How To Ensure Your Overseas Trip Is As Safe As Possible

I almost died in Japan. Or at least, it felt a lot like that when I endured a severe case of food poisoning in a hotel room in Tokyo. After calling an American embassy, multiple translators and my parents, I found myself hunched over in a Japanese clinic, desperate to keep any food down.

When you’re overseas and an emergency strikes, such as an illness or a dangerous situation erupting around you, it’s unlikely you’ll be prepared. This week, The New York Times tackled this very problem. If you’re leaving for a trip and want to ensure your safety, it’s important to do as much research as possible.

[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2019/03/do-all-these-things-before-travelling-internationally/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/czchorm14nr4vxyk6mrk.jpg” title=”Do All These Things Before Travelling Internationally ” excerpt=”So you’re finally headed on that overseas vacation that’s been marked on your calendar for months now. Congratulations!”]

Look up travel advisories and register with Smartraveller

Before heading out for that well-earned holiday, first be sure to check on any travel advisories at your destination. You can do this by visiting Smartraveller, which rates countries based on ongoing safety and security risks.

Level one is considered the lowest advisory risk and level four is considered a “do not travel” destination, posing life-threatening risks to visitors. If you’re headed somewhere considered dangerous, it just might be worth it to reconsider your itinerary.

While you’re on the Smartraveller website, also be sure to register your trip with the Australian government. Via the website, you can register your trip dates and receive alerts for travel advisories at your destination. (It’s an easy process that just involves including your contact information.)

In the event of an emergency (even personal emergencies) and if you’re not able to be reached, the nearest embassy or consulate will attempt to contact you through whatever means possible if your loved ones are trying to get in touch.

As The New York Times recommends, you should also look up official government websites and those for local Australian embassies, which often offer advisories for those visiting. In the event of an emergency, you can also contact your closest embassy for assistance.

Buy insurance ahead of time

When you’re heading on a week-long trip, it’s easy to think, “Who really needs insurance anyway?” Well, as we’ve written before, it might be of use if you’re travelling internationally or staying abroad long-term.

Before we dive into insurance itself (which isn’t an enormously fascinating subject, as you might imagine), you should know there are generally two kinds: The basic kind, which covers lost bags or cancelled flights, and the medical kind, which will protect you in the event of illness or emergency.

Without an international health insurance plan, you risk an expensive hospital visit if, say, you’re in the midst of a terrible bout of food poisoning. That said, sometimes your existing healthcare provider may have an insurance policy intended for travelling abroad. Contact your healthcare provider to find out what their travel policy is.

Download tracking apps

If your mum wants to make sure you’ll be perfectly safe overseas, there are a number of apps that track users and send automatic alerts as soon as you’ve arrived at a particular destination.

As The New York Times recommends, both Life360 and Find My Friends share your location with anyone you choose and send alerts. You still have the option to turn off the tracking feature later, so don’t worry about your parents tracking your every move.

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