The UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), a UK government agency that is concerned with the interests of UK citizens overseas, has recently released a new travel app for UK residents going abroad.
The ‘Plan.Pack.Explore’ app is a new travel guide that is mainly aimed at gap year travellers planning a trip abroad. The guide includes travel health advice, how the FCO can and cannot help travellers abroad, how to get the right visa and keep money safe, as well as examples, case studies, and reference maps.
Explaining the app, Khalida Cox, the spokesperson of the Know Before You Go team at the FCO, said, ‘Now that exam results are out and people start considering a gap year, preparation can be daunting for young people and their parents, particularly if it is a trip away without family for the first time.
Plan.Pack.Explore. helps travellers understand exactly what they need to do before they go away and provides essential information for parents in the run up to the big trip. The guide will also be invaluable for those who book last minute travel and need essential travel preparation advice quickly.
Gap years should be all about having fun, exploring the world and hopefully enhancing your CV but if you are not prepared before you go away, things can go horribly wrong.
Statistics show that over the last six months, one in four of 16-24 year olds travelled without insurance and only a quarter made health related preparations before going overseas. This leaves them at risk of facing really high bills for medical care or repatriation.’
