This article helps oxygen users who want to spend the long winter months in the warmer Mediterranean region detailing long stay travel with medical oxygen planning (how-tos, what you’ll need, and lists you’ll need to make before you start), discusses the available equipment and any advantages and drawbacks to each piece.   You will also learn about the importance of having a back-up plan and back-up equipment, and highlights the many ways in which OxygenWorldwide can offer step-by-step support to your medical oxygen holiday planning, offering reassurance, practical assistance, smooth logistics and more.

Dee was diagnosed with COPD after a lifetime on a factory floor, sewing fabric and inhaling small threads and particles – much of her working life was complete before health and safety regulations were strictly enforced in the workplace. Dee is lucky in that her COPD is relatively mild and if she takes care about her lifestyle, she manages very well in retirement. Recently, Dee went to Portugal to get away from the brutal damp of a UK winter, and found the climate to be absolutely wonderful. Sitting on her hotel terrace, in the soft winter air, she wondered if she would be able to come back next winter – maybe for the whole winter. The problem, Dee thinks, is that by next winter she will need more intensive medical oxygen than her current occasional use – her doctor has warned her of that much.

Dee got in touch with OxygenWorldwide and we were quickly able to reassure her that yes, she absolutely could arrange a steady supply of medical oxygen for a multi-month stay in Portugal – especially in Portugal (and Spain and France too) as OxygenWorldwide has particularly strong contacts in those countries. Dee’s dream of wintering in Spain with oxygen is not only achievable, but it is far easier and simpler than she thought with the right preparation – OxygenWorldwide has experience with helping many oxygen users to travel widely.

Why the Mediterranean Works for Long Stays with Oxygen

The Mediterranean has a wonderful mild climate in winter, and most of the towns are easily walkable – close enough that most venues are reachable in twenty minutes or so and accessible enough for many mobility aids to be used (with some caveats and exceptions – do check the guidebooks for specific information if you have especial trouble getting about). While the busiest resorts do fill up, especially during the peak holiday season, there are usually a host of small villages and hamlets along the coast where you can find reasonably priced accommodation for the duration of your stay. Even in these ‘remote’ areas, healthcare offerings are good, so you will be able to find a pharmacy or doctor’s surgery easily, and the electricity supply tends to be uniformly good, so you don’t need to worry about your batteries running out without being able to recharge them. And this often leads into the next point, which is that most of these places have easy access for the clients – and for delivery personnel bringing your oxygen equipment and refills!

OxygenWorldwide will liaise with the accommodation manager to ensure that your oxygen can be brought on site and installed in your room before you arrive to take up your winter residency, so you can confirm your bookings with a light heart and clear mind.

Donna and Trevor have visited a tiny Spanish village every winter since Trevor’s retirement. His severe asthma loathes the cold, so they come out to Spain towards the end of October, and stay until March, beautifully looked after by Pilar and her mum. They tried it for one year, and were so delighted with the ease of using OxygenWorldwide to ensure a reliable oxygen supply that they have returned every year since – they’re currently planning their twelfth visit!

Step One: Get Medical Clearance for a Longer Trip

Whenever you travel while you are using medical oxygen on a regular basis, you should make sure that you inform your medical team of your plans. This is almost more important for longer stays, as you may need to discuss changing oxygen needs, should your condition improve or progress while you are away. Your doctor will consider your flowrate, the equipment you’ll be using and the progression of your illness. But don’t worry – even if your doctor does recommend changing your prescription when you are going to be away for the whole winter, this doesn’t mean that you can’t go. You can still travel with your revised prescription.

Step Two: Choose the Right Equipment for a Long Stay

Visiting a country for just a few days requires different equipment than you would need for a longer visit. For example, portable oxygen concentrators are great for mobility, but if you are going to be based in one room for three or four months, you will more likely be recommended to use a large static oxygen cylinder for night treatments. You can also access stationary concentrators that are bigger and quicker than the portable variety, and – occasionally – LOX tanks might be available if you have a high required flowrate and the destination country allows access to LOX.

NB: In the USA, no oxygen can be carried on a flight, but there is occasionally space for empty only cylinders to be carried as checked luggage. There is no cross-border oxygen system for the USA, so you might be better off sourcing a bigger oxygen concentrator for long term travel.

Europe, and the Mediterranean countries, are a little more relaxed, but you should always plan for power considerations, having the right space available for your equipment, whether on your mode of transport or in your accommodation – and you should always have a backup support system. This is where OxygenWorldwide comes in: we can help you source a new oxygen supply should your existing supply fail for any reason, or if you have to move to another hotel or village for any reason.

Step Three: Sign Up with OxygenWorldwide Early

Going anywhere for a long period requires more planning than shorter trips when one-off supplies can be organised relatively easily. But needing a sustained supply of refills and top-ups requires more input: so starting the process as early as possible makes it easier for us to ensure the logistics of your trip are seamless. And there’s another reason to fill out the OxygenWorldwide travel form as early as possible – they will do everything for you! From checking availability, confirming your equipment order and liaising with the property or hotel manager, you won’t have to worry about a thing.

