Top Tips for Travelling Abroad

As the world is opening up after the pandemic, we are all dreaming of holidays. We have developed some tips to help those who need to follow to strict dietary regimes while on holidays.

Your dietary requirements shouldn’t stop you from enjoying trips with family and friends. With a little advance planning and organisation, you will be able to have a great time wherever you are going.

1. Dietitian’s letter – Request a letter from your dietitian listing all the low protein products and supplements you are planning to take with you. Provide as many details as possible to your dietitian even if you are taking low protein products from the supermarkets such as Violife Cheese, Vegan Bacon, etc. This letter may be required by the airline and will definitely be looked at while going through the customs. You can event request Product Commodity Codes from suppliers. At Promin we’re happy to assist with those details.

2. Booking your holiday – When booking your holiday, we would advise to consider self-catering where you can prepare your special low protein meals. Check our local supermarkets where you can get fresh vegetables and fruit and possibly some suitable gluten free options.

3. Accommodation – Check with your hotel/accommodation whether you could send some products in advance making sure not to send perishable products. Some hotels may be able to store those for you before you arrive. Before sending, always check details with the courier.

4. Accommodation facilities – If you’re opting for a self-catering accommodation, check kitchen facilities in advance. Do they have a cooker, oven, toaster, a microwave, etc? Is there a fridge/freezer?

5. Flights – When booking your flights, we would recommend contacting airline special assistance team who are usually helpful in agreeing to give you extra hand luggage for your medical food supplies. You will most likely to asked to provide a dietitian’s letter to confirm the dietitian and your dietary requirements. Request a written confirmation from the airline that they allow you to take extra hand luggage to avoid any problems at the airport. Our Marketing Manager Katya has followed this process successfully with Lufthansa, British Airways, American Airlines, TUI, Jet2 and Easyjet.

6. At the airport – Please allow extra time to go through security if you are taking your supplements and lp foods in your hand luggage. It is normal for security staff to inspect all your foods and supplements. Have your dietitian’s letter close by to show to the security staff to avoid any delays. It may take some time to go through security so being prepared certainly is a bonus.

7. Holiday destination – When going abroad, try to explore local low protein communities on social media or internet. It can be useful to connect with the local association to get their advice on local produce.

8. Travel Insurance – It’s always useful to arrange your travel insurance for a piece of mind before travelling. We would advise to declare your medical condition to the insurance company.

9. Low Protein Products and Supplements – Check with your supplier whether they can send your lp foods and supplements to the destination country in advance.

10. NSPKU Travel Guide – Check out NSPKU travel guide providing useful advice https://nspku.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/NSPKU_travelling_with_PKU_A4_16pp_2_0.pdf.

Enjoy your holidays!!!