Author: Dawn Thomas

Photo by Emre Gencer on Unsplash

Updated March 2020 – Read our top tips for travelling with arthritis to make your journey as easy as possible.  Travelling with Arthritis can be an uncomfortable business.  Not only is it painful but it can be exhausting.  Don’t let that put you off.   There are ways to help manage your condition when you’re travelling

Arthritis Research 

According to Arthritis Research UK nearly 30 per cent of the population suffers with some form of arthritis.  Being in both the rheumatoid arthritis and osteo arthritis camps I know how unpleasant it can be.  Sadly, it is no longer just a problem for older people as 2.7 million arthritis sufferers are under 35 with a heartbreaking 12,000 of those being children.  Depending on the severity of your condition it can be debilitating and painful.

 

In Winter time the thought of trekking thousands of miles to your holiday destination can seem daunting.  Bad weather makes everything hurt just that bit more and you lose sleep because of the pain, but don’t despair.  Getting away from Britain to somewhere warm and sunny can bring welcome relief.  

Basic Preparation

It really goes without saying.  The most basic pre-journey prep is travel insurance. Make sure you’ve declared every condition you have had ever!  Leaving something out, however insignificant it may seem will give the insurers the excuse they need not to pay out.  Be honest with them.   If you’re going somewhere medically expensive like the USA then a holiday injury or illness could financially ruin you.

There are many specialist insurers out there who will cover you for any number of ailments.  From our own extensive research we found that the top two travel insurance companies were All Clear and Staysure  .  If you are or have been a cancer patient then TreatUFair,  HolidaySafe and TravelInsurance4Medical should be more affordable. We’ve personally used All Clear, Staysure and more recently Treatufair.  Be sure to get quotes for both the time period you require and for the whole year.  We shaved over £300 off our travel insurance with treatufair by taking out an annual policy rather than the 4 weeks we actually needed.  Crazy I know but the saving was real enough.

If you have travel insurance with your bank contact them first and update your details.  It may be that they won’t initially cover you for some conditions.  But after a couple of trouble free years of that condition they will then cover it.  Barclays Bank offer particularly good cover up to the age of 80 years.

Meds

Don’t forget to order extra medication to get you through your holiday.  If like us you prefer to go away for a month at a time we usually give our surgery 3-4 weeks notice of our requirements.  Don’t scrape through with your meds running out the day you’re due home.  You don’t want to be left without them if there are any delays to your return journey.  Read on for our top tips for travelling with arthritis!

10 Top Tips for Travelling with Arthritis

1. Travel to the airport the day before and check in to a nearby hotel.  Premier Inns offer a great nights sleep for a reasonable price.  Break your journey into smaller segments whenever you can.  Driving to the airport can be the first joint-stiffening challenge so take plenty of breaks and give yourself time for a leisurely lunch on the way.  After all, the moment you leave home is where your holiday truly begins.
2. Make sure your flight isn’t too early in the morning.  I know you want to get there soon but if your joints are stiff in the mornings it’s better to have some time to get moving. If this can’t be avoided then be sure to give yourself some extra time.  You don’t want to start your journey feeling exhausted by the pain of trying to move reluctant joints.
3. Check in on-line the day before.  It takes a lot of stress away if you’re running late.  If you’re travelling to the airport on the same day it only takes a minor traffic accident to ruin your holiday plans.  If you’ve followed our advice and booked into a hotel nearby the night before you can afford to sleep in.   Then  on arrival at check in all you have to do is drop your bags off.

At The Airport

1. Get through security at the first opportunity.  It’s the pain before the pleasure and if the queue is long don’t be afraid to ask the airport staff for assistance.  They’re always happy to help.
2. Use an airport lounge.  If you don’t have free access to one with your airline then No.1 Lounges (https://no1lounges.com/ ) will cost you from £26 per adult.  You’ll find they are often located fairly near the gates so mega convenient.  They have lots of comfortable seating and fresh food and drinks ( even alcohol but not champagne!) are included in the price.  And let’s face it you can easily spend silly money in an airport just for a cup of coffee and a bacon sandwich!
3. I don’t often stray into this territory but just before you board USE THE LOO!  It is much easier to use the airport facilities than the cramped confines of the onboard WC and will save you at least one unpleasant visit. If you have obility issues this simple action is more important than you realize.  No one is a fan of aircraft loos!
4. Assistance is also available when boarding.  Your airline want you to have a positive experience so they’re happy to help.  It’s always a good idea to request special assistance when you book so they can prepare for your arrival.  They will at the very least give you a lift to your boarding gate and may well give you priority boarding so it’s definitely worth asking.

Onboard

1. Whether you’ve upgraded or not try to bag yourself an aisle seat.  That way you can get up and move around as often as you need without disturbing your fellow passengers.  Sitting still for long periods of time is going to encourage your joints to sieze up.  Do small exercises rotating ankles and wrists whilst seated.  Stand up and wiggle a bit – you won’t be the only one!
2. Take your time disembarking and again assistance is available and you’ll be whisked through the airport on a buggy or at least a wheelchair.  If you’re feeling more energetic and want to make your own way, let everyone else gallop off to baggage reclaim where they’ll have to wait anyway and take it slowly.
3. Finally and most importantly, relax.  Your holiday has already begun and stress no longer belongs in your life.  Only fun and enjoyment should lay ahead of you.

