Health and safety tips for travellers

When travelling there are so many different variables at play. From catching planes and trains to walking around a new city safely, anything can happen at any time. While this is a sobering statement, it’s not meant to scare travellers. 

Rather, being aware of the risks and knowing how to proceed with safety at the forefront means that you can both take steps to avoid putting yourself in harm's way and better navigate certain situations.

Medical tips

Whether you are at home or overseas, accidents can happen. With this in mind, you can keep your health front of mind with these tips:

Food and water safety

At home, drinking tap water and eating ice is second nature. However, in some locations overseas the food and water quality isn’t as good as what you would expect. While a seemingly innocuous activity, drinking and eating contaminated food or water can lead to everything from diarrhoea to dysentery. 

As such, employing food and water safety tips are as simple as eating at reputable restaurants, only drinking bottled water and avoiding eating salads and fruits, unless they can be peeled, like bananas and oranges.

Footwear is important

There is something about being on holiday that causes everyday Aussies to embrace thongs. However, this footwear choice can easily lead to you slipping, tripping or going head over heels when navigating stairs or uneven footpaths. To help you take steps to avoid incidents, wear comfortable and appropriate footwear at all times, your feet and your back will thank you later.

Act your age

On holidays it can be easy to go with the flow and enter into the mindset of being invincible. So, before committing to a new activity, think about your capabilities. If a 15 kilometre hike is beyond you, don’t be afraid to speak up as, when your body is under fatigue, accidents can occur.

If you don’t do it at home, don’t do it abroad

Australia is one of the safest countries in the world, so, if you won’t do something at home, why would you consider doing it abroad? This statement applies whether hiring a moped, looking into sky diving, or booking a scuba diving adventure. 

If you’ve never, for example, ridden a moped or motorbike, doing so for the first time on poor roads with different road rules isn’t necessarily the best decision. If you must take the risk, make sure you have the correct licence for the country you are in, obey all traffic laws and wear a helmet as well as closed shoes and appropriate, protective clothing. For further details, read our travel insurance for motorcycle riding guide.

When considering trying something new it’s important to think of all the different outcomes. If something were to go wrong, consider the financial impact and also the emotional impact of being seriously injured and thousands of miles away from home.

Think before you do

Being on holiday should always be a relaxing adventure. However, this can often lead to people lowering their inhibitions and contemplating things like partying harder than normal, getting tattoos or booking in for an adrenaline inducing activity. 

Before making any commitments, always think before you act. Statistically, overseas countries have far less regulations than Australia so if something were to go wrong, avenues for recourse would be limited. 

If you would still like to get a tattoo at the end of your trip, wait until you get back to Australia where health and safety regulations are more stringent and medical services are readily available.

Stay in control

Everyone wants to go out and party once in a while. However, going overboard while in a different country may put you in harm’s way. If something were to happen and your claim is related to the effects of alcohol or drugs, you may not be covered. 

It’s also important to remember that you can still have a fun time while also holding on to some control.

Visit the doc before jetting off

Different regions have different vaccination requirements. By visiting the doctor before jetting off, you have time to receive a vaccination and for it to take effect. Providing you with the necessary level of protection from insects or viruses.

Read and follow health and safety signage

Another great medical tip is to follow health and safety signage. These signs will be apparent on public transport and at tourist hotspots. These signs have been created to tell you what to do / what not to do and what to eat / what not to eat, so to help you try to avoid incidents, it's best to follow them.

Luggage tips

When packing for a holiday it can be easy to overpack. With this in mind, before packing any items, think about the weight you will be happy to carry through airports, train stations and hotels. Once you have that weight, pack accordingly.

Only pack what you need

By only packing what you need, you can reduce the amount that might be lost, damaged or stolen. You can also reduce the amount of dead weight in a suitcase. So, rather than taking 5 novels and 5 pairs of shoes, only pack what you know you will use. In total, aim for two bags, one large and one carry on. 

Only packing what you need also relates to expensive items and gadgets. The more you have, the more likely you are to forget something, damage it or have it stolen. With this in mind, only take one tablet rather than your laptop as well. Also, try and keep expensive items like handbags and jewellery pieces to a minimum.

Pack a slash-proof bag

Some overseas destinations are known for being a pickpocket and bag snatcher’s paradise. To help keep items safe, consider buying a slash-proof backpack and wearing it on your front or on the shoulder furthest from the road. 

Along with a slash-proof bag, consider using what is known as a dummy wallet. A dummy wallet essentially has a little bit of cash in it that you can offer to a thief, should they approach you. This way, while you may lose something, all your most valuable possessions might still be protected.

Split valuables across bags

When overseas, access to the right currency, your passport and your mobile is essential. To avoid losing everything in one go - whether you accidentally leave your bag somewhere or are the victim of theft - split valuables across all travellers. 

For example, someone might have one portion of cash on their person while the other person has the remaining portion. 

Where you have the ability to safely leave items behind, always do so. If your hotel room has a safe, leave the passports, gadgets like tablets, extra cash and finer pieces of jewellery safely locked away.

Don’t leave your items in a vehicle

Whether stepping out of the car for 10 minutes or overnight, don’t leave your valuables inside. If something were to happen, travel insurance would be unlikely to cover costs relating to fixing damage or finding a replacement, due to exclusions that will usually apply.

