If you are looking to travel independently without your parents or guardians, there are several things that you may need to consider first to stay safe and fully enjoy your trip away!
- Travel Insurance – the NHS is unique to the UK, if you go abroad and need health care you may be asked to pay (and this can be very expensive!). If you buy travel insurance before you go, the small cost you pay before hand could prevent you from forking out hundreds of pounds in the long run! If you are travelling in Europe you will also need to register for a free EHIC card.
- Know emergency numbers – if you find yourself in an emergency situation abroad, its worth knowing the emergency phone numbers off by heart. It’s the last thing you want to do, but in an emergency it could save yours or someone else’s life (e.g. Europe – 112, USA & Canada 911).
- Keep personal possessions safe – Keeping your passport safe is vital, never hand your passport to anyone you don’t trust. Hotels abroad often scan/photocopy passports but should always hand them back to you. Even if you feel safe, criminals and pick pockets often target young travellers. Be vigilant about strangers who seemingly ‘bump’ into you. Ensure you keep money separated in different locations (e.g. some in a wallet, some rolled up in a small container in your bag, some in your hotel safe etc).
- Ensure someone knows where you are or likely to be – as tempting as it can be to take yourself off from the main group when you’re travelling in a group friends or even if you’re travelling solo; it is important to tell others where you are, or likely to be, in case anything happens. Hotel or hostel receptions are also useful for this tell them your plans for the day, the staff will speak the language of that country and can be helpful if you are lost or struggle to get back to safety.
LGBTQIA+
If you are part of the LGBTQIA+ community consider that a lot of countries are still prejudice towards non-heterosexual relationships and in some countries is illegal. However there are plenty of safe destinations, you should consider researching before travelling.