Travel Safety Tips to Prevent Problems

Advice to travellers from the department of state and the FCDO

You’ll then need to decide how far you’re prepared to go based on the potential risks.

For Americans:

• “Exercise Normal Precaution” areas don’t pose a problem.
• You can visit “Exercise Increased Caution” areas, but take precautions.
• It’s not advised to go to “Reconsider Travel” areas, but some travellers still go to them. In this case, you have to understand that there’s a higher risk involved so you should be more careful.
• “Do Not Travel” areas are strictly not advised, only some hardcore travellers go to them.
• The colour-coded map provides more detailed information on each country, showing “Higher Security Risk” areas.

For Brits:

• “No travel restrictions” areas are safe and there is no problem visiting them.
• “All but essential travel” areas should be avoided unless you have an urgent commitment you need to attend to.
• “Against all travel” areas must be avoided as the risk of danger is unacceptably high.

Reading the travel advice on these pages can be quite worrying. Indeed, even for countries that seem safe, the website often highlights threatening risks. However, you should bear in mind that its aim is to identify, as comprehensively as possible, all the potential dangers linked to each country. Therefore, take it with a pinch of salt.

Similar services are available for other English-speaking countries:

• Canada
• Australia
• New Zealand
• Ireland

Travel registration

Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free and voluntary service from the US Department of State that allows you to record information about your trip abroad that can be used to contact you, and provide assistance, in an emergency. Once you’ve registered on their website:

• You’ll receive security updates for the country you’re in via email.
• They’ll contact you in an emergency (natural disaster, terrorism, civil unrest…).
• They’ll help family and friends get in touch with you in an emergency.

Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland also offer similar services for their citizens.

The UK closed its ”Locate” service in 2013. For British citizens travelling abroad, it’s a good idea to regularly check the FCDO travel advice to stay informed. You can even subscribe to email alerts, and follow FCDO Travel on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates.

How can the consulate support you?

In the event of a problem, US and UK citizens can count on consulates in most countries to help them get through it. They can:

• Give you a pass so that you can return home or issue you a new passport (in this case, you’ll have to wait for a little bit in the country).
• Help your close ones send you money.
• Notify local authorities that you’re under consular protection if you’re arrested, ask for the reasons behind your arrest, let your family know, arrange visits, check your prison conditions and offer you a lawyer.
• Put you in contact with a qualified doctor.
• Let your family know in the case of a serious accident and help them to organise your hospitalisation or repatriation.
• Let your family know in the event of death and help them to organise the repatriation or burial.
• Give you addresses of administrations, lawyers, interpreters… to help you with local authorities, should there be a problem.

However, consulates can’t:

• Repatriate you for free, aside from exceptionally serious circumstances (in this case, you’ll have to reimburse the government later on).
• Offer you an unsecured loan to pay for a hospital bill, a fine…
• Intervene in court proceedings to set you free if you’ve committed a crime in the country.
• Play the role of your insurance, bank or travel agency.
• Ensure your consular protection if you’re also a national of the host country.

Therefore, it’s essential to have enough money in your account to be able to face a potential hard blow and, of course, take out travel insurance. See our travel insurance comparison

You can find out more information about the role of consulates on the following websites: Diplomacy.State.Gov for US nationals and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for UK nationals.

You can also look up embassies and consulates by destination for American, British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealanders and Irish citizens abroad.

We carried out a big study between 14th and 16th November 2017, amongst 530 RTW travellers. We asked them if they’d been a victim of accidents, theft and / or assault during their trip. We’ll refer to this a lot in this article. Find out more about our Methodology here

Breakdown of responses by country

Aside from illnesses we talk about in our article on travel health and vaccines, accidents are the main reason why RTW travellers use their travel insurance. This is a risk that is too often underestimated by travellers. About three quarters of these accidents are road traffic accidents. Most other accidents happen during sports activities: trekking, horse riding, diving, skiing…

Global road accident risk map

Source: Wikipedia, road accident mortality rates per 100,000 inhabitants per year (data World Health Organization between 2013 to 2016)

Our survey

Motorbikes / Scooters

On a RTW trip, motorbikes and scooters are by far the leading cause of injury. In Southeast Asia, motorbikes and scooters are the main means of transport. Many travellers rent them to get around freely in cities and in the countryside. Lots of them, who aren’t used to doing it at home, fall and injure themselves, sometimes quite badly.

