‘Tips For Travelling With An Invisible Illness’ Going on holidays gives me a much-needed break from everyday life and my chance to switch off and recharge my batteries.
Unfortunately, before I can enjoy the sun, seafood, and delicious exotic foods, there is that part I often describe as “Going through hell to get to heaven.”
It may seem mellow and dramatic, but for me, navigating around busy airports with luggage, dealing with flight delays, waiting for luggage, and transfers to and from the hotel/resort can be super stressful and overwhelming; then add travelling with An invisible illness to the pile.
Now can you understand why to some, it might seem like hell?
Busy airport
Not to say that people with disability or conditions cannot travel comfortably. It just takes a bit of organisation to ensure that the trip to heaven doesn’t ruin your holiday or put you off from going altogether.
Over the years, I have combed through the internet, spoken to various people and noticed things that have made my life easier, and a little bit of organisation goes a long way.
It ‘wasn’t until I recently went to Denmark with a colleague that I realised how much my coping mechanisms had helped me during my previous travels.
At times, I had gone on several long-haul trips by myself and came back relatively unscathed. At the same time, a mingy 1.5-hour flight nearly took me out of circulation simply because I was too embarrassed to use my tried and tested methods in front of a colleague I did not know very well(Travelling With An Invisible Illness).
Anyone that knows about Lupus knows that the symptoms can widely vary as can other invisible illnesses; if like me and you suffer from joint pain, pain or weakness in your muscles, fatigue or anything else that affects your mobility, I have a few tips that you can use to help make your travels less stressful or taxing on your body.
Ask for what you need
This starts from the booking process; when I select hotels, I check if they have lifts and, if so, how many, and try to gauge how far I would need to walk to get to the common areas such as the pool, restaurants etc.
I also check if the airline supports travellers with mobility issues, such as extra legroom or bulkhead seats, or help to get around the airport. Of late, some airlines now prefer to charge for extras, and generally, I don’t mind paying as it can make the difference between me having a good time or being stuck in the bedroom at the beginning of my holiday.
A quick call or email to the resort and airline company before booking gives me the peace of mind I need to part with my well-earned pounds. Once I have completed my booking, I contact my booking references again to confirm that my requirements have indeed been recorded in the system – it is important to log the date and the name of the person you spoke to.
Chill in an airport lounge
Provide Yourself With A Peaceful Place
Airports can be busy, hectic pieces, and with hundreds or maybe thousands of people coming and going, you ‘can’t guarantee to sit down and rest while waiting for your flight,
Airport lounges like the No1 lounge or the Clubhouse can provide a much-needed oasis of calm from the craziness of the terminals, plus they tend to offer free Wi-Fi, food and drinks at a price, and you can stay in them for up to three hours before your flight.
Prices tend to start from around £20 (But if you search the internet you will find cheap deals.
Between you and me, I have also been known to use the plastic bags from security to take pastries and fruit out of the lounges and bring them onto the plane if I get hungry during the flight.
Check out my review of the no1 lounge HERE.
Give yourself time
I always try to get to the airport at the time check-in opens and to allow myself the maximum amount of time to go through security, possibly look around the shops, and then chill out in the lounge until it is time to board the plane, again leaving plenty of time so I ‘don’t get stressed or overwhelmed.
socialising
Communication Is Key
If I am travelling with someone, I make sure to talk with them before we go, during which I explain how my condition affects me and what I need to be comfortable; it is super important that your travel companion is understanding and is willing to potentially do extra work to support you or be flexible with their plans, i.e. may have to go alone to that excursion or maybe not go at it could also mean paying aside extra funds to buy direct flights or upgrade seats on the plane, meet and greet parking etc. I will try to surprise them by paying for such upgrades. When I have assistance through the airport, we often get to jump the lines, which my travel companions enjoy.
Keep It Clean
A few years ago, a video of Naomi Campbell when viral; in the video, Naomi showed her flying routine, which included documenting what she does when she travels, including wiping down all the surfaces with antibacterial wipes. While some felt that Naomi was slightly over the top or OCD, I was disappointed in myself for not going to her extremes. Think about it the people that clean the planes only have a short time to clean before you board, which is barely enough to pick up rubbish and surface food thoroughly. Then they are on to the next, so, of course, surfaces are not adequately disinfected.
So, of course, I have yet to wipe down everything I may touch; I always pack a bottle of hand sanitiser and disinfectant wipes in my carry-on TSA standard sizes, of course.
Also, considering the air on planes is recycled, one ‘person’s germs could potentially make or breaks my holiday, and with hundreds of people breathing in the same recycled air, a comfortable face mask probably ‘doesn’t seem like such a bad idea.
Pack It In
Carry any medications you require in your hand luggage along with your prescription, never in your checked baggage, in case your checked luggage is lost or delayed in transit. Also, make sure you have any mobility aids that you may require. Even if you ‘don’t need it at that moment, the high altitudes during flying can also take their toll on your body.
