All travellers have recourse to food and drink either while journeying or having arrived. Either way they represent problems of quality control to caterers as any deterioration in standards can have serious effects on travellers' physical and mental well-being, albeit in the short term. The rapid expansion of travel in the last few years, which is unlikely to diminish, has probably improved standards of hygiene and nutrition as a whole but not without some curious side effects. Despite all the years of study and effort put into food hygiene in many countries, most travellers to a foreign state can still expect an upset stomach within a few days of arrival. The main problem for caterer and customer alike is the provision of safe food so this paper deals with the problems encountered in ensuring that travellers have ready and universal access to wholesome meals. In many cases satisfactory sources of supply, methods of preparation and staff training have been evolved so the problem is not of establishing standards but of ensuring continuity and development, especially in times of economic recession or after the first flush of enthusiasm has evaporated. Also considered is the problem of matching strangers demands for ‘native’ food with what they will actually eat, plus the problem of producing safe food which retains some of the original flavours, aroma and effects.