Hire a rental car with out of sight storage compartments

When making stops at tourist destinations or your way to the airport or a new city, it’s reasonable to leave your suitcase in the car instead of trekking it through landmarks like the Louvre, for example. For safety and travel insurance measures, store and lock valuables out of plain sight.

Keep your items in sight

Items can be close by one second and gone the next. Most thieves are opportunistic and will seize the moment if a bag is left unattended or you have your back turned in order to consult a map. 

To combat this, always keep your items in sight. You could even tie them to your body with straps to be extra cautious. 

You also want to keep your items in sight when at the airport. To do so, consider keeping valuables in a money belt on your person.

Double check your bags before you leave

There is nothing worse than losing a phone, wallet or other personal item when overseas. Often, you’ve done so much in one day that you don’t quite know where you might have left something. With this in mind, always double check seats, transport options and your accommodation before you leave.

Cancellation tips

Having to cancel a holiday is one of the worst things in the world. To avoid this kind of disappointment as best you can, plan an easy few weeks in the lead up to your departure date.

Play it safe before going on holiday

Playing it safe before going on a holiday doesn’t mean wrapping yourself up in cotton wool and never leaving the house. Rather, it’s all about taking considered steps. This means avoiding adventurous activities where you could fall and break a bone. It also means trying to avoid illnesses. This way, you can decrease your chances of having to cancel your plans.

Delay tips

While on holidays, time can feel a bit more lenient. However, this mindset isn’t very helpful when it comes to catching different modes of transport. To ensure that you don’t let delays derail your trip, there are a few tips you can employ.

Allow time to catch connections

When booking connecting flights or other modes of transport, it can be easy to assume that everything will go to plan. However, one simple delay can throw your plans into chaos. With this in mind, make sure to leave at least a couple of hours between connecting flights, this way, a delay in boarding the original flight won’t cause you to stress the whole time about missing your connection.

Minimise the number of things you have to do while on holidays

While catching different planes, trains and other modes of transport, as well as constantly moving hotels is sometimes necessary, you want to limit movement as much as possible. Each time you embark on a new adventure, the greater the risk of something going wrong.

Set reasonable alarms on travel days

Missing a mode of transport can be both a waste of time and money. To ensure that you are awake, dressed, hydrated and fed before the train leaves the station or the bus leaves the hotel lobby, set alarms on multiple devices and make sure to leave yourself plenty of time to get ready.

Safety tips

Whether travelling in a pair, in a group or by yourself, there are some safety tips you should adhere to. This way, you can be aware of your surroundings, and the best way to behave in order to keep elements of safety at the fore.

Get the right licence

One of the top tips for remaining safe while travelling is to have the right licence if you plan to hire a car. In some destinations, you may need an international driving permit and a local licence. To ensure you are doing the right thing on the road, look into what documentation you will need for your destination.

Obey road rules

Obeying the road rules is important for those planning to drive and for those who will just be pedestrians during their overseas adventure. This is because cars will be travelling at different speeds and generally, coming from different directions than when in Australia. By obeying the road rules, you can make sure that your journey is a safe one.

Wear a seatbelt

In Australia it can be easy to take seat belts for granted. They are commonplace in cars and on other modes of transport such as planes and buses. Overseas, there are relaxed road rules so wearing a seatbelt is a must. If the transport vessel doesn’t have a seatbelt, ask for one or seek alternative transport.

Keep travel details to yourself

While you want to assume that the world is a great place, there are some people who do not have the best intentions. With this in mind, to help protect your safety, be very selective about what travel plans you share. Don’t tell people the room number you are in at a hotel or the train you intend on catching- whether the departure be in the morning or the night.

Try not to travel at night

When travelling to or between destinations, try not to do so at night. This is because things look a little different in the night and also, common scams and incidents are more prevalent in the dark. 

Practice hotel safety

Whether travelling alone or with others, exhibiting hotel safety is always a good idea. This can be done by always locking the door and placing the chain securely, if there is one. Also, if you intend to meet up with a group of people, do so in the lobby. Do not let them come up to your room and see where you are staying / the valuables you might have in there. 

Wear respectable clothing

In countries where the local laws and customs dictate what is and isn’t deemed respectable clothing, it’s important to adhere to these guidelines, especially if you are a woman travelling alone.

Be cautious on public WiFi

Public WiFi is a huge help when it comes to quickly pulling up maps or sending a check in message to loved ones. However, you should always proceed with caution when connected to a public network as hackers can easily access data such as credit card numbers. If you must check your banking information, set up a virtual private network (VPN) first.

Be aware of common scams

Each country has some common scams to look out for. To know what signs to look out for, undertake some research. This way, you will know how to get yourself out of a potentially dangerous situation. 

Common scams include locals posing as police officers asking to check your money to see if it is counterfeit. Another scam is someone pretending to be a tour guide wanting to show you hidden gems of the city. You should also look out for people slipping substances into food and drinks.

Staying safe while travelling

Holidays are synonymous with travelling and travelling means a whole lot of excitement, energy and fun. But despite our best efforts, travel plans can go haywire. Sometimes the simplest of setbacks can have a disastrous effect on your overall holiday, turning what was supposed to be a relaxing and well-earned break into a stressful situation.

Planning and taking the necessary precautions for a holiday may seem like a tedious task, but it can help to ensure that the relaxing or exciting holiday that you planned, actually is!