{"id":2567,"date":"2014-09-18T12:00:33","date_gmt":"2014-09-18T12:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.hostelworld.com\/?p=2567"},"modified":"2026-09-17T00:20:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T00:20:31","slug":"5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Golden Rules for Staying Safe when you\u2019re Backpacking"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Shocking &#8211; that&#8217;s the only way to describe this viral <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Iudb0amH0sY\" class=\"post links\">GoPro of\u00a0Canadian Alex Hennessy\u00a0being robbed at gun-point in Buenos Aires<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article\">\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">It got\u00a0me thinking about travel safety tips in general, and what I&#8217;d tell anyone about to set off on their first backpacking trip. First off: the world is not a dangerous, unkind place, and the benefits of going somewhere new far outweigh the risks. But that doesn&#8217;t mean you should leave your common sense at home &#8211; here are my five tried &#8216;n&#8217; tested tips for avoiding a whole lotta trouble\u00a0while travelling the world&#8230;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><strong>1. Actually do your research<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Before you go to a new place, find out which neighbourhoods are safe and which are known to be sketchy. Always book your hostel in advance for the first night, and find somewhere you can arrive at any time, day or night, that you wouldn&#8217;t be fearful rocking up to with a giant backpack. Keep this\u00a0local knowledge in mind as you explore the destination, and always avoid areas that are known to be flat-out dangerous.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><strong>2. Stay alert<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Travel is distracting. You can become so overwhelmed with the new things you\u2019re seeing and doing, the excitement pushes other concerns to the back of your mind. In Madrid, I had a favourite leather bag stolen from the ground beside my feet \u2013 because my attention was on the tapas I was eating for the first time, my boyfriend and the charming guy trying to sell us roses (\u2026who probably swiped my bag).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2593 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/2_stayalertbkpkrsfty.jpg\" alt=\"Travel safety tips for backpackers\" width=\"535\" height=\"366\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Keep these travel safety tips in mind to\u00a0build your alertness while travelling:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<li>When you get up from a table, always look back to check you haven\u2019t left anything.<\/li>\n<li>Ask yourself \u201ccan I see or feel the belongings I have with me right now?\u201d If the answer\u2019s no, you\u2019re not being vigilant enough. For example, keep your phone in your front pocket (never out on the table), your bag on your knees in a restaurant, or slung across your body when you\u2019re walking (if a shoulder bag. Some people also keep their backpacks on their front to avoid pickpockets, but I personally feel this is a move akin to\u00a0wearing an\u00a0LED on your head saying \u201crob me, I\u2019m new here!\u201d).<\/li>\n<li>Whether you\u2019re sightseeing by day or out drinking after dark, get used to doing an area sweep \u2013 this means taking a moment to gauge who\u2019s around and what the atmosphere\u2019s like, and being ready to act on what you see. So if that next table of guys at the bar are staring too much or giving off a weird vibe, move away \u2013 don\u2019t leave the evening to chance, your gut\u2019s probably right.<\/li>\n<li>Ask yourself before you leave the hostel: \u201cam I going to stick out like a sore thumb out there?\u201d If the answer\u2019s yes, then think about what you can do to change things up. Not blending in can make you a vulnerable target, because you\u2019re sending off signals that you don\u2019t know the area<em> at all<\/em>. For women, this might mean covering up arms and legs; for men with blonde hair who feel like it makes them stand out, wearing a hat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><strong>3. Don\u2019t carry your money all together<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">In my wallet right now there are two credit cards, two debit cards and some cash. If I was pick-pocketed, it would be a headache to call the banks to cancel cards \u2013 but that\u2019s all. If I was out of the country, however, the first step of even getting to a phone I could use might be a difficulty.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">When you travel, carry your money in the opposite way to how you do it at home. Only take the cash you need out, plus one card for emergencies, and keep the rest in your hostel locker.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2595 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/3_moneyhwhw.jpg\" alt=\"Don't keep your money all in one place while travelling the world\" width=\"535\" height=\"358\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">This means a) you avoid having to pay by peeling notes off a giant stack and b) if you\u2019re robbed, you only lose a bit of money \u2013 not everything. Take at least two cards: a main account and a back-up, in case you lose the first.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><strong>4. Don\u2019t flash the cash<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">This is true of your own backyard, too, but it\u2019s amplified when you travel (if you have the ability to travel at all, it\u2019s likely you\u2019re financially better-off than many locals you\u2019ll meet, depending where you go). Talking loudly on your iPhone in the street or piling on expensive watches and jewelry are obvious no-nos: they represent a lot of money to someone more desperate than you, who might be willing to do whatever it takes to get them.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2597 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/4_flashcashhwhw.jpg\" alt=\"Being discreet is one of the easiest travel safety tips to start using\" width=\"535\" height=\"401\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">It\u2019s best to take only what you need travelling, and nothing of any financial or emotional value \u2013 then you\u2019re in no danger of losing anything you care for. Get a cheap phone, bring old clothes and leave your grandmother\u2019s heirloom ring in its box at home.