Keep On Exploring: Planning for Healthy Travel as You Age

Traveling is more than just a journey from one place to another. It allows you to explore new places and make new friends. And beyond memorable adventures, travel can also improve your overall well-being. It can boost your mental and emotional health, as well as your physical health. As you plan your adventures, paying attention to some travel basics can make for healthy travels, no matter your age.  

But with the added years, perhaps you think you can no longer travel safely. You might worry about various health conditions. You move at a slower pace. Yet, you’re looking forward to exploring more of the world.

The good news is that, with some savvy travel planning, you can keep on traveling the world. If you focus on your health and safety, you can keep your travel dreams alive!

Read on for ways to minimize the stress of travel, stay safe and well , and maximize the enjoyment of your adventures.

Build in downtime to avoid fatigue 

As you start travel planning, avoid the temptation to cram a day so full that it will all be a blur, leaving you exhausted. Travel can be tiring. Air travel often involves delays. Crossing time zones can cause fatigue. Navigating a new city can be confusing.  

The solution? Allow yourself and your fellow travelers some downtime to decompress. While it’s tempting to fill all day, every day, with activities, you’ll feel better if you sometimes slow your pace. Build in time to sit back and relax in a sidewalk café. Or hang out in one of the peaceful parks found in most cities. Paris offers Luxembourg Garden, New York City has Central Park, and Berlin’s Tiergarten is lovely. Rejuvenate with a swim in the hotel pool. Or linger over a lunch of local seafood and people-watching on a piazza in Rome. 

Planning the basics 

Travel in the U.S. may not present many challenges. But if you’ve decided it’s finally time to take that big trip across the ocean, you may not feel confident planning out a multi-country trip on your own. For some, travel planning is part of the fun. If that’s not you, though, you can get professional help from a travel agent to plan an amazing trip.  

Another option is to join a tour. Then you can sit back and relax without planning where to go day by day. Wherever you are headed, you can find a variety of styles of tours. Some emphasize hiking. Some visit major musical sites. Some focus on history. Some involve cruising on the Danube or the Seine.  

Booking a place to stay 

When choosing a hotel or rental, think about where you would be most comfortable. Consider whether you will do better if your room is on the street level with no stairs. Check whether there is an elevator, which is not always the case in other countries. Does the hotel or bed and breakfast serve a healthy breakfast? Is there a restaurant on site, making dinner an easy choice after a long day of touring?  

Look at maps and determine what area of a town or city you would like to use as a base for sightseeing. Where is the nearest Metro station? Can you walk to the sights you most want to visit? Make a checklist of things that are important to you when booking a place to stay. 

Smoothing the stress of plane travel 

Here are some tips to make flying less stressful.

• Book multiple flights with plenty of time to change planes. This can prevent you from running through a crowded airport, towing your bags as you try to locate your next gate.
  
  
• If you have a long layover, look into spending it in an airport lounge. Some credit cards offer lounge access, or you may pay a small fee. Lounges provide free food, comfortable seating, tables, and clean bathrooms. You’ll be more rested after spending hours in a lounge rather than sitting in a noisy gate area.
  
  
• Airlines offer seating options that include extra leg room. If you have health issues with your legs, opt for this so you don’t feel cramped and uncomfortable, especially on a longer flight.
  
  
• Look online for a map of the airports where you will be going. Figure out if you will be changing terminals or riding a shuttle, and how far you will be walking.
  
  
• Consider whether you need assistance with a wheelchair or cart. If you have problems with your legs or feet, walking through large airports may leave you sore when you arrive at your destination.
  
  
• Take sanitary wipes for the plane seat, seatbelt, and tray. These are handed out on some flights, but you can’t always count on it.
  
  
• Wear compression socks during the flight to prevent blood clots. When it is safe to do so, get up and stand in the aisle or walk a little bit.  
  
  
• Plan how you will get from the airport to the place where you are staying. Book a car if taking a taxi sounds intimidating. Your hotel may be able to help you with this.  
  

Getting your documents in order 

This may not be the most fun part of travel planning, but getting your documents in order will pay big dividends in easing travel stress. Basic documents to prepare include:

• Your passport. Check that your passport is valid for 6 months after your return. Apply to renew your passport if needed. Renewing a passport can take 4-6 weeks.  
  
  
• Copies or photos. Make copies of your driver’s license and your passport to prevent problems if these are stolen. Give emergency contact information and a copy of your passport to a family member or trusted friend.  
  
  
• Lists (either digital or printed). Make a list of your prescriptions. A list of your flight information and hotels is also helpful. 
  

Plan to stay in touch 

Put a plan in place to stay in touch with family and friends. Check with your phone provider to find out about international data options. You may pay a daily fee for Internet access and text messages, for example. It’s good to have this in place not only for sending messages back home, but also for communicating with others in your travel group. 

What to pack 

A digital or printed packing list will keep you on track so you don’t forget anything important, like your swimsuit or rain jacket. Pay special attention to items you want to take for safe and healthy travel.

