Tips for Student Travelers – How to Stay Safe While Travelling

With the student tour season kicks into high gear as students seek to broaden their horizons through travel to foreign lands and the experience of new cultures. Whether jogging on the 9^th Arrondissement of Paris or strolling around historical Mexico City, many students spend their summer immersed in educational travel while their parents sit at home, anxiously awaiting their safe return. Explorica, a company creating educational tours that connect students to new cultures, languages, and people, is sharing tips for student travelers on how to stay safe while enjoying their educational experiences, and in turn, easing the minds of worried parents.

Tips for Student Travelers:

-          Before traveling, (preferably 4-6 weeks ahead) check with your doctor about being up-to-date with vaccinations and receive any treatments required for the destination of your travels.

-          Familiarize yourself with the local laws of the area where you are traveling. Nothing is worse than finding yourself in a situation where you have no idea how to react.

-          Have a valid and signed passport with you at all times. If you are asked for identification at any point, taking it everywhere prevents you from being hassled.

-          Pack as lightly as possible. It is difficult to get around easily and enjoy your freedom with a heavy bag dragging you down.

-          At airports and terminals, wear your backpack on your front. While you may not look very cool, at least you won’t leave yourself open to pickpockets!

-          Do not carry large sums of money with you. Carry only what you think you will need in case of theft, and go to an ATM or bank when you need more.

-          Stay in groups. The bigger the better. That way, you are less of a target and if you get lost, at least you aren’t alone.

Tips for Parents of Student Travelers:

-          Check with your insurance company to make sure your student is covered in the country they are visiting. If they are not, find a plan that does!

-          If your student is traveling to a place where they don’t know the native language, help them learn key phrases, such as asking for a bathroom, directions or the police.

-          Know every detail possible about your child’s trip. If there is an itinerary, be sure to keep a copy for yourself.

-          Take down all emergency contact information from trip leaders and give the trip coordinator your contact information at any time of day.

-          Create a chain of communication with other parents who have students in the group. If all the parents needed to be informed to anything while their students are away, the chain will make sure that no parent is left out of the loop.

Explorica considers the safety of student travelers to be the highest priority. From performing rigorous safety checks, to providing both constant on-tour safety expertise and immediate on-site assistance, the safety of our student travelers is our primary concern. Steps taken to assure student safety include:

-                      24/7 in-house emergency service line.  No outsourcing to an answering service.

-                      Criminal background checks on Tour Directors

-                      Rigorous safety and security training for Tour Directors

-                      First Aid training for Tour Directors

-                      Regular and thorough hotel safety and security inspections

Whichever student tour company you use for student travel, use the above checklist to ensure all necessary safety measures are enacted.