There is a lot to be said for being able to drive to the port to start a cruise. Packing? Who cares? Bring the kitchen sink if you want to; there are no baggage fees or fines for overweight luggage imposed by the cruise line. Arrival at the pier? That’s on your schedule too…if home is close to a port. But what about those who cannot drive to the port? What if they live at a North American place that is too far away? Then, those travelers, like most, will have to endure the scary parts of travel at one point or another during their trip. Today we have some quick tips that will help blow away one of the most scary parts of travel: The bad part of town.
It only makes sense to stay away from the bad part of town at any given destination, just for our personal safety. But what if we are at a destination new to us? How do we know where the bad part of town is? Of course, there is an app for that. Not a great one but an app nonetheless.
- SafeRoute is an Android based mobile application that provides GPS enabled crime statistics and safety levels for every city in the entire United States where enough crime data to report is present. Good for travel in North America, not so much for in the Caribbean, across the pond and elsewhere on the planet. Somehow it brings me joy to know there is an app that just won’t work for travel. Still, we want to be safe and not stray into the bad part of town; wherever we travel.
- Don’t stray far from organized tours. We don’t even have to be on one to know that tour guides are probably not going to take their charges into a bad part of town where they might become crime victims. Odds are, if a tour group is going someplace, it’s safe.
- Google, Apple or A Paper Map. Electronic maps via Google or even Apple have value but might also rely on a good signal to get it. A paper map, even if we think we know the lay of the land, can be a big help in identifying the “bad part of town”.
- Bloggers, Trusted Travel Writers And Your Friends are good sources on where to and where not to go when traveling. Those who have ‘been there and done that’ can and do share their experience with those who are first-time visitors.
Looking for info and want it quickly? Send an email to that information source that begins with something like “I sure do love your blog and read it every day”. They will love you and pass by a dozen other emails to answer yours first.
