9 Realistic Tips On Traveling With Periods By Female Travelers

Raise your hand if you have been dreaming and preparing for a holiday for a long time and suddenly gets a… KNOCK KNOCK “Hey! It’s your periods and I’m here to ruin your holiday completely!”. Well, I’m sure a lot of you ladies must be having your hand raised up right now because it is a rare happening (at least for me) to not to get my periods before any much-awaited trip!

Traveling on periods can become a legit pain for you if precautions are not taken beforehand. So, rather than giving you some granny advice and tips on traveling with periods, I have collaborated with eight avid female travelers (and a bonus tip by me) who are sharing their real-life period’s mishap experiences and how they deal with the bloody mess on the roads!

Tips and tricks to deal with periods on the road are always great but what’s better is to get insured so you know someone is having your back! I recommend World Nomads as the best Travel Insurance company to take care of you while traveling with periods!

Traveling With Periods – Incident #1

By Khushboo of Munni of all Trades

I was on a road trip to Kerala visiting Alleppey, Varkala, Trivandrum, and Munnar. I hadn’t carried any sanitary napkins because my periods were not due and I figured I would have to carry one thing less in my heavy backpack. Aunt Flo, thought it prudent to pay me a visit 8 days early while I was driving down from Kochi to Alleppey which is a 4-hour journey. We were traveling on a bus and I had to request the conductor to stop the bus for a few minutes near a pharmacy and then next to a washroom. 

An hour went by with no pharmacy in sight but we did stop by at a restroom. Now, since I did not explicitly mention that I had to buy sanitary napkins to the conductor, he said, “That’s a clean washroom, go ahead”. My friend suggested that I should take some tissue papers with me to replace my sanitary napkin until we reached a pharmacy. The bus was hot despite the air conditioning. By the time we reached our destination, I was uncomfortable and on the verge of tears. I had just completed a four-hour picturesque journey with cute houses, beaches and palm trees but all I could obsess about was my lack of sanitary napkins.

Tip – Since then, I have moved to use a menstrual cup which is travel-friendly and does not occupy a lot of place in your backpack. It’s been the best decision I ever made!

Traveling With Periods – Incident #2

By Sarah of A Social Nomad

I seem to have a skill for being in the least hospitable parts of the world when I’ve got my period. I was on 3 days into a trek to Everest Base Camp when it arrived. The other time I was in the middle of the Bolivian Salt Flats and even in the middle of learning to scuba dive course.  In many cases nowhere near running water, trash bins and what you’d class as decent levels of hygiene. 

My menstrual cup has been one of the best investments I’ve made.  Not only do I not have to go searching for tampons or towels, but I’m saving the landfill that they create too. The menstrual cup is easy to empty out and then swill out (I always carry a filter water bottle, which provides drinking – and in this case cleaning water!) and reinsert.  

Tip – Switch to menstrual cup while on the road! At the end of my period, I wash the cup with boiled and hot water and it is stored for the next time.  Seriously convenient when the time of the month is inconvenient!

Traveling With Periods – Incident #3

By Emily of Two Dusty Travelers

When I switched birth control to an IUD and (like many women) stopped getting my period, I was overjoyed! It was wonderful to travel without having to pack tampons or worry about when my monthly visitor would arrive. But it turned out that I shouldn’t have let my guard down.

On the first day of a week-long sailing trip in remote islands in the Bahamas, surprise! I got my period. After years without one, I was caught totally unprepared (especially for a trip that had me spending all day every day in a swimsuit). Fortunately, a friend I was traveling with had packed tampons and was happy to share – but now I never travel without a handful of backup tampons just in case!

Tip – If you an avid traveler and okay with switching to IUD, then it is the best bet as it gives a peace of mind to not to worry about periods altogether!

Traveling With Periods – Incident #4

By Natalie of Blissmersion

When I was much younger, I went to Key West for a week. The plan was to go diving nearly every day. Of course, my period arrived. Naturally, I started worrying about whether or not a shark would attack me. I didn’t grow up near the water and I really didn’t know if it was going to be a problem or not.

I was 22 years old and rather shy about period stuff. However, I was so concerned about the shark thing that I went up to the male dive captain and asked, “Will a shark attack me? I’m on my period. He really didn’t know what to say and he actually never really answered my question! I think he said that I’d be fine and I went on to dive all week, as planned. I did not get attacked by a shark (and you won’t get attacked by a shark while on your period, either).

Tip – Don’t let periods stop you to enjoy your vacation! Swimming in periods is completely normal and it does not have any harmful effects of the health

Traveling With Periods – Incident #5

By Nuria of Subeala Nabe

When I decided to travel for a year, one of the things that worried me the most was how to deal with menstruation while traveling. I had read that in some countries in Asia and the Southeast Asia it was difficult to find tampons and sanitary towels. So I decided to try the menstrual cup as an alternative. And it’s the best decision I’ve made in my life. Traveling with the menstrual cup is very simple, you only need 3 things to use the cup: a sterilizer, sterilizing tablets and water (best bottled water).

