9 Travel Tips for a Type 1 Diabetic

People ask me how I’m able to successfully travel as a diabetic. At this point in my life traveling is second nature. I have done it so often packing and planning is muscle memory, but that wasn’t always the case. It’s important for me to get away, get lost in nature, and escape for as long as I can. Traveling can be scary for some people. Traveling can be extra scary for those with a disability and those traveling for the first time. Below are my general traveling tips for type 1 diabetics that are based on my own personal experiences. Some of these tips I need help remembering, especially when I travel alone. It turns out my brain doesn’t always function at full capacity. 

This is not going to be the same for everyone or every destination, especially medically speaking. I usually put this at the end of my posts, but please read my disclaimer, and talk to a medical professional if you have any questions or concerns. 

Just like I said in my “Packing List for a Traveling Type 1 Diabetic”, I hope this can help those of you who want to travel, want to travel more, or haven’t traveled for whatever reason. Just because you have type 1 diabetes or any other disability or illness doesn’t mean the world is shut off to you. There may be extra steps and planning involved, but you don’t have to let that stop you! 

#1 Pack More Than You Think You Need

We all know the saying, “it’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.” This is very true for packing diabetes supplies. I always pack enough insulin, needles, test strips, CGM for at least twice as long as I will be gone. In case there’s an emergency and I’m stuck at an airport or my destination, I definitely don’t want to have to worry about diabetes. 

I also pack more that I expect to need when it comes to high sugar snacks that I use to treat low blood sugars. When I travel for a shorter time period, I pack more than enough for the entire time. If I am traveling for multiple weeks, I will pack more than enough for 4-7 days. I supplement by buying snacks and juices when I arrive at my destination.

This is something I do the first day I’m there, so I am fully stocked. It’s also a fun way to see what the local snacks are and try something new. I may have bought more than enough sugar snacks only because I wanted to try them, only after injecting myself, of course! 

#2 Pack Your Prescription Documentation 

I have very rarely needed my physical prescriptions when I travel, but when you do need it, you better have it! The most common thing that has happened to me is traveling home for a couple days and forgetting to pack extra insulin. With my prescription documentation it is easy to go into a pharmacy and ask for a refill. You might have to call your doctor to put in the order, but having physical proof helps the pharmacist. 

If you are traveling in different countries with liquids and needles you may get questioned. This has only happened to me once, but I was able to answer their questions in a calm manner. Having the documentation helped the situation end quickly and nicely. 

#3 Pack Your Diabetic Supplies in Your Carryon

This may come off as a no brainer, but I have heard stories of people not doing this. We have all heard the stories of airports losing people’s checked luggage. How would you feel if all of your medical supplies were lost? 

This actually happened to someone I knew in college with type 1 diabetes, let’s call her Amber. Amber was studying abroad in England and had packed enough to live for 4 months abroad. She packed all of her diabetes prescriptions and supplies, except for the insulin she was actively using, in her checked bag… and her checked bag was lost. When she got to England, she spent so much time contacting doctors, going to pharmacies in the UK, and suffering from a lot of anxiety before she replenished her lost supplies. 

Do not let this happen to you! Whenever I travel on a plane, I always pack all of my diabetes prescriptions and supplies in my carryon. This can be annoying to have half of your carryon full of prescriptions, with little room to pack the rest of your toiletries, books, headphones, etc. Even though it can be annoying , I would rather be annoyed with my insulin, than not have the medicine that allows me to carry on living.  

#4 Research Nearby Pharmacies and Hospitals

This is easier to do now thanks to smart phones. If you can look it up ahead of time, search for the nearest pharmacy and hospital/urgent care. If you can’t look it up before you travel, make sure you find them when you arrive. 

There are some places in the world, like very remote places, where this can be difficult. For example, the nearest doctor’s office is a 6-hour bus ride away. That is okay, it is still possible to travel. Stay tuned for a blog post about how my friend traveled to Paraguay for over a year and did have to travel many hours by bus to refill prescriptions. 

Luckily, I have never needed any of the local hospitals or pharmacies I’ve found during my travels (for diabetes related reasons). Going back to tip #1 “it’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.”

