Travelling with Behçet’s

Travelling with Behçet’s: Tips for stress-free trips

An open car boot packed with a bright red suitcase stacked on top of a larger orange suitcase. The dark blue car is parked on a paved driveway next to lush green bushes and trees, with soft sunlight filtering through the leaves on the left.

Travelling can be one of life’s most rewarding experiences – but living with a chronic condition like Behçet’s means it often requires extra planning. Since stress is a common trigger for flares, thoughtful preparation can help make your trip safe, comfortable, and enjoyable.

Plan ahead for a smoother trip

Taking time to plan can reduce travel stress. Before booking your trip, consider your health needs, including the climate of your destination, the pace of your itinerary, and access to medical care nearby. Flares can be unpredictable, so build flexibility into your plans and try to travel during periods when your symptoms are relatively stable.

Travel insurance is particularly important if you are travelling abroad. Make sure your policy covers pre-existing conditions and provides access to medical care if needed. See Behçet’s & Travel Insurance below for more guidance.

Talk to your medical team before you go

A brief conversation with your medical team can help you travel more confidently. Ask whether your current symptoms make travel safe and discuss how to manage medication schedules if you’ll be crossing time zones. Your GP practice can also provide a health summary detailing your diagnosis and medications, which may be helpful at airport security or if you require medical care while away.

Carry your Behçet’s UK Alert Card

Keeping essential health information accessible can make a big difference in an emergency. If you are a member of Behçet’s UK, always fill out and carry your Behçet’s UK Alert Card. This wallet-sized card quickly communicates key information about the condition to healthcare professionals, links directly to our website, and includes dedicated space to record your current medications and emergency contacts.

Alongside your card, remember to pack a copy of your official medical summary from your doctor and your travel insurance documents. It is highly recommended to store digital copies of these files on your mobile phone or within your email as a secure backup, ensuring you can still access them if the paper originals are lost.

If you need a replacement alert card, please contact the admin team by email at [email protected] or phone 0345 130 7328.

Don’t forget your medications

Bring more medication than you expect to need in case of travel delays. Keep them in their original pharmacy packaging with the prescription labels clearly visible, and always pack them securely in your carry-on luggage rather than checked bags. If any of your medications require refrigeration, use a small, insulated travel bag with cold packs to maintain the proper temperature throughout your journey.

Create a small “flare comfort kit”

Pack a few tried and tested comfort items to make travel easier if symptoms appear unexpectedly. This could include mouth ulcer gel or rinse, eye drops for irritation, lip balm, pain relief medication or soft snacks if eating becomes uncomfortable.

Manage fatigue while travelling

Fatigue is a common challenge for people with Behçet’s, so pacing yourself is important. Build plenty of rest time into your itinerary and avoid overpacking your schedule. Choosing accommodation close to the places you want to visit can also reduce unnecessary walking and stress.

Prepare for the unexpected

Even well-planned trips can bring surprises. Before you travel, locate nearby hospitals or clinics at your destination and save their contact information. Knowing where to go if a flare occurs can reduce anxiety and allow for a quick response.

Travel at your own pace

Travel doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. Taking things slowly, scheduling rest breaks, and adjusting plans when needed are all part of travelling well with a chronic illness.

Behçet’s & Travel Insurance

Behçet’s is considered a pre-existing condition by UK insurers, so it must be declared when arranging travel insurance.

Here are some key tips to consider when buying travel insurance:

Declare everything accurately. Include any related complications, e.g., eye inflammation, blood clots, and neurological involvement. Expect a medical screening; insurers may ask about medications, hospital admissions, and disease stability. Policies may be cheaper if your condition is stable and well-managed, so documentation from your GP or specialist can support this.

Try mainstream insurers. Some mainstream UK insurers will cover pre-existing conditions. Using a price comparison site is a good first step. You may be offered cover at standard rates or at a higher premium, which can sometimes be more expensive than choosing a specialist insurer.

Compare specialist insurers. Specialist insurers handle complex conditions better and often offer competitive rates for autoimmune conditions than mainstream insurers.

Use a broker for complex cases. Brokers can compare multiple specialist insurers and may find better rates than buying direct.

Check the small print. Some insurers exclude cover for flare-ups or complications unless the condition has been stable for a period (often 3–12 months), so study and compare the small print.

Consider an annual multi-trip policy. If travelling multiple times a year, this can be cheaper than several single-trip policies, even with a pre-existing condition.

Choose a higher excess carefully. A higher excess (the amount you pay towards a claim) can reduce premiums, but ensure you can afford it if needed.

Limit coverage to essential needs. Focus on adequate medical cover, especially outside Europe, where costs can be high. Extras like gadget or winter sports cover can increase premiums unnecessarily.

Buy insurance as soon as the trip is booked. This ensures cancellation cover if your condition flares before you travel.

For European trips. Carry a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) alongside your travel insurance. You can apply on the NHS website.

Important Notice:
Behçet’s UK provides this information for signposting purposes only. We cannot recommend any of the insurers or brokers mentioned and have no links or affiliations with them. We encourage you to research providers carefully before purchasing travel insurance.

Organisations who can help

  • MoneyHelper is a UK government-backed guidance service which runs a directory of insurers covering pre-existing conditions.
    www.moneyhelper.org.uk
  • British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) has a “Find Insurance” service that can help people locate specialist brokers if they’re declined elsewhere.
    www.biba.org.uk/find-insurance

Brokers and comparison sites specialising in pre-existing medical conditions

Specialist Insurers