Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER 4
Know Where
You Are Going:
Pretravel Research
OUR WORLD IS EXTRAORDINARILY DIVERSE. A short plane ride
can take you from the urbane, sophisticated culture of Paris to
places where basic sanitation is not even a universally accepted standard.
When going abroad, you need to realize that where you are going will dra-
matically change the level of attention you need to pay to security. Danger
is common to all corners of the map. However, the nature and extent of
those dangers change from country to country and even many times from
locality to locality. You should take certain basic steps for security purposes
no matter where you go. The extent to which you upgrade those steps
depends on your exact destination. Most travelers know which countries
have drinkable tap water and in which countries they must use bottled
water and avoid salads, unpeeled fruit, and ice in drinks. You must per-
form the same basic research to familiarize yourself with country-specific
security concerns.
There are many available databases to consult prior to travel. The U.S.
State Department website at
www.state.gov
(
http://travel.state.gov
) is a good
place to start. Consult its Consular Affairs home page. The State Depart-
ment site offers many excellent suggestions and has published a guide
through its Overseas Security Advisory Council. In addition to providing
basic information about every country in the world, the State Department
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