Safe travel: Before you go

While you can't always prevent the world going pear-shaped, you can be well-prepared for when it does. Here at Travel Insurance Direct we really want you to have a great time on your trip and would prefer to help you stay out of trouble so here are the essential things to do before you leave home to help you stay safe and healthy while you are away.

Passport

Make sure your passport is current for at least six months after you intend to return from your travels and has enough blank pages for the stamps you'll accrue. Any necessary visas will need to be applied for and inserted into your passport before you leave. Contact the embassies or consulates of the countries you are visiting to find out if you require a visa, remembering you may also need a visa for any countries that are transit stops.

Money

The golden rule of travel money is: never rely on just one form of funds. Depending on where you're travelling, it's a good idea to take a combination of travellers cheques, local currency and credit cards. Most countries now have ATMs that dispense local currency to foreign cardholders but beware of bank fees associated with credit card transactions overseas and withdrawing cash from foreign ATMs and check this with your bank before departing. Also check the expiry date on your card and that it will be accepted where you're going.

Tip: Empty out any unnecessary cards from your wallet or purse before you go - that way there's less bulge to attract thieves and less to lose.

Travellers cheques are available in most major currencies (US Dollars, Euros and Pound Sterling) and in a variety of denominations. Make sure to sign the top left corner of each cheque as soon as you receive them. This ensures that if they fall into someone else's hands, the cheques cannot be spent (unless that person also gets hold of your ID and learns to forge your signature!) Keep a record of the cheque numbers that have been issued to you, and the emergency contact details of your provider to report lost or stolen cheques.

Tarry some US Dollars cash as this is the most universally accepted currency. It's a good idea to have a few dollars in the local currency before you arrive so you can catch a bus or taxi and not be forced to change money at the airport or border.

Health

Make sure you're up to date with standard immunisations like tetanus, diphtheria, polio, measles and rubella. Check with your GP or specialist travellers medical centre for any additional vaccinations or medications required for your destination. Seek advice at least six weeks before your departure, since some vaccinations don't take effect for several weeks and/or require a series of injections.

Find out if you'll be travelling through a malarial area and ensure you have the correct anti-malarial medication for the particular region (this varies according to the destination and the mozzies' resistance levels).

When traveling with prescription medication, carry it in your hand luggage, along with a copy of the prescription and a letter from your doctor. The letter should include the name of the medicine, the dosage, how much you need to travel with, and state that the medicine is for your personal use. Also remember your optical prescription if you wear prescription glasses.

Some drugs, particularly those classified as drugs of addiction (like ones containing codeine or strong painkillers) should not be transported into another country, even if you have a legal prescription for them. Check with the consulate of the country your are visiting to see if your drugs are considered legal. If they are not, you will need to travel with a customs clearance from the country concerned.

If you take medication that is administered by self-injection, you should also check with the embassy or consulate of the country you are visiting to make sure you can travel with your own needles or syringes. Also inform your airline that you will be traveling with these medical items and arrange a letter from your doctor explaining why you need to carry them. If you buy needles or syringes while overseas, ensure the packs are sterile and properly sealed.

Don't forget to get a dental check up before you leave as well!

Useful resources online

The Travel Doctor
UK Department of Health traveller advice
Hospital for Tropical Diseases, UK
World Health Organisation

First Aid kit

It's wise to always travel with a small, personal medical kit. This list can be expanded depending on where you are going and what your doctor advises, but the basics should include:
» Antiseptic creme/lotion
» sunscreen
» headache tablets
» band-aids/gauze
» small scissors/tweezers
» any antibiotics or prescription drugs (with a letter from your doctor)
» crepe bandage
» contraceptives
» anti-diarrhoea tablets and laxatives (for changes in diet and water quality)
» fluid and electrolyte replacement medications (eg. Gastrolyte, a water-soluble powder)
» antihistamines
» water purification tablets

Luggage

Be sure you pack your own bag and that you are certain of its contents when you're crossing borders, catching flights or passing through Customs. Never ever carry anything for anyone else. Everyone's heard stories about drugs that were 'planted' in some unsuspecting traveller's luggage. But you also need to be aware of particular countries' quarantine laws and be sure you're not importing illegal substances - which could be as innocent as fruit or wood carvings, or as sinister as the body parts of endangered animals.

Take a sturdy bag that's not easily tampered with and keep it securely locked. If you are travelling to the United States, make sure your lock is in accordance with their specific airline baggage lock requirements. Information is available from the US Department of Homeland Security's web site: www.dhs.gov

Communications

If you are away for more than a few days, agree to a 'keep in touch' plan with friends and family so that they know where you are and can raise the alarm if you don't turn up as expected. Leave them a copy of your itinerary including details of where and when they can contact you. You can also register online with DFAT at www.smartraveller.gov.au to facilitate contacting you in an emergency.

Numbers and records to keep with you

It's always a good idea to have the following written down somewhere and kept in safe place away from your main belongings and try to leave a copy of these with a friend or relative at home in case of emergency.

» Your passport and visa details - travel with photocopies of the personal information page/s of your passport as well as photo copies of any visas. Take a couple of spare passport photos and an alternative photo ID as well.
» A copy of your travel insurance direct policy certificate
» Contact details of your country's consulate in the countries you are visiting
» Contact details for the company that issued your travellers cheques and credit card/debit card (to cancel it if necessary), as well as a record of the cheque number and denomination of all of your travellers cheques
» Health care provider details, such as your regular doctor or pharmacist (if you are travelling with medication or required injections for your trip).
» Details of your next of kin or the persons to contact in an emergency.