Traveling the world at any age can be a great experience that leads to some of the best moments of your life and can create memories you’ll always remember. However, as you get older there are some changes that you will need to make when going on a vacation. These changes won’t really affect your day to day actions, but will change some of the ways you get ready for your travels. As you age, it becomes more and more important that for any trip that you go on, you plan ahead as it will make it easier for you. Here are some things that you should consider doing if you’re over 50 and are wanting to go on a vacation.
Discuss your trip with your doctor. Your doctor will be able to tell you if you will need to change anything about the trip you want to go on, your travel plans, or your medication. Moving to different time zones or elevations can significantly change the effectiveness of your medicine so it’s important to talk to your doctor first to prevent any issues.
Plan for your feet. One significant problem with traveling on planes for a long time is something called deep-vein thrombosis or DVT. This is when blood clots form in your veins, typically in the legs. This is often caused by sitting on a plane or car for too long without being able to walk around. Purchase compression socks if you think it will be a problem.
Keep any medication in a container. When you are traveling, you must keep your medicine in the containers from the pharmacy, whether your pills are prescription or OTC. If you don’t have them in the container, airport security may throw them away, which could cause major issues for you.
Use a hand sanitizer. Even if you are in first class, planes and trains are almost always full of germs. Use a hand sanitizer to clean them off before you eat or touch your face. Remember that tourist areas sometimes see thousands of people each day, and that is a lot of germs so you should consider taking precautions to avoid getting sick.
Stay hydrated. Jet lag and constant movement that you aren’t used to can lead to dehydration. Make sure you constantly drink some water no matter wherever you go. Don’t drink tap water in strange places though as it may be contaminated so it’s best to have bottle water with you.
Learn the language. Some people in other countries prey upon older individuals because they know that they don’t have knowledge of the language. Consider picking up a book or video that will at least give you some rudimentary knowledge of the language before you go.
No matter where you are traveling in the world, some of the same tips always ring true: be polite, keep your head up, protect your money, wear a cross body purse, and have a great time. Traveling can be a wonderful experience, but keep yourself safe so that you can make the most of your trip and decrease the potential of problems happening. If you are interested, here are additional travel tips.