There’s nothing worse than getting sick while traveling so I’m sharing four ways I work on staying healthy while traveling cross-country.
I tend to get sick while I travel. Whether it’s allergies, the petri dish of being closed in a jet with tons of people, time zone changes, or simply wearing down from lack of sleep, there’s never a shortage of ways to get sick while traveling.
Over time I’ve really worked on ensuring I have a great travel experience. And while I haven’t perfected it by any means, I have several ways I drastically improved my chances of staying healthy while traveling for business or pleasure, ’cause this mama does love to travel (with and without children).
4 Ways to Stay Healthier While Traveling
Hydrate to stay healthier while traveling.
I am guilty of not drinking enough water – especially while traveling. Water isn’t always easy to access, and sometimes we get so focused on our day we lose sight of drinking water. Ways to combat this are:
- Pack a reusable water bottle for your trip. If you’re flying, empty it before packing in carry-on luggage.
- Always get water when you get something else to drink.
- Grab a free cup of ice water at Starbucks when you’re getting your caffeine fix.
- Many national parks have water bottle filling stations.
- Buy a couple gallons water for the road or a 12-pack of water bottles if you didn’t bring your own.

Get your rest to stay healthier while traveling.
Rest is one of the biggest deterrents to me staying healthy while traveling, especially when traveling across time zones, which is confusing to our bodies and brains. Plus, sleeping in a strange place can be difficult. Here’s how I combat that:
- Try not to convert time (if you have to do things in the evening in that time zone). It comes naturally to try converting time to our home time zone but I’ve learned on this trip that it isn’t helpful when adjusting to local time where you need to be up late. So far I’ve seen some improvement doing this – you know, until it’s time to call home. I will also note, a veteran traveler said if you are able to follow your home time zone for sleep when you are traveling it is optimal.
- Get to bed at a decent hour. No matter which time zone you are in, traveling just takes a little more out of you – long days on the road or packing fun in. Your body needs adequate rest.
- Keep your bedtime routine as close to normal as possible. There’s something about routine that helps us feel more comfortable. This is even more important when we are trying to rest.
- Travel with white noise. I use a fan app on my phone, but you can use soothing nature sounds, music, etc. If you have a particularly loud hotel (or campsite) neighbor, white noise can help you sleep more restfully. This tip is my saving grace when traveling through time zones especially.
Take your Supplements
It may not be possible to travel with refrigerated supplements (like certain probiotics), but make sure you travel with your supplements and give your system a boost.
- Boost your system by eating healthy. Fresh produce naturally “supplements” your body.
- Growing up mom and dad always had us take Vitamin C and garlic during cold season. It’s the first thing I think of when I know I’m heading into “germy season” or travel – rest areas, airports, jets, and trains. Yup, thinking mom and dad’s advice holds up here.
- This summer I traveled with Myrtol 300. I feel like this made a big difference. I took 2 pills every morning and was good to go for the day. Myrtol 300 is made up of essential oils that are supposed to help boost your immune system. You can read more about it here.
Wash Your Hands
- Even if you don’t have soap, dump a little water on your hands occasionally to rinse off germs that may be accumulating from your travels. (See point 1: hydration. You should have a water bottle you can use for this.)
- Pack a small bottle of hand sanitizer. I’m a huge supporter of using hand sanitizer sparingly but sometimes you need it.
- Wash those hands with soap when you can, but not a cursory wash. Scrub the fronts and backs of your hands and between fingers with soap for 20 seconds.
How about you? Are there any other ways you make sure you stay healthy while traveling? Leave a comment with your suggestions.