Two years ago, when Amy Rice* started experiencing menopause symptoms, she faced a big decision: whether or not to take a road trip to New Orleans for Jazz Fest. Amy and her cousin had talked excitedly about the adventure for some time, and now a mutual friend was interested too. But it would be a nearly 700-mile drive, with at least one night of camping out, and the music festival itself, as amazing as the lineup sounded, would mean a lot of standing around in the sun. 

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“I really wanted to go, but with the brain fuzz and the night sweats and the whole experience being so emotional, like, ‘Holy crap, this is really happening,’” Amy says with a sigh. “It was hard—and I’d never know if I made the right choice.” (More on that decision in a minute.) It hardly seemed as if menopause had any positive effect on travel.

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The Menopause Travel Problem

Any woman entering menopause could probably relate to Amy’s predicament, wondering if now is the right or wrong time to go on vacation. After all, unlike a business trip, that you pretty much have to grin and bear, leisure travel is by definition fun—so no one wants to spend good money just to be miserable. Do you take the leap and hope for the best, or stick close to familiar territory, for the proverbial comforts of home? Deciding involves weighing the severity of your symptoms, the activities of the trip, the accepted medical wisdom, and, for good measure, the latest research on the subject—because there is some.  

A recent study of 278 middle-aged women showed that certain types of travel can actually help relieve menopausal symptoms and contribute to overall life satisfaction. Published in the International Journal of Tourism Research, the study found empirical evidence that cultural tourism, wellness tourism, sports tourism, and shopping tourism had a positive impact on subjects’ wellbeing. 

Recent research found that travel can relieve menopausal symptoms. Who’s ready to book that next trip?

In other words, a fairly active holiday—one that includes checking out local arts, culture, and wares, as well as participating in athletic activities—might make the “change of life” easier. Interestingly, culinary tourism didn’t prove to have similar benefits in the study, which makes sense, since overindulging in rich food and alcohol can trigger menopausal discomfort.

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Hedge Your Bets for a Better Time 

While it’s encouraging to know that a pleasure trip may make menopause more bearable, you probably don’t want to party like a freshman spring-breaker who just won the lottery. Even if you love to travel, being in a new environment while managing the likes of hormonal fluctuations, headaches, hot flashes, and emotional upheaval, even depression, can be daunting. “That’s why it’s important to make sure your body is prepared before you leave,” says Donna Hagberg, M.D., a board-certified OB/GYN based in Cos Cob, Connecticut.

Follow these healthy tips to enjoy yourself while outsmarting symptoms:  

• Don’t trip nutritional triggers: As mentioned earlier, the wrong foods can exacerbate menopausal malaise. Avoid caffeine and alcohol (drink water to stay hydrated), salt (which can bring on bloating, another menopausal woe), sweets, and rich food. “Consider packing healthy snacks to ensure you’re eating right,” Dr. Hagberg suggests.
• Take your meds:  Pack any medications in your carry-on bag (luggage can get lost), and take a bit extra so a cancelled flight won’t leave you short. “Make sure you have your prescription with you and always carry medicines in the original, correctly labelled packaging,” adds Clare Spencer, NHS GP, co-founder of the United Kingdom’s My Menopause Centre. “In some cases, you may even need a letter from your doctor confirming your medication.” For example, the type and amount of hormone replacement therapy you can bring abroad may differ from country to country, so investigate that before you leave. (You no doubt already know that for US flights, a liquid dose must be within Transportation Security Administration restrictions of 3.4 ounces, or 100  milliliters, per container in a carry-on bag.)

• Ditto for supplements: Think you can throw a weeks’ worth of vitamins in one unmarked container? Well, if plagued by brain fog, you might not know your ascorbic acid from your echinacea. Besides, a bunch of random pills could attract attention from agents when traveling overseas, so carry your supplements in the containers they came in. In addition to the multivitamin, iron, and other supplements you may take, Dr. Hagberg points out that menopause can mess with the body’s ability to absorb magnesium, so you may wish to add that to your regimen as well. “Don’t forget to check with your doctor first, before you take any new vitamins,” she reminds.

• Pack breathable fabrics: Changes in temperature and humidity can wreak havoc with your already wonky system, so take clothes made of cotton or other natural fibers (wrinkles be damned!), especially for sleepwear if night sweats are an issue. Dressing in loose layers is a smart idea; peel off pieces as you move from an air-conditioned terminal to a rickshaw. Cooling, collapsible wardrobe additions like a wide-brimmed hat and fan are easy to pack and likely to come in handy.

• Keep calm and carry on: The comings and goings of travel are typically stressful, so do what you can to tame tension. Start by getting a good night’s sleep before your trip, give yourself ample time to get to the airport or station, and listen to a relaxation meditation when in an irritating hurry-up-and-wait situation.

• Stay sex-ready! Traveling with a romantic partner—or hoping to find one to get your groove back (hey, it could be one of the positive effects of travel)? Menopause can cause vaginal dryness, so don’t leave home without your lube of choice. Shopping for it in a foreign country with a language barrier could be awkward.

• Get busy—and chill:  The pleasurable distractions of travel can take your mind off your body, so build plenty of them into your itinerary. Just be sure to balance vigorous activities with veg-out indulgences, like a massage after a long bike ride.

Not all of these tips will apply to every person for every trip, but they can help you enjoy your travel and the positive effects of menopause.

Adjust your trip (fly vs. drive, get a room vs. camp out) to make sure it’s a win-win during your menopausal moments.

Still curious what Amy ultimately decided about Jazz Fest? She took a pass in 2023, but now that her symptoms have mostly petered out (she still gets pesky night sweats), she’s set to go this spring—a different sort of trip than her cousin and girlfriends took. “It will be me, my husband, and another couple, flying instead of driving, and we’re staying at a hotel—I was never that crazy about camping anyway,” she says. “I’m really looking forward to the Radiators, Sonny Landreth, and OMG, Bonnie Raitt! I saw her once, it must’ve been 20 years ago, and if she’s still rocking’ at 75, I have no excuse not to catch her act again at 55.” 

With her cushier arrangements and our tips, she’s bound to have an awesome time!