I devoted my latest weekly column on ABCNews.com to safety tips while traveling.

Here’s an abbreviated rundown of my “safe vacation tips” – and see my column for the complete list and more details:

• 1. Select a go-to person: this is a trusted friend or relative, back home, who is always reachable and has copies of all your important papers (you should, too) like passport and credit card numbers, as well as contact info for reporting lost cards. If you’re traveling on foreign soil, be sure they have addresses for U.S. embassies (find those at the State Dept. website).

Keep reading for the rest of the tips!

2. Don’t flash cash or valuables: In fact, leave valuables at home, and just take one or two cards (if two, one should stay in the hotel safe). And put the bulk of your money/travelers checks in a zippered compartment that hangs down inside the front of your pants – that goes for women, too.

3. Look out for insects: Sadly, bedbugs have made a comeback – look for black specks on mattress seams – if you see them, get another room. But these days, it’s not necessarily a sign of a “bad” hotel.

4. Avoid new “friends”: You “met” on the internet – but do you really know this person? Be discriminating: don’t let new acquaintances into your hotel room – but if you do get ripped off, skip the embarrassment and call the cops. And don’t accept “pre-poured” drinks from anyone you don’t know, either.