Staying Safe While Traveling Abroad

In many ways, seeing the world is much safer than ever. With the advent of modern communications, travel methods, and health care, in most places you'll find yourself not that far from assistance. However, many of these very same things make it easier to become subject to an increased chance of crime, scams, and health hazards while traveling abroad. While there are countless ways to ensure your safety while visiting another country, I'd like to share with you what I believe are the top five worth consideration. Each one stresses prevention in some form or another, because it's great to be prepared for an emergency situation, but it's even better to exercise control over the ones you can stop from happening in the first place.

1. Don't look like a tourist. Eye catching or location specific shirts are dead giveaways. Dress conservatively and weather appropriate. Maybe most importantly, don't wear flashy or expensive jewelry, and avoid other displays of affluence like high-end camera equipment and designer purses.

2. Leave a trail. Make sure that someone back home has your itinerary and travel information, and always leave copies of important documents, credit cards, identification, etc. on file somewhere accessible. My personal preference is to scan them and upload to email, but hard copies that family has access to may be a better choice when traveling to more remote areas.

3. Check your insurance. Does your medical and personal injury coverage apply overseas? Look as well to see if you're covered for "medical evacuation," to get you back home in the case of a medical emergency. If you feel your current policy is inadequate, consider purchasing supplemental coverage prior to leaving.

4. Register with the State Department. Register your travel plans with the State Department through their free online service. This will help them contact you if there is a family emergency in the U.S., or if there is a crisis where you are traveling.

5. Do your homework. Aside from learning key phrases in the native tongue of your destination country, you must remember that while there, you are subject to its laws. The State Department has compiled some very useful data on their site , including a large amount of country specific information.

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