Let me take a moment in this challenge to be serious.
We don’t like to think about it, but it happens. Emergencies arise while on vacation. The best thing you can do is prepare. Here are some tips on things you can do before you leave, and resources for you to bookmark.
If you have more tips, please leave them in the comments.
Purchase Travel Insurance
I can’t recommend a specific policy because ours is via my husband’s company. I am familiar with CSA Travel Insurance and World Nomads, though I haven’t used either personally. (These are not affiliate links, just links to the products for your convenience.)
Do your research for your destination
At the minimum make sure you have the 911 equivalent number for the destinations you’re traveling to. This list provided by the U.S. State Department should help.
Write down the number your country’s nearest consulate or embassy for each city you will be visiting. Note most U.S. embassy websites include contact information for English-speaking doctors in the vicinity. It will be under the section for American Citizen Services.
Read up on any necessary vaccinations, familiarize yourself with the medical process, and general safety tips via the U.S. State Department site.
If anyone in your group has allergies, keep a list of the allergies translated into the language of the country you are visiting. Even if people guarantee that all doctors will speak English where you are visiting, you never know. Trust me. I have 50/50 luck with English speaking doctors in Germany – and I’m in a big city.
Keep a copy with you
To help with this I’ve created a free downloadable pdf to keep track of this information for up to four countries. Print it out for each trip and put it in a safe place.
Now that we’re done being serious, I’d love it if you go and check out my friend Jenny’s blog A Taste of Travel. She’s also participating in the A to Z Challenge, focusing on places off the beaten path. True travel inspiration on her blog. Her selections so far have me wanting to purchase plane tickets, buy insurance, do a little research and fill out the form you hopefully just downloaded.
It amazes me how many people do not have travel insurance when they go on a trip and then get upset when something happens and it costs them a fortunate. It is so cheap nowadays that it seems silly not to invest a small amount in this. 🙂
Great tips Ann. We’ve been fortunate not to have any medical emergencies while traveling but we still get travel medical insurance each time we leave. Its importance can’t be stressed enough!
Excellent advice Ann. We have called on our travel insurance far too many times (medical emergencies, stolen credit cards), although always successfully. We do know the emergency number and actually register with our Government so they know what countries we are in and how to get a hold of us in political unrest or evacuation emergencies (situations we are thankful haven’t come up in our travels).
Good Advice Ann!
Thank so much for such an interesting post, its surprising how many people are unprepared. It’s nice to follow and connect http://aimingforapublishingdeal.blogspot.co.uk/
Such good advice Ann. As you and I know from out travel agent days, It’s surprising how many people don’t buy travel insurance. I had a incident in New York recently that was outrageous…long story but it cost me $US3500 for a script for antibiotic eye drops!! Yes…true story. Thankfully travel insurance picked up the bill! Thank you so much for the shout out…it’s very much appreciated.
Thanks for the essential tips and advice Ann. Such a great help:)
Excellent advice! Especially about knowing where the embassy is- you never know what might happen unexpectantly.