Our advice

• Practice riding a motorbike at home before you go on your trip.
• If you’re not used to motorbikes, go for an automatic model, they’re easier to handle than a manual model.
• Check the condition of your motorbike / scooter. Test its brakes.
• Avoid riding on wet or sandy roads. If you do, at least ride slowly.
• Don’t ride in shorts or flip-flops. Make sure you wear trousers, closed shoes and a helmet, even if it’s hot.
• If your helmet doesn’t have a visor, wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from dust and insects.

• Even if you’re abroad, respect the Highway Code as if you were at home.
• Turn your head to look for blind spots, on each side, and use your mirrors.
• In lots of countries, the horn acts as an indicator or an overtaking warning. People don’t necessarily have a rearview mirror and, when they do, they don’t always use it. So, be attentive and give a little blast of the horn when you’re overtaking.
• Don’t drive after excessive drinking.
• If there’s a problem, don’t overreact, turn or brake gently.

Bus

The second leading cause of accidents is buses. Most of the time, these aren’t very serious accidents, and they’re mostly in minibuses / vans. The drivers of these vehicles are sometimes forced to work long hours to earn a living and often drive when they’re tired, or even drunk. Long-distance buses are usually safer.

Our advice

• If the driver seems drunk or extremely tired, wait for the next bus or take another means of transport.
• Many bus accidents happen in rainy weather on bad roads. If the weather conditions are really bad, think about rescheduling your journey.

• Fasten your seatbelt if there is one, but that’s pretty rare.
• Other than that, there isn’t much else you can do, you’ll have to travel on buses with drivers who go too fast and overtake in any old way, you’ll have to get used to it. And remember, try not to look at the road too much 😉

RTW travellers who travel in Asia, Africa or Latin America often go with all the gear (camera, smartphone, laptop…) which amounts to many months’ salary in lots of countries. Not only can this attract the locals’ attention, but also that of other travellers.

Our survey

The rates are also significantly higher than those recorded by the Office for National Statistics’s (ONS) Telephone-operated Crime Survey for England and Wales (TCSEW). In this survey, 8.6% of the respondents aged 18 and above reported being a victim of theft in England and Wales between May 2020 and March 2021.

However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that England and Wales are safer because, when we travel, we visit much more touristy areas which are full of pickpockets.

Our advice

• Don’t flash your valuables around: camera, jewellery, phone, wallet full of cash…
• In general, thieves are less interested in backpackers who travel light.
• Never leave your luggage unattended in public places (train stations, airports, markets…).
• Keep your wallet in your front pocket or use a money belt.
• On buses, keep your valuables with you, in a closed backpack, between your legs and avoid getting them out during the journey.
• On buses, if you get off for a break, take your bag with you.
• During the day, take as little with you as possible and leave your valuables, bank cards and passport in a closed locker or a well-hidden spot in your room.

• Always lock your bedroom door and don’t leave anything lying around in hotels / hostels.
• Watch out for distraction techniques that divert your attention away from an accomplice who might steal your bag: arguments, fallen coins or objects, sauce stains on your clothes…
• In outside seating areas, keep your bag in sight and tie one of its straps to a chair leg.
• Always double check the change given back to you.
• If you rent a scooter, don’t leave anything in the storage box and keep your helmet with you.
• If you have your own vehicle, don’t leave anything visible inside and ideally park it in monitored areas.
• Keep a copy of your passport, insurance number and the numbers to call to cancel your bank cards, both online and in hard copy.

What to do if you’re a victim of theft

• Cancel your bank cards if they’ve been stolen.
• List what has been stolen from you.
• If the value of the stolen item(s) is significant, file a complaint with the police.