#5 Always have Fast Glucose on You

This is another obvious one, and like other tips “it’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.” (This may be becoming a theme here). I personally like to pack a firm granola bar or a small pack of gummies. The ones I pack are generally 14-20 grams of carbohydrates. Please check with your doctor for the right amount of carbohydrates you should be taking. 

I prefer these snacks for a couple of reasons. First, they stay intact when it gets hot or cold. You don’t want to pull out a soft, crumbly granola bar that has been smashed, which makes it difficult to eat without dropping half of it on the ground. Second, they are small and easy to pack in a small bag (or large pocket if you are lucky enough to have pants with functional pockets.) If you don’t like those options or would like another trusted option, carry glucose tablets!  

#6 Be Ready to Justify your Supplies

Don’t be afraid to speak up for why you have your supplies. Some people in this world don’t understand disabilities and the feelings of those with disabilities. Other times people have had a rough day and have a short fuse (it’s happened to all of us). When this happens people can be inconsiderate and rude to you, and it doesn’t feel good.  

Most securities (airline, concert, etc.) do not allow you to bring in outside food and drinks. If you have a medical need, such as diabetes, you can bring in an appropriate amount of food and drink. That doesn’t mean you can bring in an entire case of soda or a Costco size box of gummies! 

I regularly bring in granola bars, a small pack a gummies, or some glucose tablets. I used to always bring in Capri-Sun before they changed their recipe to include less carbohydrates, which was a very sad day for me.

Most of the time I have been able to get in without an issue. No one questions or says anything. Other times security stops me and says a version of “You can’t bring in outside food.” I calmly explain that I have type 1 diabetes and this in case have an emergency and my blood sugar number goes low. Usually this works and they let you in. There are two times that security asked me to prove it, which is illegal, but I comply. I show them my insulin pen and continuous glucose monitor. This has always worked for me.

#7 Wear a Medical ID Necklace

There are plenty of websites and places you can buy a medical ID. I use the American Medical ID website. (#notsponsored). It’s important to be wearing one because in the case of an emergency a medical professional or paramedic will check around your neck and wrist for this information. 

There are many options these days, some basic and cheap, and some fancy and expensive. I personally tend to use a necklace with a longer chain so I can hide it under my shirt. 

When I was in high school, I really wanted a tattoo, but my parents wouldn’t let me get one. I know how rude of them. I hoped that they would let me get a tattoo if it was on my wrist and said, “Type 1 Diabetic – Insulin Dependent”. This way I wouldn’t need a medical ID, I would always have one on me forever. 

My uncle, a paramedic, informed my mom that medical professionals wouldn’t listen to anything tattooed on someone’s body. Dang! Another one of my devious plans was foiled by my parents again (read this post to read about the other time they foiled my plan). The most popular story of tattooing something “medical” on your body, is when people tattoo “Do Not Resuscitate” on their chests.  This is not a legal document, read more about it here. 

#8 Get up and Stay Active

This tip is short and sweet. Travel can consist of a lot of sitting. Sitting for hours on a plane, in a car, on a train, or on a bus. Making extra stops is easy when you are in a car, but not as easy when you are in a bus or a train. On a bus or a train get up out of your seat and walk the aisle and stretch.

Staying active is important for managing diabetes. Immediately, it can help manage your blood sugar number, and in the long run it will help your cholesterol levels. Try your best to get up and moving as much as you can while traveling to and from your destination.

#9 Always let People Know Where You Are

This is a tip that I would advise everyone to follow, not just type 1 diabetics. I share the address, duration, and best way to contact me to at least one friend or a family member. I will always forward hotel or Airbnb confirmation to someone I am not traveling with. 

This is even more important when I am traveling alone. In one particular instance I had travelled to Sedona to go hiking by myself. Luckily, I had some friends who lived in Pheonix at the time and agreed that I could use their name and number in an emergency. Being the detail-orientated, organized person that I am, I came with supplies. I left the following note in my car at the beginning of each hike I did.

This was something that made my mom happy, that I left a note like this. Knock on wood, I haven’t needed any of these notes before, but (I just have to say it one last time) “it’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.”

The featured image for this post was a Photo by Ross Parmly on Unsplash and the image was cropped and text was added by Emily.