Beginner guides to get it right the first time

Rio, the Northeast or Lisbon and the Algarve: the trip is easier when the safety basics are sorted before boarding. Emergency numbers, booking scams and what to agree beforehand.

A gorgeous profile that soon asks for money, an "invitation" that needs a Pix deposit, a threat to expose chats. Learn the signs and what Pix offers if you are caught.

You talk about limits and house rules, but what about the practical part? In Brazil, much of regular sexual health care is free through the SUS. Here is how to set up a routine as a couple.

Vienna, Zurich or Berlin: arrive prepared and you relax more. What to settle as a couple before you go, from agreements and emergency numbers to privacy and costs.

Talking openly about safer sex is one of a couple's most important agreements. What do German and Swiss authorities say about protection, vaccines and tests, and where can you get advice?

A profile that seems too good, then a request for money? How to recognise romance fraud and blackmail with intimate images, and what the German police advise if it happens.

Everybody has heard of Cap d'Agde, and a lot of myths circulate. Who can enter, under what conditions and what must be respected? The rulebook, straight from the tourist office.

Libertinage between consenting adults is not an offence in itself in France, but the Penal Code covers what surrounds it. Public view, consent and images: the pointers to know.

Walk into a lab without a prescription and without paying up front: in France testing has become much simpler. Where to go, what is free and what the official pages say.

In Japan consent is not just manners, it is law. What changed in 2023: a new test for refusal, an age of consent of 16 and a separate act on filming. A traveller's summary.

Many STIs cause no symptoms, so testing matters. What does Japan's health ministry highlight, why do condoms come first and how do tests at a hokenjo work?

A theft, a sudden illness, a dispute: who do you call? Knowing it in advance keeps you calm. Police, ambulance and the 24-hour hotline, plus how to find a doctor.

In South Korea the smartphone is part of daily life, and filming can lead to legal trouble. Know the basics on consent and cameras, and which numbers to call for help.

Many STIs cause no symptoms, so how do you know? A summary of KDCA educational material: main diseases, condoms, types of test and how public health centres work.

Convenient transport, lively cities and a good place to travel. But what do you do if something goes wrong? Key numbers and warnings on alcohol and drugs, per UK advice.

Packing a vape or posting that holiday photo? In Thailand both can land you in trouble. Here is what the FCDO says, and which facts come from secondary sources.

Big-city caution, with a few nuances. What does the official advice say about drink spiking, taxis, hospitals and who to call if a night out goes wrong in Bangkok?

Thinking of Moscow or St Petersburg? Before anything else, read what the official advice actually says, and why BarSwinger lists no venues, events or resorts in Russia.

Your cards may not work and your favourite apps may be blocked. Four areas where the FCDO says Russia is different: laws, money, connectivity and personal safety.

Going out at night in the Dominican Republic? Know the risks before you meet strangers from an app. Here is what three official sources say about drugs, drinks and taxis.