Despite what we hear in the news about other countries, travelling abroad is generally safe so long as you take a few important precautions. Here are a few ways to keep your family happy and healthy when exploring another country.
Pack a first aid kit
Small injuries are common on holiday. For this reason, it’s often worth bringing a first aid kit with some plasters and bandages in it. Consider also bringing some basic medication such as painkillers, anti-diarrheal meds, travel sickness pills and potentially any allergy medicine that may be needed. There may also be prescription medicine that needs to be taken with you – make sure that bring enough of this to last the whole trip and take some prescription documentation just in case you lose this medication and need to visit a pharmacy. Be wary that that you may not be able to take all medication on a flight with you in the hand luggage (emergency medication is generally okay, but you’re best getting a note from your doctor).
Take out travel insurance
In the unfortunate case that you may need to go to a hospital and seek treatment, it’s worth having medical cover. Many travel insurers will provide this medical cover along with cover for flight cancellations and baggage loss. Make sure to shop around to find the best cover for your budget and print off your insurance documents to take with you just in case you need to supply them as proof. There are travel insurance bundles that can cover your entire family often for a discounted rate as opposed to getting individual schemes.
Consider vaccinations
When travelling to certain countries, medical professionals may advise that you get vaccinated against certain diseases. This is something that you should budget for as it can be expensive. Vaccinations also need to be done in stages over a period of weeks, so you’ll need to leave enough time before you set off to travel. You local doctor surgery may be able to provide these jabs – if not you can always search around online for clinics that offer vaccinations.
Look into local emergency services
In case you need to call an ambulance, it’s worth knowing the local emergency contact number. In more remote locations, you may want to research into international air ambulance services. Hopefully, you’ll never have to use this emergency contact information, but it’s useful to have.
Pay attention to travel warnings
Whilst few countries have restricted air access, you may still want to look out for travel warnings before jetting off to certain countries. Political unrest or natural disasters could make it potentially dangerous to travel to that country. You’re best trusting official warnings issued by the government. Be aware that only certain areas may be affected and you may still be able to travel to your destination without being in any danger.