Step Four: Picking Accommodation That Makes Oxygen Access Easy

While medical oxygen can be sourced and delivered to almost anywhere, there are a number of steps you can take to ensure that your oxygen is delivered willingly by the delivery agent. Here’s how:

  • Opt for a ground-floor flat or room (or ensure there’s a functioning lift)
  • Ask about the reliability of the electricity supply
  • Make sure the room is spacious enough to accommodate the equipment – cylinders, tanks and stationary concentrators are surprisingly bulky, and if you’re scaling up for the longer stay, you will need more room than perhaps you think
  • Ensure the accommodation owner or manager is aware of and cooperative about your oxygen deliveries.
  • Ascertain the hours that the reception in the hotel or accommodation is manned, and pass this information on to the company who will need to tailor their deliveries to those times.

A quick word about accommodations on holidays:

  • Hotels are well-known – rooms containing a bed, usually an ensuite bathroom, and a couple of home comforts
  • Apartments are, as they sound, flats which can be rented for short terms, from two or three months to around 6 to 8 months is probably as long as a short-term rental will run
  • Long-term rentals are, as they sound, longer contracts, rather like the one you are living in currently (unless you are a homeowner!) These are usually rented out for a minimum of six months, but often for far longer. As long as the property is well-maintained, the landlord is often happy to keep the same tenants for long periods of time

Step Five: Managing Deliveries and Long Stay Refills

Once you’ve signed up with OxygenWorldwide and paid your fees, we will spring into action, organising the initial delivery to be at the accommodation before your arrival or very shortly after it. Medium-length stays will be overseen as refills or cylinder changes will take place. Throughout the entire stay and even before, OxygenWorldwide will be communicating with oxygen suppliers, ordering, verifying and double checking that your needs will be met, so no one has to fret about organising vital medical supplies all alone and often in a foreign language!

Step Six: Planning Daily Life with Oxygen in the Winter Sun

Just planning to travel to the Mediterranean with oxygen is hard enough: planning to travel to the Mediterranean and stay long term requires more steps and even more planning. Let’s take a look at some of the things you’ll need to think about.

Use portable concentrators when out and about to save your cylinders for nighttime use – and take it easy on yourself! You won’t prove anything by making yourself sick

Store your equipment safely. This means that housekeeping should be able to come and tidy your room without accessing your equipment, or finding it in their way to move and potentially lose or break. Charge batteries as soon as they go flat so you always have a good level of power available. Be aware that different countries have different climates, so your destination may be more or less humid and more or less hotter or colder – all of which can affect your usage. But it’s not all lists and things to remember! Many long-term travellers find a community in their destination where they can go for morning promenades, enjoy relaxed lunches, arrange visiting circles of family members and friends, and even finding winter expat communities to join. Having a routine in your long-term stay is a great way to stay alert and enjoy every moment of your stay!

Step Seven: What to Expect on Arrival

In most cases, your oxygen delivery will arrive before you and should be placed in your room, in a suitable location for it to be used – often, near the bed for easy night time treatments. There will be printed instructions, guiding you through the use of the unfamiliar equipment, so you can quickly get to grips with it, and there will be a support number, either from the supplier or from OxygenWorldwide (or both!) Don’t fret if you arrive late at your destination – this is very common and is easily managed without your needing to stress at all.

And just in case something does go astray, there is a twenty-four/ seven phone line for existing OxygenWorldwide customers who need help with equipment refills or replacements.

Long Stay Checklist

  • Get medical clearance
  • Ensure your prescription is up-to-date
  • Submit your travel form as early as possible
  • Book and print your airline documents
  • Book and confirm your accommodation
  • Organise delivery (or sign up with OxygenWorldwide who will do it for you!)
  • Make sure you have a backup cylinder, if one is available – a backup plan otherwise!
  • Have a charging plan for your portable concentrator to ensure it slows you down as little as possible
  • Hard copy lists of contact numbers
  • Hard copy photostats of all the relevant information, from travel documents to prescription confirmation

And now it’s your turn! You know what OxygenWorldwide can do for you until you ask, so wait no longer and give us a call to let us know your oxygen therapy holiday needs. All you need to know is that long-stays are absolutely manageable with the right preparation and support. If you have any further doubts, get in touch and ask one of the team to give you a call to discuss your needs and the various options available.

FAQs

What if my oxygen needs vary?

Most patients have days when they need their oxygen more than others. This is easily accommodated if you are signed up with OxygenWorldwide – we can contact our suppliers and ask them to send you increased oxygen while you need it. We will take care of all the contact between you and the supplier, so you can focus on your trip!

Can I travel alone with medical oxygen?

Yes, you can – with a caveat or two! Make sure someone knows where you’ll be and when so they can check up on you at appropriate moments, and don’t be shy to confide in your transport assistants, whether that’s a train conductor or an air steward. They can help if you get into difficulties, but only if they have an idea about what might be happening

Can my helper/carer get in touch with you on my behalf?

As long as we are given their name, we will deal with your registered carers or partners

What if I become sicker while abroad?

Let’s hope that doesn’t happen, but if it does, get in touch and we’ll see how we can quickly and safely repatriate you if necessary. But in most cases, we can adjust your oxygen supply as needed, so your health can continue to improve.