Tips for travelling with allergies
It’s Allergy Awareness Week in the UK – whether you have a serious food allergy or suffer from seasonal pollen allergies, here’s some of our top tips for travelling safely and comfortably with allergies.
Pack extra medication
Whether you need an EpiPen or rely on daily allergy tablets to minimise allergy symptoms, make sure you pack more than you think you need and if you’re flying, keep it in your carry-on luggage so it’s with you at all times. If you’re carrying prescription medications you may want to also have a GP’s letter with you to help make going through customs easier. Finally, check any rules about storage and be aware of how temperature change might impact your medications.
Choose self-catering
If you or someone you’re travelling with has a food allergy, self-catering accommodation can make mealtimes much more straightforward. By purchasing ingredients yourself, you’ll know what you’re eating is safe and won’t cause any problems.
Take bedding
For dust allergy sufferers, bringing your own bedding with you can help ensure you sleep well wherever you are.
Use translation cards
If you’re travelling in a country where you don’t speak the language, translation cards can help you communicate with hotels and restaurants more easily. AllergyUK offers plastic printed cards – with English on one side and another language on the reverse side – that clearly outline your allergy. It’s a simple step to give you confidence and peace of mind that you’re being understood.
Bring disinfectant wipes
If you have a severe allergy that means you have a reaction by coming in contact with even trace amounts of the allergen, disinfectant wipes can help you quickly clean new environments where you might be eating – for example the tray table of an airplane.
Plan ahead
Planning ahead can help you learn what you need to know about your destination before you book your holiday. There are wonderful resources online that make it easy to check things like the pollen count in a particular area or learn from other allergy sufferers what to watch out for when eating out. Doing this research ahead of time will mean you’re not caught off guard when you arrive and can focus on enjoying your holiday.
Communicate often
If you have a serious allergy it’s not something you’re likely to forget. But for hotel managers, waiters, flight attendants and other people you come in contact with on holiday, it may be a detail that’s eventually forgotten. Mention your allergy early and often; when you make the booking, ahead of when you arrive, when you arrive, and while you’re ordering.
Are you an allergy sufferer? What are your tips for travelling?
Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor
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