No matter where in the world you’re planning to visit, if you’re travelling abroad it’s important to make sure you’re properly prepared. Nobody wants to think about things going wrong on their holiday (after all, it’s meant to be a break from the stress of everyday life), but unfortunately things can take a turn for the worse, and if you’re unprepared and in a foreign country, it can be all the more stressful and worrying.

To ensure you’re fully prepared, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office has instigated the Know Before You Go campaign, attempting to highlight to UK travellers the importance of prior preparation and planning. The campaign advocates the following before travelling to any foreign country:

• Make sure you’re fully aware of any medical requirements well in advance of your date of travel. If you need to get injections or other medicine prior to travelling, make sure you have this organised before you go.
• If you suffer from any serious medical conditions, make sure you have details of your conditions on you at all times, as well as a sufficient supply of any necessary medication.
• Make sure find out the most suitable travel insurance for your needs, and that you’re fully insured before travelling.
• Ensure you know all local laws and customs, even if you’re travelling somewhere that doesn’t seem that different to the UK – for example, different American states have different laws, so if you’re planning to travel to more than one state in the US you need to make sure you’re aware of the law. The last thing you want is to have to deal with getting arrested or needing a criminal law solicitor while abroad.
• Make sure you have a copy of your passport, and that it’s stored in a safe place (in case of loss or theft).