When on the road, travelers change their eating habits, their sleeping habits, are more physically active, and are exposed to more germs than they would be if they were at home. Here are The Traveling Professor's best tips for staying healthy while traveling:
Get Enough Rest: People tend to be over ambitious when planning daily itineraries. This works fine for the first few days. After that, travelers tend to get run down. That results in sore throats, upset stomachs, sinus infections and colds. Don't overdo it. Get a good night's rest every day and budget in a "free day" with no plans or activities.
Take Extra Meds: Stuff happens and there is a chance travel plans will be delayed. Our worst situation was when some travelers needed to wait 5 nights overseas while things calmed down from Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and when all European flights were delayed 2-3 days due to the volcano eruption in Iceland in 2010. Both of these events were unpredictable. The Professor recommends bringing at lease a week's extra meds with you.
Have Travel Health Insurance: Again, stuff happens on trips. Luckily, only minor issues like twisted knees, intestinal issues, small cuts requiring a few stitches are the most serious things to happen on a Traveling Professor small group tour. But if God forbid, something more serious happens, it is always good to have medical insurance while overseas to ensure quick and good medical treatment.
Wash Your Hands: Look at all the things hands come into contact on trips like all the stuff touched on an airplane, hotel/museum door handles, public restrooms, just to mention a few. Dirty hands are probably the most common cause of illness on a trip. Wash hands regularly and use hand sanitizer at every opportunity.
Don't Overdo at the Restaurant: I encourage trying the local cuisine while traveling, but let's not get crazy. It might not be a good idea to try those raw oysters from the questionable street vendor. Steak tartare (raw meat) even at the best restaurant, two nights in a row might upset the tummy. I'm not saying not to have fun - eat, drink and be merry, but it is hard on your health to do that continuously on a 7-10 day trip.
Drink Bottled Water Only: This might surprise a few people. But even at home or traveling domestically, I only drink bottled water. Even though water is clean and purified in Europe and many places in South America, I spend the little amount it takes to ensure my health by drinking bottled water.
Join The Professor on a small group tour. We go to exciting places like Peru and Canada and many more.