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><strong>5. Have a back-up plan<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Yep, this means doing all that boring pre-trip admin that just might save your bacon. Stuff like\u2026<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify\">\n<li>Getting a travel insurance plan that covers all you mean to do (scuba diving,\u00a0bungee jumping&#8230; wingsuit diving?)<\/li>\n<li>Scanning copies of your passport, the fronts and backs of debit and credit cards and any other important documents like visas. Keep one set of scans in your backpack, and another in your pocket \u2013 if you lose anything, you can take the copy to your embassy.<\/li>\n<li>Splitting any medication you need between your backpack, bag and pocket. That way, if you lose one, you still have some of your supply left.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify\">\u00a0<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2598 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/5_wingsuitdivingbkpkrsfty.jpg\" alt=\"It's important to always have a backup plan while on the road\" width=\"535\" height=\"296\" \/><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">This attitude shouldn&#8217;t stop once you leave your front door, either. Keep asking yourself \u201cwhat\u2019s my plan B,\u201d at junctures throughout your trip. For example \u201cif there\u2019s a transport strike on the day I arrive at the airport, what\u2019s my plan B for getting to my hostel?\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">This means you\u2019ll get in the habit of preparing for problems rather than being blindsided by them, understanding your options and always taking ownership of your actions \u2013 a sure-fire way to ultimately stay safe on the road.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><strong>Have you got any other travel safety tips you would share with new backpackers? Tell us in the comments&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><em>Thanks to\u00a0<\/em><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jorislouwes\/6962136935\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"post links\">Juris_louwes<\/a>,\u00a0<em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/donkeyhotey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"post links\">DonkeyHotey<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/masonjars\/4081125688\/\" rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"post links\">Laura Mason<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/skohlmann\/10797667135\/\" rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"post links\">Sascha Kohlmann<\/a>and\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Ocean_Wingsuit_Formation_(6366966219).jpg\" rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"post links\">FAEP<\/a>\u00a0for the images off Flickr. Please note, all images were held under the Creative Commons licence at the time of posting.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><strong>Related posts:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify\"><a title=\"Read Solo female travel - Nine myths and one truth\" href=\"\/blog\/solo-female-travel-nine-myths-and-one-truth\/\" class=\"post links\">Solo female travel &#8211; Nine myths and one truth<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":135269,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"hw_related":"[{\"id\":315854,\"score\":0.86170000000000002149391775674303062260150909423828125,\"hook\":\"\"},{\"id\":148700,\"score\":0.8005999999999999783284465593169443309307098388671875,\"hook\":\"\"},{\"id\":2254,\"score\":0.770000000000000017763568394002504646778106689453125,\"hook\":\"\"},{\"id\":7974,\"score\":0.75690000000000001723066134218242950737476348876953125,\"hook\":\"\"},{\"id\":102037,\"score\":0.8147999999999999687361196265555918216705322265625,\"hook\":\"\"},{\"id\":2679,\"score\":0.7178999999999999825917029738775454461574554443359375,\"hook\":\"\"}]","footnotes":""},"categories":[9473],"tags":[264373,264355,264335],"class_list":["post-2567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-tips","tag-backpacking","tag-safety","tag-travel-guides","wpbf-post"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Travel Safety Tips - 5 Golden Rules To Stay Safe | Hostelworld<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Don&#039;t leave your common sense at home. Here are 5 of the best travel safety tips you should keep in mind before you travel the world...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Travel Safety Tips - 5 Golden Rules To Stay Safe | Hostelworld\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Don&#039;t leave your common sense at home. Here are 5 of the best travel safety tips you should keep in mind before you travel the world...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Hostelworld Travel Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Hostelworld\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-09-18T12:00:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-09-17T00:20:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/2_stayalertbkpkrsfty.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"535\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"366\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Hostelworld Blog\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@hostelworld\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@hostelworld\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Hostelworld Blog\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Hostelworld Blog\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/89f92ac649ae03999dbaa05d9e44187c\"},\"headline\":\"5 Golden Rules for Staying Safe when you\u2019re Backpacking\",\"datePublished\":\"2014-09-18T12:00:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-17T00:20:31+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1102,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/09\\\/2_stayalertbkpkrsfty.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Backpacking\",\"Safety\",\"Travel Guides\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Travel Tips\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\\\/\",\"name\":\"Travel Safety Tips - 5 Golden Rules To Stay Safe | Hostelworld\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/09\\\/2_stayalertbkpkrsfty.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2014-09-18T12:00:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-17T00:20:31+00:00\",\"description\":\"Don't leave your common sense at home. Here are 5 of the best travel safety tips you should keep in mind before you travel the world...