You can travel and take a vacation with your diabetes, wherever you want, and however you wish.. By planning your travel and holiday, you can make sure that your diabetes will not throw a spanner in the works of having a fine holiday.
Before your holiday
Travel insurance
Check if you are covered by travel insurance and the yellow Danish health card or the blue European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Also, remember to renew your blue card well in advance of your departure, as this way you will be sure to be covered in the event of a possible unfortunate occurrence, or if you have begun a therapy with new medicine.
Travel certificate
A multi-language travel certificate can be obtained at SDCC. You can also request it from the Nursing Advisory Service on weekdays between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, and it will be sent to your e-Boks (digital mailbox). With this certificate, you can easily carry medication, needles, lancets, and a blood glucose meter in your carry-on luggage. It can also be useful if you need medical assistance and may help in airport security checks.
Specifically for patients on insulin therapy
Always bring double kits of all medicine and test equipment – also for ketones – in the event of increased insulin need, a faulty insulin pump or sensor, or in case you should lose a pen. Check expiry dates on test strips and insulin before leaving.
Distribute your insulin and test equipment in several bags – also those of fellow travellers, if any – so as not to risk losing all your things, in case a bag is lost. If you lose your insulin, then contact a local doctor, possibly via your travel insurance.
Storage of medicine for injection and test equipment
From your provider of diabetes products or at the pharmacy, you can buy a cool bag for the storage of such medicine which should be kept refrigerated during your travel.
Do not pack medicine and test equipment, so as to expose it to for large variations in temperature, as temperatures over 30° C and below 0° C may have a detrimental impact on function and precision. Always pack it in your carry-on luggage.
Other medicine
Store all your medicine safely and in original packing. Also remember to bring enough for the entire holiday.
Insulin pump/sensor
Check with the manufacturer whether your insulin pump/sensor withstands x-raying. This way you will know if you can take your equipment through the security check at the airport.
During your holiday
Before the flight
Be sure to inform the staff at the security check that you wear an insulin pump/sensor.
During the flight
Once you have boarded the plane, it will be a good idea to inform the cabin crew about your diabetes.
Hand luggage on planes
You are allowed to have liquid and other medicine in your hand baggage on the plane. You may, however, be asked to provide documentation, e.g. by way of a prescription and original packing. Likewise, you are allowed to bring needles and test equipment and what else you may need for treatment while on the plane. And it will be unproblematic to carry dextrose/ Hypo-Fit in your pocket or handbag.
On car holidays
If you are the driver, then take breaks, eat and measure your blood sugar at regular intervals. Do not keep insulin or test materials in the glove compartment, and do not leave it in the car when leaving the car. Extreme heat/cold may destroy both.
Crossing time zones
If you travel far from Denmark, you may pass through multiple time zones. This means that your day will be lengthened or shortened as you travel, and your day will be shifted compared to back home when you reach your destination.
Travelling westwards: The days will be longer and your need for medicine increases.
Tablets: If you are solely treated with tablets for your blood sugar, you will only need to take extra medicine, if the day is extended by more than 6 hours.
Insulin: If you are treated with insulin, you will need a small dosage of short-acting insulin approximately every 4 hours, unless you opt for taking a little larger dosage of long-acting insulin before leaving. The increased dosage should be equal to the time span with which the day is extended. For meals, you take your usual dosage of insulin.
If you use an insulin pump, you set this to local time upon arrival.
Travelling eastwards: The days will be shorter.
Tablets: If you are solely treated with tablets for your blood sugar, you may perhaps completely leave out a dosage, in case the days are very short.
Insulin: If you are treated with insulin, you will need a reduced dosage of long-acting insulin, equal to the time span with which the day is shortened. In connection with meals, you take the usual dosage of insulin.
If you use an insulin pump, you set this to local time upon arrival.
Food and drink during your holiday
You should be aware that, during holidays, your food will often be different as compared with your usual diet at home – a fact which may affect your blood sugar.
If, despite having adjusted your insulin dosage downwards, you experience low blood sugar levels, it will be a good idea to eat more of the slow carbohydrates, such as e.g. coarse bread or fresh fruit several times in the course of the day. Alcohol reduces the need for insulin.
Also remember to drink sufficient water, and always bring dextrose and glucagon (if you have type 1 diabetes), on your travel.
Active holiday
With respect to activity holidays, such as e.g. golf holidays, hiking or biking holidays, your need of insulin will be reduced if you will be much more active on your holiday than you are used to at home.
Bathing and swimming also count. You should take the temperature of your destination into consideration. Heat increases the absorption of insulin and may, thus, result in low blood sugar levels. Check your blood sugar more frequently and adjust your insulin dosage according to your needs.
Contact
If you have questions or are in doubt, you are welcome to contact the Nursing Advisory Service at phone: 39 68 08 00 on weekdays from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.