Ever noticed how easy it is to get sick when traveling? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!

I’ve traveled across different time zones and climates and learned the hard way about what keeps you healthy on the road. As a frequent traveler who’s dealt with everything from jet lag to food sensitivities, I’m sharing my tried-and-tested tips for you to use.

You’ll learn exactly how to prepare before your trip, maintain daily health routines, and handle common travel health challenges.

Get ready to learn about practical strategies that will help you stay energized and healthy throughout your travels!

This post is all about how to stay healthy while traveling.

Pre-Trip Health Preparation

Vaccinations & Medical

If you’re going abroad, you need to get vaccinated and check the vaccination requirements for each country you are visiting. If staying within the country, skip this tip.

[Quick Link: Check out this CDC Travel Vaccination Guidelines]

First Aid Kit Essentials

Pack a first aid kit – this is a great preventive measurement. Don’t just grab a counter-top pharmacy kit; make it personalized.

What’s in My Travel First Aid Kit:

Quick Tip: Always pack more medication than you think you’ll need. Flight delays and travel changes happen more often than you’d expect!

Daily Health Basics

When traveling, you need to maintain basics like eating, sleeping, and drinking water to stay healthy. Here’s how to take care of these essentials:

Food & Dining Choices

Be cautious when eating street foods or from local restaurants – you might get food poisoning. This is due to the microbes found in a foreign land being different than our own microbiome in our gut.

When you are traveling, eating healthy might be a challenge especially when you don’t have a kitchen and don’t know the local market as much.

[Check out my guide on How To Cook In Hotel Rooms Safely & Comfortably]

My Suggestion: If you are not so much of a foodie, have a backup plan as to what you will be eating.

This has nothing to do with you being “ignorant” or American – anything you eat must be something that you know that you will be able to eat.

Don’t force yourself to eat local meals. Although there are delicious local meals everywhere you go, it doesn’t mean you have to try them all.

[Check out my post on 40+ Quick & Healthy Hotel Room Food Ideas]

Hydration & Water Safety

This IS such a basic tip, but the most crucial. Remember to drink water, especially in hot climates.

Quick Tip: Pack electrolytes with you or make your own. Just a tiny pinch of salt and lemon squeeze plus a coconut water will create a great electrolyte drink.

When you are in a foreign country, try to stick to a bottled water for drinking and cooking. Unless the country you are visiting has one of the most safest drinking waters like Iceland.

Remember that ice cubes are also made from tap water Even if locals drink the tap water, your stomach might not be ready for it.

Water Safety: Try to avoid drinking tap water if there is a white crust of minerals forming around the faucet – this is a good sign of bad water quality.

Sleep & Jet Lag Management

Try to get enough high quality sleep – especially if you are going through jet lag, that might affect your sleep schedule for sure.

Bad sleep weakens your immune system, and you will be prone to getting sick more than usual. Don’t compromise on sleep!

Flight Booking Tip: I recommend booking a flight so that once you reach your destination, you will arrive during the night and not during the day, so you can sleep through the night.

Don’t worry about not being able to sleep during the night, because you will. Flying will make you tired!

Personal Story: I had the worst jet lag ever when I flew for 12 hours overseas. When I reached the destination, it was 4 AM. I tried to sleep through the flight, but that was not enough.

When I got there, I was planning to stay up until the evening. A HUGE MISTAKE. I started to fall asleep on my “travel activities,” which was dangerously scary and awkward.

Flight Comfort & Movement

Since flight comfort is crucial for managing jet lag, here’s how to create the best environment for a good rest during your flight:

Seat Selection Tips:

• Choose a window seat if you sleep through flights – you won’t be disturbed by others.
• Or pick an aisle seat if you use the bathroom more frequently—it also makes it easier for you to stand up and stretch your legs.

Flight Health Tips:

• Avoid salty meals and salty snacks during travel – they cause you to get dehydrated quickly
• Get up and walk every 2-3 hours on long flights
• Simple stretches you can do in your seat:
  • Ankle circles
  • Leg lifts
  • Shoulder rolls
  • Neck stretches

Quick Tip: Set an alarm to remind you to move around – it’s easy to fall asleep and stay still for too long!

Personal Hygiene Essentials

Pack extra face masks and hand sanitizers. The easiest way to be exposed to bacteria that will make us sick is to touch a contaminated surface and unintentionally put our hands in our mouths.

But also by being in a crowded, closed-space area where saliva aerosol can be breathed in we can be exposed to infections and get sick.

When you’re feeling a little under the weather or can sense that your body is weaker than normal, it will be important to wear a face mask and clean your hands more often.

