You've been planning this trip for months. You've got the flights booked, the hotel sorted, the itinerary mapped out, and the out-of-office reply drafted. What you didn't plan for? Ending up in an unfamiliar clinic while you try to explain your symptoms to a doctor who doesn't speak your language.

Unfortunately, travel exposes you to new germs, disrupted sleep schedules, unfamiliar food and water, physical strain, and the kind of lowered-guard risk-taking that tends to happen when you're in vacation mode. The good news is that most travel health emergencies are preventable. With a little preparation before you leave and some smart habits on the road, you can spend your vacation doing what you actually planned—and skip the urgent care visit entirely.

Before You Leave: Do Your Medical Homework 

The single most impactful thing you can do for your health while traveling happens before you ever pack a bag. 

• See your doctor well in advance. The CDC recommends consulting a travel health expert at least four to six weeks before departure—not just to get a general checkup, but to receive destination-specific vaccines and medications that may take time to become effective. If you're traveling to a region with elevated risk for malaria, typhoid, yellow fever, or other conditions, that lead time matters. Sollis members have unlimited access to same-day appointments with our expert clinicians.
• Sort out your prescriptions early. Refill everything at least one to two weeks before departure, and bring enough to cover your entire trip plus a few extra days in case of delays. Keep all medications in your carry-on, not your checked luggage—lost bags are an inconvenience while lost medication can be a genuine health crisis. It's also wise to keep a written list of your medications and dosages in case you need a refill from a pharmacy abroad, where brand names may differ from what you're used to. Sollis members receive support filling prescriptions and finding pharmacies domestically and internationally, depending on location.
• Research your destination. Look up the most common health risks for the region you're visiting, check the CDC's Travelers' Health database for current advisories, and identify where the nearest hospital, urgent care clinic, or English-speaking doctor is located. Knowing this in advance takes the panic out of a situation if something does go wrong. Sollis members can call Sollis anytime for domestic and global support in finding urgent care when a Sollis center isn't nearby. 

 Know Your Insurance Coverage Before You Board 

This is the step most travelers skip—and the one they most regret when they need it.

Call your health insurance provider before your trip to understand exactly what's covered while you're away from home. Urgent care centers and emergency rooms abroad can carry significant costs that aren't covered by standard U.S. insurance plans, and the rules often differ between domestic and international travel. 

If your coverage has gaps, consider purchasing travel health insurance, a short-term policy specifically designed to cover medical care at your travel destinations. It can also cover trip cancellation, emergency evacuation, and other unexpected expenses. For international trips in particular, this kind of supplemental coverage is frequently worth the investment. 

Sollis Health members have an additional layer of protection on the road: a dedicated care navigation team backed by ER-trained physicians who can coordinate care internationally, manage language barriers, handle administrative hurdles, and help you avoid costly ER visits—all without cutting your trip short.

Guard Against the Most Common Travel Illnesses 

Certain health issues show up again and again among travelers. Knowing what to watch for goes a long way. 

• Traveler's Diarrhea and Food Safety: Stomach illness is one of the fastest ways to ruin a vacation, and it's often entirely preventable. Stick to foods that are fully cooked and served hot. Avoid street vendors, peel fruits yourself, and in destinations with unknown water quality, drink only bottled water — and that means no ice cubes and no raw produce washed with tap water. When dining out, choose reputable restaurants and err on the side of caution with anything unfamiliar. If you do get sick, the protocol is simple: drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated, rest, follow the stomach-friendly BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast), and use over-the-counter remedies like loperamide or Pepto-Bismol. Sollis members can call the medical hotline around the clock from any time zone to get guidance and, if needed, prescription support.
• Motion Sickness: If you're prone to motion sickness, seat selection is your best friend. Choose the front seat in a car, the window seat of a bus, the middle of a boat (ideally the upper deck), and the wing section on a plane. Avoid reading or looking at your phone while in motion, and keep your gaze fixed on a stable point in the distance. Ginger candies, peppermint, and acupressure wristbands can all help. If medication is appropriate for you, take it at least an hour before you anticipate needing it.
• Altitude Sickness: Heading somewhere high? Don't rush the ascent. Give your body at least 24 to 48 hours to acclimatize before going higher, stay well hydrated, and avoid alcohol in the early days at altitude. Most cases of altitude sickness resolve on their own as your body adjusts. However, if you experience shortness of breath at rest, confusion, or an inability to walk steadily, seek medical care at a lower elevation immediately—these can be signs of a serious and potentially life-threatening complication.
• Jet Lag: Jet lag won't send you to urgent care, but it can drain your immune resilience and set you up for getting sick. Start adjusting your sleep schedule a few days before departure by going to bed an hour or two earlier or later, depending on your direction of travel. On the flight, avoid alcohol and caffeine, stay hydrated, and try to sleep in alignment with your destination's time zone. Once you arrive, sunlight exposure and light exercise are your best tools for resetting your internal clock.

