Finding HopeMore Tips For Travelling As An Autistic Person
Posted on June 10, 2023
Back in 2018, I wrote a post about travelling as an autistic person and my personal tips for making it smoother and less stressful and anxiety-inducing. In that post, I included:
- Plan ahead
- Speak to a travel agent
- Choose your accommodation carefully
- Write a list of everything you’ll need and have someone check it
- Pack an emergency kit in your carry on baggage
- Bring your own food
- Prepare specifically for the flight
- Build in time out and don’t feel guilty for it
I still stand by all of these strategies but since then, having travelled more and gained more experience (apart from the lockdown and pandemic times – the latter of which we are arguably still in but obviously travel is now more possible for many, many people), I have more thoughts that I thought might be helpful to share.
FIND A GOOD TRAVEL AGENT – I wrote about talking to a travel agent last time but I wanted to share my personal experience with our travel agent, a guy we first met when we travelled to the US in 2016. Since then, we’ve booked every trip we’ve taken with his help – we go to him for everything – and developed a solid relationship. It really helps, I think, that he has a working knowledge and understanding of Autism so, even though he didn’t know me and my struggles personally, he picked up what I could and couldn’t handle very quickly, which has made things so much smoother than they might’ve been otherwise. He always goes above and beyond for us, something I would attribute to the working relationship we’ve built with him, and I so, so appreciate it.
TAKE INSPIRATION FROM YOUR MOST EXTREME NEEDS WHEN YOU PACK – It’s easy to optimistically assume that you’ll have a normal day every day you’re away but that’s not only unlikely because our minds and bodies don’t cooperate just because we want them to but also because the stress and anxiety of travelling and being in a new, unfamiliar place can do a number on us. I always find being away from home for more than a few days incredibly stressful, which can screw up my energy, my pain, my anxiety, my sensory issues… So packing with bad days in mind is probably a good idea; I’ve started carrying my heat pad (for pain), my joint supports (which I don’t always need but, of course, always seem to need when I’ve left them at home), a number of different fidget toys, medication for migraines (not a super common occurrence but debilitating when they do happen) and so on…
LEARN SOME BASIC PHRASES – If you’re planning to go somewhere where the language is different to that of your home country, it’s definitely worth learning at least a few common phrases. I know this is often considered to be common courtesy and I don’t disagree but when you have a lot of health stuff to deal with or get really overwhelmed in new environments, it’s not that simple; with all of your other preparations, it can just slip down the priority list and then off the list altogether. I recently went to Germany and between the ridiculously long hours trying to get everything done before I left and then the total overwhelm when I got there, I somehow didn’t clock that I didn’t speak any German until a couple of days in. How bizarre is that?! Then, of course, I panicked and did my best to speed learn words and phrases like, “Yes, please,” “No, thank you,” “English please,” “Excuse me,” and “I’m sorry.” Fortunately for me, German isn’t completely alien and the spellings and pronunciations – at least for the simple stuff – are relatively close, or at least they felt that way in my brain. So I picked those up easily, which was a relief. I think that having some language can really reduce your anxiety because you don’t feel so lost (and potentially helpless) and it makes moving around and engaging with where you are a little easier.
ASSISTANCE SERVICES AT THE AIRPORT – I’ve now done multiple trips through airports where we’ve arranged for the assistance services to help us out. So now I get wheeled (in a wheelchair or one of those electric buggies) from check out to not just the gate but down the gangplank to the actual plane. Because I struggle with standing and walking for extended periods of time, this has not only reduced both my pain and fatigue, it’s also reduced my anxiety about the time it takes and the recovery time I’ll need later. Apart from a few mix ups (uncommon but it has happened), they’ve been super efficient and very nice. I’ve found a couple of them to be a bit intimidating but I think that’s just because they’re utterly focussed on the job (and the next one and the next one); no one has ever been anything but polite and even funny. On my recent trip to Germany, one of the women was really, really nice and we had a good laugh despite the language hurdles to navigate. The one confusion that I’ve experienced is that, at some airports (and always in the US), they operate on a tip system but no one’s ever told us that one way or the other. Maybe it’s the straightforward, autistic approach to things but, to me, a service provided by the airport implies that the airport pays them for the work they’re doing but clearly not. So that did take me by surprise and I haven’t always been prepared for that, financially or emotionally.
IF YOU’RE TRAVELLING FOR A SPECIFIC EVENT, FAMILIARISE YOURSELF WITH WHERE YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU NEED TO BE – If you’re travelling for an event like a wedding or a birthday, it’s well worth doing things like checking out and practising the route (or routes you’ll have to travel) so that you know how to get where you’re going and how long it will take. You don’t want to be stressing about being late or getting lost on the important day itself. And if you have to let go of everything else just to make sure that you can attend and engage with the event you’re there for, then that’s what you need to do; it’s hard not to feel guilty or upset about not ‘taking advantage’ of the opportunities that travelling has presented you with but most likely, if you’ve travelled for a particular event, it’s really important to you and has to be your priority. Chances are that you’ll feel better for putting it first.
