Travel Pharmacy: What You Really Need to Pack

Your health guide for holidays – from the travel pharmacy to vaccinations and the right insurance.

Important Notice

This guide does not replace professional medical advice. If you have pre-existing conditions or are travelling to tropical regions, please consult a travel-medicine specialist. Most GPs offer travel-health consultations.

The Essential Travel Pharmacy

These medications belong in every travel kit, whether it is a weekend trip or a three-week long-haul holiday:

Painkillers

Ibuprofen 400 or paracetamol 500. Helps with headaches, toothache, mild fever and sunburn pain.

Anti-diarrhoea medication

Loperamide (e.g. Imodium) as an immediate remedy plus electrolyte powder to restore fluids. The most common travel illness in warm countries!

Wound care

Plasters (various sizes), wound-disinfectant spray, sterile compresses. For minor injuries on the go.

Thermometer

Digital, small and light. Essential for assessing whether you need to see a doctor.

Cold remedies

Nasal spray, throat lozenges, cough syrup. Yes, you can catch a cold even on a beach holiday (air conditioning!).

Antihistamine

Cetirizine or loratadine for allergic reactions and insect bites. Cooling gel for swelling.

Vaccinations: What Do You Actually Need?

Standard vaccinations (everyone should have these)

Tetanus / diphtheria / whooping cough: Booster every 10 years
Measles / mumps / rubella: If born after 1970 and only vaccinated once, a top-up is recommended
COVID-19: Check your current vaccination status

Travel vaccinations (depending on destination)

South-East Asia / India

✓ Hepatitis A + B
✓ Typhoid
✓ Japanese encephalitis (for longer stays)
✓ Rabies (if animal contact is possible)

Sub-Saharan Africa

✓ Yellow fever (mandatory!)
✓ Hepatitis A + B
✓ Typhoid
✓ Malaria prophylaxis (tablets)

South America

✓ Yellow fever (mandatory in some countries)
✓ Hepatitis A
✓ Typhoid

Europe / North America

✓ Standard vaccinations usually suffice
✓ TBE in tick-risk areas (Scandinavia, Balkans)

Timeline: Schedule your vaccination appointment at least 6–8 weeks before departure. Some vaccinations require multiple doses at intervals. Most health-insurance providers cover the cost of recommended travel vaccinations.

International Health Insurance

An absolute must! Your standard domestic health insurance only covers care in EU/EEA countries – and even there, only at local rates (often less than in your home country). Outside Europe, you pay for everything yourself. A hospital stay in the US can easily cost 10,000–50,000 EUR.

A good international health-insurance policy costs around 10–15 EUR per year (annual policy) or 1–3 EUR per day of travel. It covers doctor visits, hospital stays and repatriation.