The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) offers country-specific travel advice so British travellers are well prepared before their departure.
Stay safe and healthy abroad by taking some simple precautions.
Check the foreign travel advice to:
- find out about the local laws and customs, even if you’re visiting friends and family
- make sure your passport is valid and you have the necessary visas
Find out what the FCO can and can’t do for British nationals abroad.
Before planning a trip take a look at their travel checklist.
Get comprehensive travel insurance and read the small print.
Check the health risks before travelling.
Make sure you take copies of important travel documents and store them online using a secure data storage site.
Tell someone where you’re going and leave emergency contact details with them.
Take enough money and have access to emergency funds.
If you are driving abroad make sure you’re fully insured and follow the local rules of the road.
The FCO provides up-to-date travel advice on over 200 countries. There is information on travel safety, health alerts, local laws and customs, entry requirements and contact details of UK representatives in the country.
If you are planning a holiday, even in a well known resort it is always helpful to go to the web site and see the information relating to that specific country, Each page will give you details of any terrorist threats and currents warnings of political unrest. You will also get helpful information regarding local crime and how to avoid scams and fraud.
The FO also has a useful facebook page which alerts traveller to updates such as advice for England football fans planning to visit San Marino for the San Marino v England football match on 5 September. Warnings about the recent unrest and demonstrations taking place in Beirut and elsewhere in Lebanon are also highlighted.
The national press is often publishing scare stories warning holiday makers to avoid certain countries such as the current warning sunseekers visiting Turkey are at serious risk of being attacked by terrorists hungry for blood, the British Government has warned. But according to the FCO website the warning are far less dramatic.
FCO has recently launched ‘Stay Ahead of the Games’ travel campaign for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brazil so if you dream of attending the games have a look at this site first for lots of helpful advice.
The FCO is a government website for the use of British nationals and contains much useful information so if you are planning a trip abroad have a look first at www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
