Travel

If something goes wrong abroad — a kidnapping, a natural disaster, a wrongful detention — the U.S. government needs to know you exist before they can help you. STEP is the free program that puts you on their radar.

Getting arrested in another country is terrifying — but you have a legal right most people don’t know about. And knowing it ahead of time could genuinely change what happens to you.

If you get arrested in another country and can’t afford an attorney, the U.S. Embassy cannot provide one for you. That constitutional right to a lawyer? It doesn’t travel.

Losing your passport overseas can strand you for days. One simple habit — storing digital copies of your documents in the cloud before you leave — can make the difference between a nightmare and a minor setback.

There’s a common mix-up floating around: that U.S. citizens can get banned from re-entering the U.S. for overstaying a visa in a foreign country. That’s not how it works — but the real rules are still worth knowing.

Third-party booking sites can score you a deal, but there’s a real catch most people don’t find out about until they’re stuck at the airport. Here’s what you need to know before you book.

Pull up to a traffic stop in the wrong country with just your American driver’s license and you could be in serious trouble. Here’s what you actually need before you get behind the wheel overseas.

Getting robbed or hurt abroad is already awful. But if you don’t file a police report fast, your travel insurance company can refuse to pay you a single dollar — even if you have a policy.

You hop off a plane in Europe, grab a rental car, and skip the insurance desk because your credit card ‘has you covered.’ Except — it might not. Not internationally.

If you’re crossing into the U.S. — even as an American citizen — customs agents have the legal right to go through your devices, no reason required. Here’s what that actually means for you.

Bringing your dog or cat to another country isn’t like packing an extra bag. Miss one requirement and your pet could be seized or sent back at the border — and some of those requirements need to be done months in advance.

Getting pulled over abroad isn’t like getting pulled over at home. In a lot of countries, police can demand you pay a fine on the spot in cash — and if you can’t, they may keep your license until you do.

Marijuana is legal where you live — so it should be fine abroad, right? Wrong. Dead wrong. And the consequences can follow you for years.

Starting February 1, 2026, not every driver’s license will work at airport security. If yours isn’t REAL ID-compliant, you could get turned away at the checkpoint.

Passing through airport security doesn’t mean your bag is cleared for the whole trip. If your carry-on gets checked at the gate, certain items inside can get it pulled — or you have to dig through your bag right there on the jet bridge.

Your carrier can charge you up to $10 a day just to use your phone abroad. If your phone is unlocked, there’s a much cheaper way.

Your bank’s fraud detection doesn’t know you’re in another country. Unusual foreign charges can trigger an automatic account freeze — and if you’ve just been robbed, that’s the worst possible moment to lose access to your money.

Most people don’t realize that the Fourth Amendment works differently at international borders. Refuse a search, and you might not get into the country at all.