Lord God, You who guided the Israelites through the desert by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night — I ask You to guide and protect me on this journey.
Before I depart, I place this trip in Your hands. Every road, every flight, every step — I entrust it all to You.
Lord, I ask You to:
• Send Your angels before me to prepare the way
• Protect me from every accident, delay, and danger
• Guard the vehicle I travel in and those who operate it
• Keep me alert and attentive throughout the journey
• Bring me safely to my destination and safely home again
Father, hold back every accident, mishap, and disaster, in the name of Jesus. I break every curse spoken over my travels. I claim divine protection over every mile.
Saint Christopher, patron of travelers, pray for me. Saint Raphael the Archangel, companion of journeys, walk beside me. Guardian Angel, do not leave my side.
"The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." — Psalm 121:8
Lord, whether I travel by land, sea, or air, let Your hand be upon me. Bring me where You want me to be. And bring me home safely to those who love me.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
A Prayer for Safe Travel
Asking God and His angels to go before you on every road, flight, and journey.
From the Church’s tradition: From Tobit to the Emmaus road, Scripture shows God sending His angel to walk with the traveler — “Behold, I will send my angel, who shall go before thee, and keep thee in thy journey” (Exodus 23:20).
Every journey carries us out of the familiar and into the hands of God. The Church has always blessed her people as they set out — pilgrims, sailors, soldiers, families on the road — entrusting them to the guardian angels and to Raphael, the archangel who walked the long road with young Tobias and brought him safely home. To pray before you travel is not superstition; it is to remember Who holds the road, the sky, and the hour of your arrival.
Below are prayers to pray before you leave and as you go — for yourself, for those traveling with you, and for those you love who are far from home. Pray them at the door, in the car, before the plane lifts, and ask the holy angels to be your unseen companions until you are safely home.
Listen — A Prayer for Safe Travel, narrated
A Prayer for Safe Travel
A prayer to commend your journey and your companions to God and His holy angels.
A Covering Prayer for the Journey
Entrusting the road, the vehicle, and every mile to the Lord’s protection.
Lord, I am about to travel, and I ask for Your protection over every mile, every moment, and every mode of transportation.
"The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." — Psalm 121:8
BEFORE I DEPART:
Lord, I ask You to go ahead of me. Prepare the roads, the airports, the paths I will travel. Remove every hazard — known and unknown — from my route. If there is a danger ahead, redirect me. If there is a delay, let it serve Your purpose.
WHILE I TRAVEL:
Surround my vehicle with Your angels. Place a hedge of protection around me. Give me alertness and good judgment. Protect me from distracted drivers, from mechanical failures, from severe weather, and from every accident.
If I travel by air, Lord — hold the aircraft in Your mighty hands. Give wisdom to the pilots and calm to the passengers. Let the journey be smooth and the landing safe.
FOR THOSE I LEAVE BEHIND:
Protect my family while I am away. Guard our home. Keep my loved ones safe. Let no harm come to them in my absence. Give them peace about my travel, and give me peace about leaving them.
FOR THOSE I WILL MEET:
Lord, prepare my interactions. If You are sending me somewhere for a purpose, reveal it. If I will encounter someone who needs prayer, give me the sensitivity to recognize the moment. Let me carry Your light wherever I go.
FOR MY RETURN:
Bring me home safely, Lord. Let me return to my family with joy and gratitude. Let every journey remind me that this life is a pilgrimage, and my true home is with You.
Saint Christopher, patron of travelers, pray for me. Saint Raphael, companion on the journey, guide my steps. Guardian Angel, ride with me.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
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Praying Before You Go
The Book of Tobit is, among other things, the great travel story of Scripture: a father sends his son on a long and dangerous road, and God sends the archangel Raphael — in the guise of a fellow traveler — to guard him every step and bring him home with healing and joy. “God’s angel will keep him company, and his journey shall be prosperous, and he shall return safe” (Tobit 5:21–22, Douay). The Church reads this as a picture of every Christian journey: we never travel alone, however empty the road may look.
This is why Catholics have always invoked the guardian angels and St. Raphael for safe travel, and why the traditional blessings for travelers ask God to “direct the way of His servants in the peace and prosperity of safety.” The prayer is addressed to God and to the angels He has appointed as our companions — never to any other power. It asks Him to guard the body and the soul alike: to keep the traveler from accident and harm, and to bring them home not only safely but more deeply trusting in His care.
Pray these before any departure — a daily commute, a long drive, a flight, a pilgrimage — and pray them too for the ones you love who are on the road and out of your reach. The same God who is with you at home is with them in the far country.
When to pray it
- ✦Before setting out — at the door, in the car, or before the plane departs.
- ✦For loved ones who are traveling and far from home.
- ✦At the start of a pilgrimage or a long or difficult journey.
- ✦In thanksgiving on safe arrival — never forget to give thanks.
Companions for the road
More prayers of protection
Questions about A Prayer for Safe Travel
What is a good Catholic prayer for safe travel?+
A travel prayer commends your journey and your companions to God and asks the guardian angels — and St. Raphael, the archangel who guarded Tobias on the road — to keep you safe. This page gathers a prayer for safe travel and a covering prayer for the journey, both addressed to God, to pray before you set out.
Which saint or angel do Catholics ask for safe travel?+
St. Raphael the Archangel — whose name means “God heals” and who accompanied young Tobias safely there and back in the Book of Tobit — is the traditional patron of travelers, along with your guardian angel and St. Christopher. Catholics ask their intercession before journeys, always addressing the prayer to God, who sends His angels to guard us.
When should I pray before traveling?+
Pray as you set out — at the door, in the car, or before a flight departs — and pray for loved ones who are on the road. A short prayer commending the journey to God takes only a moment and places the whole trip, and everyone in your care, under His protection. Remember to give thanks on safe arrival.
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