Mind your bag and possessions

Don't be tempted to carry your handbag or day rucksack over your shoulder as this is an easy target for thieves on bikes, etc. Carry your handbag under your armpit and rucksack strapped to your front or back with both straps fastened. When sitting to dine at an outside restaurant, for instance, put an arm or leg through the strap.

Trains or overnight buses are also easy targets for the undesirable thief. Keep your bag in view at all times, especially when nearing stations on trains. If you're on a sleeper train, lock the bag to the seat or bed or whatever with a bike chain or the like. On long bus journeys, see if you can take your bags on board as opposed to leaving them stashed away in the luggage compartment. If you can't, sit near the window where the luggage flaps are and observe the loading and unloading at each stop. Getting off the bus and watching proceedings is even better.

When travelling through airports with your bags, always lock them with an approved padlock from a locksmith. Some of these poxy combination locks you see on the market are a waste of money and, more importantly, are easily opened with a screwdriver. Beware the little padlocks sold in-mass in airports as the same key from one padlock is known to open another.

Travelling in pairs is a much safer bet when on the road, especially in South American countries. Try and learn the language or at least a few words of your destination country and read up on local customs and dos and don'ts. You will be and seem more confident with this valuable information and will blend in more easily.