I also tend to get anxious during flights, so I like to bring home comforts such as my weighted blanket, some lavender oil or spray some slippers or slipper socks so I can talk my shoes off but still walk around the plane.
Decent headphones and downloads of shows or movies that I am excited to watch or relax to help pass the time or even help me sleep
These items will also come in handy throughout your holiday.
Miniature versions of my favourite skincare products so that I can take off my makeup and feel more comfortable throughout the flight or even give myself a cheeky face mask to offset the drying effect of the air conditioning.
A spritz of Dermalogica spray toner is also fantastic for refreshing my skin throughout the flight.
And, of course, as I mentioned earlier, wet wipes and hand sanitiser.
While I have never really had to show it to anyone, I bring my blue badge (Or a photocopy) with me as I worry that someone will not believe I have an invisible illness because I do not look like ‘anything’s wrong with me.
Last, pack some of your favourite snacks for the hotel if you need more time to go out. Not all hotels offer room service, and the meals in the hotel shops can be super expensive, or you may not be able to find you got to snacks from home. I like having my favourite cookies, some crackers, a multi-pack of crisps, and, most importantly, Tea Bags.
I ‘can’t count the times I have up at night or even early in the morning before the canteens open, starving and unable to go out and pick up food.
‘It’s worth picking up a few extra zip lock bags when you go through security in case you want to pick up a cheeky snack when you are having lunch or dinner in the hotel restaurant rather than wrapping it in tissue and sneaking it off n your bag to ensure your room stays crumb-free.
Park It
Although many people prefer to book cabs or have someone drop them to the airport, I have been burned using both methods, so I like driving my car and parking at the airport.
However, long gone are the days of leaving my car in an offsite car park and getting on a shuttle once I learnt about the Meet and Greet parking service that has been my service of choice
Parking meet and greet
You rock up to your terminal, where a uniformed driver will greet you and take your car simple! Once you return from your holiday, you will also be greeted by a driver who will return your car.
This is not the cheapest of the services; however, I have found some fantastic deals when I look early enough.
Hotel room
When I am flying at unsocial hours (especially with large groups), I have been known to opt for a Hotel & Parking Package, which again ‘aren’t always the cheapest but cannot only elevate a lot of last-minute stress but be an excellent way to kick off your holiday.
If you can afford it – ‘Don’t be afraid to pay
A few of the things mentioned on my list, unfortunately, come at an extra cost, and you could find that abled-bodied travel companions do not want to contribute to the charges; this can seem quite hurtful, but please remember, if it were personal, they ‘wouldn’t have chosen to go on holiday with you. Discuss your requirements before you book and offer to cover the costs if you can afford it; yes, they will also benefit from the convenience; however, it is an expense they would not even have to consider if they were travelling alone or with another companion.
Know where to go
These websites have been an absolute godsend:
Seat guru – type in your flight number, and not only does it show you the seat map for your flight, but it will also tell you important facts like which seats do not go back and which places give you extra legroom
TripAdvisor – full of tips from fellow travellers that have been there for I have gotten handy information such as which hotels do not have lifts, which rooms are closest to the action and even maps of the resort. On the rare occasion when I have not found an answer to a query, there is always the option of asking the question in one of the forums.
Do You Boo
The whole point of going on holiday is to relax and rest; however, there can often be pressure to go on excursions, ‘dinner walks, or even stick to the hotel’s schedules of activities and meals.
‘It’s especially frustrating when I hear statements like:
“You come all this way just to nap/ lay by the pool/go to bed early? What a waste of money!”
“If you aren’t leaving the resort, you should have just stayed home!”
“You can sleep when ‘you’re dead!”
“You will feel better when you get some fresh air.”
“I have to go to breakfast/lunch/dinner alone?”
‘Don’t let anyone dictate to you what you can handle) only you know your body best.
I used to let other people pressure me into doing more and more activities when my body told me it needed rest, leaving me tired, cranky and miserable, but it could also push me to flare. I now prioritise the things that I would like to accomplish throughout my holiday, and I don’t beat myself up if I ‘don’t get to do or see all of the items listed on my bucket list; I also offer to meet up with my travel companions or even people who I meet in my own time when I am well rested.
Pamper yourself for Travelling With An Invisible Illness
Treat yourself to a spa treatment; you deserve it!
Many countries offer surprisingly affordable spa treatments, so why not try them out?
Remember that Travel can be stressful and overtaxing even for healthy people, but if you have an invisible illness, that can double for you.
I genuTravellingbeautiful and enriching experience, and I wish I had done more of it before I was diagnosed with Lupus. However, I refuse to let it stop me (even though it might slow me down, lol), and it ”s shouldn’t stop you either. Now see some places on your bucket list and have a good time.
also, if you would like to visit one of the airport lounges or try Meet and greet parking
check out for great deals
Do you have any travel hacks?
Comment below
