In these tough financial times most folks need vacations more than ever. As well, they also want to save a lot of money. One economical solution is taking the family car and driving to and from your holiday destination instead of flying there.

If you plan to drive, it may also make sense to take some steps to protect yourself and family from car theft. Having some car thief steal your car, luggage, or other items of value from your trunk could really put a damper on what was supposed to be a fun-filled and enjoyable trip.

Even though you take all the numerous precautions to prevent auto theft when you travel, very determined professional car thieves can still take any vehicle if they want it badly enough. Do you remember the action movie Gone In 60 Seconds that starred Nicolas Cage? However, you still can really reduce the chances of becoming a victim of auto theft to near zero.

Most of these auto theft preventative measures are common sense and will you cost nothing to do. So why not make it a habit of implementing them not only when you travel by car on your holidays, but also in your every day driving as well?

To start with, you should never take for granted that you are immune from car thieves when traveling, or that your vehicle would not really be worth stealing.

Keep in mind that sometimes these thieves are after more than your vehicle, luggage, or any valuables that might be in your car. They may only want an older car to take a joy ride in or steal it for its parts.

They may also be after your vehicle documents for identity theft purposes, or they could be thinking of robbing your residence while you are away on vacation. Where would they get this important information? From the vehicle registration and auto insurance papers which are usually conveniently located in the glove compartment.

The best way is to eliminate this problem is to keep these documents on your person at all times when traveling on your vacation.

The second best way is to reduce this problem by hiding these documents really well in the trunk of your car. Some police forces in cities that have high auto theft crime incidents recommend this. Remember to tell everyone who is traveling with you where these documents are hidden in the trunk.

Here are some more ways you can lessen the chances of having your holidays wrecked by car thieves. If you can manage to implement some of these suggestions, you will really lessen the chance of becoming a victim of auto theft when you travel.

Make sure you always shut you cars windows tightly and lock your car on every occasion you leave it parked, even if it is only for a minute or two.

A real invitation to lose your vehicle is to leave it idling while unattended. Under no circumstance should you ever do this. Dont even think about it.

Similarly, you should not leave your vehicles keys in the ignition or hidden anywhere in car. That also includes a second set of keys. Professional car thieves can easily find any keys hidden in the usual places very quickly. Keep an extra set of keys on your person.

Do not leave any valuables in your vehicle, even if they cant be seen from the outside of your car. If possible, you should take them with you.

However, if you have no choice and have to leave valuables in your vehicle, make sure that they are locked in your trunk. When you do this, look around and make sure that no one is watching what youre doing, or better still stop, pull over, and put them in your trunk before you arrive at your destination. Prying eyes may be anywhere.

When parking in public areas, turn you vehicles front wheels either to the left or right before you turn your ignition off. This engages the steering wheel lock in the steering wheel column and can make your vehicle a little more difficult to take.

By engaging the emergency brake after you have parked and turned the motor off, you may also make your vehicle harder to tow away.

For front wheel and rear wheel drive vehicles you should park them differently when in an underground parking garage. The front wheel drive autos should be parked with the nose in and rear wheel drives with the nose out. Then turn your tires to the left or right. Again, this may make your vehicle harder to tow away.

It is always better to park in an attendant supervised parking lot rather than an unattended one. If its a place or lot where there is valet parking, just give the attendant your door and ignition key. They do not need any other keys on your key chain.

In public areas near dusk and at night, always park in well lit places that have a lot of pedestrian traffic. Keep in mind that most auto thieves work at night.

If you can, avoid parking near or next to any obstruction, such as a hedge, fence, large truck, or anything that blocks a clear view of your vehicle to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

When you stay in a place that has gated, secured parking, make sure that the gate has completely closed after entering or leaving so that a thief doesnt sneak in to the parking area where youre staying.

If you observe any suspicious activity like a person or group of people milling around or near your vehicle you should call the police.

Here are some anti-theft devices that you can install for maximum protection. You may already have a few of these products installed in your vehicle.

You should use a highly visible after-market steering wheel lock bar. Most car thieves will likely move on to easier prey. Other less visible after-market anti-theft products are gas pedal locks, brake pedal locks, and armored collars that fit around the steering column which protects the ignition. And for the manual shift vehicles you can also use an after-market shifter lock. These products are all effective but not as highly visible to prying eyes.

Another thing that you can do is have your mechanic install a hood lock that will prevent easy access to your vehicles battery including the security system.

A loud vehicle alarm system with a very visible alarm sticker on your windshield could be worth its weight in gold particularly when combined with a number of these other anti-theft security options.

