How to Survive Family Travel Without Breaking Your Body

Why you’re already tired before the trip starts

By the time you get to the airport, you’ve often lived three trips already: the work deadlines you rushed to clear, the invisible admin for kids and maybe aging parents, and the late-night “did I pack my meds / will this seat destroy my back?” spiral.

With conditions like chronic back pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, CRPS or migraines, your body is already working harder than everyone else’s just to do “normal life”. Add long queues, heavy bags, strange beds and social expectations, and it’s no surprise that so many parents come home saying, “The kids had fun, but I needed a week to recover.”

My goal with Ticked Bucket List is not to turn you into a “superhero traveller”. It’s to help you reduce the damage, keep more of your energy, and still make real memories with the people you love.

1. The logistics of pain: airports & planes

Get your meds and mobility aids through security without drama

For many of my patients, the most stressful part of travel isn’t the flight – it’s the thought of security questioning their medications, syringes or medical devices in front of a long, impatient line.

Think of it in three layers:

• Paper trail: keep a one-page summary from your clinician listing your diagnoses, key medications (with generic names), doses and any devices (e.g. TENS unit, injectable medications). Store a photo in your phone and a printed copy with your meds.
• Carry-on only: all essential meds should travel in your hand luggage, not in checked bags. Use original packaging where possible and a clear pouch you can easily pull out at security.
• Know the rules on liquids and controlled meds: most security agencies allow medically necessary liquids above standard limits when declared separately; some countries restrict certain pain medications. Always check requirements for your departure and destination country in advance and travel with only what you personally need for the trip.

Economy seat survival with back/hip/knee pain

Most sandwich-generation parents are in Economy or Premium Economy. You can’t change the cabin, but you can change what your body is doing in that seat.

• Seat choice: if budget allows, pay extra for an aisle seat near the toilets or bulkhead/extra-legroom on the longest leg. This is often a better investment than upgrading all legs to Premium Economy.
• Lumbar + pelvis support: pack a small travel cushion or use a rolled scarf to support the natural curve of your lower back. If your hips are painful, a thin wedge or folded jumper under the thighs can reduce pressure.
• Move on purpose: set a gentle alarm every 60–90 minutes (not during kids’ peak chaos) to flex ankles, straighten knees and, when the seatbelt sign is off, stand or walk a short loop down the aisle. This reduces stiffness and lowers your risk of clots on flights longer than four hours.
• Hydration and light food: keep a refillable bottle and sip regularly. Go easy on alcohol and heavy, salty meals; they worsen swelling, headaches and fatigue.
• Clothing: loose layers, easy-on shoes, and compression socks if your clinician has recommended them for swelling or clot risk.

Kids + meds: keeping your schedule in the chaos

When you are the default parent, it’s easy for your own pain plan to slide behind snacks, passports and toilet runs. But skipped or late doses are one of the fastest ways to trigger a flare.

• Separate “body admin” from “kid admin”: give one adult primary responsibility for meds and documents, the other for herding kids and luggage. Do not try to hold both roles.
• Time-zone-safe reminders: use phone alarms labelled with the medication name, not just “take tablet”. If the time-zone shift is big, ask your clinician in advance how to safely adjust dosing time.
• Day-of-travel wallet: pre-pack just that day’s doses in a small organiser in your personal item so you’re not digging into the big bag in the overhead bin with a child hanging off you.
• Out of reach of little hands: keep meds in a zip pouch inside your own bag, not in shared snack or toy bags.

2. The “pacing talk”: scripts for your partner, kids and extended family

Good pacing is not just about how far you walk; it’s about how early you tell your people what your body needs. Here are ready-to-use scripts you can adapt.

Use whatever language fits your culture and family, but keep three elements: name the body reality, link the boundary to being more present later, and give a concrete alternative.

3. Budget-friendly pain savers that are actually worth it

You can’t buy your way out of chronic pain, and First Class isn’t realistic for most families. But there are a few targeted expenses that regularly make the difference between “I survived” and “I actually enjoyed parts of this”.

• Pre-booked airport assistance: often free or low-cost. It can reduce standing, give you priority boarding and conserve pain-free minutes for later.
• Extra-legroom or aisle seat on the longest leg: if you can only upgrade one thing, make it the segment where your joints will suffer most.
• Checking bags instead of heavy carry-ons: a light personal item plus checked bag can be safer for your spine than wrestling multiple overhead bags.
• A simple comfort kit: compact lumbar cushion, eye mask, noise-blocking headphones or earplugs, heat patch/hand warmers (if allowed), basic brace or support you already use at home.
• Realistic accommodation choices: a lift instead of stairs, a room closer to reception, a bed that isn’t rock-hard if you know that triggers spasms. Sometimes shifting one night to a more body-friendly hotel is more valuable than adding another “experience”.

If you want help deciding which upgrades to choose on your budget, the Holiday Risk-to-Plan Builder walks you through trade-offs based on your condition, route, and family needs.

4. Managing the guilt spiral: “What if I ruin the trip?”

Almost every sandwich-generation traveller I meet worries less about their own pain and more about “spoiling it” for their children, partner or parents. Guilt is heavy – and walking long days with guilt on your shoulders is a fast path to flare-ups.

Three reframes I use in clinic and in TBL planning sessions:

• Rest is a strategy, not a failure. Two hours lying down in a dark, cool room may buy you enough capacity for dinner, a short walk and a bedtime story. Pushing through might buy you 40 extra minutes at the market and cost you the next two days.
• You’re part of the memory, not just the organiser. Your kids will not remember how many attractions you ticked off. They will remember how it felt to be with you. A slower board-game afternoon with you present is worth more than an extra excursion where you are in too much pain to engage.
• Protecting your body is also protecting future trips. Over-doing it on this holiday can trigger setbacks that limit what you can manage next year. Saying “no” to one hike today may be exactly what allows you to say “yes” to a future trip.

5. What success looks like for an exhausted sandwich-generation traveller

Success for you is not “we did everything on the brochure”. It might look like:

• Coming home tired in a normal way, not in a weeks-long flare.
• Having two or three truly connected moments with your kids or partner you can actually remember.
• Not needing emergency care or last-minute medication changes during the trip.
• Feeling, even once, “I did this differently – and my body noticed.”

Ticked Bucket List exists to help you design that version of success – especially when you live with complex pain and responsibilities in every direction.

If you’re ready to turn this guide into a concrete, personalised plan, you can:

• Explore the Decision Hub if you’re still asking, “Should we even go on this trip?”.
• Use the Holiday Risk-to-Plan Builder to map your specific risks into practical, body-aware adjustments.

This guide is general education, not personal medical advice. Always speak with your own clinician about your diagnoses, medications, clot risk and fitness to travel – especially before long-haul flights.