Mobility Doesn’t Have to Prevent You From Traveling: Here Are 11 Senior Travel Tips to Get You Back Out There!

This article with senior travel tips is sponsored by Alpine Home Medical.

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Right now is the best time to travel since the weather is nice. But maybe you’re worried since it’s not as easy for you to get around anymore. Well, you can still get to the places you love with a few helpful tips. Here are 11 senior travel tips to get you back out there!

1. Plan Ahead

It’s good to start the planning process well in advance of the trip itself. Enlist the help of family or friends so you can get reservations taken care of ahead of time online. And creating an itinerary based on your abilities and your interests will help a lot too.

2. Request Special Assistance in Advance

If you are going to be needing special assistance, it’s best to request them when making your reservations. It’s also easy to call the airline, hotel, or rental service directly and let them know what you will be needing. These same options can also be selected online when you are making your reservations.

3. Book Non-Stop Flights

When you are booking your flights, make sure to stray away from booking flights with layovers. This makes the traveling process less stressful and relieves you from having to rush from plane to plane in airports that you may not know your way around.

4. Travel with Family

Having the additional support of loved ones when traveling is so helpful. This will make your travels easier from helping to fill out forms if traveling internationally, to helping if you are injured or even just tired while traveling.

5. Go Easy

Don’t overdo it while you are traveling. If you feel like you need to take a break to sit, or to lie down that’s ok. The itinerary you put together before the trip will help to prevent you from getting to overloaded. It’s best if you try not to pack too much in because that is a recipe for disaster.

6. Check for Senior Discounts

You might be able to find senior discounts, but keep in mind there won’t always be any. The best way to ensure any possibility of finding them is to call the airline, hotel, or rental service directly after checking rates online. Often representatives will be able to give you the best deals on the spot if there are any.

7. Medications

If you are needing any medications while traveling, make sure that they go through the TSA security screenings with you. Don’t put any of your important medications in your checked baggage. Bring them with you in a carry-on. And inform TSA Officials if any of those are liquids before you begin the screening process. More information about what you can and can’t bring is available on the TSA website.

8. Get the Equipment and Devices You’ll Need to Travel With

Before you leave on your trip, make sure to get any special equipment you need. You can actually find many different devices like CPAP’s, nebulizers, and oxygen packs that are travel-sized. that means they can easily be brought with you without dragging a much larger piece of equipment. Right now Alpine Home Medical is having their yearly summer travel sale where many of these devices you need will be on sale. Be sure to visit their website at alpinehomemedical.com.

9. Pack Appropriate Clothing

You will definitely need a good pair of shoes to start. Avoid anything that has any kind of heel as it could lead to injury or to falls. For the rest of your attire, make sure comfort is your priority.

10. Know Senior TSA Screening Options

According to their website, “passengers 75 and older can receive some form of expedited screening through risk-based intelligence-driven security that allows TSA to better focus resources on passengers who more likely pose a risk.” This means you may be able to leave your shoes and jacket on which might save you a bit of time getting through security. For more info, check the TSA website.

11. Communicate

This is the most important of all the senior travel tips on this list. When traveling, you’ll want to make sure you are in touch with your loved ones as much as possible. If they are not traveling with you be in touch with them often. If they are traveling with you, they’ll be able to help you with things that otherwise be difficult.