Cox & Kings supports the British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Travel Aware campaign to help you stay safe and healthy overseas. Find out more at Travel Aware. The FCDO website provides travel information for many countries around the world which includes advice on safety and security, entry requirements and health, as well as general information. Cox & Kings strongly recommends that you, and everyone on your booking, visit the FCDO website and read the advice about the country you are planning to visit prior to booking. You should also revisit the advice regularly prior to your departure as it may change frequently. It is also possible to sign-up to receive FCDO e-mail updates for your destination so you are aware of any changes to advice they issue and we recommend you do this. There are different levels of advice, and sometimes this includes advice against travelling to certain areas or countries. To check the current travel advice, visit gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice and follow @FCDOtravelGovUK on Twitter and Facebook.com/fcdotravel.
Before You Travel:
As well as ensuring you are prepared for your time spent travelling, you should also consider the following checklist for the most important aspects before you go away.
1. Check the FCDO’s travel advice pages.
2. Find out the address of the nearest embassy, check their website and their opening times.
3. Make sure you have travel insurance that covers everything you need it to.
4. When travelling within the European Economic Area, make sure you take a free European Health Insurance Card for free or reduced emergency care – but you will still need full travel insurance. Call 112 in any EU country to contact the emergency services.
5. Check with your doctor as to whether you need any vaccinations.
6. Check that you have all the correct visas necessary.
7. Make sure your passport is valid. For certain countries it must remain valid for six months after the date you travel.
8. Make a note of your passport number and consider taking a photocopy (stored separately) or storing a digital copy on a secure online site.
9. Ensure you fill in the emergency contact details section in your passport.
10. Tell family and friends where you are going and pass them your contact details, insurance details and itinerary.
11. Ensure you have enough money to cover any unexpected emergencies.
12. Enquire as to whether traveller’s cheques are appropriate and keep a separate note of their numbers.
13. Take a good travel guide.
14. If driving, make sure you licence is current and valid, and that you understand the driving laws of the countries you are visiting.
15. Check the HM Revenue & Customs Travel site for information on duty-free allowances and banned goods.
When you are travelling, bear in mind the following:
1. Consider what you are doing at all times and trust your instincts. Do not take unnecessary risks.
2. Do not display valuables, such as mobile phones, cameras or jewellery. Consider using a lock on your luggage.
3. Enquire about local customs and dress, and behave accordingly.
4. Be careful taking photographs, videos and binoculars, as such activities can be misunderstood.
5. Consider taking your mobile phone with you. Check with your service provider before leaving that it will work abroad, and use it to store helpful numbers, including the local police and embassy or consulate.
6. Check whether it is safe to drink local tap water. If not, stick to bottled water and avoid salads, non-peeling fruit and ice.
7. Use judgement when buying and eating food not prepared by yourself.
8. Respect the environment.