How to Stay Healthy While Travelling After 60 — The Complete Guide
Travelling after 60 is one of retirement’s greatest pleasures — but staying healthy on the road requires a little more attention than it did when you were younger. The good news is that with the right preparation and a few simple habits you can travel comfortably and confidently at any age — coming home with extraordinary memories rather than health problems. Here’s everything you need to know about staying healthy while travelling after 60.
Before You Travel — Health Preparation
See your GP at least six weeks before departure A pre travel medical consultation is strongly recommended for anyone over 60 planning international travel. Your GP can assess your fitness to travel, review your medications, recommend appropriate vaccinations, provide destination specific health advice, and supply any necessary documentation for travel insurance or border crossings.
Six weeks allows adequate time for vaccination courses to be completed and for any identified health issues to be addressed before departure.
Get vaccinations up to date Required and recommended vaccinations vary significantly by destination. Southeast Asian destinations typically recommend hepatitis A and B, typhoid, and tetanus. Some African and South American destinations require yellow fever vaccination. Your GP or a travel medicine clinic can advise on what’s needed for your specific itinerary.
Regardless of destination ensure your routine vaccinations — including influenza and COVID — are current before international travel. Crowded airports, aircraft, and tourist attractions concentrate respiratory illness risk significantly.
Review your medications Ask your GP to review all current medications in the context of your planned travel. Consider time zone changes and how they affect medication timing. Research regulations for your medications in each destination country — some common medications are controlled substances in certain countries and require documentation or advance permits.
Ensure you have adequate supply — enough for the full trip duration plus at least one week’s buffer in case of delays. Carry a complete medication list with generic names, dosages, and prescribing GP details.
Arrange travel insurance Comprehensive travel insurance with adequate medical coverage is non negotiable for any overseas travel after 60. Ensure all pre existing conditions are declared and covered. See our dedicated travel insurance guide for complete details.
Managing Existing Health Conditions While Travelling
Heart conditions Consult your cardiologist before any significant international travel. Carry a copy of your most recent ECG. Know the location of medical facilities at each destination on your itinerary. Carry adequate medication including nitroglycerin spray if prescribed. Avoid strenuous activity at high altitude if you have cardiac conditions — altitude significantly increases cardiovascular strain.
Diabetes Time zone changes affect medication and meal timing for people managing diabetes — discuss this specifically with your GP before travelling. Carry blood glucose monitoring equipment in your carry on. Maintain regular meal timing as much as possible. Be aware that activity levels — often significantly higher when travelling — affect blood glucose levels. Carry fast acting glucose sources at all times.
Joint replacements Hip and knee replacements may trigger metal detector alarms — carry documentation from your surgeon. Long periods of walking on hard surfaces can increase joint discomfort — pace yourself, wear supportive footwear, and carry appropriate pain management medication.
Blood pressure Heat, dehydration, unfamiliar food, and altered sleep patterns can all affect blood pressure. Monitor regularly if you have a history of hypertension. Maintain medication compliance carefully through time zone changes.
Respiratory conditions Air quality varies dramatically between destinations. Research air quality at your destinations before travelling — some cities experience significant pollution that can affect people with asthma or COPD. Carry a sufficient supply of all respiratory medications including rescue inhalers.
Staying Healthy During Your Trip
Hydration Dehydration is one of the most common health problems affecting older travellers — and one of the most preventable. The combination of air travel, heat, increased physical activity, and reduced awareness of thirst that comes with age creates significant dehydration risk.
Drink water consistently throughout the day — don’t wait until you feel thirsty. Carry a reusable water bottle and refill it regularly. In destinations where tap water safety is uncertain use bottled water or a filter bottle. Limit alcohol consumption — particularly in hot weather — as alcohol accelerates dehydration.
Food safety Food and water borne illness is a genuine risk in many popular travel destinations. The general rule — boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it — remains sound guidance for destinations with food safety concerns.
Avoid raw or undercooked meat and seafood. Be cautious with raw salads and unpeeled fruit in destinations with water quality concerns. Choose busy restaurants with high turnover over quiet ones. Be particularly cautious with street food in high risk destinations.
Sun protection Australian travellers sometimes underestimate UV intensity at overseas destinations — particularly at altitude or near the equator. Apply SPF50+ sunscreen generously and reapply every two hours when outdoors. Wear a hat and protective clothing during peak UV hours — 10am to 3pm. Stay in shade during the hottest part of the day.
