Medical Treatment in the EEC

I’ve received a growing number of emails from readers who are confused about the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and hopefully this article will help deal with some, if not all of the confusion.

The health insurance card will provide you with free or discounted medical treatment within an EEC country. It is worth pointing out that receipt of the EHIC doesn’t necessarily mean free medical treatment in all EEC countries, so I strongly suggest that you visit the Department for Health country by country guide for information on your holiday destination.

It’s essential that you buy adequate travel insurance prior to travelling, so that medical treatment and other expenses will be covered to the amount in your travel insurance documentation.

It is also worth knowing that the UK has reciprocal healthcare arrangements with some other countries and territories outside of the EEC, which means you are entitled to urgent treatment either at reduced cost or free. Again the Department of Health have produced a country-by-country guide.

Let’s put an end to the rumours..

No – you don’t have to pay for the EHIC it’s completely free.
Yes – the E111 form is no longer useable
No – you don’t get free medical treatment in every EEC country
No – the EHIC doesn’t replace Travel Insurance

If you need any further information or guidance then I strongly suggest that you visit the Department of Health’s Travellers website because it is very informative, easy to read and understand.

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) Advice

All travellers visiting Countries within the EEC should have a valid E111 form BEFORE travelling – this will ensure that if you were taken ill abroad you would be covered for free or discount healthcare. From January the E111 form will be replaced by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

For more information please read our E111 advice page and ensure that if you are travelling over Christmas and New Year that you have a valid E111 form and/or European Health Insurance Card.

Please note that this does not replace travel insurance – you must ensure that adequate insurance is taken out before you travel.

Tips for a healthy and Safe holiday

I spend all year working hard to save up for my annual holiday, and the last thing I want is for it to be blighted with health issues, especially since I’m in a different country, with doctors speaking another language and a varied standard of hospitals.

This is my guide to help you have a healthy and safe holiday.

Vaccinations and medication

Firstly, contact your doctor’s surgery and ask for advice on what vaccinations and medication they recommend you have before travelling. Make sure you do this in plenty of time prior to your departure because you do not want to be leaving it to the last minute.

Some vaccinations can have side effects – you might find you get a cold, sore throat or achy body, and you don’t want to be ill on your holiday. It’s also worth having a tetanus injection if you haven’t had one in the last ten years but make sure you always take the advice of your doctor before taking any medication.

European Health Insurance Card

Holders of a European Health Insurance Card will receive free or reduced health care during your visit to an EEA country or Switzerland. The EEA consists of the member states of the European Union plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Switzerland is also covered with some exceptions.

The card is free and replaces the old E111 form. You can apply online, or call the EHIC Applications Line on 0845 606 2030. I received my card within 4 days of completing the form online – make sure you have your national insurance number to hand.

Travel Insurance

It is essential that you buy adequate travel insurance before you travel and make sure that you are covered for medical expenses, delays and lost luggage. If you plan to participate in skiing, water sports and other adventure activities make sure that the insurance covers you for this.

Shop around because the price for a single trip can range from £4 to £30 from my own experience. More of us are taking expensive gadgets like iPod’s on holiday so total up the cost of replacing any items that you plan to take with you, and if lost would the insurance cover the cost to replace it.

Know before you Go

Researching your holiday destination is a good idea and could save you a lot of stress. First point of call should be the Foreign, Commonwealth Office website. Read the information on your destination and check any warnings and essential telephone numbers like the local British consulate.

Use Google Maps to find the nearest hospital, chemist, doctors from the hotel and print out the map with directions. Find an online version of the local English speaking newspaper and read the news so you know what’s going on and where to avoid. Read guides on Lonely Planet and WikiTravel.

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot, or thrombus, that develops in deep veins such as those in the leg. These are most common in damaged veins, or in veins where blood flow in constricted. To avoid DVT make sure you get up from your seat occasionally and walk around to exercise your legs. Read my guide to Deep Vein Thrombosis for more information.

Do not store hand luggage in front of you as this will restrict you from moving your legs. Whilst sat in your seat try and run through some stretching exercises by moving your legs, arms and neck. Try not to stay in the same position for too long.

