Countries to save for your second trip abroad

This is not a list of dangerous countries. Millions of people visit every one of these six each year and go home with the best stories of their lives. It is a list of places that ask a lot of you on day one, at the exact moment a first-time traveler has the least practice.

A first trip abroad teaches you the basics: getting through an airport, paying in a new currency, getting online, finding your way, and noticing when something is off. Learn those somewhere forgiving, and these six become the trip of a lifetime instead of a stressful one. For somewhere forgiving, see the safest countries for your first trip abroad.

How to read a travel advisory

Every country below comes with its US State Department travel advisory level, because it is the only government scale with simple numbers. The levels were checked on 2 October 2026 against the State Department's own advisory feed. They can change at any time, so open the linked page again just before you book.

Level 2 sounds alarming until you see who else is on it. France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom are all Level 2, mostly because of terrorism risk. So Level 2 means 'know the risks', not 'stay away'.

Advisories also work by region. A country can be Level 2 overall while one border area is Level 4, and that is the case for several countries below. The UK Foreign Office (FCDO) does not use numbers at all. It names the specific areas it advises against all travel, or all but essential travel, so we include its view too.

The six at a glance

India: the big one, and the best reward

India is not one country to get used to but twenty, and the first days ask a lot of everyone. The UK government's advice is blunt about it: be cautious in tourist areas, where 'scammers, pickpockets and ticket touts target foreign nationals', and avoid people at railway stations offering tickets and tours.

Your stomach is the second test. The CDC's travel health guide puts the chance of traveler's diarrhea above 60% on a two-week trip to India, so pack oral rehydration salts and plan a slow first few days. In the north, the FCDO warns that air pollution is a major health hazard from October to February, which is also peak tourist season.

Then there is the traffic. The FCDO notes that India has a high death rate on its roads, and it advises against hailing taxis on the street, especially at night. Uber and Ola are widely available instead, and both need mobile data the moment you land.

Data is also the one thing to sort out before you fly. India removed the big international eSIM apps from its app stores in 2024, so buy and install your eSIM at home. One you already own keeps working once you land. Plans are on the India page.

Egypt: the pyramids come with a sales pitch

Nothing quite prepares you for standing in front of the Great Pyramid. The trouble is everything between you and it: camel rides with a price that changes halfway, 'free' guides, and people who will walk with you for an hour and then ask for money. The FCDO puts it simply: be cautious in tourist areas, 'where scammers and touts sometimes target foreign nationals'.

None of it is dangerous, but it is tiring, and a first-timer has not yet learned to say no politely and keep walking. Agree every price before anything starts, carry small notes, and book a licensed guide through your hotel for Giza and Luxor.

Two rules catch people out. Taking photos of children is prohibited, and so is photographing military sites, which includes the Suez Canal. Women traveling alone should take extra care in taxis at night, which is another reason to use a ride-hailing app with the trip on record.

Egypt also has its own rules for phones brought into the country, explained in our Egypt eSIM guide, along with which networks a travel eSIM uses there.

Morocco: lost in the medina, on purpose

Marrakech and Fez are designed to get you lost, and that is the charm. It is also the opening for the classic Moroccan hustle: a friendly stranger who tells you the road ahead is closed, offers to show you the way, and then wants paying, or leads you to a cousin's carpet shop.

The FCDO confirms it is 'common for people posing as official tourist guides to harass tourists', and advises hiring only guides with an official badge. It also warns that aggressive begging is common around ATMs, and that women traveling alone may get unwanted attention.

One detail surprises people: the FCDO says many taxis booked through ride-sharing apps in Morocco may be unregulated and unlicensed. The safer habit is to ask your riad or hotel to call a taxi for you.

A phone with data is your best defense in the medina. With a map that shows your own blue dot, nobody can convince you the road is closed. Download offline maps as a backup, and see the Morocco page for plans.

Vietnam: safe on paper, wild on the road

Vietnam is rated Level 1, a level below the UK or France. So why is it here? Because the risk is the road, not crime. Crossing a Hanoi street for the first time means stepping into a river of motorbikes and walking at a steady pace while it flows around you. It works, but it takes nerve.

Renting a motorbike is where first-timers really get hurt. The FCDO says motorbike accidents are common and riding is much riskier than at home. To ride legally you need the 1968 International Driving Permit plus your own licence, and third-party insurance is mandatory. Many travel insurance policies won't pay out for a rider without the right licence, so check yours before you get on.

