If you’re a woman and planning on travelling around the world it is vital that you make sure you’re safe and prepared for anything. Fortunately, for those women who aren’t sure quite what “prepared” means, the not so well known WAG* Charlotte Mears has written a brief guide for women travelling abroad.

Charlotte Mears says: 'It is amazing how many things can go wrong when you are travelling. So I wanted to share my top tips for a hassle-free trip with you'.

Now, a WAG passing on advice is possibly the one thing that should be avoided at all costs but Charlotte’s slightly tongue-in-cheek comments (at least we thing they’re supposed to be humorous) are mixed into a wider message of safety while travelling, hence their appearance on the UK Government’s Know Before You Go campaign.

Quite why they appear hidden away on a government website rather than in a trashy celebrity magazine remains to be seen but the media are now picking up the website so maybe the visitors numbers will rise.

So to mix the silly and the sensible try and guess which safety messages Charlotte wrote and which were written by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

It might sound trivial but you never know when you might break a nail or your extensions turn green in the pool. To stay looking your best even if you are not taking a personal stylist with you, get a number of good local beauticians or check if the hotel has one before you go!

Other useful numbers to take with you are that of the local consul or embassy – it could be invaluable if you lose a passport, or if a bit of wild partying gets you into trouble with the local law!

Travel insurance - one tumble off a bar table in your Jimmy Choos without insurance could cost you £20,000 worth of shopping money on your hospital bill!

If you research your destination in a guide book or on the web before you go, then you arrive knowing all the best places and where you should (and shouldn’t) be seen!

Arrive at your destination wearing something the locals would but with a unique twist - think Henna’d hands in India

Check out www.fco.gov.uk for travel advice and more information about your destination and you’ll also be able to find out about local laws and customs.

Remember your ‘must-have’ cosmetics for the plane (eight hour cream, lip balm, serum etc) will have to go in a clear plastic bag through security now

Get your jabs - and not just the botox! Check out medical requirements for your destination, as you may need vaccinations to protect you from prevalent diseases

If a stranger offers you a drink, make sure you’re at the bar with him when he buys the drink.

Try and stay in pairs or 3’s at the end of the night, even if your mate meets a hunk and yours looks like a skunk, stay together and say you’ve got a headache.

Stay hydrated by drinking lots and lots of water during the day

* - WAG – Wives and Girlfriends. A now slightly disparaging term for the female hangers on of professional English footballers. Charlotte Mears was the fiancée of Premiership footballer Jermaine Defoe at the time of writing. WAGs are prone to upgrading where possible.

Link: Know Before You Go Campaign

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