Here at WiFi Tribe, we love adventure, but at the heart of our core belief system is the idea of making the world our home. Today, we present the top digital nomad safety tips. We thrive when we are travelling to different places and enjoying new cultures. But as beautiful as this world is, it’s no secret that as a community, we need to keep our security at the forefront of our minds.
Even if you’ve travelled for years, some places are just tougher to navigate than others; your security challenges in Italy, for example, are not going to be the same as they would be in Brazil. The risks vary, but it is still important to get into good habits regardless.
This is a comprehensive look at travel safety tips, and it’s lengthy, so get yourself a tea.
Holidaymakers vs digital nomads
Most holidaymakers will stay in a hotel, be pampered by hotel staff, experience the tourist attractions, eat an obscene amount of food and go home.
For us digital nomads, we take more of the attitude of an expat and try to integrate into the culture of a place. We stay in Airbnb’s or in people’s homes, we work, and we experience living as the locals do. Yes, we go to the iconic places that are present within the environment where we are staying, but we take it a step further and actually live in a place. We make it a home.
We don’t have hotel safes to protect us, or armed security guards at the hotel complex. Our safety is almost solely our responsibility, and so we’ve got to take it seriously.
We’ve been travelling as a Tribe for over two years now, and as a result, we have a lot of things that we have learnt along the way. These tips come from us as a team, but also from our members currently on location in Florence, as well, so consider this a community contribution to the whole discussion around travelling safely.
Let’s get started.
Before you go
Do your research – Diego, WiFi Tribe co-founder
Diego recommends doing some thorough research about where you’re staying. Before you leave, and then do it when you arrive.
“Ask locals, taxi drivers, hotel staff, café staff, etc. about safety recommendations in the area. Don’t just ask one, but get the low-down from several different sources. You’ll quickly get to paint a picture of what the safety situation is like and where there may be risks. Make sure to ask about areas that you should avoid entirely.
Diego – WT Co-founder
Stay out of warzones
As an added point under the “research” banner, I wanted to raise this. Unless you are a war zone photojournalist, if there is civil unrest at a dangerous level, a war happening, or an event that makes it dangerous to be a foreigner in your chosen region, steer clear until things settle down.
We love adventure as much as the next person, but life is valuable, and if you are not there adding to the greater good or providing a public service, we advise you not to risk it. Anything can happen anywhere, it’s true, but to wilfully put yourself in harm’s way seems like such a waste. International travel alerts can generally be found on your government’s website, so check there in the first instance for up-to-date information on the safety of the countries you’d like to travel to.
Check the weather
Keep an eye out for unusual weather systems that can cause havoc across the globe. Some things are predictable, but things like the direction of hurricanes, storms and tornadoes can flag up various surprises. Whilst you can never account for all freaky weather behaviour, check and double-check each time you travel to a place, regardless of whether you’ve been there before. It’s an obvious point, but complacency can cause you to miss it, and it can cost you dearly.
Download Google Maps offline
Downloading Google Maps offline means that if you’re in a fix, you can get to where you need to be.
“Don’t always assume that you’ll be in a place where your mobile data is working, or that you’ll have WiFi. Download offline maps of the area you’re staying in (include tutorial) and always have the address of where you’re staying on hand.
Kumar – WT Team Member
Have a quick study of the route you’re planning to use so that you don’t have to worry so much about carrying your phone in your hand constantly. If you’re memory skills aren’t great, put your earphones in so you can hear the travel directions as you go.
Check the dress code
“For the girls, don’t attract more attention than you should, especially in more conservative countries, by wearing shorts, short dresses etc. Try to blend in with more modest clothing.
Julia – WT Co-founder
The reality is that what is considered appropriate clothing in some parts of the world is not going to be well-received in other parts of the world. Be wise and pack with the different cultures in mind. For the guys, whilst this issue may affect you less, it’s still good to check that you’ve got appropriate clothing for where you’re going.
Another point about this is to check what works with the climate – it’s not always a culture thing. Sometimes you need to wear a headscarf to protect your head. You may need to cover up to protect your skin. So check it out and act accordingly, and don’t get into hot water over poorly thought-out wardrobe choices.
