Staying healthy while traveling

If getting around by public transportation carry hand sanitizer and use it often.

Drink bottled water.

Eat healthfully (avoid fatty foods), wash your hands often, get some aerobic activity outside which isn’t too hard to do when traveling as you’ll be walking maybe more than usual, & get a good night’s sleep every night. If you start feeling under the weather, go to the nearest pharmacy and speak with the pharmacist.

We are headed to Spain the first week of September. Today, in the USA, we had family scheduled to arrive for a visit who at the last minute were not feeling well, took a COVID test en route to the airport and came up positive. Unfortunately, they had to cancel their trip at the point of departure. So, now I am wondering about the current status of COVID infections in southern Spain and how concerned we should be…if at all…. Thanks for any input.

Rest is paramount.

Get up to date on Covid and other vaccinations, wash your hands (or use sanitizer as a second choice) more often than you do at home, pack any prescription meds in your carry-on, try to balance your diet the way you do at home, get enough sleep and exercise. Sometimes I take a daily Vitamin C. See also here.

Tap water in Spain and England is safe to drink. Restaurant water, which you'll have to order if you want it, will be bottled.

I have no experience with serious illness overseas, but going to a pharmacist is a good idea for advice or pills, cough drops, etc. Both countries have good health care, but it will be on your dime unless you've bought medical insurance for this trip. The good news is that the bill will be much smaller than what it would be at home.

I travelled internationally and solo for the first time, since Covid, last week. I don't think many would be willing to adhere to my stringent use of well- fitting N95 masks.
I didn't eat indoors in a group setting, and my mask stayed on for all flights and any mode of transportation and outdoors crowds. I was pretty much the only masked traveler, anywhere, where nobody seems to care anymore

I saw and heard plenty of coughing and sneezing people, whether it was Covid or just some other virus. There's the new Covid variant now- being healthy and well- rested in general can't hurt but also can't prevent your exposure. Masks do absolutely work, I didn't get sick during or after the trip.
I took an oximeter, thermometer and blister pack of "severe cold and flu day and night" capsules as well as a well- stocked first aid kit. Blisters, a bad headache or an upset stomach can impact your time away from home, too.
Granted you can get supplies from local pharmacies but for me it was reassuring to know I had a "just in case" supply with me.

We were in Italy this past May. My husband and I masked on all public transportation, except....
Leaving Pompeii on the regional train, I masked and my husband did not. Upon returning home, my husband came down with COVID five days after that fateful train ride. Five days later, I came down with COVID.
In my mind, masks do work. We weren't using the KN-95's, just the softer medical masks.

On our 2021 and 2022 European trips, when masks were still required everywhere, we came home with nary a sniffle.

Safe travels!

I do think N95 masks are very helpful, but there's luck and the condition of your personal immune system also involved.

All the above advice is good. I'm 71. I look for opportunities to eat vegetables. If I feel a bit off, I give myself permission to take it easy that day and try to get to bed early. I consult a pharmacist if I have a medical complaint beyond what I can handle with the small pharmacy in my suitcase. (I'm a solo traveler most of the time, so there's no one to go out shopping for me if I get sick.)

I always travel with a generous supply of Cold-eeze, OTC zinc lozenges that help me avoid bad cold symptoms and reduce the length of a cold If I catch one. They aren't available in Europe. They help some people, some of the time. I have no reason to think they'd be effective at the onset of COVID symptoms, but you don't know for several days whether your problem is COVID.

I’m currently on Shetland. I masked on the way over on my flights from Spokane to Aberdeen then up to Kirkwall Orkney. I’ve not masked on either Orkney or Shetland. The only place that I’ve encountered crowds was the exhibition space at Skara Brae which was packed. I left indoors as soon as I could squeeze out and went back outside.

I bring Airborne chewables and also use a Neil Med sinus irrigator with the normal saline packet and a squirt of baby shampoo. The shampoo supposedly destroys the outer covering of viruses (including common cold) and bacteria and stops them from replicating.

