World First Travel Insurance Blog

To paraphrase LP Hartley’s famous line from The Go-Between, “Abroad is a foreign country, they do things differently there”. Recent cases of people getting into trouble have highlighted in the media the need to be very careful when travelling. It’s amazing how many people just don’t do basic research into the places they go to, or just assume either that they can do just like they do at home or, if they do get into trouble, the British Embassy will get them out of it (note: they won’t).

Be very careful where you go plane spotting

There have been two very high-profile cases, one in India in January 2010 and and another in Greece in March 2001 and therefore pre-9/11, that show that foreign governments take a dim view of people filming and taking pictures of their aircraft. Collecting numbers and images of means of transport, planes, trains, buses even more so, trucks, is a very British habit that is rarely understood by other cultures. Find out what you can and cannot do in advance.

Say nothing to airport security

It seems like a prerequisite for working in airport security is a complete lack of a sense of humour. If ever the maxim “speak when you’re spoken to” applies, it’s at the security gate. So jokes about bombs in suitcases or swallowing illegal substances are definitely out. Expect at least to be strip searched if you do.

Smuggling drugs through just about any airport in the world

This is a no brainer, but it’s amazing how many people get trapped into these situations, voluntarily or not. Midnight Express, although it has many inaccuracies, was a walk in the park compared to what could happen to you in many countries across the world. In both Thailand and Indonesia for example, it may well get you the death penalty.

Don’t have sex on the beach in Dubai

Local constabularies anywhere in the world tend to take a dim view of sex on the beach. In the Middle East, even in countries that are more open to Western culture, it’ll get you into very hot water. Even a snog in the street, married or not, will get you a severe reprimand. Skinny dipping at midnight might sound very romantic to you, but not everyone sees it that way.

Be very careful what you do on a stag weekend

Now, I don’t want to be a killjoy, but you really should find out about the cultural sensitivities that exist in some countries before going there and getting legless. A while ago, a group of guys got themselves arrested for dressing up as nuns and wearing suspenders in Crete. They didn’t realise that Greek Orthodox Christians take their religion quite seriously and their party was cut a little short. Constabularies in Eastern Europe are also getting increasingly intolerant of Brits that can’t take their booze littering the streets of Vilnius, Prague and Budapest.

Topless sunbathing will get you more than a tan in a lot of countries

It goes without saying that it’ll get you into big trouble in the Middle East, but also in countries like the Maldives and Barbados, it’s illegal and in Thailand, whilst not being illegal, you may well feel the stare of social exclusion.

It’s all really down to common sense and a bit of general knowledge about the country you’re going to. If you get into trouble, your insurance definitely won’t cover it!

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3. 9 products you can’t bring back from holiday
4. How to be a responsible traveller
5. Going to Cuba? Get your travel insurance here!

Tags: beach, holiday, Spain, Travel Tips

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 18th, 2010 at 6:46 pm and is filed under Travel Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.