southern cross travel insurance

You’ve finally decided to fill up your backpack, pack your sneakers and take to the road. You’re envisioning yourself roaming ancient narrow streets, strolling white sand beaches and…in a foreign police station reporting your stolen valuables?

Rule of Thumb: Travel safely. Travel smart.

Here are 3 stress-free necessities to take with you when budget traveling.

Skype

Most of us already know it, use it and love it. And for those of you who don’t - Skype is peer-to-peer software which lets you call other ‘Skypers’ for free online or ‘non-Skypers’ anywhere in the world for a low rate.

Skype is mobile - literally marketing a Skype phone and if you are ’surgically attached’ to your PSP - it’s compatible too. Although the mobile version may be limited to various countries, it’s definitely a cheap and easy way to make calls home while traveling.

So if you miss your train - don’t fret. Use your Skype phone to extend your hotel booking and call a familiar voice from home while you are waiting for your next train.

Visa TravelMoney

Don’t spend half your day looking for a place to change your money , a bank to cash your traveler’s checks and there’s no need to hire a security guard to watch you insert your bank PIN number - all you’ll need is prepaid travel card.

They look and act like normal credit cards, offering convenience and security wherever you are in the world. Once your trip is over so is your card. When you’ve used up all the money (you choose the amount) on your card, you won’t have to worry about where your precious PIN has been.

With 24 hour a day service, help is a Skype call away, just in case you leave your wallet on the beach.

Passpack

Many of us use password managers at home or in the office but the savvy traveler has caught onto the wonders an online password manager can offer in security-on-the-go. Your very own password vault that travels.

As relaxing or adventurous as your vacation may be, you need to email mom photos, update your blog with travel fun or just show off on Facebook that you’re on vacation. At some point you are going to find yourself in front of a computer…that’s not yours…that thousands of people have used. No travel vaccinations will protect you against the viruses public computers may have - but Passpack can help.

Disposable logins (also known as One Time Passwords) are a surefire way to make sure that no one gets into your online password manager and that none of your passwords and none of your accounts compromised. Save your pocket dictionary to chat with the locals, instead of frantically skimming it trying to figure out how to say ‘keylogger’ to an internet point manager.

Off You Go

When packing for your trip, take a few minutes and set up your Disposable Logins in your PassPack account. And while you’re there, add your TravelMoney customer service number into your notes field. Then make sure your Skype account is ready to go, adding all the contacts you want to take with you on vacation. Tuck your TravelMoney card into your passport and you’re all set to go where the world takes you.

southern cross travel insurance