Summer travel: advice for students and young holidaymakers

Off on a summer break? See our guide to staying safe and healthy abroad

Before you travel

Check our Country Information pages for current health risks at your destination, including any vaccine and malaria recommendations. See the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) for advice on safety and security issues, entry requirements and travel warnings for your destination.

See your GP, practice nurse, pharmacist or travel clinic ideally four to six weeks before your trip to check you are up to date with all the vaccines normally recommended in the UK and to get any travel vaccines and malaria tablets if they are recommended.

Going on a last-minute holiday?

It's never too late to get travel health advice; some vaccines can be given last minute and malaria tablets (if needed) can be started on the day you travel.

Get comprehensive travel health insurance that covers any pre-existing health conditions, prescribed medicines and all the activities you plan to do while away. Apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC); this helps you access state healthcare at a reduced cost, or sometimes for free in some countries. A GHIC is not a substitute for insurance and you should still get suitable travel insurance.

Take a basic first aid kit including items like pain relief, gauze, antiseptic, tape, plasters, tweezers, and any medicines you take.

While you are away

• Alcohol – Moderate your alcohol intake, avoid alcohol sold in unlicensed places and never accept drinks from strangers or leave your drink unattended. Remember, alcohol reduces inhibitions and can increase your chance of having an accident or doing something risky. Never drink and drive or swim after drinking. Know the signs of alcohol poisoning and what to do - quick action could save a life.
• Traditional 'spiritual cleansing' rituals involving drinking a local plant brew and fake alcohol are a hazard in some countries and can put you at risk of severe, even fatal poisoning. Be aware of risks of drink spiking and methanol poisoning - see our advice about methanol poisoning and local herbal brews and 'Know what is in your drink?' for more information.
• Travelling with friends – stick together if possible, share your location and agree a place and time to meet.
• Stay safe – take care on and around balconies and water. Never dive into a swimming pool from a balcony. Follow local advice about tides and never swim alone. Always wear a helmet if riding a horse, bicycle or motorbike/moped. Avoid driving at night.
• Blood-borne infections – body piercing, tattoos, illegal drug use and unprotected sex all put you at risk of blood-borne illnesses like HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. You may be tempted to get tattoos/piercings abroad, but safety standards may not be the same as in the UK. If you decide to get tattoos or body piercings abroad, always check sterile, single use needles are used and disposed of carefully after each procedure.
• Food and water – be careful with what you eat and drink and follow basic hygiene rules.
• Travellers' diarrhoea is common – be prepared. Visit a chemist before you go and get advice about over-the-counter diarrhoea treatments suitable for your trip. Remember to drink plenty of fluids and if you have diarrhoea with blood and/or fever, see a doctor straight away.
• Protect yourself against insects and ticks day and night. Bites can be irritating but can also cause infections. If you are travelling to countries with a risk of insect spread infections, reduce your risk by covering up with clothes as much as possible, use an insect repellent (ideally 50% DEET or a suitable alternative such as Icaridin/Picaridin, Eucalyptus citriodora oil/PMD or 3-ethlyaminopropionate/IR3535 if you can't use DEET). Try to stay in accommodation with window/door screens if possible and sleep under an insecticide impregnated mosquito net in malaria risk areas unless the accommodation is fitted with functioning air-conditioning which is switched on, and windows and doors which are sufficiently well sealed to prevent mosquito entry.
• Be aware of rabies – avoid animal contact: don't touch, pet or feed wild or domestic animals. Any animal bite, scratch or saliva contact should be scrupulously washed with soap and water; then get urgent medical attention.
• Safer sex – carry your own condoms and use them correctly. If you have any symptoms or have no symptoms, but think you have been exposed to a sexually transmitted infection (STI), get STI testing as soon as you can.
• Protect against the sun – wear light, loose fitting clothes, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. Apply plenty of high factor (at least 30 SPF with UVA rating of 4/5 stars) sunscreen frequently, especially after activities where sunscreen may come off, including swimming or any activity that causes sweating.

When you return

Get urgent medical attention for any fever, flu-like symptoms, prolonged or bloody diarrhoea, abdominal pain or a rash if they appear when you are back in the UK.

Remember to tell your doctor, nurse or other health professional that you have recently travelled abroad. This is especially important if you visited malaria risk countries, even if you took malaria prevention tablets and have been home for a while as an urgent malaria blood test must be arranged.

If you had unprotected sex abroad or think you might have an STI, go to a free, confidential NHS sexual health clinic for help and advice.

Resources

• ABTA the travel association - Have a safe and healthy holiday
• ABTA the travel association: Top tips for swimming safely
• ABTA the travel association: Quad bike and moped safety
• ABTA/FCDO: Balcony Safety
• ABTA: Advice for young holidaymakers
• Drinkaware: Staying safe on holiday
• Drinkaware: The dangers of fake alcohol
• Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Foreign travel checklist
• Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Festivals in Europe: Travel checklist
• Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Mental health and wellbeing abroad
• Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Visiting friends and relatives abroad: health advice
• FRANK: Spiking - how to protect yourself on a night out
• Increase in drug resistant gonorrhoea reported in UK travellers
• Methanol poisoning and local herbal brews during travel
• Personal safety
• Pregnancy
• Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents: Staying Safe on Holiday
• Celebrating Pride abroad?
• Travel Aware - Get Travel Smart