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Ditch the Danger, Embrace the Thrill: A Roadmap for Secure Family Travel

Taking your family on a vacation is a wonderful opportunity to experience new things. Whether you’re heading to another state or across the globe, you’re giving your kids and yourself access to different communities, cultures, and surroundings that can enrich you all. Yet, alongside getting excited about the adventure you intend to embark on, it is vital to prioritize safety.

Traveling in itself isn’t necessarily any more of a guarantee that something could go wrong than being at home. That said, there can be specific types of risks that are particularly prevalent for tourists. This doesn’t mean you should avoid taking trips, but you should take some steps to protect your family along the way.

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Plan Thoroughly

The first step to boosting the safety of your kids and yourselves while on vacation is to commit to thorough planning. After all, by leaving little to chance or improvisation, you’re narrowing the bandwidth for unexpected events and mistakes to occur. Some of the aspects you should focus on for planning that boosts safety include the following. 

Budget

Family vacations can be quite expensive, even more so when unexpected emergencies occur. Planning your vacation budget can give you more control over putting your funds in the right places. Not to mention you can free up more cash for an emergency fund by finding ways to save money on your family vacation. This can include booking flights and accommodation in advance. 

Renting a vacation property or swapping houses, rather than staying at a hotel, also saves money. Even simply visualizing your holiday budget with all expected expenses on a spreadsheet can help you to make informed decisions about what your priorities are. You can then be more flexible about finding ways to save on the less important elements.

Research

Each destination has not just general travel hazards but also specific types of risks. We’ll be looking at some of these later on, but it’s important to do your due diligence by performing thorough research. This can include checking out the U.S. Department of State website pages about your intended destination so you can identify travel advice. There will usually be an up-to-date breakdown of what the specific risks are in the area and how you can best safeguard against them.

It can also be helpful to look for others’ experiences in the locations through travel forums and social media. Experienced travelers will often give you more nuanced insights into what challenges they faced and how they overcame them. 

Resources

Another vital point of planning is the safety resources you might require while you’re at your destination. Some of these resources you’ll need to prepare to take with you, such as a well-stocked first aid kit or adequate travel insurance covering both health issues and theft. If you’re taking a road trip, an emergency breakdown kit will be a good resource. 

If you or your kids have health conditions, it’s wise to bring spare medication. But be mindful that many countries have strict rules about transporting prescription medication, you’ll need to check on these before you leave. Additionally, consider downloading translation apps — like DeepL and Google Translate — for countries that don’t speak English as their primary language. These will enable you to interpret text, which is particularly important for checking ingredients if you or your kids have food allergies.

Documents

If you’re traveling abroad, you’ll need to treat your family’s documents as the most valuable things you have with you. Their passports and visas are key to transitioning through your destinations and seeking consular assistance if you need it. Travel insurance documents can also ensure your kids get the medical care they might need following accidents and illnesses. 

You can best prepare by storing these in waterproof folders or wallets that you can keep on your person. It’s also wise to take scans of your documents and save them to the cloud. This will make it easier to obtain replacements or help if your main documents get lost or stolen during the trip.

Teach and Adopt Safe Behavior

As a parent, you’ll already be well aware of how important it is to teach your kids behavior that keeps them safe in their day-to-day lives. There may also be additional types of behavior your family will need to learn to keep them safe while on vacation. 

Some of the areas you can focus guiding your family on could include: 

Crime prevention 

Some areas of the world have more elevated crime rates than others, with tourists particularly at risk. Making a few behavioral adjustments can be smart. For instance, the U.S. Department of State gives various types of behavioral advice to those traveling to Jamaica. This includes avoiding walking at night, minimizing spending time in secluded places, and keeping a low profile. It’s important to talk to your family about not having valuables — like smartphones and tablet devices — on display, and sticking to populated areas. 

man standing at edge of busy street

Traffic safety 

Road safety rules and cultural etiquette will differ depending on your destination, which can present behavioral challenges. For instance, roads in India can feel quite chaotic to drivers and pedestrians visiting from the U.S. Therefore, your family will need to learn to be more vigilant when navigating these spaces to avoid accidents.

