The twelve travel tips of Christmas

Are any of you are taking a break abroad over this festive season? On a lighter note than usual, I thought I’d provide you with some ideas for useful items regarding travel – some may be handy when advising your travellers too! Just ‘Google’ the topics for further information

1. A Fisher space pen or zero gravity pen uses pressurized refill technology that allows the pens to perform in the most extreme environments. Write at any angle, underwater, in extreme cold and extreme heat and useful for completing the disembarkation card during the flight.

2. Malaria tablets used in the UK may need cutting into half or quarter portions for children needing chemoprophylaxis. A newer ‘pill cutter’ has really impressed me. The section where the tablet is placed is made of a rubberised material which stops the tablet from slipping. The sharp, efficient blade is encased within a plastic cover when the lid of the device is raised providing a great safety feature.

3. A door lock can be a useful device to increase security in places where it may be inadequate. There are a variety available but one works as a door wedge with an alarm attached, which is secured inside the room when the door is shut.

4. Some excellent travel health information resources are available as apps – my favourite would be the updated CDC Health Information for International Travel 2014

5. Other very handy apps to have on your phone are maps and guides, to save carrying books around with you, and a currency converter to give instant understanding of the cost of items

6. So many of today’s devices need a USB connection to charge them. If you travel a lot, buy one with the local power connection – I got one in the USA which charged two devices at once costing very little – far easier that using all the adapters!

7. Travelling in some countries where the toilet facilities can be poor to non-existent, a female urinal device can be a life saver, enabling a woman to ‘pee’ standing up. A number of products are available on the market including the Whiz Freedom and the Shewee – just Google them or search on an online store to find a selection. It’s a good idea to practise using it in the shower before you go away, so you are proficient at using it when you need to!

8. Providing useful help for female issues again is the Mooncup or Femmecup. This is a small, silicone rubber cup-shaped device available in different sizes, which is used in the place of a tampon to collect the menstrual flow. It is removed and washed before reinsertion at the same frequency as one would change a tampon. In a country where such sanitary products are hard to obtain, this little device is not only money-saving but extremely handy.

9. Communicating in a foreign country can be a problem if you don’t speak the local language. An app called ‘Pixtalk’ is a favourite of mine, it has a vast selection of pictures for all sorts of categories. Find the image to help explain your situational need.

10. Bose in-ear noise-cancelling earphones are amazing – a luxurious gift, but SO useful on a long haul flight, cutting out all that aeroplane background noise.

11. The ‘Frio bag’ is an excellent aid when needing to travel with medicines that need to remain cool, especially insulin. See http://www.friouk.com

12. Chill out and have fun and if much of this has limited use because you don’t have an iPhone/android phone, ipad or other form of tablet, consider putting it on your wish list to Santa, you don’t know what you’re missing until you see it all in action!