Students are eager to travel far afield in their gap years but are less keen to learn about travel dangers, research showed today.

Australia was the favourite destination for those planning a gap year trip, a survey found, but only a third of those polled said they were familiar with professional advice available on travel safety. Nearly two in five would-be travellers said they were unfamiliar with the advice and 29% said they were unsure about it.

Of 1,000 students polled by the makers of travel safety device FlareSafe, 48% said they were taking a gap year. Of those intending to travel, 62% were women.

After Australia, the most-desired destination was Europe, followed by Asia and the US.

Being attacked was the number one worry for students travelling, followed by robbery, accidents and illness.