• Contact your travel insurance to get reimbursed and possibly request a cash advance.
• If your ID documents have been stolen, contact your consulate.
• Find out more information on the Travel.State.Gov and GOV.UK website.

You’ll meet lots of new people on your trip. The majority of them will be friendly. Even though there’s a real risk of being assaulted whilst travelling, you mustn’t let the fear of this stop you.

If you’re aware that this risk exists and you accept from the outset that you might get assaulted during your RTW trip, you can still make the most of it by simply taking the necessary precautions and not worrying too much.

The possibility of being assaulted with a weapon, or even without, is cause for concern. But, in reality, while assault in some cases can be quite a traumatic experience, usually no one gets hurt.

Attackers very rarely act for the pleasure of physical violence. They mostly use threats and intimidation to steal something from travellers.

Global homicide risk map

Our survey

These rates are distinctly higher than those recorded by the ONS’ TCSEW, in which 1.8% of the survey respondents aged 18 and above reported being a victim of violence (including all kinds) from May 2020 to March 2021. In the same survey, the percentage of theft from a person was at 0.5%.

Once again, these figures don’t necessarily mean that England and Wales are safer, because we spend a lot more time in the street when travelling.

Our advice

• Find out about your destination by reading travel guides and asking your hotel and fellow travellers about the area.
• When you go out on your own, let someone you trust know about your whereabouts.
• Don’t flash your valuables around: camera, jewellery, phone, wallet full of cash…
• Avoid going out on foot after dark in big cities. If you have to do it, avoid parks, poorly lit areas and the outskirts of train stations. Stay on busy, main roads.
• Take a taxi in areas that are known to be dangerous, even for short distances.
• Only take official taxis.
• Rent or buy a bike or a scooter, you’ll be less vulnerable than being on foot.
• Don’t arrive at nighttime in a new city without having booked accommodation.

• Look confident and avoid looking lost in the street.
• If you go out in the evening, never come home alone, especially if you’ve been drinking.
• Avoid behaviour and words which might be seen as insulting and which could cause conflict, as this could easily lead to an actual assault. Learn about the local culture. What might seem normal in our culture isn’t necessarily the same in another.
• If the fear of being assaulted is really an obstacle for you, think about taking some self-defence classes before leaving. They’ll not only teach you fighting techniques, but also the way to handle tense situations and to avoid confrontation with your behaviour and words. It’s also a great way to gain more self-confidence and therefore be perceived as less of a target.

What to do if you’ve been assaulted

• Don’t resist. The value of what your attackers will take from you is nothing compared to the value of your life.
• If you’re injured, call for help, ask someone to do it, or go to a doctor or hospital.
• Seek comfort from people around you that you trust and call your family.
• Cancel your bank cards and change your passwords if your phone has been stolen.

• You can file a complaint with the police (essential if you want to be reimbursed by your insurance).
• If you need support, contact your country’s consulate.
• Contact your travel insurance to get reimbursed for what was stolen from you.
• Know that what happened wasn’t your fault and don’t dwell on the situation by constantly asking yourself, “And what if I’d done this instead of that?”.
• Find out more information on the Travel.State.Gov and GOV.UK website.

In more than 80% of rape cases, the victims knew their attacker well. When your travelling, you’re far away from these people, therefore there’s a lower chance that you’ll be a victim of this.

But sexual assault doesn’t just concern rape. When travelling, sexual assault mostly involves touching the thighs, breasts or bottom whilst on transport and in the street. Sometimes, but this is rare, it involves non-consensual kissing or voyeurism.

Our survey

Are travellers around the world more often sexually assaulted?

Our advice

All of the above tips for avoiding assault can also apply to preventing sexual assault. We can also add the following advice:

• Some countries have conservative dress codes. Really learn about the culture of the countries you’re going to visit and adapt your outfit to avoid standing out.
• Don’t drink excessively and don’t take drugs which could disorientate you.
• In public places, carry your drink at all times to avoid date-rape drugs.
• Take your time to get to know someone before going back to their place alone.
• Don’t share a bed with someone you don’t know well yet, for example, when couchsurfing.
• Don’t rise to remarks or wolf whistles and catcalls in the street.
• If someone oversteps the mark, don’t be afraid to say no in an assertive manner. Saying nothing can wrongly be seen as agreeing.

