Eye Care on Vacation: 9 Essential Tips for Contact Lens Wearers

Planning a holiday? Don’t forget your eyes. While red, dry, or irritated eyes are unpleasant at home, they can become a major inconvenience when you're travelling – especially overseas. Below are eight (plus a bonus) essential eye care tips to help you keep your vision clear and healthy on your trip.

1. Book an Eye Check Before You Travel

Even if you think your prescription hasn’t changed, it’s worth seeing your optometrist before your trip. Your prescription could have shifted, and having a current one ensures you’ll enjoy clear vision throughout your holiday. Ask your eye doctor for a printed or digital copy of your prescription – it's handy to carry with you. They can also recommend eye drops tailored to travel conditions, such as for dry eyes

2. Pack a Travel Friendly Eye Care Kit

Assemble a compact travel bag just for eye care. Here’s what to include:

• An extra pair of contact lenses (or daily disposables)
• Prescription eyeglasses (gives your eyes a break)
• Contact lens solution and a spare case (if using weekly/ monthly lenses)
• Artificial tears or lubricating eye drops (especially in dry or air-conditioned environments)
• Tweezers (for handling lenses hygienically)
• Microfibre cloth (for cleaning glasses)

If you’re open to switching for the trip, using daily disposable lenses removes the hassle of carrying multi-purpose solutions and lens cases.

Travel Pick: We recommend daily contact lenses such as Qieto1day or Qieto1day Rich (Silicone Hydrogel) for holidays. Since they are daily disposables, you won’t need solutions or cases, making packing effortless.

3. Keep Your Prescription Accessible

Store your prescription in your phone (for example, in your email or a secure photo note) and carry a paper copy in case you need to see an optometrist abroad. This is especially important if your contact lens gets lost, damaged, or you need to replace your lenses on the go.

4. Use Goggles When Swimming

If you're planning to swim (pool or ocean), bring prescription swimming goggles. They protect your eyes from chlorine, saltwater, and microbes. Always remove your contacts before swimming if possible, or right afterward, to reduce the risk of infections.

5. Rinse After Swimming

After swimming, rinse your eyes with fresh sterile saline or use eye drops specified by your optometrist. This helps flush out irritants like chlorine or salt, reducing your risk of infection. Then give your eyes a break — switch to your glasses for a while.

6. Choose Sunglasses That Truly Protect

Sunglasses are more than a fashion accessory — they’re an eye health essential when you’re overseas. Here’s what to look for:

• Block 99–100% of UVA and UVB rays
• Polarised lenses if you’re sensitive to glare (especially around water or snow)
• Wide-brimmed hats are great backup protection for your eyes

In Australia, UV protection is very important year-round. Make sure your sunglasses meet UV-protection standards. Read this article on how to choose sunglasses that actually protect your eyes: Adelaide Now

7. Combat Dryness From Air Conditioning or Heat

Long flights, hotel rooms, or air-conditioned transport can dry out your eyes. Use preservative-free lubricating drops regularly, and take breaks from contact lens wear when possible by using your glasses.

If you’re heading to cold climates, remember snow and high winds can also irritate your eyes, goggles and moisture-retaining eyewear help.

8. Protect Your Eyes from Sand and Wind

Beaches and deserts are beautiful but hazardous for contact lens wearers: sand, dust, and grit can easily get into your eyes. Always have:

• Contact solution (or sterile saline) to rinse
• A spare case
• Sunglasses (or wraparound style) to block wind and debris

9. Clean Your Lenses Thoroughly Every Day

When you’re travelling, debris from the environment (sand, water, sweat) can accumulate on your lenses. If you use fortnightly or monthly contact lenses, every evening:

1. Remove your contacts
2. Disinfect them in fresh solution
3. Store them properly in a clean case

Never rinse your lenses with water — that can introduce harmful bacteria.

Safety First: Final Reminders

• Wash your hands before touching lenses.
• Always use sterilised contact solution, not water.
• Give your eyes a break by switching to glasses when possible.
• Keep your prescription handy.

By following these travel-friendly eye care tips, you can help prevent red, dry, or irritated eyes ruining your holiday. Before you go, make sure you’ve stocked up on your contact lenses — for example, you can order your favourite daily or monthly supply from Quicklens Australia (free shipping for orders over AU$99).

We wish you a wonderful Christmas and a joyful holiday season.