Healthy Travel Basics

*  Leave your trip’s itinerary with someone.

*  Do not look like a tourist. Wear plain clothes and little, if any, jewelry.

*  Walk at night with others and in well-lit, safe areas. Ask hotel staff for advice.

*  Take healthy snacks or buy them at a nearby grocery.

*  Use the hotel stairs as a stair stepper.

*  Stretch using a bath towel or exercise with a jump rope.

*  Rubbing alcohol or alcohol wipes

*  Antibacterial cream or spray

*  Bandages and gauze pads

*  Elastic bandages

*  Mild pain reliever (e.g., acetaminophen, ibuprofen). Before your trip, ask your doctor what you should take.

*  Antacids

*  Cough and cold remedies

*  Diarrhea medication

*  Broad-spectrum antibiotic (requires a doctor’s prescription)

*  Prepare for your trip well in advance. Make a list of things to do each day.

*  Finish packing your bags at least one full day before you leave. Devote the remaining time to getting organized, i.e. plants watered.

*  Allow plenty of time to reach your destination or flight.

*  Don’t over-schedule activities.

*  Sleep enough, exercise, and don’t overeat.

*  Schedule your return so you have a day to “decompress”.

*  Three nights before you leave, change your bedtime. If traveling to a different time zone and going east, go to bed 1 hour earlier for each time zone you cross; if you’re traveling west, go to bed one hour later for each time zone you cross.

*  Once on the plane, change your watch to match the time where you are going. Act according to that time. For example, if it is time to sleep in the place you are going, try to sleep on the plane. If it is daytime, do activities that keep you awake.

*  Ask your doctor about using melatonin, an OTC product that may help “reset” your natural awake/sleep cycle. Also ask about taking vitamin B12 and vitamin C supplements.

*  During the flight, avoid sleeping pills, alcohol, and caffeine. Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.

*  If you arrive at your destination during the day, plan to spend some time outdoors. Try to expose yourself to as many hours of daylight as the number of time zones you crossed.

*  Don’t go to bed until evening.

*  Swallow frequently, yawn, or gently blow through your nose while pinching the nostrils shut to equalize pressure within your ears. (Don’t do this if you have a head cold as it will promote an ear infection.)

*  If you have a mild head cold, use a nasal spray to keep the nasal passages open. You can also take a decongestant if okay with your doctor.

*  Have your infant suck on a pacifier or bottle during the takeoff and landing. (Nursing a baby also helps.)

*  Ask your doctor about giving children a mild decongestant and antihistamine 1 hour before takeoff and 1 hour before landing.

*  Tense your feet for 5 seconds, then relax them. Repeat with each muscle group, including your calves, thighs, buttocks, shoulders, neck, forearms, and hands.

*  Drop your head forward. Then slowly move it to your right and continue rotating your head to the back, to the left, and to the front again. Repeat four times. Then reverse direction and repeat five times.

*  Raise both shoulders, then move them back, down, and forward in a circular motion.

*  Reaching toward the ceiling, stretch your right arm. Then repeat with your left arm.

*  Flex and extend your feet, pointing your toes up and down.

*  Try to get up and walk at least once every 2 hours, if possible. You should also make an effort to breathe slowly and deeply. Aircraft air is lower in oxygen than outdoor air. Deep breathing helps you to get enough oxygen into your blood and avoid fatigue or sluggishness.

Alamo:  800.462.5266  *www.alamo.com

Avis:  800.230.4898  *www.avis.com

Budget:  800.527.0700  *www.budgetrentacar.com

Dollar:  800.800.3665  *www.dollar.com

Enterprise:  800.736.8222  *www.enterprise.com

Hertz:  800.654.3131  *www.hertz.com

National:  800.227.7368  *www.nationalcar.com

Payless:  800.237.2804  *www.paylesscar.com

Thrifty:  800.847.4389  *www.thrifty.com

Auto Europe: 888.223.5555  *www.autoeurope.com

*  When you enter your room, prop the door open, turn on the lights, and check all areas before you close the door.

*  Make sure that windows and connecting doors are locked.

*  Avoid first floor rooms and those with doors facing outside.

*  Lock your door using the safety chain.

*  When you are not in your room, turn the TV on and hang the “Do Not Disturb” sign.

*  Study the emergency exit map to prepare for an escape.

Best Western:  800.780.7234  *www.bestwestern.com

Courtyard:  800.321.2211  *www.courtyard.com

Days Inn:  800.325.2525  *www.daysinn.com

Doubletree:  800.528.0444  *www.doubletree.com

Embassy Suites:  800.362.2779  *www.embassysuites.com

Fairmont:  800.441.1414  *www.fairmont.com

Four Seasons:  800.332.3442  *www.fourseasons.com

Hampton Inn:  800.426.7866  *www.hampton-inn.com

Hilton:  800.445.8667  *www.hilton.com

Holiday Inn:  800.465.4329  *www.holiday-inn.com

Howard Johnson:  800.654.2000  *www.hojo.com

Hyatt:  800.233.1234  *www.hyatt.com

LaQuinta:  800.531.5900  *www.laquinta.com

Le Meridien:  800.543.4300  *www.lemeridien.com

Marriott:  800.228.9290  *www.marriott.com

Motel 6:  800.4motel6  *www.motel6.com

Omni:  800.843.6664  *www.omnihotels.com

Radisson:  800.333.3333  *www.radisson.com

Ramada:  800.228.2828  *www.ramada.com

Red Lion:  800.733.5466  *www.redlion.com

Red Roof: 800.843.7663  *www.redroof.com

Residence Inn:  800.331.3131  *www.residenceinn.com

Ritz Carlton:  800.241.3333  *www.ritzcarlton.com

Sheraton:  800.325.3535  *www.sheraton.com

Super8:  800.848.8888  *www.super8.com

Travel Lodge:  800.255.3050  *www.travelodge.com

Westin:  888.625.5144  *www.westin.com

Wyndham:  800.822.4200  *www.wyndham.com

*  Spend as much time as you can on deck in the fresh air.

*  If you’re going to be spending nights on a boat, try to get a cabin near the middle and close to the waterline where there’s less pitching and rolling.

*  Request a seat over the wings. Avoid sitting in the tail section as it’s the bumpiest.

*  Open the overhead vents and direct air at your face.

*  Fix your gaze on the scenery straight ahead, not to the side.

*  Sit by an open window for fresh air unless in a polluted area.

*  If you’re traveling by car, offer to drive. The driver doesn’t usually get motion sickness.

*  Get plenty of rest before setting out. Fatigue makes you more vulnerable to motion sickness.

*  Avoid drinking alcohol before or during travel and don’t overindulge the night before.

*  Take an OTC medication (i.e., Dramamine®) 30 minutes before travel begins.

*  If OTC products don’t bring relief, ask your doctor about a prescription medication with scopolamine (a patch).

*  Don’t read while traveling and don’t try to focus on any other stationary object. Aboard a ship, lie down on your back and close your eyes.

*  If any of your traveling companions get motion sickness, move away, otherwise you may get sick.