Travel is exciting and you may be more active than normal, but it shouldn’t be painful or dangerous. Travel can also be very tiring, especially if you visit a destination far from your home country. You need to adjust to a different time zone, a new climate, and a different routine – this can take a toll on your body. When you are tired you are more likely to fall ill and you increase your risk of injury.

Have a physical examination before you go. Your physician can check you are in good health and able to make the trip as planned. If you have recently suffered a major illness, or you are recovering from surgery, consider postponing your adventure trip until you are full recovered. It is not worth risking your future health when you will enjoy the trip much more when you are fully well.

Make sure you are prepared for the physical activity on your trip – if needed, get in shape with exercise and training before you go. Be aware of how much you can do. If you can walk for five hours a day, make sure you don’t end up walking for eight hours. If you can’t deal with the heat, don’t book a vacation in tropical climates where you will be active outdoors. Knowing yourself is the key to a healthy and fun adventure trip.

Before you get on the plane, make sure you have been strengthening your immune system for a few weeks prior to your trip. Get enough exercise, eat a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and cut your intake of sugar and unhealthy fats. A strong immune system makes it less likely you will catch the colds and other viruses that other passengers are harboring.

Before you fly, make sure you have enough sleep. You may not get much sleep on the plane so at least make sure you are not exhausted before you start. The same goes for alcohol – don’t overdo it the night before. Flying while hung-over is a recipe for a bad experience. Drinking when flying can be bad for your health because the alcohol affects you more seriously in the air. Be careful not to drink too much.

Take healthy snacks with you to eat while you are waiting in the airport or traveling to the airport. Don’t rely on chocolate or chips to get you through the hours. Take food that fuels you as well as brings health benefits, like nuts, fruits and cereal bars. Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.

Look at the insurance’s regulations about where you will be evacuated should the need arise. There are a few things that could happen if you need medical treatment – will the insurance company decide where you will be taken, and consequently you will be transported to the nearest appropriate facility? Or will you be able to decide to be taken to a hospital closer to your home or to other family members?

Secondly, who is it that decides you need to be evacuated for medical reasons? Different insurance policies say different things about this matter. Some policies allow you, or your appointed personal representative, to make the decision regarding evacuation. However, in other policies it says that the insurance company or their representatives will make the call.

Other things to consider when buying an emergency medical evacuation insurance package, if they apply to you, are pre-existing conditions clauses and upper age limits. If you are older or have not been in good health it is helpful to check the policy details to make sure you will be covered. Another thing to consider is whether there is an upper limit on how much the evacuation costs. These policies are generally designed to cover the often very high cost of an emergency evacuation but it is a good idea to check exactly how much you are covered for.

A: This may seem like an unreasonable amount, but this is what emergency medical evacuation costs. Transportation to a suitable medical facility can cost upwards of $50,000, depending on where in the world you are.

The cost of the evacuation also depends on the condition of the person who falls ill or is injured. Because the cost of evacuation insurance is low in comparison to the cost of an evacuation, we always recommend taking out insurance.

This kind of insurance is essential whenever you travel outside of the United States. It’s always a good idea to prepare for the worst– you may never need it, but it could save your life and your money.

That’s not something you can include in your student budget. But you can include travel insurance with a medical evacuation policy. Travel insurance is economical and it could end up saving you a lot of money.

Medical treatment and care abroad can be very expensive, and it’s even more expensive to be airlifted to hospital or home. Plan benefits include the cost of transporting you to a medical facility, as well as the travel expenses of a friend or relative who comes from home to help you.

The US embassy in country may be able to help you in locating medical services and notifying relatives at home after you fall ill or have an accident. But the responsibility of paying your medical expenses is yours – don’t travel uninsured.

Check your insurance policy. Does it pay for a medical plane to airlift you home or to a suitable medical facility if there is not one close by?

Does your insurance transport you by ambulance to a better hospital if you need it? And does your travel health insurance policy cover the cost of medical treatment when you get to the hospital?

A comprehensive policy does all this and more. You should consider every eventuality before you travel to make sure you are protected should the unthinkable happen.

You may have to leave the country before you plan to because there is a political emergency, terrorism or an environmental disaster like an earthquake. When this happens the US Embassy directs operations to remove US citizens from the country if they deem it to be necessary.

This type of evacuation is different to a medical evacuation. If you are injured or seriously ill you may need to be transported to a suitable medical facility or you may need to be flown home. This is an emergency medical evacuation and it can occur regardless of the political and environmental situation in the country.

Medical evacuations are covered by your medical evacuation insurance policy. If you choose to be evacuated in the case of a political or natural disaster you will normally need to pay a part of your evacuation costs back to the government.

Make good plans in advance when you are travelling in the desert. Make sure that people know where you are going and when you are due back, even if you are travelling with a tour guide. Check the weather and pack accordingly.

Make sure you drink enough water when you are in the desert. It is easy to be dehydrated and fall sick. Also make sure to keep your energy up with regular small meals.

Dress for extreme changes of temperature. The desert will be very hot during the day but the temperature can drop dramatically as soon as evening falls. You need a good quality hat and sunglasses as well as a warm jacket.

Firstly, remember that wilderness areas are always home to wild animals. Respect the animals and never approach or provoke animals you may meet in the wild – be especially careful not to surprise a female animal with her young. Keep a safe distance and never feed them.

Don’t walk or hike alone, try to go with a companion and don’t let children walk off by themselves. Don’t run on trails through wildlife areas as the movement may startle the animals.

Stay on recognized paths and avoid taking shortcuts through the wild. When you’re hiking, make sure you take enough water and the right clothes that will protect you in the environment you’re trekking through.

The traditional image of retires on vacation is a couple lying by the pool, or taking a bus trip through a US state. But nowadays we are much more likely to see older travelers heading off on adventurous trips that were once reserved for the younger generation.

The number of older travelers taking hiking vacations in remote locations is rising. And so too is the number of older people backpacking in South East Asia, or riding the trans-Siberian railway.

Older travelers have the same wanderlust as their younger counterparts, and also want to stretch their retirement money as far as it will go. Both older and younger holidaymakers want inspiration and excitement on their vacation.