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Basic Travel Safety Tips
Travel safety tips include some fairly obvious advice that applies to most locations as well as advice that applies to specific countries more than others. The first and most important tip is to make certain that one informs their consulate that they're in the nation and that they give the consulate a basic idea of their itinerary. Whether one runs into trouble with local authorities or local thugs, the consulate will be the first line of defense and can oftentimes turn a bad situation into just a bad memory. Always keep one's local authorities informed.
The safety tips that apply to any nation are generally the same advice that applies in one's home nation. For instance, one should never wander into an unknown part of a city at night and most certainly should not do so alone. Safety in numbers applies as much in foreign nations as it does in one's home country. One should also make certain that they only accept rides from licensed taxi drivers if they're seeking transportation about town. Ask the consulate how taxis are marked to indicate that they're legal and licensed providers.
The State Department puts out advisories for travelers. Checking these before leaving is one of the most important safety tips one can offer. Every nation has risks and some of them are very localized. For instance, while US citizens aren't particularly discouraged from visiting the cities in Peru, they are very much discouraged from driving on the roads in the more remote locations of that nation. Knowing such information ahead of time can keep a trip from going very wrong. Always make certain that a nation is rated as safe for travel before one leaves. In some nations, this situation can change overnight.
In any nation, there will be parts of the city where one should never venture. Travel safety oftentimes involves not being seen in areas of town where local authorities could construe that one is seeking illegal substances or activities. Make sure to ask one's travel agent and the local tourist authorities which areas should be avoided. In some nations, this can literally be a life and death choice. One may enjoy the beach resorts on Haiti, for instance, but should they choose to travel into the interior of the island, they're walking into a civil war. Travel safety means being informed and, most importantly, knowing when one is over their head.