How to Survive Getting Sick While Traveling Solo

442

Ah, solo travel – it has the highest of highs but the lowest of lows. One of the biggest lows? Illness. Seriously, getting sick while traveling solo sucks.

I know that sounds blunt, but it’s the truth.

On my first solo trip, aka a weekend trip from Madrid to Barcelona, I got food poisoning. Coincidentally, it was also my first time getting food poisoning… Not the best combination. 

I will spare you the gory details of that night, but I will say that being sick so far from home really makes the experience that much worse. Not to mention, I was staying in a shared dorm in a hostel. Normally, I’m the biggest advocate for hostels, but they’re not a great setting for food poisoning. 

There was really nothing else I could do but try to survive the night. When I first felt myself feeling sick in Barcelona, I stopped by a convenience store to grab water and crackers before heading back to the hostel.

I tried to not let it ruin my trip, but getting sick while traveling solo can be difficult. It often means you need to put a pause on your trip and take some time to recover.

There’s an extra layer to being sick while abroad when traveling solo. You’ve got to handle everything yourself. 

Here’s your full guide to surviving getting sick while traveling solo.

Slow down and rest

When you’re in a new place and eager to explore, slowing down to rest is the last thing you want to do. However, losing a few days on your trip to rest is better than pushing through and ruining the rest of your trip.

If you decide to push through it, you run the risk of hurting your body even more. Not to mention, you risk spreading whatever illness you’ve come down with.

I once pushed through a trip through Eastern Europe with a cold, and what did it get me? Even more sick. Then, I had to push through feeling sick on an 11-hour flight home (in economy class), which was awful.

Remember that at some point you have to come home, and coming home sick is something you want to avoid.

One of the best travel tips in general is taking time to relax during your vacation. This amount of time will vary for everyone, but it might feel like a long time to someone who is sick. 

Make the most of your rest time and treat it like a staycation. Order room service, watch movies, nap and take time to decompress.

Check your travel insurance

Many people purchase travel insurance just in case they get sick while travelling, but let me tell you, it’s worth it. If you get sick while travelling, you’re going to be eternally grateful you purchased travel insurance. 

If your illness requires prescription medication like antibiotics, travel insurance will help you pay for it. 

Not only that, but travel insurance often includes trip interruption and travel delays, so if you need to postpone a flight due to illness, they’ve got you covered.

Stay hydrated and eat good food

This might be easier said than done depending where you are, but one of the best tips I can offer for recovering from an illness is to stay hydrated. This can be with bottled water and/or a drink with electrolytes if available. 

Eating good, nutritious food is also essential for feeling better. Avoid undercooked or street food that could set your stomach off, and stick with safe, bland options like soup and crackers.

Don’t be afraid to get comfort food, too. These are some snacks I got to eat in bed while I was sick with a cold in Dublin a few years ago:

Go to the local pharmacy for medication

In the times I’ve gotten sick while abroad, one of my first decisions was to visit the local pharmacy for medication. 

Depending where in the world you’re traveling, this can be more intimidating than you’d think. This is because chances are the brands you’re familiar with in your home country won’t be available where you’re traveling. 

For this reason, I like to do two things. One, I ask the front desk at the hostel or hotel for local pharmacy recommendations. If I have something more common, like the cold or the flu, I’ll ask them what brand of medication they’d recommend.

Second, I bring my phone with me so I can Google the brands in the store and make sure I’m buying the right thing.

Usually, the medication boxes will be descriptive in what they treat, but if you don’t speak the language, a quick Google search will help immensely. 

Visit the doctor if needed

If what you have can’t be cured by an over-the-counter medication, you can contact your local embassy or consulate for a list of local healthcare providers and medical facilities. If your illness is serious, consular officers can help you find medical assistance, and even inform your family.

Of course, you don’t have to go with this option – you can always ask around or visit the local hospital. But this is a way to obtain some reliable recommendations, which is important as you never want to skimp on healthcare.

Sometimes it’s hard to know the source of your illness and therefore, how to treat it. This is something a doctor can get to the bottom of with a few tests. Make sure to listen carefully to the doctor’s instructions, and if something seems iffy, you can always get a second opinion.

