At some point next year, I’m going travelling again. This does mean that I’m already starting to prepare for it. Here are some European traveller essential health tips I picked up last time I went travelling.
It’s a little early to announce that I’m going travelling again, but I’m so excited I might burst. You might recall 3 years ago we (husband and I) went travelling around central Europe using interrail. We went wherever the wind takes us, one moment we were in Paris then then next in Switzerland. There was no plan, just us with our backpacks and train tickets.
The whole experience was amazing! Needless to say. It left us with loads of memories and awesome photos. For us, it was such an eye-opener to see central Europe and how beautiful countries such as Switzerland and Amsterdam was.
Well folks, we going to do it all over again next year. *squeal*, ok so we’re not doing central Europe again; but this time all the Nordic countries. How flipping exciting. And if weather/climate conditions permit we would do it in winter. So instead of sun and sea; it will be snow, dark sky and hot drinks.
As it next year and still a long way away, I’m using this time to properly prepare myself. Last time I didn’t really prepare myself. Both mentally or physically. And in hindsight, I feel I was very wrong with that as I found the whole journey incredibly taxing for my body.
When we went, I just finished working at my last job before I went self-employed and I think I was still trying to recover from that ordeal both mentally and physically. I did train 6 months beforehand, I did body pump and swimming at my sports centre. So it’s not like I didn’t do anything. But I do think that wasn’t enough for my body to handle.
We caught the Eurostar to Paris and from there we went through to Switzerland to Austria and then Munich, where we spent the day at Munich Zoo and caught an overnight train to Amsterdam. Catching the overnight train meant we couldn’t get onto the train till 11:30 pm at night. And this was after we basically went around a zoo and somehow got stuck in a shopping centre (don’t ask!), we basically had a day to kill to catch the overnight train.
By the time we got to our little cabin on the overnight train, we were exhausted. I didn’t sleep a wink and I could not get comfortable. So when we arrived in Amsterdam I was too sleepy and achy to do anything, but it was too early to book a hotel room, so we decided to queue for 4-5 hours for the Anne Frank Museum.
To cut a long story short, basically by the time we got into Amsterdam I could feel my body falling apart. I was physically exhausted, I caught a cold and I have no energy to do anything. After the Anne Frank museum we booked a hotel room and I crashed into bed.
All I can say is, I was lucky that I wasn’t feeling more ill. It was the last leg of the journey and although I had holiday insurance, I didn’t need to make a holiday claims as I wasn’t that badly ill.
Now I’ve recalled how I was feeling while in Amsterdam, I do want to prepare myself this time around. So here are a few European Traveler Essential health tips I picked up last time, so you won’t be caught out like I was.
There’s a chemist in every city or village
Don’t be afraid to pick up paracetamol or any health-related items. If you can’t understand what it says, you can use the Google Translate app on your phone.
Rest
Don’t go rushing off to see the sights, try to have a rest in between your days. Sit in a park or coffee shop, as otherwise, you will just wear yourself out.
Avoid Tap Water
Yeah, it’s obvious advice but even if something says it safe to drink, try not to as it very well may not be. Buy only bottled water, or if you’re really thirsty then go into a bar/restaurant to have a glass of water.
Pack basic first aid/ health kit
Think of it as something else you would pack as well as your toothbrush. Just a packet of paracetamol, bandages, sun cream and plasters.
Look for a trained first aider at train stations
If you have injured yourself, seek immediate help and look for a trained first aider at hotels, restaurants and train stations.
Those were my European traveler essential health tips. I hope it has been helpful for all my fellow travelers. Do you have any essentials travelling health tips to add?