For comfort and good health. Here are items to pack for comfort and healthy travel:

• Hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol
  
  
• Antibacterial wipes
  
  
• Sunglasses
  
  
• Sunscreen
  
  
• Glasses and contact lenses
  
  
• Masks
  
  
• Bandages
  
  
• Earplugs

Packing your medicines. Pack a few extra days of prescription meds so you don’t miss doses due to travel delays. You should also know the generic names for your meds. If you need to pick up more in another country, a pharmacy may not recognize the brand name.

Here are over-the-counter medicines to pack. These may be hard to find in another country; it’s easier to take them along if you think you may need them.

• Pain medication such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen
  
  
• Sleep aids
  
  
• Motion sickness tablets or scopolamine ear patches (prescription)
  
  
• Anti-diarrheal medicine (such as Imodium® or Pepto-Bismol®)
  
  
• Antihistamine for allergy flares
  
  
• Antacid
  
  
• Cough drops for a dry throat

Check to see if your health insurance covers medical care abroad. If not, you might want to consider travel insurance. Travelers often pay hospital and medical expenses out of pocket. Have a plan for overseas care and consider additional health insurance. 

Choosing safe food and drinks 

You’ve arrived at your much-anticipated destination!  

One way to continue to stay healthy is to take care with what you eat and drink. Contaminated food can lead to traveler’s diarrhea. And this can hamper your travel plans. A few ways to avoid this include:

• Eating foods that are fully cooked and served hot. (Be careful with buffets where food sits out.)
  
  
• Eating fresh vegetables and fruits only when you can wash and peel them yourself.
  
  
• Drinking bottled, sealed beverages.
  
  
• Foregoing ice in your drink, as the ice cubes were likely made with tap water. 
  

Ways to prevent falls 

A fall on vacation can put a damper on your sightseeing. Here are a few tips to keep you upright on the streets and sidewalks.

• Wear shoes with good traction. Avoid shoes with smooth soles. Avoid heels as they are difficult to walk in and can cause you to trip.
  
  
• Take shorter steps if the pavement is wet and slippery.  
  
  
• Slow down, especially if you are walking where it’s wet or icy.
  
  
• Use handrails on stairways.
  
  
• Look where you are going rather than down at your phone as you are walking.
  
  
• Be careful when stepping off a curb. In England, for example, traffic approaches from the opposite direction of what you are used to in the U.S. And in some countries, pedestrians do not have the right of way. Watch traffic lights and signs carefully. 
  

Carpe diem 

Is there a place you’ve always wanted to go? Have you dreamed of going up the Eiffel Tower? Seeing the cherry blossoms in Tokyo? Standing on the Normandy D-Day beaches? Riding a cable car up into the Swiss Alps? This is your sign to start planning.  

Take into account all the ways you can prepare for healthy travel. Then go explore. You may return home feeling better than ever. After all, travel does help you stay young at heart!

Not a Silver&Fit^® member? Learn more about everything the program has to offer, including more helpful healthy living tips like this, here on our website.

This information is not intended to take the place of regular medical care or advice. Please check with your doctor before using this information or beginning any self-care program. Images used for this article do not depict any members of the Silver&Fit program.

References

AARP. (2023, May 5). 6 Steps to planning a successful trip with your older parent.  
https://www.aarp.org/travel/travel-tips/safety/info-2023/vacationing-with-older-adults.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, June 15). During travel. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/health-during-trip

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, August 16). Travelers with chronic illnesses. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/chronic-illnesses

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, January 31). Older adults and healthy travel. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/senior-citizens

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, May 12). Traveler advice. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/traveler-information-center

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, October 10). Pack smart. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/pack-smart

Gump, B. B., & Matthews, K. A. (2000). Are vacations good for your health? The 9-year mortality experience after the multiple risk factor intervention trial. Psychosomatic medicine, 62(5), 608–612. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006842-200009000-00003

Kaiser Permanente. (2017, November 7). 10 things you can do to prevent devastating falls. https://kpwashingtonresearch.org/index.php/live-healthy/all-articles/live-healthy-2017/10-things-you-can-do-prevent-devastating-falls

Medic Alert Foundation. (n.d.). Traveling with a chronic medical condition. https://www.medicalert.org/tips-traveling-chronic-medical-condition/

National Council on Aging. (2025, January 3). Safe travel tips for older adults. 
https://www.ncoa.org/article/safe-travel-tips-for-older-adults/

Travel.State.Gov. (2025, April 9). 65+ travelers. 
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/travelers-with-special-considerations/info-older-travelers.html

Travel.State.Gov. (n.d.). Checklist for older travelers. 
https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/NEWTravelAssets/pdfs/Older%20Travelers%20Rack%20Card%20for%20TSG_rev.pdf

University of Washington, Tacoma. (2021, December 28). Walk safely on wet, icy and slippery surfaces. https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/chancellor/walk-safely-wet-icy-and-slippery-surfaces

This article was written by Sharon Odegaard, edited by Kimberley Reynolds, and clinically reviewed by Elizabeth Thompson, MPH, RDN, on May 9, 2025. 

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