Practice Smart Hygiene on the Road 

It sounds simple because it is. Hand hygiene is one of the most consistently effective defenses against travel illness. Airports, planes, trains, and hotel rooms are full of high-contact surfaces. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based sanitizer when you can't. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth after touching shared surfaces, and use disinfecting wipes on airplane armrests and tray tables.

Staying hydrated is equally important. The mucous membranes in your nose and throat serve as your body's first line of defense against bacteria and viruses—and they function best when you're well hydrated. This is especially critical on long flights, where cabin air tends to be very dry. 

Finally, give visibly sick fellow travelers some space when you can, and don't feel guilty about it.

Protect Yourself from the Elements 

The environment at your destination can be just as much a health risk as any germ. 

• Sun protection is non-negotiable. Apply SPF 30 or higher every day—not just at the beach—and reapply after swimming or sweating. High altitudes and equatorial destinations dramatically increase UV exposure, and sunburn on day one of a trip has a way of derailing everything that follows.
• Bug protection is critical in many parts of the world. Mosquitoes, ticks, and other insects can transmit serious illnesses including malaria, dengue fever, Lyme disease, Zika, and more. Use an EPA-registered insect repellent, wear long sleeves and pants when outdoors at dusk or dawn, and stay in screened or air-conditioned accommodations when possible.
• Rest is not optional. Getting enough sleep is one of the most effective things you can do to keep your immune system functioning well. To minimize jet lag and maintain your defenses, stick as closely as possible to your destination's time zone and spend time outdoors—natural light is one of the most powerful cues for resetting your body clock. 

Don't Let Vacation Mode Override Common Sense 

Some of the most frequent reasons travelers end up in emergency rooms have nothing to do with germs. Injuries, particularly from transportation and recreational activities, are among the leading causes of death among travelers abroad. 

Always wear a seatbelt. Don't ride with impaired drivers. Avoid overloaded vehicles and, where possible, hire a local driver your hotel can recommend. If an activity doesn't look safe, or if it's something you'd never attempt at home, skip it. The thrill of trying something new abroad can lead to risk-taking that common sense would otherwise prevent—especially when alcohol is involved. 

Sollis members can call the medical hotline at any hour from any time zone for immediate guidance—whether it's a bug bite, food poisoning, an unexpected fall, or something you can't quite identify. Expert advice in the moment can make the difference between a minor disruption and a genuine emergency.

If You Do Need Care, Know Where to Go

Even the best-prepared traveler can end up needing medical attention. When that happens, knowing the difference between urgent care and the emergency room can save you time, money, and stress. 

Urgent care centers are the right choice for non-life-threatening issues: sprains, minor infections, low fevers, rashes, ear pain, and similar concerns. They're typically faster, more affordable, and more accessible than emergency rooms, and many accept walk-ins without an appointment. Before your trip, use your insurance app or a service like Google Maps to identify the urgent care options closest to your accommodations.

Reserve the emergency room for what it's designed for: chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe injuries, significant bleeding, or any situation that feels genuinely life-threatening. 

Sollis members have an additional option at both ends of the spectrum: on-demand virtual visits for concerns of any size, from anywhere in the world, backed by global care coordination if in-person care is needed. No waiting rooms, no language barriers, and no navigating an unfamiliar healthcare system alone. 

Travel Smart. Stay Healthy.

The goal of all this preparation isn't to make travel feel like a chore. It's to protect the investment you've made in your trip, so that nothing derails the experience you've been looking forward to. 

Most travel health problems are preventable. The ones that aren't are much more manageable when you've done your homework, packed smart, and have the right medical support available if you need it. Do the prep work, travel with intention, and leave the urgent care visits out of your itinerary.

*Sources: Sollis Health, Healthline, CDC Travelers' Health*