Tips to prevent theft and damage on holiday

• Prepare your home for your absence. Check that the doors are locked and the windows closed. Store your laptop somewhere safe and don’t leave any post on the doormat. If you’re going to be away for a long period, ask your neighbours or a friend to keep an eye on your home.
• Travelling is fun. And we like sharing our travel experiences, including on social media. But this isn’t very sensible. Post your holiday snaps after you get back instead, so that thieves don’t know you’re away.
• Make sure the ID tags on your luggage aren’t visible. Strangers don’t need to know that you won’t be home for a while.
• Take a picture of your passport and send it to your own email address along with phone numbers for your insurance and emergency services. This way, you can always find your details if you happen to lose anything along the way.
• If you’re going on holiday by car or motorcycle, be sure to take your vehicle in for a pre-holiday inspection. After that, you can hit the road worry-free. Be sure to check your car insurance as well.
• Before you leave, check what additional cover with your annual travel insurance you’ll need for this particular holiday. Check whether you have additional cover for cancellation costs. Cancellation cover must start within 7 days after you booked your trip. Need to make any changes to your annual travel insurance? It’s easy to do online.

• Never leave valuables, such as jewellery, and your passport unattended in your room, car or caravan. Put them in a safe or take them with you.
• If you’re flying to your holiday destination, bear in mind that luggage gets delayed sometimes. Put valuables such as money, your camera and some clothes in your hand luggage. Valuables that are not carried in your hand luggage are not covered by the insurance.
• When going out sightseeing, spread out your belongings. Don’t carry all your cash yourself. And don’t keep your debit card and credit card in the same place.
• Wear a money belt under your clothes. A money belt is a small bag you wear around your waist that can hold your phone, money and passport. It’s hardly noticeable and difficult for pickpockets to access.
• It’s generally not a good idea to walk around with your camera and eye-catching jewellery in plain sight. Leave your expensive jewellery at home. And put your camera in a bag when you’re not using it.

Read up on the country you’ll be visiting before you travel. This is so that you know not only what sights to see, but also which areas are safe and which are less safe. Before you leave, check www.netherlandsworldwide.nl for useful tips by country. Let friends and family know where you are as you travel. That will make it easier for them to help you in case of an emergency.

Not sure whether your insurance will be enough for your trip? We’re always happy to help. Contact us.

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