Know Before You Go Campaign - Foreign & Commonwealth Office FCO
The Know Before You Go campaign was launched in 2001 by the FCO to promote travel safety and health to UK travellers travelling abroad. It has been helped by its 500 plus travel partners one of which is our sister company cheaptravelinsurance.com.
Below are some of the basic messages it conveys to Britons and if you only follow these guidelines you are on your way to a pleasant break away staying healthy and safe.
Top Tips to Stay Safe and Healthy Abroad
- Ensure you buy suitable travel insurance that covers your requirements and the activities you will take part in - so read the small print first.
- Check the FCO's Travel Advice By Country as this will tell you if it unsafe to travel to a particular country or region. Please also note that if the advise is not to travel to a particular area/country then you will not be covered on our backpackers travel insurance.
- Read up about the local laws and customs of the countries you are visiting, so do your research BEFORE you reach your destination.
- Check whether there are any health risks when travelling to your chosen countries. Check with your doctor and ensure you get the necessary jabs in plenty of time before you leave.
- Make sure your passport is valid and check whether the expiry date is within the limits set by the countries you are visiting.
- Apply for any visas may be required.
- Make copies of all your travel documents and store them safely, ideally make copies that are stored on a secure data site.
- Take with you some local currency and make sure you have access to some emergency funds should you need them.
- Always tell someone else where you are going and leave them emergency contact details.
Then for anything else check out the FCO Travel Abroad section with lots of useful information and read some more useful things to do before you go away on their travel checklist.
