The best tips for worldwide travel are to obtain a passport, get travel insurance for emergencies and learn to respect local laws and culture. Passports are important documents that most people cannot travel without, and they should be kept close and secure at all times. Travel insurance is an extra expense that might end up being unnecessary, but like car insurance and health insurance, it is better to be safe than sorry. In addition, worldwide travel introduces people to new and sometimes seemingly odd laws and cultural traditions that should be respected.
Worldwide travel requires having a passport each time a person exits a country. People who travel frequently should consider ordering a passport with more pages than standard. Either way, however, a traveler should apply for a passport as soon as possible. Depending on how backed up the passport office is, it might take several weeks for a passport to be processed, created and sent to the traveler. If a traveler waits to get a passport at the last minute, he or she might have to pay significant fees to expedite the process.
All travelers should have some form of travel insurance. This kind of insurance can reduce the costs associated with canceled flights or emergency evacuations. More importantly, travel insurance usually provides travelers with medical coverage and might even cover the costs associated with transporting the injured person to his or her home country. Like other types of insurance, better plans usually cost more than plans that cover only the basics. Overall, though, travel insurance is relatively inexpensive, especially compared with what a traveler would normally pay for such emergencies.
Obeying local laws and respecting authorities is an important part of worldwide travel. Some regions of the world ban smoking tobacco in most public places, for example, but other places do not care if travelers smoke tobacco, marijuana or other substances. In addition, it might be illegal, rude, or dangerous to wear certain types of clothing. For example, wearing shorts and a sleeveless top is normal in many places, but some countries frown upon baring that much skin — especially by women — no matter how hot it is outside.
Lastly, part of being safe during worldwide travel is knowing who to contact during emergencies. Many countries have standard phone numbers to dial for medical help or law enforcement officials. In addition, it sometimes is necessary to contact government officials from the traveler’s home country, so that number also should be kept on hand.
