Is it really unsafe to put my address on my luggage tag? I read something about burglars noting down the details and knowing that you're abroad, then burgling your home before you return from holiday. Rosemary Usherwood, Chester

Sunday Times travel expert Richard Green responds: You would have to be incredibly unlucky to have your house burgled as a result of someone opportunistically happening to read your luggage labels, but it does happen. And worse than that, there have been cases of organised gangs using accomplices at airports to gather addresses from passengers' bags as they wait in the check-in queues.

Either way, it is a completely unnecessary risk, as you really don't have to put a label on the outside of your bags. You should use a label of course, so that the airline can contact you if the bag becomes lost, but that should be inside the bag.

On the external label just put the address of your hotel, or your travel agent or tour operator, and slide your business card into the label for the return, for example.

Or you could use a clever system called I-Trak, which identifies your luggage (and passport and other valuables if you wish) without advertising any of your personal details. It uses a number plate-style unique code, which you affix to the item. Airline personal or members of the public can then trace this code if it should go astray. It is integrated with the airline industry's own communication system, but can also be accessed via the internet, email, or a 24-hour finders hotline.

All communication takes place via i-TRAK, so that no personal information (such as your home address or telephone numbers) need be displayed on the outside of your luggage.

It costs £9.99 to register, and then £2.99 per year to renew two bags after that (50p for each additional bag). Or try Global Bag Tag, which charges £9.95 for two tags and a flat rate of £2.50 per year to renew.

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