Falling ill, theft, terrorism, toilets are Australians' biggest overseas travel fears

TOILET terrors loom almost as large as terror attacks in a list of Australians' biggest concerns about travelling overseas. What are our other biggest fears?

Toilet troubles are a concern for many Australians who are heading overseas. Picture: Thinkstock

AUSTRALIANS are more afraid of toilet explosions than terrorist attacks when they travel overseas.

Falling sick with conditions such as Bali belly was the biggest concern for 61 per cent of Australian travellers, a national Galaxy Research survey found.

Research shows 36 per cent of Australians are afraid of using dodgy toilets overseas. Picture: Thinkstock

Theft was the next biggest worry, followed by being ripped off when exchanging goods or money.

WHAT KIND OF TRAVELLER ARE YOU?

SCROLL DOWN TO TEST HOW YOU COMPARE

Terrorism was a fear for 43 per cent of Australian travellers.

Being unable to speak the local language was just behind at 42 per cent, while 36 per cent were afraid of using dodgy toilets.

Travel Medical Alliance spokeswoman Dr Deb Mills said most Australians were unprepared for falling ill when going overseas, especially young people.

Get advice for your next holiday: Travel guru Doc Holiday answers your questions today from 11am-1pm (AEDT).

She said travellers should carry a medical kit with treatments for the most common problems, which were diarrhoea, chest and sinus problems, pain such as headache and wounds.

"They should get professional advice about the health risks of the destination, not just ask their friends who have been to Fiji before," she said.

"Rabies and dengue fever can be problems in Asia, for example.

"If you pat a dog and get a little bite it can be fatal."

Dr Mills said travellers should also make sure they get recommended vaccinations, which are designed to protect the individual, as well as compulsory vaccines.

"Hepatitis A is a concern pretty much everywhere - you can catch it off doorknobs and surfaces and be sick for ten weeks and it's completely preventable with one shot.

"We recommend people visit their GP or a travel clinic before they travel overseas.''

Cover-More Travel Insurance spokeswoman Maureen Mullins said around 80 per cent of Australians took out travel insurance when they travel overseas, meaning 20 per cent didn't.

"Medical expenses overseas can be huge," she said.

"We're often evacuating Australians out of towns and cities that don't have the right medical facilities to treat them."

Overall 88 per cent of Australians harbour reservations about overseas travel.

Those who have not travelled overseas in the past three years had more concerns about leaving Australia than those who have been overseas.

Ms Mullins said Australians still had an insatiable appetite for international travel, with almost six million Australians forecast to have travelled overseas this year.

More than 1000 Australians aged 18 to 64 responded to the online survey.