Until this trip I’d been carrying a pulse oximeter and thermometer but left them out as I knew this would be an outside-focused adventure. The ONLY crowds so far were at Skara Brae because there were 2 cruise ships in.

The winds on Orkney and Shetland are either blowing germs away ir aerosolizing them!!

So far, so good.

I would do some research on where to go if you do get sick. Keep some names and numbers handy. Might take 15 minutes to do and then you have peace of mind. And remember 112. Its the 911 of Europe (the EU and most countries outside of the EU - and in theory they will always understand English .... except maybe in the UK)

I also have a pdf file with everything in it. Doctors, presecriptions, insurance cards, contacts. Its on my phone, in the cloud, and on a VR code on my keychain. Went to the clinic here a few weeks ago, first question of course was what meds you take. Opened phone and emailed list to clinic tech staff. Done.

In both countries, the tap water is perfectly safe to drink. As already stated, if using public transportation, hand sanitizer and washing your hands often, helps. Unless things have changed, in Spain there needs to be one open pharmacy (green cross sign) in the different parts of a city. Finding it is a separate issue, but your hotel can help you with that.

Interesting question & some great advice, so thanks for the thread. I've been across the Atlantic multiple times since 2020 wearing a mask, and unlike the old days, haven't caught a cold flying which it seemed was usually the case before then. YAY. Personally, I don't want to go to a pharmacy, usually weirdly late at night (what's up with that?) to try & find what I would usually take at home. So I carry a tiny medicine kit, including what I would carry for a bad cold. Very good idea about carrying a list of meds taken in a variety of places AND taking a break if needed. That might not be obvious on a big adventure, but who wants to get sicker?

@acraven, as you know, I'm another solo traveler and do think that sometimes solo travelers are a little bit safer from picking up germs and so on. I've never been sick when traveling abroad - not even a cold - and I think it's in part due to the fact that I'm not traveling with someone else. You can control where you go, and how you cleanse yourself but you can't control everyone. I think it makes a difference (maybe that's wishful thinking). 😊

Research from Covid has taught us that respiratory viruses are mostly airborne in their transmission, so while washing your hands is helpful to prevent norovirus transmission, it is only partially helpful for Covid, flu etc. Unfortunately mainstream infectious disease folks in Europe and NA emphasize hand washing too much and airborne transmission protection not enough. Those of us needing to be cautious still will consider an N95 mask at least in crowds and poorly ventilated areas like restaurant bathrooms.

Mardee, single travelers tend to participate in high risk activities more frequently than couples. Or I am unique?

Um, I'm not sure what you consider a high risk activity, James. 😊 I'm pretty low key myself.

We drink Emergen-C Packets daily the week leading up to the trip and also start taking zinc. While waiting to board our plane we will down another Emergen-C and then take it daily while traveling. Since Covid we are avid hand washers and always have hand sanitizer on us and use it frequently. I am also thinking I will take a small packet of surface sanitizers to use at the hotel for any surface we touch frequently.

We generally try to avoid congested areas, particularly the mosh pits that some of the more popular European museums can become during the height of summer. There's nothing worse for us than being trapped indoors in a crowd.
That includes (in our case anyway) using public transportation. We've always been independent travelers, relying on a rental car to get us around at our own pace and according to our own timetable - a travel philosophy that's only become more cemented by overseas travel in the time of Covid.

I also carry a small pharmacy with me (retired RN).
Cold and sinus medication, ibuprofen and acetaminophen, gravol, OTC allergy meds, anti-diarrhea meds, cough drops, some salt in a tiny baggie for gargling.
A glass thermometer, an Ace bandage, bandaids, antibiotic ointment, a light fold up sling and a few blister stick on pads.
Sounds like a lot, but it all fits in a ziplock bag.
I’m also solo a lot, and can’t be running around to get stuff when I’m sick.
It saved me when I came down with flu in Paris once and couldn’t move for 3 days.
A good thing to add would be some packets of instant chicken soup, some teabags and some Emergen-C packs.
As others have said, wash hands a lot , and mask when needed.

