What to Do When You’re Sick and Traveling

It happens to everyone at some point. You wake up at your hotel or resort and feel a tickle in your throat. Soon your body is aching, and you’re sweating, barely able to drag yourself down to the breakfast you don’t want to eat.

What do you do when you’re traveling and suddenly find yourself sick? Although there isn’t a cure for the common cold or many ailments, you can take some proactive steps to recover as quickly as possible.

Get Some Rest
No one wants to lay around in a hotel room or Airbnb and sleep away their vacation, but it’s one of the best lines of defense. Getting as much sleep as possible can speed up recovery time and put you in better spirits to get up and out whenever possible.

Take a Hop-On, Hop-Off Tour
Depending on where you’re staying and when you need to check out, it may not be possible to hang around and rest. If you’re comfortable self-medicating, take some Advil to keep fevers and chills to a minimum and climb aboard a hop-on, hop-off tour.

Sit away from the group and watch the sights glide by and learn a little something along the way. While everyone gets on and off, you can sit and continue your loop and feel like you’re at least sightseeing.

Ask the Concierge for Help
If you’re staying at a hotel, your concierge can help with all matters, from sending up Advil from the on-site market to helping you find a clinic. Many hotels and resorts also have on-site doctors, making it easier to get some immediate help and a plan of action to care for your symptoms.

Go to a Clinic or Urgent Care
Clinics and urgent care are generally unpleasant experiences at any time or year, but can help in a pinch. An undiagnosed ear infection or raging sore throat might require prescription medications that can offer some soothing comfort.

However, there’s another reason to hit up a clinic or urgent care. Wait times are often long, offering you a place to sit and relax if you have nowhere else to go. Many urgent cares also provide free water and coffee to help keep you hydrated.

Contact the Airlines
Many travelers don’t want to change their plans and face steep airline change fees. In reality, many airlines will listen to what’s happening, ask what clinic you went to, and then change the flight or cancel it altogether. This technique can be hit or miss, but many airlines don’t want to deal with sick passengers, and if the plane is oversold anyway, they are more likely to help you out.

Getting sick while traveling is not one of those memories that grow fonder with time. It generally is just a terrible experience, but you can make it easier on yourself by admitting defeat and doing everything you can to find some comfort.