Coping with Jetlag

Jet lag is a condition that arises from crossing multiple time zones in a relatively short time and consequently disturbs your natural body clock or circadian rhythms. Try and get some sleep. Sleeping on-board will not only help to pass the time, but can help you feel refreshed upon arrival. Drink plenty of water.

Avoid sleeping pills at all costs. When you arrive, getting a quick nap will seem very attractive indeed – but resist this temptation. Go to bed at your normal bedtime (based on local time). This will force your body to adjust to any new time zones far quicker.

Protection from the Sun

The sun is at it’s hottest between 12noon and 3pm so it’s best advised to stay in shade and try to keep out of the sun as much as possible. It’s a good idea to wear a hat and cover up with loose clothing, wear sunglasses with UV filters to protect your eyes.

Make sure you protect children and babies from direct sunlight, apply SPF 25 (or higher) cover their head with a hat. Drink plenty of water to balance the loss of body fluid through perspiration and avoid alcohol. If won’t have access to water for more than thirsty minutes, make sure you fill up a flask of water.

Awareness of others

It doesn’t matter if I am travelling alone or with friends I always make sure that I am aware of the people around me when walking around the streets at night. I try my best to get to know the local area and appear to know where I am heading rather than wandering around looking like a lost tourist.

I remember within 10 minutes of walking outside of my hotel in Kuala Lumpur, a Malaysian man approached me, welcomed me to the city, and asked if I would like to have a chat in a local coffee shop. I politely said no because I had read a news article about the increase of tourist robberies.

Useful Travel Health websites

BBC Travel Health
Health Advice for Travelers
Travel Health
Travel Turtle

Heatwave hits the UK

Wahoo! The hot weather is finally here. I love warm weather – you can’t beat sat in a park, or in the garden with a cold drink taking in some sunrays. It’s not often that we get warm weather here in the North of England, so you have to make the most of it.

It annoys me though when you hear people complaining about the nice weather – with some people you can’t win, and these are probably the same people that complain when it’s cold and it rains.

Since we are having a heatwave I thought I would leave a some tips to ensure that you keep yourself and your family healthy during the warm weather.

- Wear a hat and cover up with loose clothing.
- Sunglasses with UV filters will protect your eyes.
- Protect children and babies from direct sunlight.
- Cover children and babies with hats and long sleeves and apply SPF 25 (or higher)
- Babies under 12 months should be kept out of the sun.
- Avoid strenuous activity during the hottest part of the day.
- Drink plenty of water to balance the loss of body fluid through perspiration.
- Reguarly check on any elderly relatives to make sure that they are well.

There’s nothing worse then sat on a bus or train sweating like a pig, so buy a hand-held fan, or sweatband, or better still a spray bottle of water which is a great way to keep cool. Have fun but make sure you wear plenty of high factor sun cream!

On Travel-Rants – Travel-Rants Apology to DialAFlight

Travel-Rants Apology to DialAFlight. Travel-Rants offers an unreserved apology to DialAFlight in respect of a post published on this website during the past several months.

DialAFlight contacted us on several occasions pointing out that they believed this particular post (they were not objecting to any of the other handful of posts about them on Travel-Rants) was made by a competitor who had posted precisely the same post on any number of other websites.

Regrettably, Travel-Rants failed to make its normal range of enquiries in such situations. Had it done so, as it now has, it would have concluded that, whether the poster was indeed a competitor, or merely a misguided consumer, the commercial insinuations they were making against Dial a Flight went some way beyond reasonable ‘fair comment’, and DialAFlight had every right to feel they had been unfairly treated.

Just as importantly, when we finally undertook an investigation into the facts, we found that, tellingly, there was an absence of any other consumer comments on the Internet backing up the assertions of this one poster. Whenever there is a real consumer issue at stake, it is almost invariably the case that one post on the subject breeds a multitude, and that certainly failed to materialise in this case.

Indeed, our review demonstrated that DialAFlight, though of course having its own typical fair share of negative consumer comment on the Internet as almost every company of any size (DialAFlight is one of the largest travel companies in the UK), also has an unusually high degree of positive consumer comment and indeed praise, including on this very website. The breadth and depth of this positive opinion around the web was enough to suggest to us that such comments were made by bona fide consumers.

On this basis, we are very sorry that we allowed serious, and we now believe unfounded, allegations against DialAFlight to remain published on this site for so long. That is not what Travel-Rants is about, and we very much regret that DialAFlight has suffered as a result of this neglect.

