Health  &  Safety

Travelling abroad is experiencing different cultures and horizons. Please remember though, that it may also mean differing safety and hygiene standards from those you are used to at home. Many UK (European) standards are among the highest in the world.

Fire Safety

Bathrooms

Balcony and glass safety

Electrical Appliances

Lifts

Gas Safety

Children's Safety

Food and Drink

Swimming Pool Safety

On the Beach

Road Safety

Personal Safety

Fire Safety It is worth noting that most countries have different fire regulations and procedures, and that in some resorts, local regulations may apply to preserve the historic nature or aesthetic beauty of the property. This may prevent the hotelier from providing the level of fire safety that you're accustomed to in the UK/Europe.

When you first arrive at the hotel, you should plan how you and your fellow travellers would leave your hotel or apartment if the fire alarm sounds. To help, familiarise yourself with the following:

The fire instruction notice in your room or apartment Where your nearest fire exit is The 'Meeting Point' if you should need to evacuate How to raise the alarm should you see smoke or fire

Bathrooms Very few hotels and apartments provide non-slip mats in their baths and showers; however, in some hotels they are available upon request. You will find that bathroom floors abroad are often tiled. Please take extra care to ensure you do not slip.

Balcony and glass safety Balconies and glass doors and panes around your accommodation are areas where serious accidents can occur, especially during the first few days when customers are familiarising themselves with their surroundings.

The height and designs of balconies may vary from country to country and very few hotels are legally obliged to install 'toughened' or safety glass in their windows and doors.

We would therefore like to raise your awareness by highlighting the following commonsense tips.

Balconies Please ensure that children are not left unsupervised on balconies at any time. Keep all balcony furniture away from the railings so that children are not encouraged to climb up.

Remember never to sit on or lean over the balcony rail and do not try to pass items to someone on another balcony.

Never attempt to climb from one balcony to another.

Take extra care on balconies after drinking alcohol as your judgement may be affected.

Glass Be aware that in bright sunlight or at night, it is often difficult to tell if a glass door is closed, therefore please take extra care when using them.

In a new and exciting environment, children are often unaware of the dangers that glass can present. Parents should therefore exercise particular care with rooms that have a glass balcony door.

Electrical Appliances For your own safety, please exercise proper caution when handling electrical appliances and supervise closely any children that are doing so. We recommend that if you have brought any electrical appliances with you, that you obtain suitable adapters for the local voltage (220W in Italy) so that they can be used safely.

Lifts Some hotels and apartment lifts do not have internal doors. This means that the inside of the lift is exposed to the lift shaft itself. As the lift travels up and down, a "moving wall" effect is created and it is advisable to stand well clear. Do not allow children to travel inside any lift without being accompanied by an adult, and never try to obstruct lift doors when they are closing.

Gas Safety If your accommodation has a gas cooker, always double check that it has been turned off properly as you would do at home. In many cases you will find that the gas is supplied direct from a bottle and as an extra precaution you should turn off the supply at the bottleneck when it is not in use.

Children's Safety Children are naturally curious and even more so whilst on holiday. Balconies, lifts, playgrounds and swimming pools are just some of the areas where accidents can occur, so please remember to supervise your children at all times.

Food and Drink Tasting new and different foods abroad is a big part of your holiday experience, but it is worth remembering however, that standards of hygiene do vary from country to country. Many long-haul destinations are still developing their tourism infrastructure and while we work with our hoteliers to promote good hygiene practices, we would recommend you take the utmost care when choosing to eat outside of the hotel. Heat and humidity abroad, combined with alcohol and new foods can cause minor stomach upsets. Also, do not drink alcohol before swimming and try to avoid it when sunbathing as this will dehydrate you.

Swimming Pool Safety You will find that pool designs will vary greatly and may contain some unusual features. In general, pools are unlikely to have a lifeguard and so we strongly recommend that you check the layout and depth of the pool before you first use it. Please follow our tips below:

Children must be supervised constantly in and around the pool. Remember that it is very unlikely that your pool will have a lifeguard. Familiarise yourself with what you should do in case of an emergency, and make sure that you know what hours the swimming pool is in operation. Do not swim after eating and drinking. Never let children run around the swimming pool area. When using sun-loungers or deck chairs around the pool area, check that they are properly set up before use and report any defects to reception. If the evening entertainment in your hotel is near the hotel swimming pool, please be extra vigilant with children and never swim at night.

On the Beach Check if there are lifeguards and a flag warning system in place. If so, make sure that you know what the flags mean, especially those that tell you when and where it is dangerous to swim. As with swimming pool safety, children must be accompanied at all times. Be aware of local conditions; tides, winds and in particular currents can make even the safest beach hazardous.

Also, please ensure that you are aware of any "zoned" areas that are marked out for water sports. Remember to always use a high factor sunscreen.

Road Safety A high proportion of accidents that are reported to us every year are road accidents. The rules of the road can be very different, drivers are not always obliged to stop at what appears to be pedestrian crossings and of course they often drive on the opposite side of the road!

Driving overseas is a great way to explore and you can book a hire car from Holidays2italy.co.uk partners prior to departure. Please be aware of local regulations however and never drink and drive. We do not recommend the use of motorbikes or mopeds for any destination, even for experienced riders.

Personal Safety Please take care of your personal belongings such as cameras and bags when you are out and about in your resort. We would recommend that you only take with you the cash you will need for the day and leave valuables in a safety deposit box. Remember to lock your door at night and when you go out during the day, as you would at home.

Have a nice holidays2italy.