Travelling with a Disability or Medical Condition

Here is our guide for anyone travelling abroad with a disability or medical condition;

• Always invest in quality travel insurance before you depart, make sure you have declared your pre-existing medical conditions and that these are covered.
• Always keep your medication in its original packaging.
• Check with the airline or transport services to make sure your needs will be catered for, e.g. extra leg room, or transport from the departure lounge to the gate, etc.
• Consult your doctor before travel, make sure you have adequate supplies of any medication, and that you do not need any vaccinations. Also, get their opinions or recommendations on any over the counter medicines you may need, for example pain killers.
• If it isn’t on the box, make sure you have made a note of your medication’s full name – not just the trade name.
• If possible, always pack your medication into your hand luggage – just in case your hold luggage goes missing.
• If you need to bring any specialist equipment, which you plan on checking into the hold, always check the airline’s luggage policy first, to make sure it complies with the airline’s luggage policy.
• Make a list of important phone numbers, for example your Doctor in the UK and any specialists you are seeing, along with your conditions –keep this with you at all times, just in case.
• Photocopy your prescriptions and bring them with you, just in case.
• Research the facilities at available resorts before you book anything, make sure the accommodation meets your needs, for example dietary requirements or accessibility ramps.
• Research the medical assistance available in your destination country; make sure you know where the local hospital is and the emergency services phone number.

Enjoy your holiday!