Traveling the world is a great way to introduce your family to different cultures while having a fun time abroad. While in our experience, travel tends to be safer than your average day in your own hometown, every trip raises the possibility of risk. Before you leave home, study the following three tips to keep your family safe as you travel the world.
Make a Copy of Your Passport
Losing your passport can make traveling between countries difficult. If you don’t have your passport, you may not be able to re-enter the United States. Making a copy of your passport will enable you to replace it more easily.
Make two copies of your passport. Give one to a person you trust to keep it safe. Keep the other copy with you while you travel. You can email a copy of the passport to yourself so that you can access the information when needed.
If you plan to email the copy, make sure the places you visit have email access and printers. If those places do not, then you should carry a printed copy.
Learn About Possible Travel Advisories
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) maintains a list of travel advisories that will help you avoid unsafe countries. If a country has a travel alert or warning, then you should read about potential hazards that could affect your trip.
The DOS divides travel advisories into two groups: warnings and alerts. Warnings usually refer to long-term problems such as civil wars, frequent terrorist attacks, and unstable governments. Some of the warnings stay in place for years, so you should think carefully before visiting these countries.
Travel alerts usually refer to short-term events such as elections, elevated risks of terrorist attacks, and outbreaks of viruses such as H1N1. Travel alerts aren’t as serious as warnings, but you should still learn about the reasons for the alerts and plan to keep yourself safe. You may want to delay your trip until the threats have passed.
Get a MedjetAssist Membership
No amount of preparation can protect you from unforeseen medical issues. You never know when a simple slip and fall could break one of your limbs or an unknown medical condition will affect your health.
Unfortunately, many countries do not have reliable health care services that you would expect to receive in the United States. Some countries don’t have the capital to invest in high-tech medical facilities. Some rural locations are so far from large cities, which can delay medical assistance.
You can keep yourself safe during a medical emergency by becoming a MedjetAssist member. MedjetAssist arranges air medical transportation for its members when they are hospitalized. You can’t predict what will happen while you travel the world, but you can prepare for unexpected events.
While avoiding countries or regions with civil unrest or threats of terrorism is best when you’re considering international travel, you should still prepare for unexpected situations you may encounter during your travels. As long as you follow the tips outlined above, you can help your family to have a safe and enjoyable time abroad.
Image via Flickr by seantoyer
