Travelling with contacts: pack a backup plan

Put glasses on the packing list

Travel changes the environment around a familiar routine: clean hands, the correct solution, enough time and a suitable case may be harder to arrange. The lens requirements do not become less strict because luggage space is limited. A backup pair of glasses provides a real alternative when hygiene, sleep or water exposure makes normal lens wear impractical.

CDC recommends carrying backup glasses and contact lens supplies when travelling. Pack your prescribed lenses, suitable solution and case where you can reach them. Our suggestion is to keep a small written list of the exact products so a missing item is easier to identify.

Decide what happens during sleep

Remove lenses before sleeping unless your eye-care provider has specifically directed otherwise. On a long journey, plan the removal before you become drowsy. If clean handling and the correct storage routine are difficult, wearing glasses is a practical alternative.

Keep water out of the routine

Do not substitute tap or bottled water for lens solution, and remove contacts before swimming or showering. Follow the replacement schedule throughout the trip. A holiday does not reset it, and leftover solution should not be topped up with fresh solution.

Check practical limits before departure

Check the transport operator’s current rules for carrying liquids and leave time to obtain the correct supplies. Our suggested plan also records where to seek eye care at your destination. If symptoms develop, use your backup glasses and contact an eye-care service.

A worked example

Pack the correct labelled supplies, enough replacement lenses and your glasses in accessible luggage. Do not transfer solution into an unlabelled bottle simply to fit a bag. Before a swim, flight nap or overnight journey, decide when lenses will be removed and how the stated care process will be completed. That plan is more reliable than improvising with hotel tap water.