I thought the hardest part would be getting through airport security. It wasn’t. It was the tiny elevator at the hotel in Lisbon that couldn’t fit both me and my portable oxygen concentrator.
Let’s start with this: if you’re even considering travelling with medical oxygen, you already deserve a medal. It takes planning, resilience, and just a little bit of blind faith. But if you do it right, the rewards far outweigh the worries.
So here it is, not a medical manual, not a checklist, but the kind of advice you’d get from someone who’s done it. Someone who’s dealt with the cables, the customs forms, the “Where’s your prescription?” stares. And yes, someone who’s called for help from a hotel lobby in a language they barely speak.
Your confidence might wobble. That’s completely normal.
The lead-up to travel is always the hardest part. Even if you’ve got every document, every adapter, every delivery arranged in advance, there’s still that pause before you leave home. “What if I can’t cope? What if something goes wrong?”
It’s not weakness. It’s reality. When you live with oxygen support, you learn to rely on your routines. You know how far your tubing stretches at home. You know how long your concentrator battery really lasts, not what the manual says. Travel throws all of that up in the air.
One thing that helped? Knowing I wasn’t doing it alone. I had OxygenWorldwide lined up in the background. Their team didn’t just deliver oxygen; they gave me backup. If I needed a replacement or something failed en route, there was someone I could call, in English, French, or Spanish. That makes all the difference. They also made sure everything was in place before I arrived. Not just the equipment, but the peace of mind.
Portable doesn’t always mean practical.
You see the word “portable” and think: lightweight, easy, discreet. Not always the case.
Some concentrators are bulky. Others have wheels, but the wrong kind for cobblestones. Batteries that claim “up to 8 hours” often mean 3.5 on continuous flow. And then there’s airport security, train platforms, rental cars with too-small boots.
What I learned the hard way: size and weight aren’t everything. Charging flexibility matters. Can you plug in on the go? Will your power cord work in Italy and France? How noisy is the machine in a quiet restaurant?
If I could rewind time, I’d have asked OxygenWorldwide to help me match my equipment to my destination. Hilly town in southern Italy? Lightweight unit with a shoulder strap. City hopping by train? Something with easy battery swaps and a decent carrying case. In some cases, even switching to liquid oxygen can make a difference—if it’s available locally and better suited to your mobility.
Each country has its own rules and surprises.
You’d think medical oxygen is a universal need. But the rules for delivery, refills, and use vary wildly.
In France, I needed a local prescription. In Spain, my hotel wouldn’t accept delivery unless I was already checked in. In Germany, they needed my arrival time to the minute. In the Netherlands, they were incredibly efficient—but expected me to be, too. The paperwork alone could put off the bravest traveller.
It’s not impossible to manage, but it is a puzzle. That’s where OxygenWorldwide shone: they knew the local quirks and smoothed things over in advance. They even helped liaise with the suppliers to make sure everything met the requirements of the country I was visiting. And when one of the delivery vans had trouble accessing a pedestrian zone in a historic city, they rerouted everything without me lifting a finger.
Hotels can be a weak link. Plan ahead.
Most hotel staff are kind. But that doesn’t mean they understand what a concentrator is or why you might need a ground-floor room with socket access.
Always email ahead. Ask about lifts. Ask about stairs. Ask about fridge space (some meds require it). Be annoyingly specific if needed.
If you’re using a service like OxygenWorldwide to arrange delivery, double-check that the hotel is ready to accept the equipment. I once had a front desk refuse my oxygen delivery because “we don’t store medical items.” It took two calls and an intervention from the local supplier to sort it out. After that, I made a habit of calling every hotel 48 hours in advance just to confirm they were expecting the delivery.
You might surprise yourself.
Yes, you’ll tire more easily. You’ll need to rest. But you’ll also eat outside in a plaza, or watch the sun go down from a bench overlooking the sea, and you’ll remember why you did this.
You’ll rediscover your independence. Even if you need support along the way, the decision to travel is yours. That alone can feel like a win.
A fellow traveller once told me: “My world got small when I started oxygen. Travelling made it big again.”
That stuck with me.
Things go wrong. That’s why support matters.
Delayed flights. Plug adapters that melt (yes, really). An oxygen tube that splits when you’re nowhere near a pharmacy. A missing delivery driver. A hotel receptionist who doesn’t know what a concentrator is and tries to send it back.
These things happen. The question is: what then?
If you’re already a client of OxygenWorldwide, you’re not stuck. They’ve got an emergency support line that isn’t just a form or chatbot. They’ll speak your language and talk you through the next steps. That’s not a luxury. That’s peace of mind.
And it’s worth noting: they don’t just help individuals. They also work with insurers, hospitals, and oxygen suppliers back home. If you’ve just been discharged from hospital abroad or need oxygen on arrival from your flight, they’re often the link that makes it all come together.
What it all comes down to
Travelling with oxygen takes courage. But courage doesn’t mean doing it all alone. It means planning smartly, having support in place, and knowing your limits without letting them define you.
Would I do it again? Absolutely.
But next time, I’ll book the hotel room with the wide lift. I’ll pack extra nasal cannulas. And I’ll give myself a bit more credit for doing something brave.
If you’re planning a trip and need oxygen support at your destination, OxygenWorldwide can help.
They work in multiple languages, across borders, and with an international network of trusted suppliers. Their team helps arrange the right oxygen for the right country, whether you’re going to Portugal for a few weeks or relocating to Spain for good.