In the event of harassment or attempted sexual assault:

• Be firm, look the attacker in the eyes and tell them, loud and clear, to stop. For example, “That is not okay” or “Don’t speak to me like that”. This will attract attention from people around you.
• Don’t engage in conversation. It can be tempting to get into a verbal war with the abuser, but this isn’t advised. The attention you give them could encourage them to carry on with their abusive behaviour.
• Keep moving. Once you’ve told them to stop, continue walking to a place where there’ll be lots of people. They don’t deserve the pleasure of your company.

What to do if you’ve been sexually assaulted

• The first thing to do is to go to a place where you feel safe.
• If it’s a serious assault, immediately contact your consulate.
• If it’s a serious assault, see a doctor. Try not to wash or change your clothes as this may destroy forensic evidence that could help identify the perpetrator.
• You can file a complaint with the police.

• Seek comfort from people around you that you trust and call your family.
• Your consulate will be able to direct you towards a psychologist. In the UK, sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) provide help to victims. You can find their phone numbers on this list.
• Know that what happened wasn’t your fault.
• Find out more information on the Travel.State.Gov and GOV.UK website.

In some countries, cannabis is very easy to get. But that doesn’t mean that you can casually smoke it. Just because it’s easy to find doesn’t mean that buying and smoking it in public isn’t looked down upon by locals. Above all, the fact that it’s easy to find doesn’t mean that it’s not illegal.

Drug use, even of those which are considered soft drugs at home, is sometimes severely punished. Find out about the drug laws in the countries you visit before consuming them. Sometimes travellers have problems with the local police because of drugs.

If you’re arrested for possession of an illegal substance, you could face severe prison sentences. See the map of the legality of cannabis around the world on Wikipedia.

There are organised scams in which someone sells you drugs then you get inspected by a cop (in cahoots with the drug dealer) right after and have to pay a very big bribe to avoid ending up in prison.

Also be careful at border crossings (land and airports), particularly in Latin America. To prevent someone from unknowingly planting drugs in your luggage, never leave your bags unattended and never agree to carry something for someone who you don’t trust 100%.

In Nepal, cannabis grows XXL in the wild

Also be cautious with “local” drugs, like ayahuasca in the Amazon, around which a real tourism of shamanism has been established. What’s more, the increase in use threatens the existence of plants used in the ingredients, and destabilises local communities. Here’s a particularly good article on the subject.

Injuries or diseases caused by animals are quite rare when travelling. Only 7% of RTW travellers had health problems (mostly minor) caused by animals on their trip. When we talk about dangerous animals, we imagine having to defend ourselves against a ferocious Bengal tiger or a bloodthirsty white shark. In reality, the animals that really threaten humans aren’t so impressive.

Source: Bill Gates on Twitter

Mosquitos

The most dangerous animal to travellers is the mosquito. It’s bites are responsible for the transmission of many tropical diseases: dengue fever, malaria, zika virus, chikungunya fever, yellow fever…, not to mention the other infections involved when there are several bites and when we scratch them all the time.

Our advice

• Use mosquito repellent.
• In higher risk areas, use a mosquito net.
• In the evening, wear a long-sleeve top and trousers.
• See our article on travel health and vaccines

Snakes

Snakes claim a lot of lives in tropical countries, but travellers don’t usually encounter them. Amongst the survey respondents, no one was bitten by a snake during their RTW trip.

Contrary to popular belief, not a single snake species is able to kill a human in a matter of minutes. Snakebites, even the most poisonous, are not fatal, provided that they are treated quickly.

Our advice

To prevent snakebites:

• Make noise while walking.
• Wear closed shoes and trousers when you walk in tall grass.
• Check your sleeping bag, clothes and shoes before using them.
• Don’t put your hands in holes or under rocks.