Just wash with soap your body and brush your teeth and tongue. You are all good to go.

Quick Tip: Pack a floss that has those tooth picks at the end. You might get something stuck in your teeth; these can save you from those teeth discomforts.

Skin Protection & Care

Pack sunscreen or try to cover your skin before going out under the blaring sun, especially when you will be walking a lot. Otherwise, you might get sunburned without you knowing.

Even if the weather outside is chilly, that doesn’t mean you won’t get sunburned. This is exactly what San Francisco is like.

Essential Items To Pack:

• A scarf – this is a great sun-protecting clothing item
• A cap or a hat – you might get a headache if you do not cover your head
• Remember to wear sunglasses – if you don’t, you might get headaches from looking out the window on bright days
• Carry a face and hand moisturizer with you – if you wash your hands more often or use hand sanitizers, your hands will dry out quickly. Same with your face, too.
• Wash your face, then put on a heavy moisturizer when flying – higher altitudes can cause breakouts due to the dry air in the cabins.

Mental Well-Being on the Road

When we talk about staying healthy while traveling, we often focus on physical health. But taking care of your mental well-being is just as important.

Travel can bring unexpected emotional challenges that can impact your overall travel experience.

Don’t Overschedule: Don’t try to pack as many things in one day. You might actually get overwhelmed and tired from traveling that you may not even enjoy your visits. This creates stress that you do not expect.

Common Emotional Challenges:

Homesickness

It’s normal to miss familiar faces and routines. Try to set up regular video calls with family and friends to maintain connections.

Keep a favorite comfort item from home with you, or rewatch your favorite movies or TV shows to create a familiar feeling. Or create small routines that make you feel like home, like having your morning coffee the way you like it.

Culture Shock

Feeling overwhelmed by different customs, languages, or daily life is common. Give yourself permission to take breaks from new experiences.

Find a café or spot that feels comfortable to recharge. If you need a break from language barriers, join tours or groups where English is spoken.

And thankfully, English is a widely spoken language, so you will be able to find someone you can speak in your language.

Loneliness During Solo Travel

This can be especially challenging when you haven’t connected deeply with anyone in a while.

Try joining local walking tours to meet other travelers. Use travel apps to find meetups or events.

Finding a regular spot (café, park) where you can become a “regular” helps create a sense of familiarity and connection.

And remember, these are intense emotions, and they will affect your mental health when you are traveling. But these emotions do pass.

Have someone back home you can talk to about these feelings – sometimes just expressing them helps them feel more manageable.

Quick Tip: I like to keep a simple journal or notes app where I can jot down both challenging and positive moments. This helps process emotions and creates a meaningful record of your journey.

Common Travel Health Issues & Solutions

Food-Related Issues

Personal Story: I loved getting coffee lattes from local coffee shops. I knew I was lactose intolerant, but I started to get traveler’s diarrhea whenever I would drink one of the coffee lattes. I had to run to the nearest restroom – worst feeling ever.

But it went away in 3 days. I made sure to drink plenty of water and stopped drinking coffee lattes.

Quick Tip: If you do get traveler’s diarrhea, try to stay hydrated as much as you can because you will be losing a lot of water.

Temperature-Related Issues

A quick temperature change can cause sore throat, especially if you drink iced beverages in hot weather. Your body is trying to regulate its temperature, and sudden changes can shock your system.

Common Physical Discomforts

Walking Blisters

One of the most common travel injuries happens from walking more than usual in new places. Your regular comfortable shoes might even give you blisters when you’re walking 15,000+ steps daily during your travels.

Try to wear comfortable, broken-in shoes, and do not forget about socks. Make sure to also let your feet breath in some air too.

But if you get a blister, try to cover hot spots with bandaids before they become blisters.

Muscle Soreness

Your body might not be used to walking up hills, carrying a backpack, or standing for hours in museums. This increased physical activity can lead to unexpected muscle strain, especially in your knees and lower back.

When I travel, I would have to walk a lot. But I have learned that you don’t need to carry all your belongings with you, especially when you’re planning to be on your feet for hours.

A helpful tip I learned along the way is that you can leave your belongings in safer locations, like lockers in cafes or similar spots. Although you do have to pay for security, it’s worth it to prevent back and shoulder strains!

Final Thoughts on How To Stay Healthy While Traveling,

Staying healthy while traveling is all about preparation and mindfulness. By taking proactive steps before and during your trip, you can maintain your well-being and fully enjoy your travel experiences.

Remember, a healthy traveler is a happy traveler, so prioritize your physical and mental health to make the most of your adventures.

Want to learn more? Check out my other posts: