Things to Know Before Going on Your Summer Vacation
Vacations are one of the best parts of summer. Planning out your vacation, whether it’s to the beach, mountains, countryside, or city, is always fun! To help your planning, we have a list of things to know before going on your summer vacation.
Figure out the water situation.
Depending on where you are traveling, water sanitation can be an issue. If you are traveling out of the country, this is something you want to figure out ahead of time to make sure you can make safe decisions while staying hydrated.
Dehydration is common among travelers, especially when trying to cover as much territory as possible in the area you are traveling. However, traveler’s diarrhea is equally as common and can really put a damper on your vacation.
So do some research and figure out how you can stay hydrated while avoiding potentially infected water. Be wary of drinks that have ice in them too, ask if it is made with filtered water before consuming any drinks that aren’t pre-bottled.
Infections from travel can be a short-term event, however, sometimes these infections can lead to long-term conditions like post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Preparing your gut ahead of time can help to prevent traveler’s diarrhea, or at least keep it to a minimum. Atrantil is a great product to bring along to keep your gut healthy and help your microbiome fight off any potential pathogens you may come into contact with.
Plan out meals and snacks the best you can.
In addition to the water, you’ll want to know where your food is sourced — especially if you’re eating seafood. Leafy vegetables, seafood, and fruit that does not have a peel can also lead to traveler’s diarrhea and related complications.
Outside of the dreaded traveler’s diarrhea, there are other reasons you’ll want to have snacks and meals planned out. Not sticking to your normal eating schedule can disrupt your bowel movements — this is especially true in people who have IBS.
Having a plan is a great way to make sure that everyone stays happy and healthy throughout your vacation. Having healthy snack options can help support your immune system in case you do come into contact with any contaminated food or drink items.
Plus planning out your restaurants is a fun thing to do! TikTok is a surprisingly great resource for finding local restaurants wherever you are traveling that can accommodate food limitations.
Learn how road trips affect your gut here.
Know where bathrooms are along your route.
If you often travel with kids, you probably already scope out the bathroom situation. But even if it’s an adults-only trip, knowing where bathrooms are is important for your vacation.
Staying hydrated is so important for your body to maintain its normal bathroom habits. Both urinating and having bowel movements depend on your ability to stay hydrated.
Many people will try to drink less because they are traveling and don’t know the bathroom situation. Plan ahead so you can drink enough water to stay hydrated so you stay on a normal schedule.
It’s also a good idea to know where bathrooms are throughout your trip just in case traveler’s diarrhea does become an issue.
What will the temperature, weather, and humidity be like while you are there?
Planning out your outfits is one of the most fun parts of a trip. New bathing suits, dresses, and accessories are so exciting! But sometimes the weather can surprise you once you get to your destination.
Make sure to check the weather conditions close to your trip so you know whether or not to pack the extra sunscreen and hat or a jacket for cooler days.
Humidity is something else you’ll want to look out for so you can make sure to get enough salty foods and water in your body to make up for electrolyte loss when you sweat. Dehydration can quickly turn into heat exhaustion or heatstroke. On the other hand, air travel has extremely low humidity in the plane cabins which can also contribute to dehydration.
So try to stay hydrated when these extremes are at play during your trip. Hot temperatures affect your digestion and planning accordingly can help you to avoid any complications — learn more here.
Are there stores near where you are staying for essential items?
This may not be something at the top of your mind when you’re trying to make sure you have everything you need packed. But knowing where local stores are that contain items you need can help you pack less or prepare for your trip better.
Having some groceries on hand can limit your spending costs on vacation and provide your body with food it is commonly exposed to. Any type of regularity in your diet (i.e. time you eat, food you eat, etc.) can help keep your body on its normal schedule.
If you take medications, do you have enough to last you through your trip?
One of the most nerve-wracking parts of being away from home is knowing if you have everything you need. The most important thing(s) to remember is anything medically you need. That can include your medications, medical equipment such as a CPAP machine, or an epipen.
Everything else you can buy at the store. But medications and necessary medical equipment may be difficult to get your hands on when you aren’t near your doctor and normal pharmacy.
In addition to packing them, make sure that you have enough for your trip and a few days extra just in case you experience delays of any kind. Talk to your doctor about making sure you are prepared with enough of whatever you need.
If you need specific medications for travel like anti-anxiety or anti-nausea medications, ask your doctor in enough time to have them prescribed as well.
Get as many details on your planned excursions as possible.
Excursions are so much fun but knowing important information like:
- Length of time the excursion itself will last
- Round trip length of time (including travel to the location and back)
- Are food and drinks provided
- How much walking
- Potential dangers (i.e. wildlife, rocky terrain, etc.)
- How to dress
- If you should bring anything along
- Cancellation time frame
Check out previous reviews from other people who took the excursion and see if they have any other suggestions on how to prepare.
Know your travel information, tickets, and what type of luggage you are allowed.
When you are traveling, knowing your travel information is an important part of keeping stress low.
Checking into the following things can help reduce stress while traveling:
- Get to the airport or train station early.
- Know if you have any layovers between and figure out how much time you have to get to your next gate.
- Figure out what type of luggage you are allowed and if you need to pay for larger or more baggage.
- Know what size items are allowed to fly in the cabin and what needs to be stowed below.
- If you are traveling out of the country make sure you know what kind of power outlets they use. Countries like Italy use different power outlets than the US and this can cause some problems if you don’t plan accordingly.
- There are some different laws when traveling to other countries as well about what types of items are allowed to cross the borders. Check into these before bringing items in or out of the country.
All in all, prepare as much as you can, but don’t stress out over everything! As long as you have your essentials and remember to stay hydrated your trip will be great!
Read more of our suggestions for summer fun here!