Many of you might be leaving this weekend to visit family for the holidays. Sometimes we visit the family on Christmas and Christmas Eve, but with the crazy weather we have been receiving lately, we are staying safe at home. For those that plan on heading out on the road to visit family and friends, here are some holiday travel tips from LifeLock that I think are helpful and want to share:
- Have a neighbor occasionally park in your driveway so it’s not easy to spot when you are on vacation.
- Have a neighbor pick up your mail so it’s not so evident you’re away.
- Put your office address on luggage tags, not your home address.
- Be cautious what you share on social media.
- Alert your credit card companies and banks that you will be raveling.
- When using a public WiFi, consider logging in using a VPN (virtual private network).
- Thieves can add small devices to an ATM that are almost unnoticeable. These ATM skimmers can copy your card information almost seamlessly. Use caution and monitor your online banking statements when traveling.
- When traveling which children, they should know all pertinent contact information in case they get separated.
- Check your health insurance if traveling abroad, health insurance policies can vary on medical expenses as well as emergency evacuation coverage.
- If you are flying, plan on arriving at the airport or station at least two hours early. The holiday season means everyone is traveling, which means traffic jams and long lines; giving yourself this margin will pay off in reduced stress, and may mean the difference between a missed flight and one caught in plenty of time.
For more information on LifeLock, visit: www.LifeLock.org.
Disclosure – I am a Lifelock Ambassador. The information in this post has been provided to me and any compensation does not influence my honest opinions.
I love the idea of having an neighbor park in the driveway when we’re away, I’ll definitely consider that on our next adventure.
I can’t believe #7, I had no idea! That must be why it’s safer to give your card to the cashier to swipe than to swipe it yourself.
We also cancel our newspaper and mail so it isn’t obviously that we aren’t here.
no traveling for us this holiday season but thank so much for the tips
No traveling for us for a while… but those are fantastic tips! thanks for sharing 🙂
We were gone from our house for six months. WE had our neighbors cut our grass, and they also parked their car in our driveway several times a week. It really eased my mind to know there was someone looking out for us while we were away.
A friend of mine went out of ton last week and I watched her house. I made sure to move her car around, leave different lights on and off each day, and visit at different times – all to try and discourage anyone poking around. 🙂
Great article!
These are greatt tips. I always try to be very careful when using Wifi and watching ATM machines.
Those are fabulous tips! #7 is scary!!
I never thought about using a VPN on a public wifi network. Smart!
that is crazy about the thieves and ATM machines!! I can’t believe the lengths people will go to in order to steal from honest hardworking folks! 🙁
Thanks for letting me know all these great tips – we do some of them, but now I have better ideas for the future!