Whether it is a spring break trip, summer vacation or study abroad trip, college students can face risks while traveling. The State Department and the FBI provide several tips and resources for young people to assess when planning and taking part in a trip.
Be aware of travel alerts and warnings that may relate to your destination.
The State Department issues travel warnings to recommend postponing travel to a country because of civil unrest, terrorist activity or other dangerous conditions. Travel alerts share information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions that may pose significant risks to travelers.
Assemble the names and phone numbers of people and offices to contact in case of an emergency.
Among these contacts, make sure to obtain the contact information for the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate to the travel destination. Consular personnel are available to assist with emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The State Department offers a full list of contact information for U.S. embassies, consulates, and consular agencies overseas.
Make copies of your itinerary and all travel documents.
Make two copies of all travel documents in case of an emergency or theft. Leave one copy with a friend or relative at home, and personally carry the other copy, stored separately from the originals.
Important documents to copy include:
- Passport ID page
- Foreign visa (if applicable)
- Itinerary
- Hotel confirmation
- Airline ticket
- Driver’s license
- Credit cards brought on the trip
Be smart while spending money on trips.
There are several ways to be wise with money. It is best not to flash large amounts of money when paying a bill. It is also smart to keep money in separate locations; do not store all of your money in one spot. By keeping money separated, damage is minimal if part of it is stolen. If abroad, keep track of all financial transactions and only work with reputable currency exchange officials.
Constantly be aware of your surroundings.
When going out, do not leave drinks unattended or accept open drinks from other people. It can be easy for someone to slip drugs that cause amnesia and sleepiness into drinks within just a few seconds. Pickpockets and violent offenders frequent lobbies and terminals so avoid long waits in these areas. If waiting can’t be avoided, keep belongings close and stay alert. Traveling as a group reduces one’s risk of being targeted as an individual and also allows for more people to be observant.
The FBI released a brochure with information on safety and security for students traveling abroad. Included are anecdotes of actual scenarios that have taken place to point out common risks that students might be prone to while traveling.
One example:
In an international airport, a thief positioned himself to walk in front of a traveler who was walking with his roll bag. The thief stopped abruptly in front of the traveler causing the traveler to also stop. A second thief was following and quickly removed the traveler’s laptop from his roll bag and disappeared.
