23 Easy Tips to Stay Healthy as You Travel

If wanderlust has you searching for your next bucket list destination and then the next and the next, you may have already given some thought on how you are going to stay healthy as you travel. With gourmet delicacies, pastries, long travel days, and jet lag “weighing in“, it isn’t always easy to stick to your good eating habits, make healthy choices, continue with a fitness schedule, or practice tips to stay healthy and safe.

If you don’t want to be sick or feel sluggish as you travel, discover travel wellness tips to keep you on track with your health and travel goals.

23 Easy Tips to Stay Healthy as You Travel

1. Stay Hydrated

The #1 tip to stay healthy as you travel is to Drink Water. Drink Water. Drink Water.

I just can’t emphasize this enough. The American Heart Association also recommends staying hydrated as the number one healthy habit for summer road trips.

Set travel goals to stay hydrated every day as you travel. How?

• Bring a refillable water bottle and fill it once you get through security at the airport.
• When flight attendants offer water throughout your flight, take it.
• Plan to bring water with you everyday as you sightsee.

One of the must-have items on a Kline family vacation is a Camelbak 3.0 Liter Hydration Pack Reservoir with a high flow, self-sealing, bite valve.

Chris’ NorthFace Recon Backpack, with its padded laptop section, is perfect for a day trip pack which we fill with our lunch, snacks, the Camelbak, and extra water bottles. The laptop section keeps the water in the reservoir cool as well as our lunch and snacks and minimizes any leaks to other sections of the backpack.

Refill your water bottles each night and freeze or refrigerate them. (Tip * Only fill half full if you plan to freeze your water bottle and be sure to lay it on its side.)

>> Related: 25 Reasons The Best Travel Backpack for Europe is The North Face Recon

2. Get Plenty of Rest

To stay healthy as you travel, be sure to get enough rest before you travel. And then, if you are able, sleep during the flight. Once you arrive at your destination, do your best to adjust your schedule to local time.

Rather than take a nap once you arrive, try to stay busy throughout the day if you can. When it is time to go to bed, you should be more than ready to fall asleep. While this may not always work for you, I usually take a sleep aid for the first couple of nights when I travel to ensure a full night’s sleep and adjust to the time difference.

The World is full of Adventures… Discover yours!

3. Be Active on Vacation

If you ever wonder how the hotel concierge can help you while on vacation, ask them about the gym facilities in the hotel. If there are no facilities available, the concierge may direct you to a local gym where hotel guests have privileges.

There is also the option of working out in your hotel room. Check out the packable items that make working out doable and what you should consider bringing with you.

When my husband and I travel and plan to sightsee, we routinely walk 10 miles or more in a day. However, if we are going on a cruise where we may be lounging throughout the day and eating more than we should, you will find us working out in the gym most mornings.

Staying active can help as you overcome jet lag and manage your efforts to stay healthy as you travel.

Fun ways to stay active:

• Ride bikes
• Go river rafting
• Zipline through a forest
• Kayak in the ocean
• Hike
• Paraglide
• Swim in the ocean

4. Book a Walking Tour

The concierge can also give you tips on local walking tours, scenic hikes, walking paths close by, yoga classes, or fitness classes. You’ll be surprised by just how much you can learn on a walking tour.

5. Invest in Good Walking Shoes

Taking care of your feet is an important part of how you can stay healthy as you travel. I love my Asics. If you plan to purchase new shoes for your vacation, be sure to spend some time breaking them in before you leave home.

Even with the most comfortable shoes that you own, you might also want to bring along Band-aids or Moleskin.

Our family walked over 140 miles during a two-week trip to Italy and Austria. That’s a lot of wear and tear on shoes and feet. Take care of your feet.

6. Use Hand Sanitizer and Other Hygiene Tips to Stay Healthy and Safe

In our post-Covid world, practicing good hygiene is essential to stay healthy and safe as you travel.

• Bring hand sanitizer and use it often, especially after using the restroom, grabbing door handles, shaking hands, eating, and after touching a fuel pump.
• Wash your hands often.
• Use disinfectant wipes to wipe down key areas in your hotel room: door handles, faucets, light switches, and the remote control. When you fly, use disinfectant wipes to wipe down the armrests, buttons, and tray table—places you think you will touch.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue (or your sleeve) when sneezing or coughing.