HYDRATE – If I have learned anything over the last few years, it is how important it is to stay hydrated. We all know this, of course – we’re told often enough that none of us are drinking enough water – but autistic individuals often struggle with it specifically due to problems with our interoception (plus, thirst signals are generally weaker than other internal signals, making them harder to recognise). Being dehydrated can make everything so much harder, causing headaches and exhaustion to name a few, and when you’re away in an unfamiliar place, that’s the last thing you want.
IF YOU HAVE TO GO HOME EARLY, THAT’S OKAY – Sometimes shit happens and plans have to change. And that has to be okay. Whether it’s your physical health, your mental health, something going on at home, sometimes you just have to figure out how to accept the need for change and go home. Sometimes it’s a case of choosing the ‘lesser of two evils’ – staying is hard but so is leaving – and making the choice that feels the most right, even if both of them feel wrong to a certain extent. I usually need some time to come to terms with what the right decision is but then, once I know what I need to do, I just have to figure out how to make it happen.
Friedrichshafen in Germany: Lake Constance (known as Bodensee in German) and some gorgeous flowers I saw. (x)
As always, I feel sure that I’ve missed some. But hopefully these will be somewhat helpful to somebody. If any of you guys have any tips you’d like to share, please stick them in the comments!
Tips For Travelling as an Autistic Person
Posted on July 7, 2018
Travelling is hard work for everybody. It’s exhausting and stressful and frustrating. But add in sensory issues or anxiety or whatever it is you struggle with and it can be a traumatic experience. Since we are now in the summer holidays and prime travelling time, I thought I’d put together some things that I found helpful to do as an autistic person who struggles with anxiety. I would like to point out (again) that there is a maddening lack of resources (and even simple testimony) for or from the point of view of autistic people. I spent hours searching for something but there was next to nothing; all the advice was for parents of young autistic children. Of course that information is important but it’s very demoralising to an autistic adult – essentially being compared to a child – especially one who was diagnosed late and has had to work so hard, often unaided, to manage their difficulties.
PLAN AHEAD – I know, this is my advice for everything, but it really does help. Struggling with unexpected change is a common trait in Autism and while planning can’t prevent all of those changes, it can make a huge difference. It can also give you a confidence boost, knowing that your actions have prevented a certain amount of anxiety.
SPEAK TO A TRAVEL AGENT – Being able to hand some of the responsibility off to someone else can be really helpful, especially if you have limited energy. You have to prioritise the tasks and if there are people who can help, that is a valuable resource. These people are also more likely to know the ins and outs of booking flights and accommodations etc and will therefore be more equipped to help you get what you need and want to get the most out of your trip.
CHOOSE YOUR ACCOMMODATION CAREFULLY – Having somewhere where you can have time out and recharge is so important when travelling. We all have different sensory needs and different things we can tolerate so choosing a place to stay is really important. For example, staying with other people (people I don’t know) causes me a lot of anxiety so when we look through Airbnb, we look at places that allow us to be the sole inhabitants. It won’t be the same for everyone but if you can identify what you need, you can hopefully find somewhere to stay that can be a restful place rather than a stressful one.
WRITE A LIST OF EVERYTHING YOU’LL NEED AND HAVE SOMEONE CHECK IT – Having a list makes packing so much easier and having someone check it for you just reduces the chances of making a stupid mistake like forgetting your pyjamas. Because that really isn’t something you need to deal with when you arrive wherever you’re going. Also make sure that you’ve got any medications or medical equipment that you need because those can be particularly difficult to get hold of, especially if you’re in another country.
PACK AN EMERGENCY KIT IN YOUR CARRY ON BAGGAGE – On the off chance that your bags get lost along the way, pack a change of clothes, some medication, etc in your carry on bag so that you can at least get up the next day and work out a solution.
BRING YOUR OWN FOOD – You’d need to check with your airline but there are certain foods that you can take in your suitcase that won’t cause you any problems while travelling. That means that, at the very least, you’ll have something to eat when you get to your destination. But in my case, it gave me a staple food that I knew I could eat in case I couldn’t find anything I could tolerate. It took away some of the anxiety, for which I was grateful.
PREPARE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE FLIGHT – Apparently, we’re flying in this hypothetical. Many people have fears associated with flying and while I don’t have any magic words of wisdom there, there are a couple of tricks to make it slightly less difficult, especially if you have sensory issues. Take sweets to suck on and relieve the pressure in your ears. Wearing a mask over your face can help if you’re worried about bad reactions to everyone’s germs in one confined space, as well as chemicals from perfumes etc. I’ve also found that a playlist of familiar music helps with the constant noise of flying. And wearing comfortable clothes: you’re most likely gonna look awful when you get there anyway so why bother with anything more than a T-shirt and leggings.
BUILD IN TIME OUT AND DON’T FEEL GUILTY FOR IT – Easier said than done, I know but burning yourself out in the first couple of days doesn’t make for a good trip. So try to take breaks between things and listen to your body: if you need to rest, rest. It will make the whole trip more enjoyable and worthwhile if you do.
As of now, I think that’s all I’ve got. But if you guys have any tips that you’ve found helpful, please let me know!
Finding Hope 