Healthy Travel Tips is provided by Teri Champigny.
Preparing for Weather in Europe
In order to have a safe and enjoyable visit to Europe, you will want to make sure that you pack the right clothing. The weather in Europe is much more stable than in the United States, regardless of the time of year you plan to travel. Winters do not get as cold, and summers do not get as hot as in the United States. However, there are many items that you may need to prepare for a successful and fun trip to Europe.
First, you will likely want to take some sweaters and jeans, even if you are planning to travel in the summer months. Nights can get chilly in Europe, and even during the day skies are generally very cloudy. Sunny days in Europe are typically few and far between during more visits. You may get lucky and have some sunny, very warm days, however, so plan to take clothing for both cooler and warmer climes.
Second, you will want to take clothing for rainy days, as well as an umbrella. While overall rainfall in Europe is much less than in the United States, there are often days when some rain fall will occur. Better to be prepared than to end up drenched. Other items you may consider are ponchos, hats, and other head coverings.
Third, you will want to take the time of sunrise and sunset into account. In the winter, days are extremely short, with the sun rising well into the morning and setting in the late afternoon. During these times of less sun, warmer clothing will likely be required. In the summer, the days are extremely long, requiring cooler clothing. You may also want to take a sleeping mask with you if you travel to Europe during the summer months, because the sun will likely still be up when you are ready to sleep for the night.
The best way to prepare for the weather in Europe is to check the weather for the area you plan to visit just before leaving. Before you zip up those suitcases, check the long term forecast. You can do this by visiting any number of web sites or watching cable weather channels. You should also check the current weather conditions at the time of your departure and arrival, to determine what clothing may be best for your flight.
If you are planning to spend longer periods of time in Europe traveling through various countries, it will be harder to check an actual weather forecast for your entire trip. You can plan and prepare for the weather for these longer trips by looking up historical or average weather conditions for the areas you are planning to visit during the time of year that you will take your trip. You can often check such weather information via the same weather forecast web sites available for current weather conditions and forecasts.
Overall, it is best to take at least one outfit for each type of weather that you may encounter. Packing one very warm outfit, one neutral outfit, and one very cool outfit will ensure that you are prepared for any weather that may come your way during your travels. You can then pack other clothing in accordance to typical or forecasted weather conditions.
Preparing for Your Trip to Europe—Electronics Safety
Most people are aware that the European electrical outlets are different than those in the US. This requires a plug adapter for most of your electronics. However, this is not the only consideration. You see, European electricity’s output is twice that of the United States, and even with a plug adapter you can cause a small fire or at least the melting of your electronics without a transformer or wattage converter.
Additionally, not all European countries require the same plug adapters. You will need to research the country that you are visiting and make sure that you purchase the plug adapter for that country. If you will be visiting more than one country and require more than one type of plug adapter, you should keep these plug adapters in separate bags and label them with the country that you will use them in. This will help you to lessen confusion when you actually arrive, and help you avoid a mistake that might cause your electronics, or yourself, to fry with the voltage of the electrical outlet.
To determine if your electronics need a transformer or just a plug adapter, you should check the back of the power brick or the user’s manual. This should give you information about the electronics such as what wattage and voltage the electronics item can handle. If the electronics item can only handle a voltage of 110, you will need a transformer in addition to the plug adapter.
Most laptops sense and adjust to the voltage coming through the lap top, and therefore do not require a transmitter. Many electrical items such as digital camera and mobile phone chargers are designed to work in any country and do not require a transformer. However, you should check the user manual for all of your electronics before packing them for your European trip.
Some electronics are better left at home. Hair dryers, for instance, often melt from the voltage of European outlets even with a converter and plug adapter. For these electrical items, you may think about leaving them at home and purchasing new ones in the European country you will be visiting.
In addition to safety, you should also consider that there are fewer electrical outlets in European hotels than in the United States. Electricity is much more expensive in Europe, and to minimize your expenses and the chance of overloading an outlet you should take with you only those electronics and electrical items that are absolutely necessary for your trip. If you can shave with razors instead of your electrical razor, do so. If you want an alarm, use the one on your mobile phone or request a wake up call from the hotel, and leave your alarm clock at home.
As should be the case with all items that you pack for your European travels, you should go through your electronics and other items that require electricity item by item to make sure that you really need that item. You should also check user manuals and make sure that you have all of the converters and plug adapters necessary before you leave for your trip. This will ensure a safe, frustration free vacation in Europe.
How to Protect your Health when Traveling Out of the Country
Traveling abroad can be an exciting time and planning for an adventure is half the fun! The other half should be planning to stay healthy. It’s no picnic being in a foreign country only to get sick. Where do you go for treatment? What if you need medicine? Planning for worst case scenarios will help you in planning a healthy trip of a lifetime.
The first thing you want to do once you choose your destination is visit your doctor. If you are planning a trip to an area in which malaria, dengue fever and other mosquito-borne diseases thrive, you will want to take the proper precautions. And that means you will need to have some immunizations as well as malaria treatment which you typically start taking before you even leave. It is also important to get a certificate of immunization to carry with you during your travels.
Other paperwork which might be important is your medical history. If you should become ill on your trip, your history will help the doctors provide you with proper medical treatment based on any possible pre-existing conditions. Take a list of current medications certified by your doctor as well as get current on other vaccinations such as tetanus, MMR, polio and more.
\Double check your health insurance policy to see what is and is not covered when you are in a foreign land. If your medical coverage does not extend to your destination, you will want to consider a supplemental health insurance. Identify the medical facilities in your destination area so you know where to go if you do happen to get sick. Learn how to wire money in case you have to instruct a loved one at home to wire money for medical treatment.
The two most common ailments among travelers abroad are colds and diarrhea. You can lessen the risk of contracting these with just a few handy suggestions.
1. Carry handy wipes or gel sanitizers for those moments when you cannot wash your hands. Kill those foreign germs!
2. Whatever you do, do not purchase food from a street vendor in a foreign land. That is just begging for a good, old-fashioned case of diarrhea. Also, do not drink the water and also no ice. Instead, rely on bottled water for drinking and even for brushing your teeth. Avoid raw foods such as meat vegetables and fruit and rely only on pasteurized dairy products.
3. Always wear sunscreen and apply insect repellant periodically to avoid mosquito and other bug bites. This way, you can avoid malaria and other nasty mosquito-borne disease. Also, keep your pants tucked into your boots on hikes and wear long sleeves to avoid ticks.
4. Pack a personal first aid kit based on your current health requirements. You should have the standard pain relievers and Band-Aids. However, you could benefit from anti-diarrhea medication as well as those for motion sickness.
All in all, you plan for a worst case scenario to take care of your health. That way, you are prepared for every contingency during your trip. By being prepared, you will worry less and enjoy your trip all the more!