7. Stay on Your Vitamin and Rx Schedule

Be sure to pack 2 or 3 days of your prescription medications in your travel backpack. You will want to have them to take as you fly if your flight is long and to take precautions in case your luggage is delayed or misplaced.

Also travel with over the counter medications such as decongestants, meds for a headache, or something for an upset stomach. 

If you start to feel sick, follow health and wellness tips AND take preventative measures. Include Airborne (or something similar) in your travel backpack or bag.

8. Bring a First Aid Kit

There are a variety of lightweight First Aid Kits available to purchase, or you can assemble your own kit. 

Your first aid kit is only as good as your ability to use it so familiarize yourself with some basic first aid skills to stay healthy and safe.

At a minimum, you first aid kit should include:

• Alcohol wipes
• Gauze pads
• Athletic tape
• Band-aids in various sizes
• Moleskin for blisters
• A small tube or packet of Antibiotic Ointment
• A small tube or packet of Anti-itch Cream
• Ibuprofen
• Acetaminophen
• Pepto Bismol Chewables
• Benadryl Tablets

9. Stay Current on Vaccinations

Some countries require all travelers to be vaccinated prior to their visit. If you are unvaccinated, ensure that the country you want to visit will allow you entry.

10. Eat in Moderation

I know for me personally, I work too hard all year long to maintain good eating and fitness habits to want to blow it on french fries or lots of pastries while on vacation. That being said, I try to make good choices most of the time while traveling and to be moderate and selective in my indulgences.

You may wonder, “Is eating healthy even possible as you travel?” Yes, it is possible and do-able. There are health and wellness tips to follow to eat healthy on vacation and avoid weight gain.

How?

If your accommodations allow, prepare at least one of your meals each day as you travel. If you stay in hotels, check to see if you have a small fridge in your room. Purchase lunch foods such as meats and cheeses or plan for yogurt and a muffin for breakfast.

Another option? Look for hotels that include breakfast with your stay.

Booking.com

If you choose an apartment, condo, beach house, or similar lodging, you should have access to a kitchen in your unit. Shop local markets or grocery stores for fresh and less expensive breakfast items and lunch or dinner fixings.

Bring a foldable cooler that folds neatly into the bottom of your luggage without taking up too much space. If you have a rental car, fill the cooler with lunch and healthy snacks and bring it with you on your daily adventures.

Plan ahead to eat healthy and stay healthy as you travel, and if possible, do some research in advance.

Search Pinterest, TripAdvisor or Yelp for healthy places to eat or even for vegan options at your destination. This is something you can do in the planning stages of your trip even.

Allow yourself some indulgences. Who goes to Italy without trying gelato, gnocchi, or pizza? Of sampling crepes in France?

TIP: When traveling with kids, going with what is familiar every once in awhile is a good course of action. And honestly, you can find a McDonald’s or a pizza place pretty much anywhere in this world. If you travel with smaller children (or even picky eaters), a sense of familiarity in an unfamiliar country can do wonders for their attitude.

We aren’t a family of foodies, nor do we drink alcohol, so if you love trying new foods with a glass of wine for dinner, great. Just remember, moderation is one of the key travel wellness tips that many recommend.

11. Bring Healthy Snacks

When Chris and I plan a trip, we are sure to travel with snacks. Our girls like Goldfish Crackers and some types of gummy treats that come in single-serve or small packs. Chris also includes Peanut M&Ms, Built Power Bars, Microwave Popcorn, Trail Mix, Nuts, Applesauce Pouches (ingenious), and Zipfizz or Crystal Lite single-serve drink mix. Dried fruit and nuts packets make a great snack too.

Bring your own healthy snacks to avoid the temptation of grabbing a candy bar or picking up a bag of chips and a soda while at the airport.

If you are stuck on a long layover, stuck on an airplane due to a mechanical error, or miss a meal as you travel, having snacks to tide you over is essential.

If you are traveling with young children, pre-teens, and teens…well, you know they like to snack a lot. Bring the snacks they enjoy.

12. Use Sunscreen

Let’s start out with the most important self care product of them all—PCA Skin Active Broad Spectrum SPF 45 sunscreen with zinc oxide, sweat and water resistant.

I’ve got my whole family, my husband included, hooked on this face sunscreen. It should be one of the first things you put on everyday. I recommended it whether you are traveling or not, but with extra emphasis on those days when you are sightseeing and traveling and in the sun all day long.

Sunscreen is essential!

