Travel Doctor

Family travel: planning for the unplanned before your next adventure

Family trips are full of unforgettable moments. Exploring new places, trying new foods, watching your children experience the world for the first time. Most vacations go exactly as planned. But when you're traveling with kids, you quickly learn that the unexpected is always part of the journey. A fever the night before your flight home. An ear infection after a day at the beach. A stomach bug halfway through your road trip. You can't plan for every situation, but you can plan how you'll respond if one happens.

Expect the unexpected

Parents spend weeks organizing flights, accommodation, activities and packing lists. Yet one of the most important parts of travel planning is often overlooked: knowing how you'll access medical care if someone gets sick. The goal isn't to expect something to go wrong. It's simply to avoid unnecessary stress if it does.

Pack for more than the weather

  • Alongside swimsuits and passports, pack a few essentials that can save time later:
  • Children's medications
  • Pain relief for adults
  • Thermometer
  • Bandages
  • Allergy medication
  • Copies of prescriptions
  • Your travel insurance information
Having everything together means you're not searching unfamiliar pharmacies while caring for a sick family member.

Know your insurance before you travel

  • Travel insurance is about much more than lost luggage or cancelled flights.
  • Take a few minutes to understand:
  • What's covered medically
  • Whether your family members are all included
  • How to access medical care abroad
  • Whether your policy includes services like Air Doctor
Knowing this before you travel removes one more uncertainty if someone needs medical attention. Check Air Doctor

Easy access makes a big difference

When your child wakes up sick in a hotel room, the last thing you want is to spend hours searching online for a doctor you can trust. Many travel insurance providers now include access to services like Air Doctor, allowing travelers to quickly connect with trusted local doctors, whether in a clinic, at the hotel, or through a video consultation, depending on the destination and insurance coverage. Having access ready before you leave means you can focus on your family instead of figuring out where to go.

Don't wait too long

Parents often hope a child will "feel better after some rest." Sometimes that's exactly what happens. But persistent fever, ear pain, stomach problems, allergic reactions or worsening symptoms deserve medical advice sooner rather than later. Getting help early can often mean getting everyone back to enjoying the vacation much faster.

Small preparations create bigger peace of mind

Traveling with children will never be completely predictable. That's part of the adventure. But preparing for the unexpected doesn't mean expecting the worst. It simply means giving yourself one less thing to worry about if plans change. Before your next family holiday, take a few extra minutes to make sure you know how you'll access medical care abroad. Hopefully, you'll never need it. But if you do, you'll be glad you planned ahead. Check Air Doctor

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COUNTRY Five on the Fly acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters on which we live and create — Gunnai Kurnai Country — and we pay our respects to Elders past and present. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Nations across Australia, and we recognise their continuing connection to Country, culture, community, and storytelling. As a travelling family, we also acknowledge and respect the Indigenous peoples, Traditional Owners, and First Nations communities of every place we visit around the world. Wherever we go, we commit to travelling with care — listening, learning, and honouring the histories and cultures that have existed long before us. Five on the Fly is proudly LGBTQIA+ inclusive. We celebrate safe, respectful spaces for all people, and we stand with First Nations and Indigenous LGBTQIA+ communities — recognising the strength, pride, and cultural significance of diverse identities across many cultures. Always was, always will be.