No one wants to spend their trip holed up in a hospital or the hotel bathroom. Health problems and injuries won't be an issue — if you travel by these guidelines.

Anticipate Emergencies
Yes, accidents happen. Check your health and auto insurance policies to be sure you'll be covered away from home, even if it's just out of state. If you're leaving the country, consider travel medical insurance. Two good choices: Travel Guard (travelguard.com) and MedjetAssist (medjetassistance.com). You'll be out about $200 for a year's worth of coverage, but if you get sick or injured, the company will fly you from that rainforest to a U.S. hospital. Sure beats being treated by the local shaman.

Scout Your Vacation Spot
Malaria isn't an ideal souvenir. Prescreen foreign shores for disease outbreaks and recommended vaccinations at cdc.gov; click on Travelers' Health.

Line Up Liquid Assets
You already know when in Mexico to skip the ice in your margarita and don't drink or brush your teeth with the water. But even washing your face can be risky. "Water in different cities can have chemicals that inflame the skin," says Dennis Gross, M.D., creator of MD Skincare. "After you wash with local water, do a final rinse with pH-neutral bottled Evian." If you can't tote a 10-day supply, try Mountain Safety Research's handheld water purifier ($130, Mountain Safety Research).

Practice Defensive Dining
Eating a falafel from that street vendor brought regrets. But maybe it wasn't the fried chickpeas that made you sick. "If you get food poisoning, and there are dozens of types, the source is probably an unsanitary food handler or fellow diner," says Ewen C.D. Todd, Ph.D., director of the National Food Safety and Toxicology Center at Michigan State University. Sanitize your hands, the restaurant table, bathroom faucets, and doorknobs with antibacterial wipes.

Be Meds-Smart
"Keep over-the-counter and prescription medication in the original packaging [for clearing customs and security]," says Luis F. Lara, M.D., an internal medicine, digestive, and liver disease specialist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. And split your supply between your carry-on and suitcase in case your luggage is lost or stolen.