No matter how well organised you are, things can still go wrong when you are travelling however there are tips and tricks to help minimise the negative impact this will have on your holiday.

Before you leave home

• book comprehensive travel insurance and check all the policy exclusions. If you would like extended coverage, discuss this with your policy provider
• take photocopies of all your travel documents, including your itinerary and passport, and give them to a trusted friend or family member at home. Keep copies with you (hard and digital copies) and also  put a copy on the ‘cloud’ so if you lose everything, you can login from any computer and retrieve them
• keep a list of important phone numbers such as money card cancellation lines, your travel agent (if you have one), your travel insurance help-line, family contact numbers and the numbers for the New Zealand Embassy. Keep a hard copy and also a digital copy (on your phone). You could also put a copy on the ‘cloud’ so if you lose everything, you can login from any computer and retrieve them
• register your travel with Safe Travel . This means The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, including New Zealand Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates-General around the world, can contact you if there is an emergency (e.g. a natural disaster or terrorist attach) where you are travelling
• ensure you have a bag or pouch that you are able to safely keep your money cards in and that cannot be pickpocketed – don’t underestimate the skill some people have to steal things from bags! In some countries you might like to have a pouch that you can wear under your clothes while in others an over shoulder bag that you can sit at the front is adequate. Don’t use a back pack unless this is for items that you are not attached to such as a jumper and water bottle.
• discuss with your bank the best way to manage your money. Debit cards with multiple currencies are worth investigating
• take off your expensive jewellery and leave it somewhere safe

Keeping things safe

• if there is a safe at your accommodation, use it!
• don’t carry a lot of cash – you can easily get small amounts of cash from money machines as you go
• keep your bags and personal items close at all times. Never leave them unattended or even sitting on a table beside you
• upload your travel photos to the ‘cloud’ or send them to yourself via Messenger (or similar) every day

There are a number of things your travel insurance may cover including paying for someone to come and support you, medical evacuation and surgery.