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For a healthy, worry-free vacation, plan ahead Sudden illness or accident has the
power to derail the best vacation itinerary. Here are two real-life examples: one merely
inconvenient, the other a matter of life and death:
- An American gourmand, in Paris to study cooking, sampled the city’s famed cuisine
unwisely and languished in his hotel with food poisoning for several days.
- While on pilgrimage in the Middle East, an elderly man was stricken with heart trouble.
Without wasting a minute, the tour guide transported him to a nearby hospital for
successful emergency treatment.
Fortunately, both travelers were able to continue their journeys after taking time out
for medical care.
How to travel healthy
If you’re planning a trip outside the United States this summer, it’s a good
idea to review your own health situation and practice preventive strategies before you go
and while you’re traveling. Here are some tips:
Before you leave home:
- Call your health insurer to see whether you are insured for doctors’ and hospital
costs outside the U.S. If not, look into buying a special travel medical policy.
- See if your charge or credit card offers additional insurance benefits
when you use it to pay for tickets and other bookings.
- Check the U.S. Public Health
Service’s Web site about needed vaccinations and any potential medical problems
at your destination.
- Obtain a medical identification bracelet or pendant if you have a condition that may
require emergency care – and wear it wherever you go.
- Pack a duplicate pair of eyeglasses and/or contact lens supplies. Carry an adequate
supply of your medicines in their original containers.
- Have a dental checkup before departing (to avoid the unpleasant experience of a
toothache far from your dentist).
While traveling:
- Watch what you eat – avoid raw vegetables, unpasteurized milk and dairy products,
and food from street vendors.
- Drink only bottled water and skip ice in your drinks (it may be made from tap water).
In case trouble can’t be avoided, be ready
Consider getting a comprehensive vacation protection plan that neutralizes the financial
impact of other kinds of travel mishaps such as trip cancellation or interruption,
problems with baggage, or a missed cruise connection.
- To locate an English-speaking doctor in the country you are visiting, call the nearest
American embassy or consulate, or the Customer Service number in that locality for
American Express® Card products.
- Make sure your insurance policy reimburses you for the expenses involved in moving to a
larger city for treatment and having a family member travel to your bedside if you are
hospitalized for more than a few days.
June 1, 2000
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