In recent years the level of security on international flights increased dramatically. Since 9-11 all luggage undergoes strict security checks and although the main aim is to prevent security threats on board international flights, it actually makes travel much safer in general. The real risk of keeping your possessions safe when traveling is not really about what happens at airport, but rather what happens when your belongings leave the care of the airline.

If you ever lost your luggage when traveling abroad then you probably know just how devastating it can be. Being in a foreign country without anything is a real nightmare. Here are 3 great tips to help you stay safe and keep your belongings safe while traveling abroad.

1. Keep It On You

When you travel abroad, your passport and credit cards are the most important things and you need to pay particular attention to keeping it safe. Never put your travel documents in suitcases. Always keep it on you so that even when you lose your luggage, you still have your documents. Also, leave certified copies of all your travel documents with a relative back home - just in case. Its a great practice to have a small travel bag with you at all times and keep your most important documents in there. Even if you lose everything, with your passport and your credit card you can still be okay.

2. Insurance

Its amazing how many people travel abroad without travel insurance. Since airlines do not accept responsibility for lost or damaged luggage, its really a dangerous game to travel without travel insurance. Its quite inexpensive and if you are to even lose anything, it can make all the difference. Cameras, video cameras and even laptops will only be covered by your travel insurance and even if you have contents insurance it won;t count if you are traveling.

3. Mark It And Lock It

It might sound overly paranoid, but you need to mark and lock your suitcases - even when it only goes on the aircraft. Its not uncommon for luggage to be tampered with and many flight to less secure airports are having luggage tampered with. At least with a lock on it, you will prevent them from messing with your stuff. Its also important to mark your luggage. Often bags get mixed up and taken by mistake because someone else thinks that it is theirs.