\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/09\\\/2_stayalertbkpkrsfty.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2014\\\/09\\\/2_stayalertbkpkrsfty.jpg\",\"width\":535,\"height\":366},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Travel Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"5 Golden Rules for Staying Safe when you\u2019re Backpacking\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Hostelworld Travel Blog\",\"description\":\"Cheap Travel and Backpacking Tips\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Hostelworld\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"\",\"contentUrl\":\"\",\"caption\":\"Hostelworld\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/Hostelworld\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/hostelworld\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/hostelworld\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.co.uk\\\/hostelworld\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/hostelworld\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/89f92ac649ae03999dbaa05d9e44187c\",\"name\":\"Hostelworld Blog\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/71a8f83baf138a7f715ebbf9f6d7a5aff8e683433fa04dee232d84f9708bae0f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/71a8f83baf138a7f715ebbf9f6d7a5aff8e683433fa04dee232d84f9708bae0f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/71a8f83baf138a7f715ebbf9f6d7a5aff8e683433fa04dee232d84f9708bae0f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Hostelworld Blog\"},\"description\":\"Hostelworld is a leading global Online Travel Agent focused on the hostel market. We have been helping travellers get the experience they dream of since 1999. Meet the world...\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.hostelworld.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/hostelworld-blog\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Travel Safety Tips - 5 Golden Rules To Stay Safe | Hostelworld","description":"Don't leave your common sense at home. Here are 5 of the best travel safety tips you should keep in mind before you travel the world...","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Travel Safety Tips - 5 Golden Rules To Stay Safe | Hostelworld","og_description":"Don't leave your common sense at home. Here are 5 of the best travel safety tips you should keep in mind before you travel the world...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\/","og_site_name":"Hostelworld Travel Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Hostelworld","article_published_time":"2014-09-18T12:00:33+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-09-17T00:20:31+00:00","og_image":[{"width":535,"height":366,"url":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/2_stayalertbkpkrsfty.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Hostelworld Blog","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@hostelworld","twitter_site":"@hostelworld","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Hostelworld Blog","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\/"},"author":{"name":"Hostelworld Blog","@id":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/89f92ac649ae03999dbaa05d9e44187c"},"headline":"5 Golden Rules for Staying Safe when you\u2019re Backpacking","datePublished":"2014-09-18T12:00:33+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-17T00:20:31+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\/"},"wordCount":1102,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/2_stayalertbkpkrsfty.jpg","keywords":["Backpacking","Safety","Travel Guides"],"articleSection":["Travel Tips"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\/","url":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\/","name":"Travel Safety Tips - 5 Golden Rules To Stay Safe | Hostelworld","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/2_stayalertbkpkrsfty.jpg","datePublished":"2014-09-18T12:00:33+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-17T00:20:31+00:00","description":"Don't leave your common sense at home. Here are 5 of the best travel safety tips you should keep in mind before you travel the world...","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/2_stayalertbkpkrsfty.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/2_stayalertbkpkrsfty.jpg","width":535,"height":366},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/5-golden-rules-for-staying-safe-when-youre-backpacking\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Travel Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"5 Golden Rules for Staying Safe when you\u2019re Backpacking"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/","name":"Hostelworld Travel Blog","description":"Cheap Travel and Backpacking Tips","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Hostelworld","url":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"","contentUrl":"","caption":"Hostelworld"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Hostelworld","https:\/\/x.com\/hostelworld","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/hostelworld","https:\/\/www.pinterest.co.uk\/hostelworld\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/hostelworld"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/89f92ac649ae03999dbaa05d9e44187c","name":"Hostelworld Blog","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/71a8f83baf138a7f715ebbf9f6d7a5aff8e683433fa04dee232d84f9708bae0f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/71a8f83baf138a7f715ebbf9f6d7a5aff8e683433fa04dee232d84f9708bae0f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/71a8f83baf138a7f715ebbf9f6d7a5aff8e683433fa04dee232d84f9708bae0f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Hostelworld Blog"},"description":"Hostelworld is a leading global Online Travel Agent focused on the hostel market. We have been helping travellers get the experience they dream of since 1999. Meet the world...","url":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/author\/hostelworld-blog\/"}]}},"lang":"en","translations":{"en":2567,"fr":208618,"cs":1272367,"da":1278371,"de":1278411,"es":1278451,"fi":1278491,"it":1278555,"ja":1278595,"ko":1278635,"nl":1278675,"nn":1278715,"pl":1278755,"br":1278795,"pt":1278835,"ru":1278875,"sv":1278915,"tr":1278955,"zh":1278995},"brizy_media":[],"pll_sync_post":{},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2567"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2567\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1301530,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2567\/revisions\/1301530"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/135269"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}