The last thing you want to deal with when you’re on a trip is injury or illness. Luckily there are some things you can do to prevent it from happening in the first place! In this post, I’m sharing 15 smart things you can do to avoid getting sick while traveling. Curious? Here’s a sneak peek: what to bring on your trip, what foods you should (and shouldn’t eat), and a few things everyone seems to forget…
Your flight just touched down in Mexico, and you’re pumped. You can almost feel the salty ocean breeze in your hair, and taste the guacamole.
You’re ready to soak up the sun, wear that cute yellow swimsuit you just bought, and have a drink with a tiny umbrella in it. You’ve been looking forward to this all year!
It’s going to be a fabulous week, and you can’t wait to…
WAIT. Suddenly you feel a little sick to your stomach. Maybe that extra-spicy thai you ate before the flight wasn’t a good idea.
Avoid Getting Sick While Traveling
Has this ever happened to you? Catching a cold, or spraining your ankle is so much worse when it happens during a trip. Because now you’re dealing with a potential hospital visit, being on medication, and even having to skip activities you wanted to do. It’s maddening to waste time feeling sick when you just want to enjoy your trip!
In this post, I’m sharing tips to help you stay healthy and avoid getting sick while traveling. Don’t let getting sick derail your vacation:
- Important things to do before you leave
- What to pack (that will come in handy later)
- How to avoid germy areas
- Tips for boosting your immune system
- The one thing no one thinks of
If you do the things on this list, you have a much better chance of staying healthy while traveling. But no method is 100% foolproof! So I’ve also included quick tips for what to do if you do get sick. Be sure to go all the way to the bottom so you don’t miss them.
Quick note: Please respect local travel restrictions related to COVID-19. Stay home and stay safe! Remember these tips for a future trip once you can travel freely again.
What Every Traveler Should Be Doing To Stay Healthy
1. Break In Your Shoes
Don’t underestimate how annoying blisters can be on vacation! If you’re like me, you like to shop and buy a few cute things prior to a trip. But be sure that you break in your shoes before you pack them in your suitcase. Wear them at least 5 times before your trip to get rid of any stiffness or rubbing. If your feet hurt while traveling, it’s annoying and you won’t be able to fully enjoy yourself.
2. Bring Important Essentials
Remember to bring your medication with you. In particular, the ones you take on a regular basis AND a small assortment for minor things like headaches, allergies, and indigestion. I would also recommend bringing a small first aid kit that includes bandages, antibiotic cream, cough drops, etc. Those types of items are really convenient to have so you don’t have to make an extra trip to the pharmacy.
3. Watch What You Eat
I absolutely love spicy food, the spicier the better. I want my nose to run and my eyes to water as I’m eating (crazy, I know). But some types of food and drink just aren’t compatible with traveling. Here’s a quick list and why you may want to avoid these foods:
- Uncooked meat, eggs, and seafood (may contain bacteria)
- Raw produce like salads, uncooked veggies, and fruit without a skin (increased chance of contaminants)
- Tap water (contaminated water is one of the world’s leading causes of illness)
- Spicy food (tends to upset the digestive system)
- Unfamiliar food and drink (your body isn’t used to it)
4. Do The Basics
Washing your hands is one of the simplest ways to avoid getting sick while traveling. Most of the germs we come into contact with are spread through touching, so make sure to wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your face to limit the spread of germs.
5. Make Sure You Rest
It’s really easy for your body to get run down while traveling. You’re probably going tons of places and don’t want to miss a thing, right? That’s part of what makes traveling so fun! Just remember that your batteries need to recharge. Make sure you’re getting adequate sleep (and also some downtime to rest and relax). Otherwise your body can’t function well and you’re more at risk for illness.
6. Wear That SPF
If I had a dollar for every vacationer with a sunburn, I’d be rich! But in all seriousness, sun exposure is a real thing and can ruin your trip. Not protecting yourself can lead to sunburn, sun poisoning or dehydration, not to mention skin cancer. So wear sunscreen and reapply throughout the day, no matter if you’re on a beach trip or not. A few other easy ways to stay protected? Wear hats and protective clothing, and seek out shade when you can.
7. Find Clean Restrooms
When you’re traveling and in an unfamiliar area, it can be tough to find clean public restrooms. But it’s important to locate them! Dirty restrooms are a hot spot for bacteria like E. Coli and Strep. Luckily, there are several free phone apps that are a great resource to help you locate them. Have you seen my post about the best travel apps every smart traveler needs?
