The holiday season is upon us! If you’ve got a trip planned for this holiday, then we bid you au revoir and a very happy journey!

But before you get on that plane or cruise out to whatever exotic location you’ve chosen for this holiday season, it’s crucial that you take some time to absorb these top holiday safety tips to ensure that you arrive home no worse for the wear.

1. Use the Buddy System

When traveling, always use the buddy system. This is by far the top of the holiday safety tips. Folks traveling alone by themselves are always an easier target. Just be being with someone else, you can dissuade many a would-be attacker. The larger your group, the less likely you are to experience any safety issues.

2. Check Online Reviews

Remember that wherever you’re headed, other people have also headed to before! That’s why you should always check the online reviews of any tourist attraction, restaurant, or special part of town before you take the time go visit it.

If any reviews mention holiday safety concerns, consider staying away.

3. Don’t Stay Out Late

In many countries outside the United States, it is not common practice to be out and about late at night. If the country you’re going to does not have the late-night culture that’s present in many cities in the United States, then learn from the locals and forego the nightlife.

Chances are, the nightlife isn’t vibrant precisely because the city experiences safety issues.

4. Learn the Language

If you ever do happen to find yourself in a sticky predicament, a fundamental grasp of the language will enable you to call for help and be understood by any well-meaning locals around you.

In some countries, very few people know English, so a cry for help could easily be mistaken for something else.

5. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

At the end of the day, if you get held up or threatened and asked for your money, remember that your life and safety are worth far, far more than the few dollars that you have in your wallet. Just give your robbers the money, talk to the police after the incident, and let them handle it. You can’t buy your health.

6. Be Confident

The more confident you are in the way you walk, talk, and move about in the city, the more comfortable you will seem. Attackers are fearful of the confident, so try not to look like a timid, easy target!

7. Don’t Dress Like a Tourist

Attackers will often target those who look like tourists because tourists are the ones with the money! Take efforts to dress like the locals and blend in with those around. Sticking out like a sore thumb is the perfect way to attract the wrong kind of attention.