Safety Tips for the Healthy Traveler

Planning a vacation abroad? Traveling is always an adventure, but adventures aren’t always safe. Read on for some simple, actionable advice to stay well and avoid danger as you explore our wonderful world.

Before You Travel

Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are all generally safe from a health standpoint. You can count on potable water, first-world sanitation practices and modern medicine. Whether you’re headed for Austria or the Amazon, be sure to:

• Check vaccines and requirements. If you’re visiting exotic climes, get guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and see a travel medicine specialist for vaccines or preventive medications.
• Pack a personal health kit including pain relievers, antihistamines, motion sickness medication, bandages and any prescription medications.
• Bring enough medicine, in the original packaging, for your whole trip. Keep medication in your carry-on bag and be sure to alert TSA if you have liquid medication that exceeds the standard 3.4-ounce limit. (Note that medication is generally exempt from the liquid amount restrictions.)
• Consider getting travel insurance to cover medical emergencies, property loss and cancellations. If you are going somewhere remote, make sure your plan covers emergency evacuation.

Stay Well as You Wander

Staying healthy while traveling takes a combination of common sense and careful planning to ensure you are prepared.

• Emergency preparedness. Learn the local emergency number—it’s probably not 911! Know where the nearest hospital is and keep a list of allergies and medical conditions, ideally in the local language, on your person.
• Food. Avoid raw or undercooked meat and only eat food that’s freshly cooked. If you must eat street food, make sure it’s hot and prepared in front of you. Ask your doctor if you should take a Pepto-Bismol pill before every meal to prevent traveler’s diarrhea.
• Water. Use bottled or properly filtered water where tap water isn’t safe. Brush your teeth with bottled water and avoid ice. Coffee or tea is risky unless you know the water has been boiled.
• Pathogens. Wash your hands frequently and carry sanitizer. Avoid touching your face, especially in crowded situations. Use insect repellent—many tropical diseases are mosquito-borne.
• Environmental dangers. Slather on the sunscreen, wear hats and sunglasses and avoid peak sun hours. Stay hydrated, especially in hot weather and high altitudes. Adjust gradually to altitude to avoid altitude sickness—talk to your doctor about how to achieve this. If you have respiratory issues, be mindful of local air quality.
• Preventing blood clots. Staying immobilized for a long period of time, such as on a plane or road trip, can lead to blood clots. Be sure to stretch, get up and walk, and stay hydrated. If you can’t get up that often, flex and point your feet repeatedly to encourage circulation. Wear compression socks if you are at higher risk for clots.
• Once you get home. If you don’t feel well, especially if you have a fever or unusual symptoms, see a doctor and detail your travel history.

Dangerous Humans

Crime happens everywhere, including right here at home. Always trust your instincts—if something doesn’t feel right, it just might not be. Here are some tips to help you keep from getting mugged or robbed:

• Do your research. Check government travel advisories to look up local laws and information on neighborhoods to avoid. Give a friend or family member your flight details, hotel info and rough plans, especially if you are traveling alone. Allow a friend or family member at home to track your cell phone for added security.
• Know where you’re going.
Have a plan. Spontaneity may be fun, but it can also be risky. Know where tourist zones end and be attentive around transit hubs. Ask locals whether there are places where you shouldn’t walk at night. The signs of an iffy neighborhood are international. Avoid areas with few businesses, poor lighting at night, empty streets, bars on doors and windows, and razor wire or barbed wire on fences and walls.
• Back up your essentials.
Keep digital copies of your passport, ID and plane or train tickets and store the backups separately from the originals.
• Don’t look like a target.
Walk like you know where you’re going, even if you don’t. Limit use of your cellphone. Avoid loud, revealing or expensive designer clothing. Don’t advertise wealth—leave the jewelry at home. Don’t wave money around or carry an expensive brand-name bag.
• Mind your valuables. Don’t keep all your cash and cards in one place. Use a pouch or money belt and keep bags zipped shut. Avoid putting money in back pockets. Choose ATMs strategically—get cash in a bank or hotel rather than at a street ATM.
• Limit alcohol use.
Yes, you’re on vacation, but alcohol clouds your judgment, impairs coordination, and limits your situational awareness.
• Know the cons.
Look out for overly friendly strangers offering to be your guide. Don’t accept drinks from strangers or take unmetered taxis. Hire a driver or call a cab through your hotel. Beware of phony distractions—pretty girls asking you for the time or someone making a scene, falling or dropping something. These can be techniques to capture your attention while a pickpocket robs you.
• Make some noise.
If you feel threatened or someone is attempting to rob you, don’t be afraid to yell. Carry a loud whistle.
• Value your safety over your valuables.
Give robbers what they want, especially if they are armed. Some people recommend carrying a decoy wallet with a small amount of money in it. The idea is to toss the wallet as far away as you can and run in the opposite direction. If someone tries to shove you into a car, fight back with all your might. Unless you’re trained in self-defense, don’t use your fists. Elbows, knees, feet and palms are more effective.

Remember to stay informed, trust your instincts, and seek medical care promptly if you become ill or injured. Safe travels and happy adventures!

This article first appeared in the May 2026 edition of the HealthPerks newsletter.