Unfortunately, Travel-Rants neglected this issue for so long that DialAFlight felt compelled to launch a libel suit against us in the High Court, claiming the removal of the post and considerable damages. Since Travel-Rants has belatedly communicated with DialAFlight admitting its mistake and offering this apology.

DialAFlight have shown themselves magnanimous by waiving their legitimate and substantial entitlement to compensation; on the basis that they had no wish to unnecessarily penalise a website whose merits, as an enabler of fair consumer comment and critique, they generally recognise… as they have demonstrated by focussing only on the one offending post.

The best airport in the world

The results of the World Airport Awards from Skytrax are out. Congratulations go to Incheon International Airport in Seoul which beat last year’s winner (Hong Kong International Airport) into second place. The top 10 were as follows:

1. Incheon International Airport
2. Hong Kong International Airport
3. Singapore Changi
4. Zürich
5. München
6. Kansai
7. Kuala Lumpur
8. Amsterdam
9. Centrair Nagoya
10. Auckland

What is your favourite airport in the world and why?

Keeping healthy while flying

The definition of a long haul flight is seven hours or more but for many people a shorter flight can prove just as uncomfortable. This guide will provide you with tips to help you keep healthy on your next flight, after all, you want to arrive at your destination relaxed.

Upgrade for comfort

The first thing to consider is your simple comfort level, if you can afford it, or if you have a medical condition or some other physical problem flying either premium economy or first class may be the solution that you are looking for. 

Flight exercises to keep mobile

The most likely health complaint you will have after flying will be simple aches, pains, and cramps. Not exactly, life threatening but best avoided if possible. One of the best solutions for these complaints is to move around the cabin whenever practical. 

When you unable to move around, try to do exercises whilst sat in your seat, curling and un-curling your toes, and constantly changing the position of your legs and simply stretching your back and arms. Move your legs in a walk motion to aid against deep vein thrombosis.

Drink plenty of water

The next minor threat is dehydration, the pressurised atmosphere within the aircraft causes high levels of dehydration even though you may not feel hot or even feel like you are sweating. The inside of an aircraft at altitude has 5% less humidity than that of a desert.

Drinking lots of regular water is the best solution; alcohol should definitely be avoided, as its dehydrating effects are far stronger at altitude. 

Tips for a sleepy flight

Another good way to shorten a long haul flight is to sleep, sleeping tablets that allow you an eight-hour rest will not only have the effect of shortening the journey but also assist in allowing you to arrive refreshed and relaxed.

There are a few more items you can pack to help; ear plugs and eye masks will help you sleep. And those inflatable collars that wrap around your neck can be highly effective in keeping you comfortable and allowing you to sleep.

Combating Deep Vein Thrombosis

A more serious health problem on flights is deep vein thrombosis. Not being able to move your legs around properly for long periods of time can cause problems with circulation and the results can be serious such as blood clots forming. Crossing your ankles should definitely be avoided.

There are special socks that are easy to say that will assist with circulation, but the easiest way to deal with it is to move around and exercise as mentioned earlier in this article. This problem is caused by lack of movement, so just keep your legs moving and you will not have a problem.

Dealing with Jetlag

The biggest draw back with long haul flights occurs after you land, jetlag. This is not an easy thing for many people to combat as your body struggles to deal with the midday sun when it thinks it is the middle of the night and you should be asleep.

Vitamins C is said to be highly effective in combating that general lethargic “jetlag” feeling. Again drink water and avoid alcohol, this will help combat jetlag effects. Sunshine gives your body vitamin D, which is effective against jetlag problems; in addition, it helps your body clock to be set more quickly.

Healthy flying resources

» Avoid getting sick from flying
» Deep Vein Thrombosis symptoms and advice
» Advice when flying with kids
» Coping with Jetlag
» Health advice for travellers

Fight the body clock 

Another way to fight jetlag is to stay awake, if the time back home to 3am and the time at your destination is 6pm your body clock will tell you to sleep. This should be avoided, right from the very first day no matter how tired you are stay up until the local bedtime. 

Going to bed at the correct local time will mean that you will wake up in the morning at the correct local time; this is because you have pushed yourself to stay awake all those additional hours.