Blend in

Leave the gold watch and expensive clothes at home if your destination is impoverished. Don't flaunt money. Avoid American brand emblems on jackets, jeans and jerseys.

Vary routines

If you're posted to a branch office abroad where there are safety risks, it pays to be paranoid. Take different routes to work, and leave your hotel at different times of day.

Hotel, not motel

Hotels are safer than motels because visitors must use a lobby. Public safety experts like to stay on the second floor because jumps from higher floors can be fatal.

Low mileage on the rental car

You need a car that works, not the model you love. Also check for power locks, and that the air-conditioner and heat work.

Keep in touch

Call the office at a regular check-in time. Update your emergency contact list. Leave a copy of your itinerary at home and work.

Stay healthy

Check that your health insurance is valid overseas. Carry prescription drugs in original containers and take copies of your prescriptions.

Bon voyage.

Other stories by Kathleen Carr

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