Traveling to France and Germany

[kdr112]

Hello all! I have a wonderful opportunity to travel to France and Germany in early October. It’s been a dream of mine to travel abroad but I’m overwhelmed with all the paraphernalia I have to take; medicines for my asthma, emergency meds, cpap, etc. I’m unsure of the weather during that time and other stimulus for my asthma. I do have eosinophilic asthma but am afraid if I have an attach I won’t know how to navigate the healthcare system. Any advice or should I just stay at home?

[Troilus]

I would go. I went on holiday not long after a big attack and I wasn’t back on top form but everything was fine.The only thing I would say is make sure you have medical insurance and you declare all of your health problems. That way you have no worries should you become unwell.

Have a good time 😁

[kdr112 in reply to Troilus]

Thank you so much for your encouragement! When do I declare my medical issues?

[Troilus in reply to kdr112]

I ring which ever insurer I decide to go with and they ask if you have any pre-existing medical conditions. You just tell them what and they ask you a set of fairly standard questions. Then they tell you how much it will cost.Sometimes it is worth ringing around as some insurers can be pricey.

I also always ask what to do in an emergency.

[Welshtoffee]

I would also go agree with above comments making sure that you have declared all conditions to your insurance company. I would also take my medications in my hand luggage with a printout of your prescriptions. If you are concerned speak to your consultant/GP what to do in an emergency. Have a great time.

[kdr112 in reply to Welshtoffee]

Great advice! Thank you!

[hilary39]

I travel all the time with severe asthma and have only had problems when I've accidentally been exposed to animals (which I am severely allergic to)--I've learned to be very cautious about where I go and stay and have been able to travel safely for years.

1) Bring all your meds (inhalers, allergy pills, a travel nebulizer, CPAP, emergency prednisone, any other meds you need) in your carry-on.

2) Write out the details of your medical condition and treatment protocol in English then translate it into German and French using a translation site like DeepL or Google Translate. I am an American living in France and I use those all the time for translating info I need to share with doctors etc. Print out and keep those papers on you at all times.

3) I can't speak for Germany but the healthcare in France is excellent and you should not have a problem getting seen quickly at any hospital or clinique. Another good trick is to use the audio feature on Google Translate--you can type what you want to say in English, then it'll translate it into French and you can play it aloud as audio for the nurse or doctor. This will help if you urgently need to communicate something and no one speaks English.

Definitely don't let asthma ruin your lifelong dreams of traveling to these countries! Just be smart about picking hotels and travel options that will allow you to avoid your allergens if those trigger your asthma and be sure to bring back up meds and to prepare for any kind of worse-case scenario.

Good luck!

[kdr112 in reply to hilary39]

Thank you so much! Great advice!

[Arianna_VoiceMed]

Go go go!!!

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador]

Go for it! But definitely get good travel insurance, I agree. Read the small print too - I did with one that's often recommended for people with medical conditions (AllClear I think it was) and was horrified as they sneakily tried to exclude stuff related to conditions even after you declare them. GetGoing seems good.

I would go for a specialist 'medical' one though as the standard ones which claim they include asthma usually mean they cover people who take the occasional puff of blue, or they charge loads extra. An insurance broker may be helpful if you struggle to find anyone at a reasonable price - it's a pain but don't be put off by the high prices of some as I have found a massive variation in price with the same conditions.

Otherwise, get any letters you need for travelling eg to allow you extra luggage allowance for medical equipment - most airlines should let you have a free bag for that. Get special assistance if you need it at airports etc. And enjoy!

[kdr112 in reply to Lysistrata]

Big help! Thank you!

[Elly1970 in reply to kdr112]

I too have severe asthma l flew to Tunisia in April and l fly to Spain next month. I've got my insurance over the Internet with no problems. Contact the airline that you are flying with for special assistance they usually allocate you and 1 other passenger free seats and allow you an extra free hand luggage to take all your meds/equipment and you can get through the airline process easier (you don't have to have a wheelchair for this - asthma is one of the hidden disabilities, usually pick up a sunflower lanyard if you do6 have one. By wearing one of these a lot of the airport staff will be on hand to help with any needs that you have. By booking assistance you can board the plane first and are escorted off last then accompanied through all the checkpoints, it's well worth it. Just make sure that if you have a travelling companion make sure that they are fully aware of you care plan. And finally ENJOY 😊

[kdr112 in reply to Elly1970]

Thank you so much! Great advice!

[Wheesy]

I have a number of health problems but it does not stop me from traveling by Air, Road, Sea, Trains, and not forgetting LITTLE BLUE [My electric go anywhere wheelchair] Get good insurance take everything you need with you and dont let anything getting in the way of enjoying yourself. As my mum and dad used to say Life Is Too Short So enjoy it while you can.