Travel Guides And Tips: Cheap Beach Vacations Can Get Very Expensive!

All right, you're on holiday. Great! Enjoy yourself as much as you possibly can ...but don't leave your brain at home!

Working as a receptionist for over 6 years now in the Canary Islands, Spain, I've seen cases where people have had all their money stolen and had to phone home to have someone send them money for their next meal!

These unwise tourists tend to leave their room/apartment keys lying on the table next to the one where they are sitting, laughing and having a drink or two. This makes it very easy for any opportunist to just walk by and swipe the key off the table, enter their room knowing exactly where you are in the meantime and operate at their own leisure stealing anything of value.

As a tourist, you must remember that many of those around you where you are enjoying yourselves, are neither tourists nor on holiday. And though most of the people you meet are really quite nice and you do live memorable moments in their company, just like at home, you've got some rotten apples that have no respect for other people's property.

Don't give thieves the chance to ruin your holiday! Whether you are vacationing in a first, second, or third world country, it is wise to always make use of the safe deposit box for money and valuables which most hotels and tourist complexes have at your disposal. Even if you have to pay for this service, which is quite likely, it's well worth it for piece of mind.

By the way, first world countries also have thieves, too, in case you didn't know. So be careful! It's not a matter of being paranoid; it's just a matter of common sense. You use common sense at home, don't you? Then, why not use it when you're on holiday? Travellers checks are a good idea also because your money is insured and you have to show some ID to cash them.

Ever wonder why hotel keys are so bulky? Simply because the best place to leave a bulky, bothersome key is in the hands of the hotel reception staff while you're not in your room. Yes, even when you're sitting by the hotel pool getting a tan.

What about the safe key? If you have a safe key, don't put it together with your room key and hand it into reception, this defeats the purpose of hiring the safe in the first place. You're the only one who should have access to it. And remember if the safe has not been forced open, chances are that the insurance won't cover it due to your carelessness. Read the TOS! A good idea is to take the tag off the safe key and put the safe key with your house-key ring. If a thief finds your house keys on the street and does not know which safe the key belongs to, He's probably not going to go through every complex in town and break into every room to test it.

Basic Thief Psychology Thieves in vacation paradises are more like opportunists; they usually go for what is dead easy to steal (low hanging fruit). If you don't make it easy for them, they will usually just go elsewhere to look for prey.

Beware of this Swindle!

If anyone in the hotel where you are staying asks you for your room number, don't tell them! If a staff member (usually a receptionist) needs to know which room you are in they will ask you themselves or send another staff member to do it for them.

If you've never seen that staff member before, go to reception and ask them if they need to know your room number. Remember, hotels have master keys or duplicates to get into your room if something needs fixing, so do not hand your key to anyone but the receptionist for safe keeping.

So, what's the swindle, you may ask? Simple, the person who wanted to know your room number knows where you are right at that moment and calculates how much time they've got to get in and out of your room before you arrive. Better yet, if he's got a friend with a cell phone, his friend will sit close by you and warn him when you are on your way up. This is a TRUE LIFE CASE which happened in a few hotels where I have worked. Beware!

Beach vacations are nice for when you need a break from your regular life, but no matter how friendly a place may look, don't forget to use common sense just like when you are at home. Cheap beach vacations can get expensive if you're not careful!

Stephen Ichabod is a well-experienced receptionist and associate to Hotels Combined. Looking for a good accommodation deal? Try the free international hotel search box at: Hotel Searcher

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_Ichabod