Travelling with diabetes
When you have diabetes you need to be prepared when you travel. This includes planning your medications and organising documentation about your condition. You also need to take special care of your feet when travelling.
Travel checklists for diabetes
Use these lists to help you plan and pack for your travel.
Documents
If you are travelling internationally, you will need the following.
- A letter for customs and airline security on letterhead paper and written by your healthcare provider. It should say that you have diabetes and need to carry needles, lancets, insulin vials and any other equipment. It should also say that this equipment and medication must not be taken away from you. If you are wearing an insulin pump, the letter should also include this.
- Travel and medical insurance documents. Make sure you arrange these ahead of time.
- A card with emergency information, such as "I need sugar quickly" in the language (or languages) of where you are going.
- A travel plan for managing insulin adjustments while you are crossing time zones. Arrange this with your healthcare provider. Ask the airline for a flight itinerary that includes the length of flights and stopovers and times of meal service. These may be approximate.
Medications
- Insulin pens and spares and pen needles or syringes.
- Insulin or tablets or both. Keep them in their original boxes with the original pharmacy label clearly saying what they are. Carry twice as much as you think you will need. If you are travelling with someone, divide your insulin supplies between you.
- A glucagon kit in its original pharmacy-labelled container.
- Anti-vomiting, travel sickness and anti-diarrhoea medication, electrolyte sachets and antibiotics. Talk to your healthcare provider about what you should take.
You may need to adjust the amount of insulin you take if you are:
- changing time zones
- going somewhere hotter or colder than you are used to
- going to be more or less active than you usually are.
Contact your healthcare provider if you need advice.
Carry all your medications in your hand luggage. Keep your insulin in as cool a place as possible — an insulated bag or container is ideal.
Check with your airline for up-to-date rules about carrying medications on flights. If you want to know more, visit the Aviation Security Service's website.
Medicine — Aviation Security Service
You can also find information about taking medications through airport security on the Diabetes New Zealand website.
Navigating airport security screening — Diabetes New Zealand
Testing equipment
- Blood glucose meter, plus spare batteries.
- Blood glucose tests strips in the original pharmacy-labelled boxes.
- Finger‑pricker and lancets.
- Blood ketone test strips, if needed.
- Diabetes record book.
Some countries use mg/dl on their meters so you may need to convert your measures if you are talking to a health professional in another country.
- To convert mg/dl to mmol/l divide the mg/dl by 18.
- To convert mmol/l to mg/dl multiply by 18.
Food and fluids
Carry in your hand luggage:
- hypoglycaemia treatment, such as glucose tablets or jelly beans
- longer-acting carbohydrate snack food in sealed packages, such as muesli bars, dried fruit and nuts or crackers — and make sure you check what food you can carry into the countries you are visiting.
Ask the flight attendants for fluids (diet and sweetened) as soon as you board the flight. There could be a delay in it being delivered.
Ask the airline for diabetic meals when booking your flights. But make sure there are enough carbohydrates in each meal or choose healthy options from the standard menu. Take some food options with you in case they cannot give you a suitable diabetic meal.
Other useful items
- A basic first aid kit including plasters and antiseptic.
- Comfortable shoes.
- Your medical alert bracelet or pendant.
- A small travel alarm clock or two watches if you need to adjust insulin and mealtimes when changing time zones.
- An insulated container or bag to store your insulin, meter and other equipment.
Taking care of your feet when travelling
When you are travelling, you need to be careful to avoid foot problems. Diabetes can affect the feeling and circulation in your feet so you are at greater risk of infections and ulcers.
On the journey
Long journeys can make your feet swell. Try to walk about every half hour if possible. Even a short distance will help. This will keep the circulation moving and keep swelling down. Make sure your shoes are not too tight in case your feet swell.
Care for your feet every day
You should check, wash and moisturise your feet everyday, just as you would at home.
You may need to apply extra moisturising cream if your skin gets very dry in hot or cold weather.
Carry on cutting or filing your toenails as your podiatrist has advised you to.
Self‑care for diabetic foot problems
Avoid walking barefoot
Always wear footwear, even on the beach. The sand can become very warm and you may burn your feet without realising. If you go into the sea, wear some sort of footwear, such as plastic shoes to protect your feet.
Avoid wearing jandals as they may cause blisters between your toes.
Prescription shoes
If you have prescription shoes, do not wear any other shoes during your holiday (except when you are in the sea).
Minor cuts and blisters
Take a small first-aid kit containing sterile gauze dressings and tape. If you get a small blister, cut or graze:
- use diluted antiseptic on a gauze swab to clean the wound
- tape on a dry sterile gauze dressing — do not use cotton wool.
Take care in high temperatures
Protect your feet from sunburn with an SPF 30 or above sunscreen or keep them covered. Do not use dark-coloured materials to protect your feet. These materials absorb heat, and you could burn your feet.