Venom extractor pumps suck out venom in the case of toxic bites and stings. But, we don’t really recommend taking them, as the risk of being bitten is very low and their effectiveness is questioned.

In the case of bites:

• Call the emergency services.
• To avoid the venom spreading, don’t shake.
• Take off rings, watches and shoes that could put pressure on the bitten area.
• Disinfect the wound.
• Try to remember what the snake looked like.
• If you’re in pain, only take paracetamol, not aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs which thin the blood.
• Don’t apply a tourniquet, don’t compress the wound, don’t suck the wound, don’t put ice or cream on the wound.
• See more information on the MedlinePlus and NHS websites.

Dogs

In some countries, lots of stray dogs live in the streets. Most of them are very friendly, but some can sometimes be aggressive. According to the World Health Organisation, dog bites account for 50% of injuries inflicted by animals on travellers.

Beyond injury, the main risk is the transmission of rabies. Even if you’re vaccinated, you still need to be treated for a bite, but less doses of the vaccine are required. Once the patient shows signs, there’s no effective treatment for rabies, death is certain.

Our advice

To prevent bites:

• Don’t play with dogs, particularly if they’re eating, sleeping or with their puppies.
• If a dog approaches you, don’t move, don’t make a noise and avoid catching their eye.
• Don’t feed them.

In the case of bites:

• Rinse the wound thoroughly for 15 minutes with soap.
• See a doctor right away to get a series of post-exposure vaccine doses before the rabies breaks out. The incubation period is usually 2 to 8 weeks.
• See our article on travel health and vaccines

Monkeys

Monkeys don’t only live in the forest. In tropical countries, you also come across them a lot in cities. Like dogs, they can carry rabies.

Our advice

• Close your bag so that grabbable objects don’t stick out: camera strap, water bottle…
• If a monkey gets hold of one of your objects, don’t try to get it back.
• Don’t feed them.
• Don’t smile at them, because showing your teeth is a sign of aggression for them.
• Don’t take photos with them.
• If you’re bitten, follow the same advice for dogs.

Note: Also try to avoid sitting under a tree full of monkeys. They might want to relieve themselves on your head (a real-life experience in India, it doesn’t smell good!).

The aim of terrorism is to spread fear and often it works. As soon as a country is the victim of a terrorist act, the number of tourists drastically drops, even in wealthy cities like New York or London.

This isn’t rational behaviour, because the probability of being the victim of an attack remains infinitely lower than the probability of being involved in, for example, a road accident.

However, TV footage that is shown on repeat has such a powerful impact that it manages to convince people that the country isn’t safe.

War zones or areas with severe levels of terrorism like in Afghanistan, Syria or the Sahel in Africa, where the risk is, on the other hand, very real, are formally advised against by the Department of State and the FCDO. Therefore, you probably won’t visit them.

Global terrorism risk map

Source: Wikipedia, Global Terrorism Index and visionofhumanity.org, data from Institute for Economics & Peace 2021

Our survey

No one from our survey has been injured during an act of war or terrorism, nor have they witnessed one.

Our advice

Outside of areas advised against by the Department of State and the FCDO, from our point of view, the risk of terrorism isn’t really important when choosing your destinations for a RTW trip.

This includes earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, landslides, volcanic eruptions, cyclones…

These events are generally very destructive and can claim a lot of lives, but they ultimately represent a tiny amount of the injuries inflicted on travellers.

Global natural disaster risk map

Source: Wikipedia, World Risk Index, data 2016

Our survey

Amongst the survey respondents, a few travellers have experienced earthquakes, cyclones or roadblocks from landslides, but no one was injured.

Our advice

The majority of natural disasters are unpredictable. Therefore, there’s not much you can do to protect yourself from them. In our opinion, this isn’t a major risk criterion for the countries you decide to visit during your RTW trip.

However, if you travel in the Caribbean or in Asia, avoid the cyclone season as much as possible, and the rainy season in all the countries that you’ll visit.