Survival skills and kit
WiFi Tribe member, Brittney, recommends that you get yourself trained in first aid; you never know when you might need it. Also, she advocates for preparing a survival kit – she includes a first aid kit, head lamp and water purifier in case you get caught out. It shouldn’t take up too much space or add too much weight. Better to have it and not need it, I’d say.
When you arrive
Do as the Romans do
When you’re in a new place, you’ll likely stick out like a sore thumb at first. So once any jetlag has subsided, put your glasses on and observe how the locals behave. The quicker you acclimatise and assimilate, the less unwanted attention you’ll draw and the more you’ll enjoy the travelling experience. This is going to be easier in some places and harder in others, but do your best to make the effort.
“Walk in a confident manner, even when you don’t feel comfortable in a particular area. Body language is important; it gives the message that 1) you’re not afraid/not a victim and 2) you’re familiar with the surroundings.
Filipa – WT team member
WiFi Triber Pia recommends at least learning a few key phrases in the local language, so that in the event you’re away from a typically tourist-y area, you can communicate at least a little bit. In short, ditch the socks and sandals unless the locals are well into that as a fashion trend.
Manage your money
Keeping your funds secure is a concern for all travellers, whether you are holidaying or remote working. I’ve grouped the money tips just for ease, but some excellent points will make you go, “I did not think of that!”
Tell the Bank
Don’t forget to tell the bank that you’ll be using your card abroad. It’ll save you the hassle of having to sort out all your transactions being blocked by an overzealous fraud team. It won’t stop them from blocking card purchases that they perceive to be a bit dodgy, but it should make the transition much easier. Just give them a call and they’ll see you right.
Carry what you need
ATM’s are in most places, and unless you’re in a really remote area, most places will take card payments. What that means is that the days of carrying huge amounts of foreign currency are over. Carry enough to eat something when you’re out, maybe get an impromptu souvenir, and most importantly, enough to get home. Know how much that is before you leave your accommodation.
The same principle applies to carrying bank cards and ID documents; don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Take one card and a small amount of cash, for example, as opposed to every bank card you own. Should the worst happen, it’ll be far easier to recover, and you’ll still be able to get money out.
ATM Etiquette
Not all ATMs are made equal. Indeed, some of them are in fact the electronic version of a Venus flytrap. Don’t get caught out.
“Always check the ATM slot where you insert your card. I wiggle it a little to make sure that there isn’t a loose ‘add-on’ that copies your card numbers on top (common scam technique). Also always cover your hand when entering your pin – just make it a habit.
Diego – WT Co-founder
Other top tips include using a pre-paid credit card if you’re concerned about ATM fraud. As an alternative, you can discuss daily withdrawal limits with your bank; mine already has a limit of about £250, but everybody is different.
When you use an ATM, check that nobody is invading your personal space. It might be better to try to go to the bank to withdraw money, or go into one of those secure cubicles to withdraw your cash.
“After you’ve completed your ATM transaction, press loads of different buttons on the keypad. This will prevent the use of a heat detector to track your PIN.
Julia – WT Co-founder
“The Bait” technique
Sometimes, despite all our prior preparations, we’ll still get held up for our cash. Diego suggests using the bait technique. Here’s how it works:-
“Always keep some money in your pocket ($10-$30). If someone does assault you, you want to be able to quickly give them ‘all’ the money you have. If you have the rest in a sock, you’ll probably get away with it.
Diego – WT Co-Founder
At this point, I’d like to add a great point from the team about staying calm if you do get robbed.
“Be brave in a mindful way. If you end up being robbed, try to be as calm as possible and don’t try to fight it, even if the criminal doesn’t seem armed, you never know! You’re more important than any belongings you might be carrying (those are replaceable, you’re not)
Filipa – WT Team Member
Nothing you own is worth your life. But if you can get away with giving the robbers $30 instead of $100 using this technique, why not give it a shot?
Keep your valuable items safe
In keeping with the theme of not being robbed, let’s talk about valuables. As a digital nomad, you’ll potentially be carrying quite a lot of expensive gear. Laptops, cameras, drones, hotspot devices, phones, audio equipment, etc. Travel insurance can insure you against theft, but it would be nice not to lose it in the first place. So here’s what we’ve learnt.
Some basics
- Don’t wear flashy jewellery or expensive watches in an area where it’s highly likely you’ll be targeted.
