Before you go - Check your destination is safe

Posted by frann on April 16th, 2008 at 03:26pm

There are conflicts and other problems all over the world, but they don’t always show up on your local news. So how do you know the destination you are planning is safe? The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office keeps a list of countries for travelers, showing areas which are best avoided. The site can be used by anybody, not just British nationals.

Currently, Chad and Somalia are on the “Do not travel” list, together with parts of Afghanistan, Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Azerbaijan, Burundi, Cameroon, Colombia, Comoros, Congo (Democratic Republic), Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Haiti, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel and the Occupied Territories, Ivory Coast, Kosovo, Lebanon, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Russian Federation, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Uganda. All but essential travel to Burundi, Central African Republic, Comoros, East Timor, Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Liberia, Yemen and parts of Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Bangladesh, Congo, Congo (Democratic Republic), Ecuador, Guatemala, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel and the Occupied Territories, Kenya, Kosovo, Libya, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Sudan, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan should be avoided.

If you are considering traveling to any of the destinations listed, more detailed information can be found on the UK Foreign & Commonwealth site.

Wherever you’re going, be ready for the unexpected by making sure you have full travel insurance in place. If you’re heading for a known problem area, you need to check with your insurers to ensure you are covered.

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