Icing an injury

Are you staying in a hotel? Most of them will probably have some type of refrig with a freezer they may put your gel pack in. E-mail the hotel and see what they can do for you. My brother uses insulin and it has to be refrigerated and he had no problems.

You should be able to get the instant cold packs in a pharmacy in any major city (I've seen them in the Boots pharmacies in the UK). But you can also get ice from McDonald's and put it in ziploc bags if needed. Just take a box of the bags (or buy some after arriving). We never had problems getting 2 or 3 large cups full of ice when we asked at McDonalds- always offered to pay, but always got it free.
I doubt TSA would allow you to take your gel packs in carry-on luggage, so plan to put them in checked luggage or you could also purchase those in large cities and get the hotel to chill them if the previous suggesstion works out.

http://www.koolpak.co.uk/ Looks like they do in the UK. Might email the company and find out if they are available throughout Europe.

Lisa, Rather than take a Gel-Pak along (which would need some time to be frozen prior to each use), I'd probably consider packing along a couple of large plastic zip-lok bags and filling one with ice from the Hotel (or other local source). These will pack flat and add no weight to your luggage. Be sure to insulate the ice pack with a Towel (or whatever) and observe the ratio of on & off times (I'd have to check the books, but recall that it's 10-minutes on, 10-minutes off). I'm not sure the chemical cold packs would be the best solution. They get "somewhat" cold but don't provide the same benefit as an ice pack. Also, you may have to pack a dozen or more along, and since they contain a liquid / gel, there's some weight to them. You might want to speak with your Physician about this issue, as he / she may have some suggestions. Happy travels!

Thanks for all the answers! We will be staying in B & B's in Germany Austria and Italy and in one apartment for 3 nights where I will have a freezer. I am not bringing the gel pack but I was already planning to bring extra quart and gallon size zip lock bags so will probably go the McDonald's route if I have to.
Thanks again!

Visit a drug store (signs in many countries probably translate more closely to Apothecary). I expect they will all offer the cold packs. In Germany, they are really into linaments - I tried some on an ankle injury. It felt like it helped get the blood flowing - not sure if it did much more than that.

I also have knee problems and sometimes need ice. I have used both gel packs and sacks of frozen peas. Do you think you will have access to grocery stores? You could use frozen peas if you don't have to ice everyday. I realize the peas are a throw away item after icing unless you have a freezer for re-freezing. In thoses cases, I am sure you would want your gel packs. However, tThe peas could be used when you don't have access to a freezer to freeze the gel packs. Good luck!

Ask your doctor about using Voltaren Emulgel. It is a non-steroidal antiinflammatory ointment that is available OTC throughout Europe but not in the US.

As a klutz, I have fallen hard on my knees 3 times on travels in Europe - it was difficult to find ice especially when hobbling along by myself. Freezer quality ziplock bags are a must for when you do find ice. McDonalds is a great idea. Was able to find semi frozen bottle of water to use from a street vender. Also, if there are no ice trays in your freezer, in a pinch, wet a washcloth, rag, or scarf, etc and put it in the freezer tray to apply once it freezes. I've visited pharmacies and been given a spray on type swelling relief and linaments/ointments which have worked well but sometimes ice is the best. I carried some of those instant ice packs but they can be heavy/bulky. I found small children's instant ice packs at my drugstore last year. They were a lifesaver in a pinch when my knee blew up and were much lighter than the adult size instant ice.

Voltaren Emulgel is now available in the US by perscription. My wife who has had knee and ankle problems first found it in Europe and now gets it locally. If you need ice and your hotel doesn't have any try the nearest bar. We would generally tip the barman a euro or so for the ice.

Thanks everyone! I will ask about the Emulgel sounds like it might be what I need.
I had thought about the frozen veggie thing but hate the idea of throwing food away. :) I appreciate the ideas on what is actually available in stores/pharmacies. We didn't have to deal with anything like this last time we were over there!

While frozen peas will conform to your knee better, I have in an emergency used beer or soft drink cans from the minibar. Only works when you HAVE a minibar, of course.

I traveled to Greece one day after twisting my knee (and tearing the meniscus cartilage, as I learned when we returned). I brought along a couple of ziplock freezer bags which my husband was constantly filling with ice. We never had a problem finding ice, and we met the kindest people on that trip, including the flight attendants who moved me to a bulkhead seat so I could stretch the leg during the flight. Traveling with an injury brings out the compassionate side of people. At one hotel, the owner gave me aluminum foil, and said I should wrap my knee in it at night. He said it cured his aunt's cancer! I figured it couldn't hurt, but it didn't help either ... the foil was hot and scratchy. The next morning as I limped down the stairs to check out he gave me another long piece of foil to take with me, saying it might take a couple of nights to work. He is my fondest memory of Santorini!

I would buy a small gel pack from the pharmacy to use. Much easier than trying to find ice everyday, especially if you are in small towns. Sports stores will also have gel packs. One place people haven't mentioned to get ice from is bars. They always have ice and there are a ton more of them then there are McD's.