I have lived overseas for over 10 years and I am a seasoned traveller. These tips come from experiences I had and there is a story behind each one. We don’t have space for each story but trust me, I have your best interests at heart:
- Buy lightweight luggage to ease the load.
- Always have a handbag attached to you with meds, water, tissues, masks, glasses, wallet and passport. This bag maybe additional to your hand luggage as getting things in and out of the overhead compartments is very hard on the flight.
- Don’t fill your suitcase or hand luggage – leave space to buy something or receive a gift or take a gift for someone
- Travel with others for support if you can
- Arrive a day or two early, to rest before the event.
- Book connecting flights if you can, 3 hours between, or longer if unconnected
- Always arrive 3 hours before your flight at your airport
- Ask for a wheelchair at airport (if you have Parkinson’s) in case your meds are off, the immigration line can be a killer – snaking around for hours.
- Carry a spare set of clothes in your hand luggage – flight delays, spills, disasters, either way it’s nice to have it handy.
- Expect medication issues – My meds don’t work well if I slept poorly
- Pack extra medications, several places in different bags
- Use comfortable clothes for cold flights, but layers that you can peel off as needed. I find airports and flights vary greatly in temperature. One minute you are freezing the next you are sweating.
- Wear plants without a belts for simplicity and slip on shoes that are worn in
- Ask a fellow passenger for help, especially lifting bags up or pushing the compartment closed.
- Google account etc- cell backup with someone you trust – I had trouble with this but having your passwords on a program like Lass Pass can help you if you have problems with authentication
I have many other tips but this is a starting point. Safe travels!
Travel Tips (Ready to Fly ) For People with Parkinson’s and regular folk too)