How to Stay Safe While Travelling Abroad

This guide is for anyone travelling abroad who wants to feel prepared rather than anxious. You will learn how to research a destination properly, set up a safety net before you leave, protect your money and belongings, move around safely day and night, and know what to do if something goes wrong. Safety conditions, local laws and emergency procedures differ between countries and can change quickly, so always check your government's official travel advice for your destination before you book and again before you leave. General information, not professional advice.

Research Before You Book

Good travel safety starts weeks before you leave. The single most useful source is your own government's official foreign travel advice. It is written for citizens of your country, is updated when conditions change, and usually covers safety and security, local laws and customs, entry requirements, health and natural hazards. Read the whole page for your destination, not just the headline rating.

• Regional differences: advice often varies within a country. One region may be considered safe while another is advised against.
• Local laws: rules on alcohol, dress, photography, public behaviour, medicines and relationships can differ sharply from home, and penalties can be severe.
• Common crimes: the advice often lists the scams and thefts most reported by travellers in that country.
• Natural hazards: storm seasons, earthquakes, extreme heat and wildfires may affect when and where you travel.
• Insurance implications: some insurers will not cover travel to areas your government advises against. Check your policy wording.

Some governments also offer a free registration or alert service for citizens travelling abroad, which can help them contact you in an emergency. Check whether your government offers one and sign up if it does.

Set Up Your Safety Net Before You Leave

A safety net is the set of backups that turns a crisis into an inconvenience. It takes an hour or two to set up and is one of the best investments you can make in a trip.

1. Buy suitable travel insurance Choose a policy that covers emergency medical care, repatriation, cancellation and theft, and that includes any activities you plan, such as diving or skiing. Save the emergency assistance number offline.
2. Copy your important documents Photograph your passport photo page, visa, driving licence, insurance policy and bookings. Store copies securely in the cloud and keep paper copies separately from the originals.
3. Share your itinerary Give a trusted person at home your flights, accommodation and rough plans, and agree how often you will check in.
4. Save emergency numbers Note the local emergency number for each country, which is not the same everywhere, and the address and phone number of your embassy or consulate from your government's website.
5. Split your money Take at least two cards from different accounts, plus a small amount of local cash. Keep one card separate from the other at all times.
6. Prepare your phone Set a strong screen lock, enable device-finding features, and download offline maps of the places you will visit.