Travelling with diabetes means there are a few more things to think about before you set off. But living with diabetes shouldn't be a barrier to taking trips or holidays at home or abroad.

Plan to take two to three times the amount of insulin or other diabetes medication and equipment you’d normally use. This will give you peace of mind if you have to stay longer for any reason or if there are disruptions.

Request a travel letter about your diabetes 

In some cases, you may be required to get a letter from your healthcare team stating you have diabetes and that you need to carry medical supplies. The letter should include details about your medication, if for any reason you need to carry medication in containers over 100mls, and any devices that you use.

Please check with the airline before you travel as a letter may be requested by some airlines and other operators and is helpful in the event of an emergency.

It is also advisable to take a copy of a recent prescription with you in case you should need to get supplies whilst away. If you have the NHS app on your mobile phone this also shows your GP record and repeat prescription information.

Managing insulin when crossing time zones

Long-haul flights east or west involve crossing time zones. And you may need to adjust your insulin. Eastward travel will shorten the day, and generally mean a temporary reduction in insulin doses, whereas westward travel will extend the day, and possibly increase insulin requirements.

Speak to your healthcare team for advice about adjusting your insulin doses. Have your flight details to hand including your departure time, the length of the flight, and the local time of arrival.

Time zones and tablets

If you take diabetes tablets, you are unlikely to have any particular problems. Very occasionally, it may be necessary to take extra tablets to cover a longer day. Do discuss this with your diabetes care team beforehand. 

You may, on occasions, need to leave out one dose of tablets on a short day, when you are travelling on a long west to east journey. Speak to your diabetes care team about this well in advance of the trip.

Storing insulin

If you're travelling somewhere hot, remember that heat can damage your insulin and stop it from working properly. Insulin damaged by heat may have a brownish colour, and clear insulin may become cloudy. Do not use insulin that looks like this. 

When travelling with insulin, it is best to keep it cool by storing it in a hotel fridge (if there is one in your room) or in a cooler bag (providing it does not freeze). A variety of cool bags and storage containers are available. If using a cool bag that uses plastic ice blocks, make sure that the insulin does not come into contact with the frozen plastic containers.

Get more information on managing diabetes in hot weather