BONUS TIPS – Travel midweek.  Airport queues are always longer and busier at the weekend.   Check out accommodation accessibility and reviews on TripAdvisor.

So now you’ve read our top tips for travelling with arthritis be sure to keep them in mind.  It’s often the simple actions and detail that can make the most difference.  Your journey will rarely be perfect but hopefully following our tips will help to make it more bearable.  Read our article Travelling With Fibro for more useful advice.  Happy Travels!

Photo by Niels And Marco on Unsplash

Updated March 2020 – If you think your holidays should be longer then you’re definitely in the majority. Read on to find out how it can benefit your health.

Taking more holidays can prolong your life!

Jump To:

• Take Some Extra Time
• Where To Find Long Stay Holidays
• The Evidence
• Overall Opinion

Well here’s the news we’ve been waiting for!   It’s now official that holidays do us more good than a healthy diet and exercise when it comes to relieving stress.  Yes folks, holidays should be longer!! Put me on a plane somewhere warm and sunny and in a couple of days my aches and pains are a distant memory.

And what’s even better news is that we need at least 3 weeks a year.  Most of us take a fortnight at a time given that we get 4 weeks statutory holiday.  But don’t you find that fortnight goes all too quickly?  And have you considered taking more than two weeks in one go?

Long stay holidays are perfect for retirees and being able to take term time holidays means your budget goes further.

Take some extra time for your holidays

Your ideal Winter break is probably the whole six month escape and if you already have a property abroad then why not?  If, like us you don’t have that luxury, then accommodation costs will dictate the length of your stay.  We keep an open schedule through the Winter months so we have the travel freedom we’ve always longed for.  This allows us to tag on an extra week or month or two when we can afford it.  We are now converts to the longer holiday.

Don’t get me wrong, a fortnight is great,  especially if you’re still working but when you break it down it means only one clear weekend.  Most people begin their journey on a Saturday and travel home on a Saturday.  This means the moment that first stress free full  weekend has passed you’re already on a countdown to the end. Extending your stay, even to just three or four weeks gives you a flavor of what it’s like to live like a local.

Where to find long stay holidays

More and more holiday companies such as Jet2 and Tui are beginning to cater for long stay holidays.  Popular winter destinations being the Canary Islands and long haul hotspots such as the Caribbean and Florida.  For the over fifties Saga are a popular choice but by no means the only one. Just Google ‘long stay holidays’ and you’re spoilt for choice.

If you’re feeling a little more confident you can do the research yourself and book independently.  Many long stay vacationers prefer the privacy of an apartment or villa so they can live like a local, booking your flights separately. The most valuable resource available at this stage is TripAdvisor. It’s a mine of information wherever you’re planning to go. It has lots of reviews from other travellers so you can make a more informed decision.

There are global websites where you can choose your own accommodation.  One of the more popular and well known sites is HomeAway along with  Airbnb.  There is a whole host of independent rental sites and if South West Florida is on your list, then we can recommend the service we received from Dallas at  Secret-Places.com  and Michael at LVCC Luxury Villas for higher end homes.  They both offer villas that are clean, comfortable and luxurious but again, most villas will likely have an honest review on TripAdvisor.

Cruise lines are old hands at the extended holiday offering durations that range from a couple of days with Fred Olsen Cruises to Cunards staggering 107 night world cruise.  So if you’re a fan of the open seas and want to experience different cultures then this is the option for you. (Take a look at our article here to see how we got an upgrade with Cunard).

The Evidence

In a recent 40 year study, the University of Helsinki found that people who take less than three weeks annual holiday are more likely to die young than those who take more.

As advocates of the longer holiday we found that even three weeks was so much more relaxing than two.  And those extra days away sent us back home feeling more refreshed and ready to take on the world.

The study, which began in the 1970s, involved 1,222 middle-aged men born between 1919 and 1934 who were at risk of heart disease – due to factors such as high blood pressure, smoking or being overweight.

• Half were given instructions to exercise, eat healthily, achieve a healthy weight and stop smoking, while the others were given no extra advice.

• The research, presented at the European Society of Cardiology conference in Munich, found those given advice were more likely to die young – with experts suggesting interventions may have added extra stress to their lives.

• Among the same group, those who took less than three weeks off each year were 37% more likely to die young over the next 30 years.

Professor Strandberg from the University of Helsinki calculates that “the harm you cause by the intensive lifestyle regime is concentrated in a subgroup of men with shorter yearly vacation time.

“In our study, men with shorter vacations worked more and slept less than those who took longer vacations.”

Give it a Try

So there we have it.  It’s official and the figures are out there to prove it.  And it’s now a fact that some of the long stay winter holidays abroad can work out cheaper than staying at home and turning up the heating.  Being retired doesn’t mean you don’t need a holiday anymore, quite the opposite.

This is our golden time when we’re free of ties and constraints.  When we can take time to breathe and enjoy and  fulfil our travel dreams.  No one ever imagines a retirement spent huddled over the fire trying to keep warm.

Overall Opinion

There’s a whole world out there just waiting to be explored.  Tag an extra week or two onto your holiday whenever you can.  And if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous you can make a month or two (or three).  The cost is a little more in food and accommodation and no extra cost on flights.  You don’t need an excuse anymore, you’re already there so why not make the most of it?  Just think of long stay holidays as the healthy option!

Happy Holidays!