OP: I’m presuming you have bought some good travel medical insurance?

Thank you all so much for these excellent suggestions! We will be implementing many of them and appreciate the reminders and ideas we just wouldn’t have thought of.

We will wear masks, but does anyone have anything that has helped for comfort in wearing a mask for 16 plus hours?

Yes, we did buy travel insurance that includes medical benefits and medical transport.

I really like the Purell Singles for hand sanitizer. They easily fit in a pocket or purse. What I like is that I’m able to open it, throw it away, and then I rub my hands together. There’s no leftover container with germs on it.

Airborne started a week before a trip may help and take along some to use periodically during the trip.

I’m retired, so I am able & do quarantine for at least a week at home before a trip.

I have a history of migraines and part of dealing with them is to be consistent. So, it’s trying to get the same number of hours of sleep, having two cups of coffee when I first wake up (I take instant sticks for the first mornings of acclimation), eating vegetables every day, etc. I jokingly say that “having a gelato a day keeps illness away!” I haven’t been sick on a trip, so there is a correlation, even if it’s not a causation - LOL!

I pick hotels in the historical center of the city, so I do take a healthy mid-afternoon break for 30 minutes to cool off, drink two glasses of water, and rest my legs. If I’m really tired, I’ll set the alarm for 20 minutes. Along that line, I don’t hurry through activities - more enjoying the moments.

Oh, and I prefer the regional trains. You can pick who you’re sitting near, so if someone sounds sick, I will avoid the seats near them. On faster trains, seats are reserved. I also eat all of my meals except breakfast outdoors.

OP, 16 hours of masking is challenging. Presumably you are referring to flights and airports. You still have to eat and drink. Our approach these past 2 years has been to find quieter parts of the airport and on the flight, waiting an hour after takeoff to let the plane’s hepa filter system work for a bit as they don’t do much when sitting at the gate. There is a certain amount of luck to all of this as we found out when I got Covid in France in May and my immunocompromised spouse did not in spite of sharing a small Paris hotel room for 8 days…..I’m the ‘healthy’ one out of the 2 of us and it wasn’t a mild version either.

https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/martin-pleasance-ki-immune-defence-energy-formula-30-tabs.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwoqGnBhAcEiwAwK-OkbmPoZpYJ6IH-S2g6NCueoBCGx6HddZ-kAKXAheQmk1b1cQGybwq7BoCkPQQAvD_BwE

This product is called Ki, and it’s a similar thing to AirBorne and ColdFX.
I take it for a few days before each flight , and for a day or two after I arrive.
I get mine at the local health food /natural store.

I’m glad to hear you have good travel insurance.

We buy fruit (fresh and dried) at grocery stores or markets to have for snacks since it is hard to get enough vegetables eating at restaurants and from bakeries.

Thanks Dick for the article you gave a link to by Rick Steves on staying healthy. Good to read!

We wear masks on our elbow when traveling, for crowded spaces. We like Maskc brand; one style for my smaller face and another for my husband with a broader face. I like the color options. Mask-free summer has been great, but we plan to get them out for plane travel this fall and winter. They are pretty comfortable around the ears and nose. I agree w other posters, masks really do make a difference. Realistically it's risk reduction, not risk elimination. On planes, other than when actually flying and filters are on, you are crammed in with others who often have very different hygiene practices. Masks FTW!

Stay hydrated. People want to avoid having to pee so cut back on fluids. Resulting in eadaches and lethargy before you know it. And dehydration can lead to urinary tract infections after a while.

Americans hydrate. Europeans drink water.

Dick, who provided the link to the Rick Steves article, also mentioned consulting the local pharmacy (“Farmacia”in Spain, “Chemist” in England). That last part is key advice if you start feeling under the weather in Europe. There’s likely someone at a Farmacia who speaks English, and in both countries, they are highly trained in medicine. They’re not quite the same as going to a doctor, but if you don’t need an actual doctor’s appointment, you’ll get a more thorough experience at a pharmacy in Europe than if you went into a typical drugstore in the USA. They can even dispense some medicines to help you that would otherwise require a prescription in the USA.