In some European countries, like Germany, there are dedicated portions of sidewalks where cyclists have the right of way. Teaching your family to recognize these — perhaps through YouTube videos — and ensuring they don’t stray onto them can maintain safety for everyone.

Particularly with young children, start to practice these behavioral changes before leaving. Don’t make it a scary thing, though. Rather, try to make it clear that these are safety steps that will help them have the most fun on their vacation. It can also be empowering to let them know that you’re trusting them with taking responsibility for behaving safely abroad.

Arrange Safe Transport

Transport is a core part of any vacation, both in terms of traveling to the destination and getting around while you’re there. It’s also an element that you need to consider if you’re prioritizing safety. Some of the aspects to bear in mind include the following. 

Airlines

Air travel is generally considered to be a safe way to get to your destination. Nevertheless, it’s still worth doing a little research before booking your flights. Be sure to check out the aircraft each carrier is using and examine its safety record for consistent problems. Don’t just look at long-haul flights either. 

Sometimes domestic carriers in the country you’re traveling or transferring through have poor safety records. A good practice is to look at the European Union (EU) Air Safety List. This outlines the airlines banned from operating in the EU. It’s sensible to use this list to avoid these banned airlines still operating in other countries, too.

two youth with backpacks standing at train station

Public transport

Public transport is among the most sustainable ways to travel on vacation. It also gives your family a taste of how locals are likely to travel. Nevertheless, exercising caution when utilizing it can maximize your safety. Firstly, avoid taking buses that have obvious signs of serious wear and tear, such as rusting and significant exhaust fumes. 

Secondly, even in the EU, which has some of the safest public transport in the world, it can be wise wherever possible to reserve seats ahead of your journey. This ensures that your family can sit down, rather than risk injuries from falls due to standing during busy periods.

Taxis

Taxi drivers are often renowned for not just providing transport but also local knowledge to tourists. Nevertheless, it’s smart to be aware that using taxis safely isn’t the same in all countries. For instance, in Colombia, it’s not advisable to hail a taxi straight from the street as you might at home. Instead, you should ask your hotel provider to arrange a cab for you or use a tour transport service. Alternatively, you can use a reliable ride-sharing app that tracks cars using GPS and keeps records of drivers. 

Girl in pool in lemon innertube holding orange slices over her eyes

Be Mindful Around Water

Water is something we take for granted as part of everyday life. Yet, there are various ways it can present risks while on vacation. This isn’t just due to the possibility of drowning in pools. Contaminated water can affect people’s health in a variety of ways, too. Harmful algae blooms (HABs) in freshwater can cause skin irritation. Exposure to certain chemical toxins that have found their way into water can lead to cognitive impairment and behavioral problems. It is, therefore, crucial for families to prioritize being vigilant of water safety while on vacation.

Perhaps the most important way you can exercise caution is around what you consume. One of the commonly accepted things to avoid when in Mexico is drinking tap water, as it can lead to gastrointestinal issues. It’s not just what you drink you need to be careful of, but also what water salads and other foodstuffs are cleaned with. Aside from checking with restaurants and hotels, make sure you take plenty of bottled water around with you to stay hydrated safely. 

Another area of consideration is when swimming or participating in water sports. Before the trip, you can brush up on the basics of drowning prevention, including keeping flotation devices handy and administering CPR. Make sure there are plenty of attentive lifeguards around when you and your kids are participating in activities. It can be really easy to consume water inadvertently when playing in the ocean or public pools. Ensure you and your kids use swimming goggles and nose plugs during these activities. You can also teach your kids to only exhale when their faces are in the water during swimming sessions. This is far from a perfect solution, but it can minimize how much water they swallow.

Conclusion

Ensuring a secure family vacation requires some careful consideration. This begins with planning in areas such as budget and document gathering, alongside making behavioral adjustments and vigilance around water, among other steps. Don’t forget to let people back home know what your itinerary is and keep in contact with them regularly. This helps to provide another layer of support should anything go awry, alongside helping you all feel more confident as you enjoy your adventure. 

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