How to Travel with Contact Lenses: Helpful Tips + Advice

Let’s take a look at everything you need to know before and during your trip to make traveling with contact lenses easy!

December 27, 2023

Lauren Stuttaford

Travel

Gearing up for your next adventure? That’s always exciting! Got your passport, plane ticket, and suitcase? Great! Now, have you ever thought about whether or not you can travel with contact lenses?

Whether you’re a travel pro or just starting to spread your wings, this is the ultimate guide for keeping your eyes as happy as you are on your travel escapades.

Prepping for Your Trip

The trick to traveling with contact lenses is making sure you’ve got everything you need before you set off. Here’s what you need to know before you travel with contact lenses.

1. Stock up

Before you jet off, take inventory of your lens supplies. Make sure you’ve got enough lenses to last the journey, and don’t forget the essentials:

Cleaning solution
Storage case
Travel-sized eye drops

2. Go for a check-up

It’s always a good idea to chat with your optometrist before jetting off. They can help you make sure your lenses are the right make and material for your trip. They may advise that you switch to traveling with daily contact lenses instead of your regular set. They can also give you advice on what to do if there’s an emergency.

Packing Tips

Now it’s time to pack. It might seem simple: Just a travel case for your lenses, right? Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. Here’s what you should know when you’re packing to travel with contact lenses

1. Choose the right case

You’ll want to start with the right case. Go for a sturdy one that won’t crumble under pressure (literally). You can find travel cases at most optometrist’s practices. But, if you’re in a pinch, you can get from the airport too!

2. Make sure you’re stocked up

Before traveling with contact lenses, triple-check that you’ve got enough lenses, lens cleaning solution, and a backup storage case.

3. Prescription and spares

The sites of the world are there to enjoy, so it wouldn’t be fun if everything was blurry. Double-check your prescription and grab an extra pair of lenses just in case. Trust us – you’ll thank yourself later.

4. Travel-sized bottles

Invest in some travel-sized lens solution and drops to keep things airport security-friendly.

On-the-Plane Care

If you’ve packed and prepped, you’ll be able to travel with contact lenses easily. Here’s what you should know when you step on (and off) the plane.

1. Hygiene

Always make sure to wash your hands before handling your contact lenses. Keep some disposable wipes or hand sanitizer with you.

2. Hydration

The trick to traveling with contact lenses? Eye drops. Especially on the plane. Make sure you’ve got lubricating eye drops to pop into your eyes whenever they feel dry.

3. Blink

Long-haul flights on planes can be a great time to catch up on those episodes of your favorite show. But you’d be surprised at how much people forget to blink. Blinking is so important for your eye health, and for making sure your contact lenses stay lubricated.

And make sure you don’t fall asleep with your lenses in!

On-the-Go Care

Once you’ve touched down, it’s time to get ready to explore! Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re spending your day out and travelling with contact lenses.

1. Use safe water

Hydration is important for your body and your lenses. Unless you’re 100% sure the tap water is safe, you should use bottled or distilled water. Otherwise, you might catch something nasty – like pink eye.

2. Consider the climate

Depending on the climate, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got what you need to make traveling with contact lenses a breeze.

If you’re in a dry, arid place, make sure you have lubricating eye drops. If you’re in a humid environment, you’ll want to pack some anti-fog eyedrops.

3. Adjust lens wearing for time zones

Your eyes also react to changing time zones. If you’re out and about in your holiday destination when you’d normally be asleep, consider swapping your contact lenses out for glasses. If you’ve got enough time beforehand, you can try wearing your contacts to match the time zone you’re going to be in.

4. Listen to your eyes

Above all, make sure you listen to your eyes. If they’re feeling dry, get the eye drops. If they’re tired, take your lenses out.

So, Can You Travel With Contact Lenses?

Absolutely! As long as you make sure you’re prepped and ready, you’ll find that traveling with contact lenses can be super simple! And, if you’re ever in a situation where you need help with your lenses, we’ve got a global network of doctors who can make sure you’re covered wherever you may be.

Don’t Forget to Use Air Doctor In Case You Need To

Traveling the world is exciting – but it comes with challenges.
That’s why apps like Air Doctor are there.

With the Air Doctor app in your pocket, you can access medical advice, get prescriptions, and receive expert medical guidance wherever you are in the world.

Air Doctor’s easy-to-use app gives you: