As above if someone asks you how long you’ve been in (wherever you are), tell them “2 months” or “I live here”. Tourists who answer “3 days” are usually easier marks as they’re unfamiliar with the area. It’s amazing how quickly you’re left alone if dodgy people think you’re a local.

…and all your visas (and anything else important), then store the images online. Keep a couple of printouts or photocopies with you, but separate from the originals. These will make life a lot easier should the official documents get pinched or lost. In some countries you can’t check into a hotel without your passport so you could be on the street, but most staff are sympathetic enough that they’ll accept a photocopy. I had mine signed by my solicitor, though I don’t know if this makes any real difference. If you don’t have any online storage space (web page etc) then email them to yourself using one of the above schemes, then pop the email into an online folder.

Get an email account you can check online without downloading the mail to a PC. There are many free options these days, and you may find that your regular service provider will let you check your mails via the web anyway. Pipex certainly do, as do BT, NTL, Force9 and Freeserve. Other alternatives are GMail, Hotmail and Yahoo Mail amongst others.

I have Lloyds TSB as well as my newer Nationwide one. If your first choice ATM card goes walkies, you have a spare. Obviously, keep them separate and keep the other account topped up with enough to get you by for the 2-3 days it will take to transfer money from the account you can no longer access.