Call your local embassy

This is an extension to my previous tip, but if resting isn’t helping, your local embassy should be able to help. I’ve never been sick enough to need to contact my embassy, but I’ve heard stories from fellow travelers of how their embassy stepped in while they were sick.

The level of assistance your embassy provides will depend on your home country and the country you’re visiting. For some sick travelers, your embassy can help obtain access to medical care, and in extreme cases, can help you be airlifted back home.

I’ve also heard some instances where a local embassy helped sick travelers with obtaining food and bottled water.

When getting sick while traveling solo, it can honestly just be nice to talk to a friendly, familiar person who’s available to help. 

Ask for help

As solo travelers, it can feel weird to ask people for help. In my experience, most people are good and have a desire to help. If they see you struggling, many people will be willing to lend you a hand.

Hotel staff and hostel staff are great people to ask for help. They’re knowledgeable about the local amenities, and chances are, they’ve seen other travelers like you come down with the same illness. 

Other solo travelers are great to ask for help. Whether it’s helping you get to the pharmacy for medicine or bringing you a bottle of water, they understand what it’s like to travel alone and not have someone to lean on. 

For the most part, travelers are a friendly type of people. If you ask a reasonable request with a smile, I truly believe most will be willing to help. 

Precautions to take before traveling

So you haven’t left yet for your trip and you’re wondering how to avoid getting sick while abroad? While there isn’t a silver bullet for preventing illness, there are a few steps you can take before leaving that will help your future self in case of illness.

Buy travel insurance

If there’s only one thing you take away from this blog post, it should be this: buy travel insurance. I understand that it’s tempting to skip it and save some money, especially if you’re young and healthy.

But illness can happen to anyone, no matter how healthy you are. 

The average cost of travel insurance is 6-7% of your total trip cost, and if you find yourself sick while traveling, you’ll be glad you made the purchase. 

Depending on the travel insurance provider you choose, the coverage may vary, but here is a round-up of what travel insurance often covers:

• Baggage delays
• Trip interruption
• Emergency evacuation
• Delays 
• Trip cancellation
• Accidental death and dismemberment
• Medical coverage
• Emergency medical coverage
• Ambulance service
• Personal injury

As you can see, travel insurance covers so much more than illness!

Pack a first-aid kit

While traveling when sick, there’s something so comforting about taking medication that is familiar to you. Probably because you know it will help you feel better versus picking up something new at the pharmacy.

You can buy pre-made first-aid kits online or in stores, but I recommend designing your own first-aid kit if possible. I have a list of go-to medications I like, and I’ll pick out a pill box, then label each container with what I’m bringing. 

I recommend bringing a variety of different medications to treat different conditions. Here’s a few things I always bring with me in my first-aid kit:

• Pain and fever medication
• Different size bandages
• Motion sickness medication
• Cough drops
• Throat lozenges

Of course, you’ll want to tailor what you bring based on your health and the location(s) you’re traveling to.

Get vaccinated

The best way to prevent getting sick while traveling solo is to get vaccinated. While this can’t prevent you from every disease out there, vaccinations will ensure your body is at its strongest and ready to fight diseases.

A month or two before you travel, research what vaccinations are recommended for the countries you’re visiting. I like to look at the CDC when researching vaccinations by destination. 

However, there are routine vaccinations you should make sure you’re up-to-date on before traveling to any destination. These include:

• COVID-19
• Chickenpox (Varicella)
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
• Influenza
• Measles, mumps, Rubella
• Meningococcal
• Pneumococcal
• Polio
• Rotavirus
• Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis
• Shingles (Zoster) – May not be applicable for every age group

Keep in mind that some vaccinations require more than one dosage, so you’ll want to begin getting your vaccinations a month or two before your departure date.

I hope these have been helpful tips as to what to do if you get sick while traveling! From personal experience, I know it’s not fun to be sick abroad (especially while traveling solo), but the most important thing is to listen to your body so you can recover as quickly as possible. 

Like this post? Save it for later!