Tips for Traveling Abroad

For detailed information about steps you can take to ensure a safe trip, see How to Have a Safe Trip. Meanwhile, here are some quick tips to make your travel easier and safer:

Sign passport, and fill in the emergency information: Make sure you have a signed, valid passport, and a visa, if required, and fill in the emergency information page of your passport.

Leave copies of itinerary and passport data page: Leave copies of your itinerary, passport data page and visas with family or friends, so you can be contacted in case of an emergency.

Check your overseas medical insurance coverage: Ask your medical insurance company if your policy applies overseas, and if it covers emergency expenses such as medical evacuation. If it does not, consider supplemental insurance.

Familiarize yourself with local conditions and laws: While in a foreign country, you are subject to its laws.

Take precautions to avoid being a target of crime: To avoid being a target of crime, do not wear conspicuous clothing or jewelry and do not carry excessive amounts of money. Also, do not leave unattended luggage in public areas and do not accept packages from strangers.

Top Tips For Safe Travel

You are more likely to get into trouble at home than travelling abroad if you follow these common sense travel tips:

Go lightly

Always travel light if possible. You will be much less vulnerable if you are not weighed down with a lot of luggage. You will be less tired and less likely to set your luggage down, leaving it unattended.
Don’t bring anything you would hate to lose, such as expensive jewelry and unnecessary credit cards.
Plan ahead

When you leave Canada, you are subject to the laws of the country you are visiting. You can be arrested overseas for actions that may be either legal or considered minor infractions in Canada. Plan ahead and learn as much as you can about the local laws, customs and entry conditions of the places you plan to visit.
Check to see if there is a Travel Warning in effect for your proposed destination.
Don’t forget your passport

Obtain a valid Canadian passport and the appropriete visas for every country on your itinerary. Make sure you understand the terms of each visa to avoid being arrested for violating visa conditions in some countries.
Get travel insurance

Find out if your personal insurance covers you for loss or theft abroad. Get travel insurance to cover health costs if you get ill or injured while abroad. Hospital costs can quickly get into the tens of thousands of dollars, even for minor injuries.
Safe accommodations

Safety experts recommend booking your hotel room from the second to seventh floors above ground level – high enough to deter easy entry from outside, but low enough for fire equipment to reach.
Do not leave valuables in your hotel room. Use the hotel safe.
Keep your hotel door locked at all times.
Know the safety instructions and find out where the nearest fire exits are located. Count the doors between your room and the nearest exit; this could save your life if you have to crawl through a smoke-filled corridor.
Ask hotel staff for safety tips.
Safe transportation

There is a reason your travel insurance policy does not cover motorbike accidents. You should think twice before riding a scooter in a foreign country!
Use only legal and reputable taxis. Ask your hotel to recommend taxi services.
When renting a car, make sure it is in good repair. Air conditioning will allow you to drive with your windows up, avoiding thieves that snatch purses through open windows of moving cars.
Common sense will tell you to keep your doors locked at all times and to wear your seat belt.
Do not leave valuables in your car. Only park in well-lit areas.
Never pick up hitchhikers.

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