Two smaller things: bag snatchers on motorbikes work the busy tourist streets, so carry your phone on the side away from the road. And the FCDO warns that even small amounts of methanol in alcoholic drinks can kill, and that you can't taste or smell it, so stick to sealed, branded bottles.

Grab is the easy fix for both the traffic and the taxi meter. It shows the driver and the price before you go, and the FCDO suggests using it to check vehicle details. Don't buy a pre-registered SIM from a street seller, either: Vietnam now re-checks your face when a SIM moves to a new phone. An eSIM avoids the problem, and plans are on the Vietnam page.

Peru: Machu Picchu is the easy part

Peru's big challenge is height. Cusco sits at about 3,400 meters, and the FCDO calls altitude sickness 'a serious risk' there and in Puno, the Colca Canyon and Kuelap. Many visitors fly from sea-level Lima straight to Cusco and spend their first day with a headache and no breath. Planning two easy days, or starting lower in the Sacred Valley, makes all the difference.

The second challenge starts at the airport. The FCDO warns of 'robbery by criminals posing as taxi drivers, especially at Jorge Chavez International Airport', and of express kidnappings, where victims are driven between ATMs. The fix is simple: book your transfer ahead or use an app, never a driver who approaches you in arrivals.

Peru also has frequent demonstrations that can shut roads, trains and highways with little warning, so leave a spare day before an international flight. And steer clear of ayahuasca retreats: the US and UK both report travelers who became seriously ill and, in some cases, died.

Our South America guide covers coverage in the Andes, and plans are on the Peru page.

Nepal: the Himalaya on its own terms

Most people go to Nepal to trek, and that is what makes it a second-trip country. The trails are not technical, but they climb high, and the FCDO warns that altitude sickness is a risk in the trekking areas, especially above 3,000 meters. The cure is time: plan rest days, climb slowly and turn around if symptoms get worse.

You can't simply set off alone anymore, either. Since 2023, Nepal has required foreign trekkers to use a local guide or porter in its national parks and protected areas, a rule the FCDO confirms is still in force, and the Nepal Tourism Board lists the permits each route needs. Book through a registered agency, which handles the TIMS card and permits for you.

The mountains also decide when you leave. The FCDO notes that flights in the high mountains are often delayed by weather and cancellations are common, so build spare days in before your flight home. Check that your insurance covers helicopter rescue, which the FCDO says usually costs £1,000 to £2,000 or more per flying hour. It also warns of guides who rush clients uphill and then call in a helicopter evacuation for a commission.

Mobile coverage thins out on long stretches of trail, including parts of the Annapurna Circuit, according to the FCDO. Download offline maps before you start, and tell someone your route. Plans are on the Nepal page.

Why Cuba is not on this list right now

Cuba would normally belong here: no international cards, little internet, and a lot of cash to carry. But on 25 September 2026 the UK Foreign Office was advising against all but essential travel to the whole country. It reports repeated collapses of the power grid, airports without aviation fuel, and several airlines suspending flights. That puts Cuba beyond 'demanding' for now, so check the latest advice before planning a trip there.

The places that really are off the table

Some countries are not for a first trip, a second trip or any trip right now. On 2 October 2026 the US State Department rated 23 destinations Level 4, Do not travel, including Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen. The full, current list is on the State Department's advisory page.

If you are not American, check your own government's advice as well. Your consulate is the one that will help if something goes wrong, and your travel insurance may not cover you somewhere your own government says not to go.

How a working phone makes these six easier

Almost every tip above comes back to one thing: being online the moment you land. A ride-hailing app replaces the airport taxi pitch. A live map makes the 'road is closed' story pointless. Translation apps handle the bargaining, and a booking confirmation on your screen settles arguments about the price.

• Install your eSIM at home, especially for India, where the big eSIM apps were removed from the local app stores.
• Turn the eSIM on before you leave the plane, so ride-hailing works in the arrivals hall.
• Download offline maps for each city in case coverage drops in the medinas or the mountains.
• Save the emergency numbers above in your phone before you need them.
• Share your live location with someone at home when you take a long taxi ride or go trekking.

Ready for the other end of the scale? Our guide to street-smart travel in South Africa, Brazil and more covers the habits that keep you safe in places where opportunistic crime is the main risk.

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