Sleep Adequate sleep is fundamental to health and enjoyment while travelling. Jet lag is more disruptive and takes longer to resolve after 60 — plan your itinerary to allow adequate recovery time after long haul flights. Avoid scheduling demanding activities for the day of arrival after a long flight. Allow two to three days for adjustment before major physical activities.
Pacing yourself One of the most important health strategies for older travellers is simply slowing down. Over scheduling creates exhaustion and reduces enjoyment. Build rest time into every day — a quiet afternoon, a relaxed lunch, time to simply sit and absorb where you are. The best travel experiences often happen in the unhurried moments between scheduled activities.
Exercise Maintaining some level of physical activity while travelling helps circulation, energy levels, mood, and sleep quality. Most sightseeing involves significant walking — but consider adding intentional exercise as well. Hotel gyms, swimming pools, morning walks before the day’s activities, and yoga classes at your destination all contribute to maintaining physical wellbeing on the road.
Managing Jet Lag
Jet lag becomes more disruptive and takes longer to resolve with age — but it can be managed effectively.
Before departure Begin adjusting your sleep schedule in the direction of your destination two to three days before departure. If travelling east go to bed earlier. If travelling west stay up later.
On the flight Set your watch to destination time immediately on boarding. Sleep when it’s night at your destination — use an eye mask, ear plugs, and a travel pillow to create sleep conditions. Stay hydrated and avoid alcohol.
On arrival Stay awake until local bedtime regardless of how tired you feel — this is the most effective strategy for resetting your body clock. Get outdoor exposure to natural light as soon as possible after arrival — daylight is the most powerful jet lag reset available.
Melatonin Low dose melatonin taken at bedtime in your destination’s time zone can assist with jet lag management. Discuss with your GP before using.
Recognising and Responding to Health Problems While Travelling
Know the symptoms that require immediate medical attention Chest pain or pressure, sudden severe headache, difficulty breathing, sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body, sudden vision changes, and severe abdominal pain all require immediate emergency medical attention regardless of where you are in the world.
Know how to access medical care at your destination Before arriving at each destination know the location of the nearest hospital and how to contact emergency services. In most developed countries 112 is a universal emergency number. In the United States dial 911. In Australia and New Zealand dial 000.
Contact your travel insurer first for non emergency situations For non emergency medical situations contact your travel insurer’s 24 hour assistance line before seeking treatment where possible. They can direct you to appropriate facilities, arrange direct billing, and provide advice on your coverage.
Don’t ignore symptoms The temptation to push through symptoms and not let illness interfere with travel is understandable but potentially dangerous. If you feel unwell rest, hydrate, and seek medical attention if symptoms persist or worsen. Most travel illnesses are minor and resolve quickly with appropriate treatment — the ones that aren’t treated promptly are the ones that become serious problems.
Deep Vein Thrombosis — DVT Prevention
DVT — blood clots forming in the deep veins of the legs during prolonged sitting — is a genuine risk for older travellers on long haul flights.
Prevention strategies: Wear graduated compression socks rated at 15 to 20 mmHg on all flights over four hours. Get up and walk the aisle every one to two hours. Perform calf raises and ankle circles while seated. Stay well hydrated — dehydration increases clotting risk. Avoid alcohol on long flights. Ask your GP whether aspirin or other preventive medication is appropriate for your specific risk profile.
Mental Wellbeing While Travelling
Travel can be mentally demanding as well as physically demanding — unfamiliar environments, language barriers, schedule disruptions, and the cognitive load of constant navigation all create stress.
Strategies for mental wellbeing on the road:
Build in genuine downtime — not every moment needs to be scheduled. Permission to simply sit in a beautiful place without doing anything is one of travel’s great gifts.
Maintain connections with home — a regular check in with family reduces the anxiety that can build when loved ones feel distant.
Travel with a companion where possible — shared experiences are richer and having someone to problem solve with reduces stress significantly.
Be kind to yourself when things go wrong — missed trains, wrong turns, and unexpected changes are part of travel’s texture rather than failures to be distressed about.
The Bottom Line
Staying healthy while travelling after 60 is entirely achievable with the right preparation and a few simple habits. See your GP before you go, carry adequate medications, stay hydrated, pace yourself, and travel with comprehensive insurance. The reward — the freedom to explore the world in retirement — is worth every bit of the preparation it requires.
Travel well. Travel confidently. The world is waiting.
What are your best tips for staying healthy while travelling? Come and share them in The Good Years Club community on Facebook — our community has a wealth of travel wisdom to offer.
