OK, so it’s something your mum might bring up. “Are you eating healthily?” “Have you taken a warm coat with you?”

But, health is an important thing to think about - especially if you’re travelling abroad. Firstly, there may be risks you need to be aware of when you’re covering certain countries. And secondly, not all of these countries have the same health provisions that we do in the UK. It’s about being prepared. Then you can forget about it and have some fun.

Here are some of the things you should be thinking about.

Risks in certain countries
You can get information on the health risks in a country from their embassy or high commission. These can be accessed online.

Getting your jabs
You need to check details on immunisation at least a couple of months before you get on the road. This might seem a long time in advance. But, if you need immunisation, you might not be able to get all of it in one go. Some medication may also take a while to become fully effective.

Your doctor’s surgery should be able to give advice. There’s also information on the National Health Service site.

Health documents
Make sure you take all the health documents you need. These include your passport (which we’re guessing you’ll have anyway), your European Health Insurance Card (if you have one), vaccination certificates, and proof of UK residence.

Health insurance
There’s no getting away from health insurance - it’s essential if you’re on a round-the-world trip. Make sure the company you’re thinking of signing up with has got a 24-hour helpline in case of emergencies; that the insurance covers you for the whole trip; and that, if you’re taking part in dangerous sports, you’re covered.

Contact details of friends and family
It’s always worth keeping the contact details of a few family members or friends with your passport, so they can be contacted in an emergency.

Contraception
Have you made plans for your usual form of contraception? Make sure you’ll have access to it by speaking with your doctor or local contraception clinic.

Travel guide
Get yourself a reliable travel guide. They give invaluable guidance on what you should see, but also where to avoid.

Drinking the water
if you are suspicious of the provenance of the local bottled water, go for the sparkling water as this will certainly have come straight from the bottling plant.

Eating the food
Make sure food has been freshly and thoroughly cooked, and that it is still hot before you eat. Avoid food that has been exposed to flies. And, be aware of the risks of milk - unpasteurised milk and ice cream from an unknown source, for instance.

Watching the sun
Take sun cream (factor 15 or higher), and protect your eyes by investing in sunglasses with proper UV filters. The hottest part of the day is usually between 11am and 3pm. Make sure you keep a bottle of water on you.

When you get home
If you’ve been ill (or you get home and you’re ill), remember to tell the doctor which countries you’ve been travelling through. If you’ve been taking anti-malaria tablets, check to see if you need to keep taking them when you get home. In some cases, you need to carry on for up to a month.

Tags: flights around the world, round the world tips, staying healthy when travellingflights around the world, round the world tips, staying healthy when travelling

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The rise of the internet seems to have brought many benefits, one of which has undoubtedly been the increasing flexibility that we now have at our disposal when booking holidays.

This is particularly true in the case of flights. Online flight price comparison websites ensure that we can shop around to seek out the best deal from a variety of agents and airlines.

People flying to and from the United Kingdom have possibly benefited more than most. There seem to be numerous budget airlines based in the UK, allowing easy access to Europe at cheap prices. The new budget airlines have also brought benefits for regional airports - the likes of Exeter, Bournemouth, Doncaster, Southampton and Norwich have been growing a great deal.

Let’s look at one of these specifically - Southampton Airport. This airport on the outskirts of the Southern coastal city was relatively small until recently, specialising in flights to the Channel Islands. The arrival of Flybe has meant that much has changed. There are now flights in and out of Southampton from beautiful cities like Geneva, Paris and Amsterdam. Not to mention the cheap flights available to popular holiday resorts.

Despite this growth, Southampton often seems to be overlooked as an arrival airport for travellers looking to get to the UK on a budget. This is particularly strange given the close proximity of Southampton Airport to London (it is, after all, barely an hour by train from the airport’s dedicated mainline railway station to London Waterloo, in the heart of the capital city).

This short journey time means that Southampton is barely further away from Central London than Stansted. You’ll also find that processing of your baggage at the airport tends to be much faster than that found at more major airports, since there are less incoming flights. Taking this into the equation, you may well find that your journey time could even be reduced.

So next time you’re looking to visit London (or maybe looking for a cheap flight out of the UK) don’t forget to look at the offers available at Southampton Airport. You may find that the prices will come as a pleasant surprise, while the journey into Central London is so straightforward that you’ll not lose any time on your holiday.

Tags: England, Europe, flight, flights, holiday, holidays, London, travel, uk, vacation, vacationsEngland, Europe, flight, flights, holiday, holidays, London, travel, uk, vacation, vacations

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There are one or two immunisations that take a while for the body to respond to them, so it’s a good idea to speak to your local surgery a couple of months in advance of your trip if you can. A doctor or nurse should be able to give you up-to-date information.

Here are some of the things on the immunisation list. Of course, you won’t have to think about all of them - it’ll very much depend on where you’re travelling, and whether you’ve had some of them in the past or not.

Cholera:

This vaccine is taken as an oral tablet. In some cases you might need to get a vaccination certificate to travel, although this is not very often. Ask your travel company for more information.

Diptheria:

You’ve probably had this one when you were a child, howerver it might be worth thinking about a booster jab if you’re travelling to a country where there’s been an outbreak.

Hepatitis A:

You may need this if you’re travelling to a place where sanitation is seen as poor. The best way of avoiding Hepatitis A is to be careful what you consume, and to wash your hands carefully after using the toilet.

Hepatitis B:

It’s not very likely that you’ll need immunisation against Hepatitis B unless you will be at an increased risk of contraction due to your job or personal circumstances. A serious infection of the liver, it’s caught through contact with contaminated blood.

Japanese Encephalitis:

You will only possibily need this vaccination if you’re travelling to South-East Asia during the monsoon season - and usually only if you’re travelling in rural areas for a period of two weeks or longer. A vaccination is available, but it is not free on the NHS.

Malaria:

You can catch malaria if you’re bitten by an infected mosquito - symptoms are flu-like with fevers, shivering, muscle aches and headaches. Prevention is essential in many areas of Africa, Asia, Central and South America. Although anti-malaria tablets inhibit the condition, they don’t stop you becoming infected. You should therefore take along physical protection as well as making sure you take the tablets. You should start the course of tablets one to two weeks before you leave home and carry on for four to six weeks after you leave the malarial zone.

Meningitis:

This more common in some areas of Africa and Asia than it is in the UK. Your doctor or nurse will be able to advise.

Polio:

A vaccination injection for polio is recommended for all destinations. You may have had this one already though, although booster doses are recommended every ten years.

Rabies:

You won’t usually need immunisation against rabies.

Tick-borne Encephalitis:

Tick-born encephalitis is caught from an infected tick, most likely in warm forest areas of Central and Eastern Eutore and Scandinavia. If you’re walking or camping in these areas, use insect repellents and try to keep your skin covered. There is also a vaccine.

Tuberculosis (TB):

Most people have already had a vaccination against TB, but if you haven’t you only need to think about if you spending more than a month in Africa, Asia, Central or South America or Eastern Europe. You will need a skin test before your jab, and it should be given around two months before your trip if possible.

Typhoid:

Typhoid can be caught from contaminated food, drinks or water. It’s recommended for all countries apart from Northern Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. If you’ve had a jab but this was over a year ago, check that you won’t need a booster.

Yellow Fever:

Yellow Fever can be caught by an infected mosquito. You may need a certificate of vaccination for some countries in Central and West Africa, so find out more if you’re travelling in this area of the world.

Tags: immunisation, round the world flights, round the world trips, travel nationimmunisation, round the world flights, round the world trips, travel nation

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