Planning to travel

Travelling

If you travel with the person you care for, it’s a good idea to research and carefully plan the trip.

Whether you are travelling in Australia or overseas, you should make an emergency care plan that has all the important information about the person you care for and their need for care, and take a copy with you.

Planning transport

Plan how you will travel – whether by air, sea, rail or road. When you book your travel, talk with the transport provider about the needs of the person you care for, for example taking a wheelchair on board an aeroplane or ordering meals.

Plan how you will get around once you arrive at your destination. For example, you will need to know if the local buses, trains or taxis are accessible to the person you care for.

Planning accommodation

If you are booking accommodation, find out if the place will be accessible and what services they may offer. 

Planning overseas travel

If you’re travelling overseas, you may need to:

• buy travel insurance – the Australian Government doesn’t pay for medical treatment overseas or transport anyone back to Australia for treatment, so insurance is important in case you or the person you care for need health care while you are overseas
• tell Services Australia (if you get a Carer Payment and if you will be away for more than 6 weeks)
• tell the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (if the person you care for gets a payment from the department and if you will be away for more than 6 weeks)

You may need to make special plans if you are going to take medicines when you travel overseas. You should:

• take a supply of medicines that will be enough for the trip as well as for any delays
• check with the embassy or consulate of the country you are visiting to make sure the medicines are legal
• carry a letter from your doctor that lists your medicines
• keep medicines in their original packaging so that they can be easily identified

Find out more about Travelling with medication and medical devices | Smartraveller.