No matter how much you research your host country and how well you prepare, the bottom line for a successful experience is your health and safety throughout your stay abroad.  This necessitates careful and serious pre departure planning.

Nobody likes to plan for the unthinkable within all the excitement for an upcoming travel experience, but with sporadic terrorism, natural disasters, pick-pocketing or simply getting lost in the Himalayas (but somehow with access to the internet?), you should ALWAYS know what to do in case of an emergency.

An extended stay abroad can make significant demands on your body, your mind, and your well-being.

Before you leave, prepare a plan for communicating and handling any emergency that could arise while abroad.  Be sure to share all of your contact and other important information with your family.  Things to make sure your family has knowledge of include your foreign address and phone number, any necessary medical information, your credit card and passport numbers, and the phone number of the study abroad office at your school, as well as of the local U.S. embassy and consulate in the country of travel.

If you do not have these phone numbers or a good emergency plan yet, rest assured that you can simply visit us here at Voy!™ to find the following link to the U.S. Department of State’s Emergency page:

Here you will find a “Locate the Nearest Embassy or Consulate” tool (very handy when you seem to have misplaced that passport), emergency phone numbers and other tools to help you get out of almost any sticky situation you may find yourself in, from Argentina to Zimbabwe.  Of course, if you’re currently experiencing an emergency, by all means stop reading and please contact your nearest embassy or consulate or one of the following phone numbers:

FROM OVERSEAS:  +1 202-501-4444

FROM THE U.S. & CANADA: 1-888-407-4747