February 28, 2023 4 min read

Young people often feel passionate about traveling. However, they tend to become careless in their pursuits of adventures.

So, let’s see how to stay safe on the road when traveling as a student.

Research

Going to a new place without any preparations can be risky, to say the least. As a student, you should be good with research at this point. So use these skills for the benefit of your future safety. Seek out all the essential information you will need in your travels. Whether you're researching the right surf equipment for your destination or learning about local customs, preparation is key to a successful trip.

Start with the basics, like the weather, local customs, and cultural differences. It is especially important when visiting countries with different religions, politics, or traditions. At the very least, you don’t want to offend anyone with your dress or behavior. And you surely don’t want to get in trouble with the law for it, either.

Secondly, read what areas to avoid, common fraud schemes used on tourists, where to exchange money, etc.

travel passport

Copy Important Documents

Your personal documents are the most important belonging.

Travel will get very complicated if you miss a passport or other essential pieces of personal information (insurance, vaccination information, visas, etc.).

Unfortunately, such situations happen more often than we’d like to imagine. Make online copies of all your documents to prevent the full consequences of losing your papers.

Save such copies on a cloud, so you can access them at any moment. Having copies on a computer won’t make much sense if you lose them with the rest of your belongings. At least, if a student loses homework like essays along with a laptop, sites like www.writingpapersucks.com/ can always help them fix such misfortunes on time. However, there is no site like that when you need other essential docs like visas or passports. Book the nearest time at your national embassy to receive new documents. Traveling to affordable student destinations makes being prepared even more crucial.

Send Updates About Your Movement

Always, and we cannot stress that enough, always send updates about your whereabouts while traveling. Pick a person or two who will always know where you are, where you plan on going, when, and so on. Such information can save your life at some point. Plus, it will prevent your loved ones from worrying about you. It’s not just about you going missing or lost. It is also about keeping track of where you’ve been and for how long. This is especially important when traveling across popular student travel destinations in the US.

If you fear forgetting to do so, share your itinerary ahead of time, or set up an automated geolocation sharing. There is no excuse to avoid such a rule when you have plenty of technology to help you.

Get an Insurance

Health insurance is an absolute must for all travelers. In fact, often, travelers can’t even get into a new country or receive a visa unless they have insurance. That’s how serious this rule is. So, before going anywhere on the planet, read their insurance policies and choose the best option for your needs. Simple insurance is enough if you don’t travel for long and not planning on extreme sports and such.

More nuanced insurance is required if you have chronic illnesses or going to a complete climate for the first time. High humidity or too much sun can do unexpected things to you on the first acquaintance.

Purchase Reliable Gear

Students often engage in various sports while traveling. They are eager to test their skills and courage in hiking, horse riding, local attractions, or even extreme sports. It’s up to each person to decide whether to consider doing such activities while in a foreign country. It also depends on your abilities, strength, and preparations. The latter includes relying on a trustworthy business and having the right equipment to arrange such an activity.

For instance, you don’t want to go surfing using an unknown surfboard for the first time. Instead, you should always go to the source and read about the rental place or equipment manufacturer online to make a fair judgment.

Also, you don’t want to wear untested hike books on a long journey. For that same reason, students always read reviews like at https://scamfighter.net/review/assignmentexpert.com when ordering academic help online. You should approach important decisions with knowledge and confidence.

Avoid Night Travel

Night travel is a completely unnecessary risk that young people should not take in their early days of travel.

Of course, sometimes night flights or buses are cheaper than regular ones. Sometimes, you feel like it’s not a big deal. There are other instances where students choose night travel, like saving a day of exploring by traveling at night.

However, getting around a new place at night, relying only on taxi drivers and online maps, is never a good idea. You don’t know the area or customs and can easily get into a bad situation.

Listen to your guts

Sometimes, listening to your common sense is enough to stay safe. Thus, you avoid shady places and don’t trust pushy, overbearing people. You don’t go to a new location after dark and don’t carry too much cash on yourself. These things are the foundation of safe travels. However, you have to learn to listen to your guts in addition to these rules. Thus, you may be doing everything right, but still, you feel like something is off. Trust those sensations and change what you’re doing immediately. Our guts sense ill intentions or bad vibes before our brains catch up.

Author - Fred Felton
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Fred Felton          

Content Creator / Editor

Fred Felton is a copywriter, editor and social media specialist based in Durban, South Africa. He has over 20 years of experience in creating high end content. He has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world. Currently Fred specialises in the adventure watersports space, focussing on surf, kayak and rafting. He is also a keynote speaker and has presented talks and workshops in South Africa.


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