Travel Prep:Travel Advisories, Visas, and Vaccinations
I’m going to go all mom for a moment, bear with me. Travel prep should include knowing about any travel advisories, visas, and vaccinations. You should know if and how they apply to your destination before purchasing your flight. Things that can impact your safety, money, or health should be non-negotiable. Basically, you should always know what you’re getting into. *end mom mode*
Travel Advisories
Before you go, you should know if any travel advisories have been issued for your destination. It’s helpful to understand the advisory system used by the State Department. The US Department of State uses a number scale (1-4) to indicate how safe it is to travel. 1= enjoy yourself but don’t be stupid, 2= watch your back, don’t be stupid, oh yeah have fun, 3= are you sure you want to do that friend, and 4= don’t you take your ass over there (said in your best angry momma voice).
Advisories are usually due to real dangers like civil unrest, recent disasters, high occurrences of violence against tourists or American nationals, disease outbreaks, and high threats of terrorism. In other instances, they may be more political in nature, but still warranted. This is because the American government may be unable to support you if you have problems. In those cases, use your best judgement. If you get bold and decide to go some place the government says you shouldn’t, I strongly advise having a plan. You want to enjoy your trip, but you also want to return home safely. For more discussion on travel safety, check out this post.
Visas
For American passport holders, there are currently 100+ countries that you can visit without a visa. For countries that do require a visa, it’s an expense that you don’t want to learn about on arrival. Some visas can be quite expensive (until early 2018 Brazil charged $160 USD).
You should know about visa requirements before you travel. Some countries won’t admit you if you don’t have a visa or approval for a visa before you arrive. There can be other requirements. This often includes having a certain number of blank pages in your passport. Many countries also require that your passport be valid for a certain amount of time after you arrive. Again the US State Department is the best source for accurate information. Travel.state.gov has an extremely useful “Country Information” feature. It provides everything you’ll want to know about your destination before taking off on your adventure.
TLDR; it’ll tell you if you need a visa for the country in question. It’ll also provide you with links to the appropriate application site. Do your research, get your documents in order, and avoid sticker shock or worse on arrival.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations can be an important part of travel prep. This is especially true for me; I have a questionable immune system on a good day (norovirus has sent me to the hospital twice). That makes me supportive of things that can help me stay healthy. Travel abroad may require you to get certain vaccinations and preventative medications. Check out the CDC Traveler’s Health website for more information about what’s required for your destination. If a vaccination is optional, your doctor can help you decide what’s best for you. If you don’t have a regular doctor, travel clinics are another option. Because they specialize in travel medicine, they can advise what’s best for your destination. When it comes to vaccinations, it’s also best to check out the situation well ahead of your trip. Some may require multiple doses or have a wait period to be fully effective.
Medication
Last, consider if you need special medications for your trip. These could include antimalarials, antibiotics, prescription motion sickness medications, or anything else you wouldn’t normally take or can’t easily access once you leave. You should also make sure you have enough of any of your normal medications. You don’t want to run out of anything while you’re traveling. A great way to make sure you’re covered is to see if your pharmacy offers 90 day refills. All of my daily medications are available this way, and it’s a huge relief not to race to the pharmacy and be told it can’t be filled yet.
If you’re traveling to an area that requires or recommends them, get vaccinated before you travel. If you need medications, make sure you have them. It’s hard to enjoy your trip if you aren’t well, and cholera does not an excellent souvenir make. For the record, I do know someone who came back from a trip with cholera. I didn’t make that up.
I know I may sound overly cautious. In my case, it’s necessary if I’m going to enjoy my adventures and return unscathed. I don’t expect everyone else to share my enthusiasm for caution, but I do want you to be prepared and travel safely. If I ever sound a bit too much like your mom, know that I come from a place of love and a desire to see you thrive as you explore the world.
Have thoughts or questions? Feel free to contact me!
