Staying happy and healthy on the road is one of the best ways to ensure a great trip. Things you wouldn't do at home are probably the same things you shouldn't do overseas. Keep in mind that a little common sense goes a long way.

Prescriptions
Leave all medications in their original containers with the pharmacy label intact. Carry a written copy of the prescription. You're doing this to avoid headaches with customs officials who might otherwise think you're smuggling drugs. Sad but true.

Keep in mind that some over-the-counter medications in Canada are illegal elsewhere or require a prescription; check with each country's embassy or consulate before leaving. If you think there might be a problem (like with syringes for diabetes), get a letter or medical certificate from your doctor outlining your condition and the course of treatment you've been prescribed. Keep vitamins in their original containers as well. (Hint: multivitamins save precious backpack space.)

Needles
Not sure if you need any immunizations? Most cities have public health clinics geared towards the needs of travellers. Grab that telephone directory. It's also always a good idea to be up-to-date on the basics: diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella. Tuck your immunization record (or International Certificate of Vaccination) into your passport.

AIDS
An increasing number of countries have established regulations regarding AIDS testing, particularly for long-term visitors. Call Health Canada at (613) 957-8739 to find out whether you will need an AIDS test for where you're going. Generally speaking, proof of an AIDS test or documentation that you are HIV-negative is not required for most countries. Note: Never assume condoms will be easily available or even up to snuff. Bring your own.

Should I Drink the Water?
Tap water quality abroad varies. Bottled water is readily available just about everywhere. Exercise caution with the water in Russia, Eastern Europe and Mediterranean countries. That also means being careful about what you use when you brush your teeth, and when you consume ice cubes, salads, or fruit and vegetables washed in local water.

Food
Don't be paranoid; just use common sense. All food should be as fresh as possible and well-cooked. Avoid shellfish, cold meats and any eggs other than hard-boiled. Un-pasteurized cheese might upset your stomach. Food looks like it's been languishing in a steam tray? Order something else. You'd do the same thing at home.

Some globetrotters don't budge from the old adage: Boil it, cook it, peel it... or forget it. Talk to the nurse at a traveller's health clinic before you go for more tips on how to avoid getting sick and how to treat diarrhea.

Fun in the Sun
More travellers suffer from dehydration than anything else. Keep yourself hydrated while you're climbing those ruins and craning your neck in the museums. Pumping yourself full of fluids (but not just beer!) is the best way to avoid getting sick at all. Sun block is cheaper at home than abroad, so don't forget to pack it. You know a snarky sunburn can happen even on cloudy days. And heatstroke is a drag, even if it is the Mediterranean sun that's causing it.

Robbery and Muggings
If you are robbed overseas, there's not a lot you can do after the fact. Do report the event to the police. You will need a police file number to make any insurance claims to which you're entitled. Besides, you just may help them nab somebody. The best strategy for dealing with robbery and muggings is prevention. Remember that you're more vulnerable because you don't speak the language, don't know your way around, and may feel more easily intimidated in a foreign environment than at home.

Don't keep all your money and credit cards in one place; divide them between your day pack and money wallet, and never part with either. Keep an emergency cash stash hidden elsewhere on you.

Drugs
Nowhere in Europe are soft or hard drugs legal, despite what you've heard about some places. Amsterdam tolerates personal consumption of hash or grass in small amounts, but you can still get busted for possession if a cop thinks you're trafficking. If you still insist on indulging, stick to cafes specially zoned for recreational use.

Buying on the street is not advisable. Tourists have been sold soap powder, sugar and rat poison masquerading as drugs. Foreign prisons can be nightmares and the Canadian embassy won't bail you out of jail for drug possession. In some countries, mere possession is punishable by death.

Small luggage locks can help prevent someone slipping a little something into your pack while you're merrily crossing a border; suddenly you're not a tourist anymore, you're a drug mule. For that matter, carry nothing for anyone across a border... or anywhere else. Ever. Not even an envelope. If someone asks or approaches you about carrying something for them, leave the area immediately.

Bisexuals, Gays and Lesbians
As a rule people tend to be more open-minded in cities than in rural settings. In some countries, homosexuality is technically illegal, but gay and lesbian communities are tolerated. Consult your guidebook to determine if consensual sex between same-sex partners is legal or not. And try to find out about the prevailing attitude in the places you intend to go, so you can realistically assess any risks posed by the authorities or by homophobic locals.