- For areas where you’re concerned about safety, don’t walk around with your phone out. Alternatively, get a case that turns your $800 iPhone into a $110 generic phone from Aliexpress to the untrained eye.
- In areas where pick-pockets are particularly active (think busy tourist areas, carnivals, festivals, etc), consider sacrificing your inner fashionista and wear your backpack on your front instead. If that is more than you can bear, you can store your valuables strategically. Clothes that are cut close to the body, like skinny jeans, can be great for hiding away cards and cash. For the ladies, the use of undergarments as storage facilities has been going on for generations. Nothing can hide cash like a good bra.
- Avoid using your laptop in dodgy areas where you can be seen by unscrupulous characters who might want to catch you out later on.
Protect your laptop
“- I like to have a really, really, really ugly, small old backpack for my laptop. One that screams “THERE’S NOTHING VALUABLE IN HERE!” Then, I’m not worried walking around with it from café to café, because I know that the eyeballs are all on the camera bags and nice-looking suitcases
Diego – WT Co-founder
Look out for tricksters
- Ignore people who want to sell you something on the road. Say no, don’t make eye contact, keep walking and don’t be bothered. Especially at night. The chance that they try to steal something while they talk to you could be high.
- Keep your phone in your pocket or away from easy access to the street or passersby. We’ve had two phones stolen that way. In one case, the person literally sat down next to us, sold us a pen, and left with the $10 and an iPhone. A common trick is to put a leaflet, product, paper, etc., over your phone while it’s lying on the table next to you, and when pulling away the paper, the phone gets pulled with it.
- Try to keep your bag right next to you, ideally touching your leg, so that no one gets the idea of pulling it away while you’re ‘in the zone’ working.
Check your transport
Andrea recommends using Uber rather than normal minicabs where possible. The reason for this is that Uber rides are tracked and can be traced if something were to happen. If that isn’t a possibility, then take a photo of the driver’s license plate or get your friend to do it. What does this signal to the driver? “I’m registering this drive, don’t do anything stupid.”
An added tip is to find a registered, trusted taxi company and only ever call them to pick you up and drop you off. This hugely minimises the risk of you hailing a cab ride with a weirdo.
Travel in groups
At night, especially in less safe areas/cities, try to buddy up to walk with someone. If alone and a bit concerned for safety, I usually latch on to a group of other people by walking closer to them. There’s safety in numbers! Also, aim to stay on the busiest roads with light. If there’s a shortcut that’s not very busy with people/traffic, avoid it at night.
Check the bathroom
Before committing to a bathroom, check for bats. The bat doesn’t want you in there, you don’t want to be in there, and you’ll both end up resenting each other’s presence.”
Sam – WT Member
New places mean new creatures, and new…insects. I don’t need to elaborate on this scenario, but check the room, check the bed, and make sure that if you’re in bed with that tarantula, in the living room with a lizard, or in a bathroom with a bat, that it’s an intentional choice.
Know what you’re likely to come across in the region where you are staying to minimise the chance of you getting eaten by an exotic creature.
So that’s it! If you’re looking for an adventure to put all these tips to the test, you can check out our next locations and apply. We really hope these travel safety tips will help you keep your livelihood secure.
Frequently asked questions
What are WiFi Tribe’s top digital nomad safety tips?
Do your research before you arrive, talk to locals, and check official advisories. Walk with confidence, stick to well-lit areas at night, download offline maps, and keep valuables in plain-looking bags. Trust your instincts if something feels wrong.
How can I manage money safely while traveling as a digital nomad?
Carry only what you need for the day, tell your bank you’re abroad, and use ATMs inside banks or secure booths. Cover your PIN, consider a prepaid card, and split cash and cards between different places so you are not left stuck.
What should I do before arriving in a new country to stay safe
Learn local dress codes and cultural expectations, check for seasonal risks, and save your accommodation address. Download Google Maps offline and pack a small kit with first aid, a headlamp, and a water purifier.
Is it better to use ride-hailing apps or street taxis?
Ride-hailing apps are safer because the trip is tracked. If you use a taxi, choose a licensed company, note the license plate, and share details with a friend. Avoid unmarked cars and leave if something feels off.
