Insurance

• Travel medical insurance is a necessity when traveling long distances from home, especially if you will be gone for a long period of time. You may want to check with your personal medical insurance company to see if your policy applies while abroad. If not, you may want to consider purchasing overseas coverage for the duration of your trip. You never know what illnesses you may catch or what accidents may occur when you are abroad, so supplemental insurance may not only save you money, but could also save your life. Many companies offer this type of insurance at different prices, so it is advisable to shop around.
  
  

Communication

• Stay in touch with family and friends. Communication between you and those back home is not just a nice opportunity to keep in touch, but is important for you in terms of safety. It is good for someone to know where you are and who you are with at all times so you can be located in the case of an emergency. It is also wise to leave copies of important documents such as your passport, itineraries, insurance policy and visas with family or friends, so you will always have a copy if they are lost while traveling.
  
  

Finances

• Plan for unforeseen expenses while traveling long distances from home. Reservations can fall through, theft can occur, prices may rise or any number of things can dictate a need for extra cash. The last thing you want is to be stuck in a foreign country with no money, so make sure you have some extra money in your bank account before going abroad.
  
  

Register

• Register your travel itinerary with the State Department. You can find this free tool at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/, and it can be invaluable when traveling long distances. By being registered, the State Department will be able to contact or help you if there is a crisis either at home or abroad.
  
  

Laws

• Familiarize yourself with the local conditions and laws. Even though you are a U.S. citizen you are still subject to the laws of the country you are visiting, ignorance of the law is not an excuse for breaking it, so it is best to be aware.