During the last months, when I have been with the period I have spent the heat in the Southeast Asia, snorkeling in the Maldives, shared a room in the accommodations, driven a motorcycle for hours … and the menstrual cup made everything easier because I did not have to change sanitary towels or tampons, it did not smell bad despite the heat, it was easy and fast to clean it…In fact, with the menstrual cup I did not even feel I was with menstruation.

Tip – So my advice to travel when you are traveling with periods is to use a menstrual cup! Because it is simple, comfortable, easy, economical, more respectful with the environment because you generate less waste and, in addition, everything you need to travel with the menstrual cup fits in your hand, so it will take up little space in the suitcase.

Traveling With Periods – Incident #6

By Jo of Tea and Cake For The Soul

Before I had a hysterectomy at the age of 39, I suffered from very heavy bleeding and clotting during my periods. They would arrive when they liked too, so even if I tried to plan a holiday for when I wasn’t on, you could guarantee that Mother Nature had her own ideas.

I would make sure that I always had a “period kit” with me. I would use a small toiletry bag containing spare dark knickers, pads, tampons, liners, a flannel to freshen up and a bag to dispose of used hygiene items. I would carry this in my hand luggage, handbag or rucksack wherever we went. And yes, I did “come on” during a long hall flight once so it’s always worth having your kit handy.

Tip – If you suffer from painful periods be sure to pack a hot water bottle in your luggage, painkillers and anything else that soothes cramps such as peppermint tea.

Traveling With Periods – Incident #7

By Dorota of Born Globals

Since I’ve been using a menstrual cup, my periods got so much better and easier. However, using a menstual cup can be a challenge when you are on the road without access to a proper bathroom. It happened to me recently – I was on the first day of my period while being on a long hike without any bathrooms on the way for over 12 hours. Even though a cup is much more efficient than regular tampons and pads, I knew I will need to clean it in the wilderness.

And it is easier than you think! All you need is anti-bacterial gel and a bottle of water. You could also carry a small piece of soap with you.

Tip – Here’s how to clean your menstrual cup without a proper bathroom. Clean your hands with anti-bacterial gel then rinse them with water (or wash with soap if you have it). Remove the cup and empty it. Rinse the cup with water and remove the blood as well as you can (pay attention to the little holes). Lastly, insert the cup and you’re good to go!

Traveling With Periods – Incident #8

By Alyson of World Travel Family

When I traveled as a young woman periods were sometimes annoying, sometimes awkward and occasionally I changed plans because of them. I did a 12 month RTW and trekked in Peru, the Himalayas, and Thailand back in the days of normal menstruation. Then perimenopause hit. For me, perimenopause started right after I finished breastfeeding my younger child. I was 40. It continued for 10 years, more or less. Now, thankfully, I am in full menopause and let me tell you ladies – being in menopause rocks! Life got so much easier and the emotional rollercoaster is no more.

Perimenopause was a living hell for me particularly as it coincided with 6 years of full-time nomadic travel, with kids, and some seriously out-there destinations and activities. Perimenopause brings crashing depression, hideous anxiety and bloody torrents on a newly unpredictable cycle. It is hard but I got through it while visiting 50+ countries, raising 2 boys and trekking to Everest Base Camp. It is undoubtedly easier not to have to work around periods and PMT,  I don’t think I could possibly have coped with Tibet, for instance, while menstruating. I couldn’t have camped in the jungles of Borneo while looking for a WC.

Tip – During perimenopause, there was no way I could even get through a night without a protection change. If you experience perimenopause, be sure to focus on your mental health more and give some time to your body to get used to new unpredictable cycles. Keep on traveling, keep doing what you do and well done.

Traveling With Periods – Incident #9

By Rahma Khan of The Sane Adventurer (a.k.a Me)

Just a couple of months back I went on a one-week crazy road trip across North Pakistan with a bunch of strangers. Everything was going as per the plan, when just precisely two hours before my departure my periods surprised me! Let me not forget to mention that my periods were due after a week, which was supposed to be the end of my road trip and I was all happy about enjoying this road trip without dealing with periods on the road! Alas, destiny had some different plans…

Nonetheless, I started my journey by taking a two-hour flight followed by a nineteen-hour road trip in the mountains (Yes, read that again nineteen hours!) – All on the first day of periods dealing with heavy flow. Also, the roads on which we drove by weren’t the most comfortable ones at all (read: Bumpy AF!). After a nice ten hours, we stopped for breakfast at a place with very average toilets where I ran in to deal with the mess and pain I went through during the ride earlier.

Tip – When on long road trips, even if your due date is nowhere near do keep a sanitary napkin, tampon or menstrual cup – whatever you prefer to deal the traveling with periods situation. More importantly, keep the one that deals better with heavy flows and all the related discomfort and pain that comes with a long bumpy road trip ride.

I hope ladies that this post with real-life experiences was able to add some real value in your life and made traveling with periods easy for you! To make your life better, check out this packing list on traveling with periods.

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