Tips for keeping out of trouble abroad this Christmas

Winter breaks. Sun, snow, skis. Good food, friends, family and the fresh mountain air. Just you and the slope; enjoying some good quality time together after a term of lab reports, essays, falling asleep in lectures and a few late nights out.

Whether you’re going away with your family or on tour with Warwick Snow, as ever it’s important to ensure you can have the best time possible, without getting into trouble.

Leo Boe, President of the Students’ Union and last year’s Welfare Officer stressed the aspect of safety when going away. “Precautions are the same no matter what the context is in which you’re going away. Insurance is an absolute must.”

A European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is key if you’re going anywhere in the EU. If you are a UK resident, you are entitled to some emergency medical treatments for free or at a reduced cost when in an EU country, but beware this is not the same as travel insurance, you need this too! It’s free, so apply for one before you go. As I was leaving for China, my mother thrust upon me one of these magical cards, and thank goodness I didn’t need it. If I had the chance to look at it, I would have quickly realised that firstly, China is not in Europe, and secondly, the card was out of date by about a year. For more information, check out the Department of Health’s website.

Despite this, there are some exceptions, and obviously if you’re going anywhere outside Europe, this doesn’t count. If you haven’t got any already, then pop along to your local post office or travel agent to book some independent insurance. It’s better to have it than to get stuck somewhere without it, as I nicely found out when I missed a connecting flight out on a trip abroad.

Remember, your passport needs to be valid for the next 6 months when traveling to some countries, and if you’re applying for a new one, make sure you do it sooner rather than later! I once almost got halfway to France before I realised I’d forgotten my passport. If it’s a school trip, you still need it, apparently.

Student holidays with friends are some of the best memories you’ll ever make. Christmas Tour is legendary across campus and attracts 500 students including 150 newbie skiers and boarders abroad every year.

With that, however, brings a whole new set of risks. Leo’s reminder to all going on tour is to remember that: “Lots of these places will also have other students traveling… which could carry with it associated undesirable behaviours.

“Something I thought would never happen at a ski resort happened to me last year. I had my drink spiked, which resulted in me losing control of what I was doing and what was going on. I woke up in a hospital the next morning with stitches and cuts on my arm.”

When you get there, ready for a week of beautiful views from the top of mountains and hot chocolates inside cosy chalets, be aware that not everyone is going just for the skiing. As students, a massive part of our holidays is going out to clubs, pubs and bars and drinking as much alcohol as our livers will let us consume. Warwick Snow promises the tour to be ‘the best week of your life’ and the many memories of this will prove to hold the above statement to be true.

Countless students go abroad and get injured or into trouble due to irresponsible drinking, and the costs of this are hard to outweigh after a couple of pints. When going out with friends on a night out, remember to eat something beforehand, and take the numbers of everyone in your group down in case you get separated.

Sam Marshall, President of Warwick Snow is gearing up for this year’s Christmas tour.

“It has sold out for the first time in two years,” he explained, a promising start.

When asked about what to bring, his first response was the necessary clothing needed for some good fun.

“Fancy dress! Apart from that, invest in thermals, it does get ridiculously cold,” he said. “Last year was around -10. Obviously a ski jacket and trousers too.”

In terms of safety, Sam explained that it was important to remember to stay safe on and off the slopes. “The main things that scare us are people walking home from night out… make sure you’re in groups. Always leave a club with someone else.”

Countless students go abroad and get injured or into trouble due to irresponsible drinking, and the costs of this are hard to outweigh after a couple of pints. When going out with friends on a night out, remember to eat something beforehand, and take the phone numbers of everyone in your group down in case you get separated.

One student on last year’s tour went too far with drink and ended up forgetting the entire night.

“Apparently I locked myself in the toilets and one of the tour reps helped me,” they said. “People go on ski tour to ski hard and party hard, it has its reputation for a reason, but that’s a decision you make yourself, not what the society makes for you.”

Have the time of your life on this year’s Christmas break, whether you’re going with friends, family or a sports club. Take the necessary precautions to have fun and to stay safe – it’s very much possible!

Leo’s tips for a great winter break:

 Even though a lot of people in ski resorts will speak English, it’s always good to have a pocket sized book.

 Always ski in at least a group of three – if one person has an accident then another can stay with them while another gets help.

 Bring protection and sun cream.

 Enjoy everything, especially if you are learning to ski/snowboard, it’s all about making mistakes and learning from them. Make sure you are having fun but also staying safe.

 Take all the precautions – have all the correct emergency contact details and take out insurance.

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