If you are travelling within the EU and are an EU citizen, always carry your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) card. Check if the country you are travelling to is covered by the EHIC, as countries like Montenegro, for example, are not yet in the EU. Make sure you get travel insurance and that it covers activities such as white water kayaking if you are planning that.All parents and care givers know that getting children to wear sunscreen (and sunhats) can be enough to finish us all off. However, the reality is that as other forms of cancer are on the decrease, melanoma is on the rise. Sadly, this is often because we did not protect ourselves as children. It is getting easier to find environmentally friendly sunscreens which have the recommended 30 SPF AND the necessary active ingredients to protect your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays. These are titanium dioxide, zinc oxide and avobenzone. If it’s all aloe vera and nothing else, leave it on the shelf. The advantage of these creams is that they don’t harm the marine environment either.
If you are hiking in summer, be wary of ticks. Carry tweezers so you can remove carefully, apply a deterrent and then sun cream afterwards.
Make sure you all stay hydrated. It is hard to get kids to drink water sometimes, but they won’t realise how much they need it when walking, cycling or even just hanging out at the beach. Even if the sun isn’t shining. Consider hydration backpacks, style CamelBak, so that they have water on them at all times.
The bottled water thing is a big con in many countries, where water is perfectly safe to drink. Check with local people whether tap water is actually drinkable or not. In remote wilderness areas, don’t drink from the rivers. Even if they are glacial and gorgeous, they can be a source of bacteria.
Check if rabies is an issue in the country you are visiting, especially as children love to pet animals.
If you or your children have any particular health needs, always tell your guide if you are on a small group holiday.