Safe & Healthy Travel Advice for Women

Summer marks an important travel season. Whether you're a student, a professional or a hard-working parent, going away on vacation and getting away from it all brings a sense of freedom, but travelers should be aware that it's not all completely care-free. There is a certain amount of preparation and planning that needs to go into ensuring a safe, healthy and happy trip, such as planning in advance to get the appropriate immunizations and ensuring you have the right travel documentation. And, as a woman, you have some unique health and well-being concerns to consider as well.

Dr. Dominique Tessier, an expert in the area of women's health and travel offers the following tips to female travelers:

·         Prepare and bring a travel medical kit - This is an important kit that women should always take with them when crossing time zones. Items like first aid supplies, insect protection, sun protection, water purification, medications and other toiletries are important to include.

·         Research the cultural and social attitudes towards women - It's important that women understand the environment that they're traveling to. For example, some countries have certain dress codes for women that you must abide by as a visitor.

·         Prepare for differing hygiene practices - Toilet paper and use of hand dryers and paper towel is different is many countries, so women must be prepared for this. Bring tissues and your own hand towels.

·         Be aware - Anyone travelling to unfamiliar areas should take precautions to stay protected and ensure they are always aware of their surroundings. As a woman, this is even more important, so always travel with companions and make sure someone always knows where you are.

For more tips, check out RTM's Travel Advice section.