Thank you Cyn and Dick, invaluable information!

If you’re eating out, restaurants and cafes often have popular seating outside. The “fresh” air, however, is mitigated by being in, or near, the outside smoking section. We go with the ambience of being inside, and in England the past 2 years, as well as Italy and southern Africa, we’ve found places that weren’t totally packed inside, elbow-to-elbow. Inside likely even gives you more space between tables than being outside, where roped-off sidewalk/plaza space is often limited, and seating is crowded.

If you don’t want to pay for bottled water, which likely comes either still or sparkling (con gas), ask for “agua del grifo” (pronounced greef-oh). Maybe they’ll claim the local tap water is unsafe, or at least claim it tastes bad, but maybe they’ll bring you some, and it’ll be fine. If they insist on selling you water, you’ll have at least asked for a free alternative.

Mister E, I heard they only drink beer, wine, vodka and slivovitz over there.

I didnt think "stay drinking water" would sound right.

I forgot to add that on my last two trips I brought 5 Covid testing kits as well.
I did use them in September, when I came down with Covid in Florence.
They take up little room in your bag.

“but does anyone have anything that has helped for comfort in wearing a mask for 16 plus hours?”

I usually wind up with wearing one for about 24 hours straight except for meals. To me the key is finding one that fits your face. I like the 3M N95 Aura style. I get them in my local Home Depot in the paint section. If you have a Home Depot, go to Home Depot online you can check to see if a local store has them and get the Aisle and Bin location. These are cut down some on the face to accommodate glasses.

No more masking or vaccines for us.

Most comfy masks I have used are from S. Korea - Air Queen. They fit over your nose and around your face nicely.
Remember though, the masks are to protect others from you if you are ill, not the other way around.
Everyone in Germany wore their masks on their arms during the Covid years. Easiest way to keep track of them, and you can take them off and put them on without touching the mask part.

Why would anyone think that buying bottled water was a health tip? There are no 3rd world countries with icky water in Europe, and it is probably a lot better than much of the water in the US.

Why would anyone think that buying bottled water was a health tip?
There are no 3rd world countries with icky water in Europe, and it is
probably a lot better than much of the water in the US.

Reported outbreaks of waterborne diseases associated with drinking water and bodies of water used for recreational purposes in 19 European countries, 1986-96.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1116025/

Spain: Gastroenteritis (97), bacterial dysentery (47), hepatitis A (28), typhoid fever (27), giardiasis (7), cryptosporidiosis (1), unspecified (1) 208 outbreaks and an average of 220 people (range 2-3500) were involved in each outbreak.

To compare to the US, I would have to know what I am talking about. I don't.

We lived in Germany for four years (87-91) and drank the tap water. When we travel in Europe, most countries water is just fine.

Still, I wouldn't do that in the Balkans or Istanbul, or even Greece.

However, in South America, Asia or Africa, we drink bottled water.

It comes down to assumptions and generalizations are generally wrong and I am to lazy to do much research. So, given a choice I drink bottled water. No choice, the tap is fine and I dont fret about it. Drinking bottled water in most places is sort of like wearing a mask for COVID; it wont hurt you.

Bottled water seems to be consumed by virtually everyone in Ukraine. (My trip to 6 cities was in 2018.)

A few weeks ago my hotel in Liepaja (coastal Latvia) had a huge bottle of water on the table. I asked why at the front desk and was told there had recently been a problem with the local water, "but they say it's fine now". I took the hint and stuck to bottled water there.

There are islands where the tap water is safe but brackish. That used to be the case on Skiathos (Greece).

St. Petersburg (Russia) had a decades-long problem with giardia in its city water supply. As far as I know, that situation still exists. I was a victim in 1972, and it took me 2 weeks to recover; it would have been faster if the issue had been diagnosed.