For many, this time of year can almost feel like a new year—a fresh start—with new goals, ambitions, and a renewed desire to make plans to travel and discover.

Thinking of travelling made me reflect on how we plan our trips, whether within Portugal or further afield, and more importantly, how differently we might prepare depending on who we are travelling with—solo, with family or friends, or with younger or older people. Fundamentally, I believe we all travel with one underlying hope: to return home safely. The thing is, ironically, this hope is often the last thing we consider when planning, if we remember it at all.

In my consular role, I see firsthand how quickly and unexpectedly things can go wrong. Accidents happen, and whilst you can’t predict the unknown, a few best practices and precautions can go a long way in avoiding disaster and heartbreak.

Travelling is meant to be an amazing and liberating experience, and a little forethought can mean the difference between enjoying trails and petiscos or sitting in a police station or emergency room. You may remember the “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)” in the late 90’s/00’s speech-song by Baz Luhrmann and recall the line: “If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.” For the present scenario, this would be: Plan your travels and get insurance! It might sound dull, but it really can make the difference between being stranded or facing scary hospital bills.


Once you’ve sorted travel insurance and checked travel advice on gov.uk for your destination, think about how you want to be safe while still enjoying every moment. Share your itinerary, be mindful of your new surroundings, enjoy the cocktails but keep your wits about you. Follow your gut—if it looks dodgy, don’t do it (and I don’t just mean the food). No matter how safe a place is known to be, stick together and stay in well-lit areas. Think about a backup plan if you lose your passport or electronic devices. If you take medication, bring a few extra days’ worth and jot down a few emergency numbers on a piece of paper or a note you can access from another device. Remember to drink water—you’d be surprised how often and how easily it is to get dehydrated after exposure to heat and no water.

I hope this doesn’t come across as a nagging list of “don’t forgets,” but rather a friendly reminder or a glimpse into how a little planning can lead to a much happier holiday.
Consular services are here to support and help people navigate and extricate themselves from tough situations. Seeing the smile and relief from the person picking up their emergency travel document or knowing their loved ones are safe is truly rewarding—but knowing people stayed safe from the start is even better.

For further insight into the importance of travel insurance and the risks of travelling unprepared, Episode 3 of the AllClear To Travel Podcast features Sarah Taylor, Director of Consular and Crisis at the FCDO, sharing expert advice drawn from managing thousands of real-life cases involving British nationals abroad.

Safe travels.