How to Stay Safe Abroad

Experiencing an emergency situation while abroad is the worst case scenario for most travelers. Violent protests, labor strikes, and even the outbreak of a war can ruin a trip and leave anyone in a dangerous situation. While I was in Europe from January to May of 2023, I encountered a surprising number of situations where I was happy to have multiple travel alert systems.

The first time I received a travel notification I was on a train that was traveling near the French-German border. A few unexploded World War II bombs had been found near the train tracks on the German side of the border and the near by vicinities were being evacuated for the removal process. My train was delayed, and I knew before the announcement was made the reason for the delay because I received a travel alert. I received many travel alerts about strikes while I was in France. I speak French, so it was easy for me to understand the daily news to know when and where strikes would occur. However, many of my friends did not speak French and needed those notifications to tell them whether their bus would be working to take them to school. There were also more extreme occasions where the travel notifications saved myself and my friends time and money. When air traffic control went on strike, notifications would allow us to buy either train or bus tickets to our destination before they sold out. As you can see, signing up for travel notifications will save everyone time, stress, and money while abroad. Signing up for travel notifications can salvage a trip that the universe tried to interfere with. Here are three strategies that can be used to prevent external issues from disrupting your study abroad experience:

STEP stands for Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. It is a program run by the U.S Department of State to keep U.S citizens and nationals safe abroad. To enroll in the system, individuals provide their name, contact information, and identify an emergency contact. Once an account has been created, you can add trip information. The Department of State strongly recommends registering your trip for many reasons. The first reason is to inform travelers on travel advisories. The Department of State uses a four level system. Level 1 means the country is safe, and travelers should “exercise normal precautions”. Level 2 means there might be some unrest in areas that could be dangerous for travelers. Level 2 countries are still relatively safe, when I studied abroad in France there was a level 2 warning. The areas of unrest were easy to locate and my friends and I stayed away from them. Level 3 means there is an increased risk of danger in that country, and people should reconsider traveling there. The main difference between a level 2 and level 3 country is in a level 2 country, there is a risk of being harmed; in a level 3 country, there is a risk of dying. Level 4 risk means do not travel to that country. Most countries will a level four advisory are at war or still recovering from an armed conflict. Signing up for STEP means the Department of State will know to contact you if the travel advisory in the country you are visiting changes.

Another reason to sign up for STEP is for absolute emergencies. If something unexpected happens (i.e. an earthquake, tsunami, war breaks out) and travelers are being evacuated, the Department of State will know you need a seat on an evacuation plane and will save one for you. If you are declared missing by foreign police, the U.S. embassy can look at your STEP registration to quickly find your emergency contact information. The embassy can then let your loved ones know about the situation and they can be updated accordingly.

You can enroll in the program at this website: https://step.state.gov/

2. FoneTrac

FoneTrac is a private company that offers a security app for individuals and companies. For individuals, a subscription costs $15 per month, but it comes with three key security features. The first feature is a panic button. FoneTrac employs a global security team for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The panic button will alert the security team who will be able to track your location, send help right away, and inform your emergency contacts. The second feature is a check-in button that allows travelers to update their location on the app. The user can also allow an emergency contact to be sent an email with the updated location as well. The third feature in the subscription is global monitoring. This is my personal favorite feature. The security team at FoneTrac follows local events and emergencies around the world. If an event occurs that could interfere with your trip, FoneTrac will send a notification through their app to inform you of the event. Being informed about events in an unfamiliar location is the best way to travel safely. The best decisions are made when all or most of the information is known.

This is the individual subscription link for FoneTrac: https://www.fonetrac-go.com/subscribe/fonetrac/

If $15 per month is too much, FoneTrac also has a free daily intelligence email that includes a summary of global events. The email will also include marketing information. You can sign up for the daily intelligence briefing here: https://www.fonetrac-go.com/dib-signup/

Sources:

https://www.globalsupport.harvard.edu/travel/advice/useful-apps-international-travel

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