You can travel anywhere with diabetes. You just have to prepare to avoid any problems.
Before you travel
- make sure your travel insurance covers health problems related to your diabetes
- find out where you can get your insulin in the place you're visiting, and take a recent prescription with you
- speak to your care team for advice about adjusting to different time zones
- if you're flying, get a letter from your GP or care team to say you have diabetes and need to take your treatment on to the plane (you may need to pay for the letter)
- if you use a pump or a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), check with your airline before you travel about taking it on board – some airlines require paperwork for medical equipment
Packing for your trip
- pack 3 times as much insulin, test strips, lancets, needles and glucose tablets as you'd expect to need
- split your medicines, IDs and equipment into 2 different bags, just in case 1 gets lost
- if you use a pump, pack insulin pens in case it stops working
- put insulin in your hand luggage – the hold of the plane will be too cold and could damage the insulin
- take a cool bag to stop your insulin getting too hot
- take some form of diabetes ID, like a medical alert bracelet, to tell others that you have diabetes
- take the contact details of your diabetic team, just in case you need their advice
- take plenty of snacks in case there are any delays
- do not put your pump through airport scanners or x-ray machines – let airport security know so they can check it another way
While you're away
- be prepared to test more while you're away – hot and cold weather can affect your blood glucose levels and increase your risk of a hypoglycaemia (hypo) or hyperglycaemia
- you may have to change your insulin dose depending on the temperature and different activities you're doing – speak to your diabetes team
- take care if you're sunbathing, as this can affect your blood glucose levels
Diabetes UK has more information on what to do when you travel.