Travel Safely

Safe, Secure and Healthy Travel

Statistically speaking, traveling around the world is safer than staying home. And most of the risks of travel are the same risks (such as road accidents) that you face at home. But a few simple preparations and precautions can help make your trip smoother, safer and healthier.

Travel Registration

If you are a US citizen you are strongly urged to register your itineraries with the State Department prior to traveling. This free service ensures that each U.S. embassy or consulate along your route will know where you are in case of an emergency, without your having to register in person with the consulate or embassy in each country.

Insuring Your Trip

Your airline tickets are for the most part non-refundable, which is the main reason to buy insurance for your trip. However, the most frequently used insurance benefits that our travelers tell us they appreciate are the benefits for delayed flights, missed connections, and theft. Traveling internationally means you will be on more flights and have more frequent connections than you may be used to flying domestically. All of this can create more potential for delays. Countries such as India, Thailand, Indonesia, and Nepal, among many other countries, are notorious for delaying their departures, and sometimes outright canceling flights for no reason. So it is a huge relief to know you have some recourse if this happens, but only if you are insured!!!

If you need medical insurance for your trip, and especially if your regular medical insurance will not continue to cover you while you travel internationally, then it is helpful to have insurance that covers a doctor’s visit, surgery, injuries, illness, and even emergency evacuations.

AirTreks recommends you consider one of our travel insurance plans specially selected for AirTrekers. Please go to the following FAQ links to better understand the different types of travel insurance recommended by AirTreks or scroll to the bottom of this page to see them in detail:

2 options for Complete Insurance with airfare, medical, and full benefit package:

AIG Travel Guard - BEST VALUE, 1 YEAR MAX

Travelex - HIGHEST RATED, 6 MONTHS MAX

2 options for Budget Insurance (NO airfare coverage):

WorldNomads

Tripplus

Some health and travel insurance providers, or health maintenance organizations, provide for medical evacuation in the unlikely event of an emergency. If yours does not, Medjet Assist and Global Rescueoffer prepaid medical evacuation services for a fixed annual fee.

Most travel insurance, and airline liability for luggage, excludes coverage for many of your electronic devices. If you are bringing a PDA Smartphone, MP 3 player or a laptop computer on your air trek, we recommend that you insure it with a company like Safeware . Comprehensive loss, theft, and breakage insurance for the replacement costs of your electronic devices and other accessories is quite minimal when compared with your out-of-pocket expenses if you have to replace these items yourself.

Government Health Advice and Information

Most travel diseases are preventable or avoidable. AirTreks recommends that you consult a health professional at least a couple months before your departure on any international AirTrek, and follow a specialist’s advice on immunizations and health precautions and preparations.

We are not doctors, and we are not allowed to give medical advice. If you would like to read the same primary sources as your physician, see the travel health Web sites of the USA Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Travel and Health References from the WHO.

Government Political and Safety Advice and Information

Several governments provide travel advisories about political and safety issues for their citizens traveling abroad. Each of these countries has its own perspective and biases. Regardless of your citizenship, we recommend that you read them all to get a more balanced picture:

1. General international travel information from the USA Department of State
2. USA Department of State travel advisories for all countries
3. USA Department of State Background Notes for all countries
4. Canadian government travel advisories
5. UK government travel advisories
6. Australian government travel advisories

Specialized Travel Health and Immunization Clinics

In San Francisco, where AirTreks is located, the city and county Department of Public Health operates a public clinic that provides low-cost services for international travelers including travel health consultations, advice, and immunizations. Elsewhere, if you don't have a regular health care provider or they aren't able to provide the immunizations or advice you need to prepare for an international trip, several organizations provide directories for travel health specialists and clinics:

1. International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers (IAMAT)
2. International Society of Travel Medicine
3. American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
4. Canadian Society for International Health

Other Travel Health and Safety Issues

Whether at home or traveling abroad, road travel is the most dangerous part of almost any trip. The Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT) provides general safety advice as well as detailed road travel reports on conditions and hazards for specific countries.

Flying is the safest part of travel, but for some people it's the most frightening. If fear of flying keeps you from traveling, or keeps you from enjoying the flight, the Fear of Flying Clinic at San Francisco International Airport has a 30-year track record for helping people overcome their fears. They can also provide referrals to some similar programs in other places.