13. Schedule a Massage

Schedule a massage or spa treatment while on vacation. Yes, please!

14. Practice Self Care

How else do you plan to implement travel wellness tips and self-care as you travel?

The answer to that is different for everyone. Perhaps it means planning a romantic getaway and adventure with your favorite someone. Maybe a trip with your girl friends or guy friends. Maybe you are ready to set out on a solo trip.

Here are a few ideas to spark your travel goals and resolutions for self care:

• Travel with a friend or loved one
• Set aside time to meditate as you travel
• Read or listen to a book while on vacation
• Find a favorite podcast to listen to as you take the train from one destination to another
• Get up a little earlier on vacation and enjoy the sunrise or visit tourist sites at a less crowded time
• Disconnect from social media while you travel
• Take more pictures – Check out tips to take better travel photos and look good in them too!
• Be in more pictures
• Laugh more
• Plan your adventures so you don’t stress
• Reconnect with your partner
• Don’t over plan adventures your day to day activities…sometimes just wing it
• Book a flight and enjoy the anticipation of an upcoming adventure
• Make travel resolutions to fly somewhere new
• Explore off the beaten path and try a new adventure

You may find that the anticipation and planning to accomplish your travel resolutions is almost as much fun as the travel itself. And you will likely come home rejuvenated to jump in to your day-to-day life again.

15. Wear a Hat

If you are trying to keep the sun off your face, a hat or visor is a great option.

16. Don’t Forget Your Sunglasses

Sunglasses are equally essential among your travel gear when you are sightseeing all day long. Don’t forget this important accessory—they are fashion and function all in one!

17. Find Out if the Water is Safe to Drink

Be sure to research whether or not the water is safe to drink at your vacation destination. This was a question Chris and I wondered about before traveling to Costa Rica. IF YOU ARE CONCERNED, you may want to stick with drinking bottled water.

Tips to Stay Healthy During Your Flight

Being proactive as you fly can help you stay healthy as you travel. These travel wellness tips can help.

18. Eat and Drink During Your Flight

If you don’t think a meal will be provided during your flight, be sure to pack some healthy snacks in your carry on—applesauce pouches, Built Bars, nuts—or purchase a meal at the airport and carry it onto the airplane. You will most likely be served a drink. Water is always a great option.

19. Move Around During Your Flight

When it is safe to do so, get up and move around during your flight to stretch your legs. This is especially true on long-haul overseas flights.

20. Wear Compression Socks When Flying

Whether you are traveling by plane, train, car, or bus, you will likely be sitting for long periods of time. Wear compression socks to decrease your risk of swelling, discomfort, and more serious conditions.

21. Wear a Mask While Flying

If you feel sick, wear a face mask. If you are around someone else who appears to be sick, wear a face mask and wash your hands often. Developing travel goals to always wear a mask as you fly may not be a bad idea either.

Try to keep your distance from crowds of people if possible to stay healthy as you travel.

You have the option to wear a mask. That’s just the world we live in right now. But no doubt, it cuts down on the spread of germs.

22. Be Picky in Choosing Your Seat

Be picky when you choose your seat on a plane. Sitting by the window not only allows for some great views but hopefully less germs. And what if you are stuck next to someone who is sick? Use your wipes, hand sanitizer, and wear a mask.

23. Wear Shoes to the Lavatory

Always, always, always wear your shoes into the lavatory. Never go barefoot or wear only your socks!

Health and Wellness Tips to Stay Healthy and Safe on Road Trips

• Keep the hand sanitizer handy and use after stops.
• Try to plan stops regularly to get up and stretch.
• Bring healthy snacks and picnic lunches.
• Wear sunglasses.
• Apply sunscreen.

These tips are NOT a guarantee of safety! Unfortunate things sometimes do happen. I recommend that you also consider investing in Travel Insurance.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Final Thoughts on 23 Easy Tips to Stay Healthy as You Travel

Often, the busiest days fall right before you leave for a trip. As you are trying to finish up all of the last minute to-dos, double check on reservations, and get work ready to hand off to a co-worker while you are gone, you may find that you aren’t getting enough sleep or eating well. Don’t let yourself get worn out.

Alternately, as you travel and have a change in your schedule, whether you are an avid exercise enthusiast or not, try to find ways to be active every day. Practice all of these travel wellness tips to have the best adventure of your life and stay healthy as you travel!

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