The best vehicle protection is a passive electronic immobilizer that disables the motor when the ignition is turned off. Its not an inexpensive device to get installed but is well worth it for your peace of mind. There are more benefits you may receive by installing an electronic immobilizer in your car. A number of auto insurance companies will offer a discount on your policy if you can produce documentation that you have had one installed. You may also get more money for your vehicle if you sell it down the road.

Last, but not least, you should make sure you have enough insurance coverage on your vehicle including theft and damage before you travel on vacation.

Over seven million people in the United States last year alone were victims of identity theft resulting in almost fifty billion dollars of fraudulent credit card, bank, and other financial charges. A significant number of these victims were business travelers, tourists, and people on their holidays. Here is some valuable information that may save you a ton of grief when you travel.

It is very easy when people travel on vacation to let their guard down. They have a lot on their minds remembering everything they need to take care of before they go and what they need to take with them on vacation. Not only that, they want to relax, unwind, and have fun. Isn’t that what vacations are suppose to be all about? When they travel they don’t want to have to be on guard all time and constantly concerned about getting ripped off every second of their holidays.

There are three serious sources of identity theft that you should be aware of when you travel. They’re your wallet, laptop or PDA, and internet cafes.

Research shows that most identity thefts happen when people’s wallets are stolen, usually by professional pick pockets. Whether you travel on business or vacation you must guard your wallet at all times because you are at more risk than in familiar surroundings. Never carry your wallet in your back pocket – it’s not called the “sucker pocket” for nothing. It’s best to put your wallet in a fanny pack. A number of travelers prefer a fanny pack with a Velcro closure instead of a zippered one because you can hear it being opened. The usual places you will find pickpockets are in crowded areas such as airports, train and bus stations, hotel lobbies, restaurants, and sporting events.

Almost everyone carries more personal information in their wallets then they need. What you should do before you travel is to go through your wallet and take out any personal information that you don’t need when traveling such as bank checks and check books, credit card receipts, bills, and memberships cards such as library cards. Also, you do not need to take your social security card as you probably already have that number memorized by heart.

Debit cards are a convenient way to take small amounts of cash out of ATM’s when traveling, but are also a great way for thieves to clean out your bank account if they ever get a hold of them. A good way to reduce this risk is to open up a separate account at your bank before you go and only put as much day-to-day cash in it as you think you may need for your holidays. Take only that one debit card with you.

Credit cards are protected by Federal law so are a much better choice to take with you as you are generally covered for any fraudulent charges incurred. Also, if you are over-charged or find an error on any of your credit card transactions when traveling, it’s easier to get the charges corrected or reversed from the card companies. You probably should take two credit cards in case one is lost, or compromised. You can obtain smaller, limited amount prepaid cash cards from Visa, MasterCard, and American Express that are perfect for daily use. You can get these cash cards in any denomination. It’s probably best to purchase a couple of cards with a low limit of five hundred dollars or less each. If the cards are compromised, the credit card companies will replace any lost or pilfered funds. You should leave your major cards and passport in your hotel room safe or the hotel’s safe along with any other personal information that you do not need from day to day.

Before you travel, be sure and check that your credit cards do not expire while you are on vacation. And remember to call your credit card issuers and let them know when and where you plan to holiday so they don’t have a seizure or conniption fit and cancel your card when they see a credit charge appearing from some place like Timbuktu. Be sure and make a note of these phone numbers and take them with you when traveling on vacation.

Another major source of identity theft starts with a stolen laptop. Well over six hundred thousand laptops are lost or pilfered in the U.S. alone, frequently from inattentive travelers in airports, restaurants, and hotel lobbies.

Before you travel on vacation, back up your laptop and put the backup disc in a safe place at home or in the safety deposit box at your bank just in case your laptop is lost or stolen. Stick a small strip of colored tape on the top and bottom of your laptop and laptop case as most laptops and their cases look similar in appearance. Write your name, destination address, and contact information at your destination on a piece of paper and tape it to your laptop just in case it is lost at the airport. You shouldn’t use your home address on this piece of paper. It’s better to use your work or business address and phone number. There are so many laptops left behind at airports unintentionally. The lost and found airport personnel do not have time to try and gain access to all the laptops which are more than likely password protected anyway.

The third major source of identity theft may happen at any internet caf or public computer. Your personal information may be at risk even if you’re just accessing or sending e-mails. A key stroke logger which secretly keeps a record of all user names, passwords, and personal information entered could be installed on the computer. Even if public computers are not compromised they still store information you input in the temporary internet files and the history. Don’t access any bank or credit card account, or pay bills from these computers. Usually computers located in business centers of hotels and on cruise ships are safer to use than other public computers.

The bottom line is to always be vigilant whenever you travel. Have a safe and fun filled vacation!