5 Things Missing from Your Travel Abroad Checklist

A steady stream of natural disasters and war news is a tough reality check for travelers heading abroad this peak holiday travel season. The shortlist of travel disaster news for December included:

• The eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Marapi
• A landslide cancels travel between Portland and Seatle in the US
• Tourist site closures due to earthquake threats related to seismic activity in Iceland
• Earthquakes and continuing tremors in Italy

… and the month isn’t over yet.

Rather than staying home, consider revising your pre-travel checklist with the things you might need if a ‘worst case scenario’ occurs. 

1. Pack a travel medical kit

A simple travel medical kit can help you treat minor scrapes, bug bites, and ward off infections. 

My family never packs a suitcase without a quick refresh of the travel medical kit. If we’re traveling in the winter, we can leave out insect repellent and sunscreen, for example.

See What’s in your Travel Medical Kit for a complete list by traveler.

2. Leave these docs behind

If a crisis occurs while you’re abroad, friends and family are likely to worry. If you’re dealing with a crisis, you don’t also want to deal with a flood of calls and texts. 

Assign someone as the point person back home and let everyone know who that is. 

Give your assigned point person a copy of these documents:

1. Your complete itinerary (with hotel addresses, flight numbers, etc.)
2. Your passports
3. Your travel insurance plan

A backup of your passports is helpful if yours are stolen and you need to replace them.

Why would leave behind your travel insurance plan? It’s because they may need to travel to be at your side or care for the children if you’re hospitalized. A call to your plan’s travel assistance representatives will help them make arrangements. 

3. Emergency Contact Info

Put your emergency contact info on a slip of paper inside your wallet. Add your blood type just to be safe. Write the numbers clearly and in dark ink so they can be read easily.

If you are incapacitated or unconscious, this information will help authorities or medical staff get in touch with your point person back home.

4. Pack a go bag

In an emergency, you won’t want to be weighed down by your full suitcase – you need to pack the essentials in a go bag. Tuck a small backpack or bag into your suitcase. In an emergency situation, toss the essentials in the go bag and leave. 

What are the essentials?

1. Necessary medication
2. Glasses/contacts
3. Phone and charger
4. Identification
5. Money and credit cards
6. Mask

Pro tip: No go bag handy? Grab a pillowcase instead.

Why a mask? It’s considered essential to protect your lungs in case of smoke.

5. Stay safe

The basic things to remember in an emergency are:

• Head for higher ground in case of flooding
• Move away from buildings in an earthquake
• In case of wildfire or volcano eruption, cover your nose and mouth with a mask and evacuate
• In case of a terror attack, assess the situation and find a safe hiding place

See what to do when your vacation becomes an evacuation.

Related topics

• Does travel insurance cover natural disasters?
• 6 Winter travel mistakes you can avoid
• Essential Apps every traveler needs to be safe