8. Listen To Your Body
Pounding headache? Itchy throat? Don’t ignore the early symptoms of not feeling well. It’s better to be in tune with your body and give it what it needs. This is where your first aid kit (and getting enough rest) comes into play. Better to be overly cautious than to ignore the signs and get really sick later on.
9. Get Moving
Just like sleep, being active can help you avoid getting sick while traveling. A little exercise makes a big difference! It helps to balance cortisol levels in your body, and often makes you take deeper breaths, which keeps your lungs clear. Tons of studies have proved there’s a link between exercise and health, so get moving! You don’t need to run a marathon, either. Walking, hiking and bicycling are all good options you can easily do on your trip.
10. Stay Hydrated
Now that you’re out being active, you’ll also want to bring along a reusable water bottle and drink throughout the day. Drinking water is one of the simplest ways to stay healthy. Think about it, on your trip you’re likely to be walking and moving around a lot and out in the sunshine. Your body needs water! It gives you energy, keeps you cool, and cleanses your body as well as helping with hangovers and headaches.
11. Know The Hot Spots
Some places are just more prone to germs than others. When traveling, you definitely encounter most of these areas, so it’s good to be aware of what they are. You probably can’t avoid these germy areas altogether, but hand washing and hand sanitizer are two good methods to prevent sickness:
- Airplane bathrooms
- Handles of buses and taxis
- Toilet seats
- ATM machines
- Elevator buttons
- Money
12. Boost Your Immune System
Another way you can stay healthy on a trip is to take supplements to boost your immunity. Multivitamins, probiotics, and Vitamin C are three good options to start with. As always, consult with your doctor first to make sure it’s appropriate before you start anything new.
13. Do Like The Locals Do
This is the tip a lot of people overlook for avoiding getting sick while traveling: pay attention to local ordinances. Wouldn’t you want to know if the area you’re traveling to is having an outbreak or health scare? I know I would! The CDC is one great resource online where you can find information specific to your destination. In the U.S., the Department of State also has health-related guidance for travelers. Check before you go to avoid any surprises that could negatively impact your health.
One more tip: when you’re choosing a restaurant, avoid the ones where no one else is dining (or all the people there are tourists)(or the menu is in English when that’s not the spoken language). It’s a dead giveaway that you should go elsewhere. It doesn’t mean they’re unclean or anything like that, but it does indicate that the food isn’t great.
How To Prepare Before Your Trip
Unfortunately, it’s not a perfect science – you can do everything right and still get sick while traveling. Here are some ways to be prepared ahead of time and give yourself peace of mind:
- Get a health checkup before your trip
- Make sure all vaccines are up-to-date
- Look at your health insurance policy and make sure you’re covered at your destination
- Check the websites of the CDC and U.S. State Department
- Traveling to another country? Look into travel medical insurance and consider locating a university hospital at your destination (they’re more likely to have internationally trained and English-speaking doctors)
What To Do If You Get Sick
If you do end up injured or sick while traveling, here are some helpful resources to help you find medical care. I recommend saving them in your phone for easy access:
- Your health insurance provider’s app (most major ones in the U.S. have a mobile app that can help you locate in-network doctors, emergency rooms, and urgent care clinics near you)
- The Healthgrades mobile app (to read reviews and find a doctor)
- Information on telemedicine for a virtual visit (teladoc and dr+ on demand are two options I’ve used personally) and traveldok is another
- Information on how to dial 9-1-1- (relevant if you’re in another country)
Get Sick While Traveling
So there you go, my 15 best tips on how to stay healthy and avoid getting sick while traveling. These are all easy things to do, and they truly can make a big difference for how enjoyable your trip is. Stay healthy my friend! Here’s a quick recap:
- Break in your shoes
- Bring important essentials
- Watch what you eat
- Do the basics
- Make sure you rest
- Wear that SPF
- Find clean restrooms
- Listen to your body
- Get moving
- Stay hydrated
- Know the hotspots
- Boost your immune system
- Do like the locals do
Before You Go
I can tell you’re a smart traveler because you’re reading about ways to be prepared for a trip. So let me give you a few other goodies I think you’ll like:
- Keeping Your Sanity on Long Flights
- How To Travel Cheap: secret strategies to spend less and do more
- What NOT To Bring On A Plane (all your questions answered)
