Traveling halfway across the world is unparalleled: the sights and sounds, the culture and natural high of venturing out of one's comfort zone. However, it also leaves people more vulnerable than ever as they traverse unfamiliar lands surrounded by total strangers speaking a different language. Here are some guidelines travelers should heed for getting home safe and sound.

Do some research

Going out of town or overseas requires utmost preparation. Learning about the country you're visiting is simple and easy enough online, and it goes a long way in making the trip run smoothly from awareness of cultural dos and don'ts to watching out for possible trouble brewing in the area.

According to the State Department, they issue warnings and alerts for countries with widespread civil unrest, dangerous conditions and terrorist activity, so it's useful to check for significant reports before deciding on a destination.

Travel with a buddy

It's more fun with a friend, after all. Also, there's safety in numbers. It's always better to have someone watching your back. Sometimes, traveling alone is unavoidable and it's only a matter of being smarter and more alert. A report from Cheat Sheet advised on being independent and not relying on asking for help from strangers. It could also help checking in with family and friends once in a while as well as letting them know your itinerary. Also, having a background in self-defense is pretty handy.

Make copies of important documents

Keeping several copies of your passport, visa, travel insurance and other documents on hand doesn't hurt and it's important to make sure they're all stored in different places. Hard copies are useful, but a digital copy is an even safer bet. Scan everything and email it to yourself, so no matter what gets lost, you can always recover it on your email from any internet shop in the world. Also keep an offline copy on your phone and tablet that you could access quickly.

Spring for travel insurance

Yes, getting insurance adds more costs to your travel budget, but it could prove to be very useful, especially for longer trips. Although no traveler wants to acknowledge their mortality on vacation, it's entirely possible to be sick or injured on the road. When that happens, hospital bills could shoot up to thousands of dollars.

Avoid standing out as a tourist

Don't make yourself a target for scammers with obvious tourist tells: carrying a huge map around, wearing expensive jewelry, not being aware of directions and exchange rates, etc. The more you blend into the local scene, the less likely you'll be the victim of tourist traps and common scams.