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As holidaymakers head off on their travels abroad during the summer months, a report from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) highlights some of the problems and difficulties people have faced.

As part of their Know Before You Go campaign the FCO has compiled figures from between April 2005 and March 2006, which show that 1,368 Britons were arrested in the USA, 955 were hospitalised in Greece and more than 6,000 people lost their passports in Spain.

Meg Munn, Foreign and Commonwealth Office minister, said: “One of the most important tasks for the Foreign Office is our work to help British nationals in distress overseas. As this report shows, although some of the incidents people face are unavoidable, many can be prevented with a little planning and careful preparation.

“Simple precautions like researching your destination, getting comprehensive travel insurance, checking out medical requirements and taking copies of important documents could help avoid common travelling traumas, risks and dangers in the long-run.”

The FCO report also revealed other interesting findings, including the observation that the increasing popularity of stag and hen parties heading to the Czech Republic has meant staff have had to deal with more lost passports, arrests and hospitalisations.

And the FCO said India, Thailand and Australia also appeared in the top ten countries where Britons required consular assistance – perhaps suggesting that although Brits are getting more adventurous with their travels they are not doing enough preparation before they go.

About the author

Oonagh ShielContent Manager at Cheapflights whose travel life can be best summed up as BC (before children) and PC (post children). We only travel during the school holidays so short-haul trips and staycations are our specialities!

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