There was one important travel lesson from Our European Summer Adventure that I wanted to share separately. If you are traveling internationally with prescription medication, needles, or a medical cooling system, take some time before your trip to check the rules for every country you will be visiting.

Because our trip was close to three weeks, plus almost 12 hours of travel and layover time, Raun needed to travel with diabetes medication that required temperature control. He carried his medication along with a portable travel refrigeration system.

When we arrived in Rotterdam, we went through the airport inspection process. Raun often gets stopped because of his camera equipment. Usually, they look through his camera case, inspect everything, and send us on our way. This time, it was his medication and cooling system that got their attention.

After quite a bit of back and forth and a somewhat heated conversation, they eventually allowed him to continue. It was not the way we expected to begin our time in the Netherlands, but it taught us an important lesson about traveling internationally with medication and medical equipment.

Most prescription medicines can be brought into the Netherlands without special paperwork. However, certain controlled medications, such as some strong painkillers, sleeping pills, ADHD medications, and medicinal cannabis, may require a special medication certificate. Dutch authorities recommend checking with your doctor or pharmacist before traveling to see whether your medication falls into this category.

Even if your medication does not require special paperwork, keep it in its original prescription packaging. A medication list from your pharmacy or a medication passport can also help show that the medicine is for your personal use.

After our experience, I would go one step further. If you are traveling with medication, needles, or equipment used to keep medication at the proper temperature, ask your doctor for a clearly written or typed letter explaining what you are carrying and why you need it. The letter should include the name of the medication and why the medication, needles, cooling equipment, or other medical supplies are necessary.

And make sure you can read it. We all know doctors are not exactly known for their handwriting, so a typed letter may be the better choice.

Cooling equipment can bring another set of questions at airport security. Medically necessary liquids and cooling supplies may be allowed through security even when they fall outside the normal liquid limits, but they may require additional screening. Airport and airline requirements can vary, so check with both before leaving home.

If you use gel packs, check the airport and airline rules before you travel. Based on our experience, anything unusual with the cooling system may lead to additional screening, so give yourself extra time at the airport.

If you are using a portable battery-powered medical cooling system, check the type of battery before traveling. Lithium-powered devices and spare lithium batteries have airline safety requirements, and spare batteries and power banks generally need to stay in your carry-on luggage rather than your checked bags.

We also made sure Raun’s cooling system was fully charged before our flight. With long travel days and layovers, the last thing you want to worry about is whether the system keeping your medication at the correct temperature is going to lose power.

Your planning should not stop at the airport. If your medication needs refrigeration, make sure your hotel room has a refrigerator before you book. Do not assume there will be one.

Also ask whether the refrigerator continues running when you leave the room. Some European hotel rooms use a key-card system that controls the electricity. Depending on how the room is wired, certain outlets may lose power when the key card is removed. If your medication depends on refrigeration, ask the hotel directly whether the refrigerator stays powered while you are out. If necessary, speak with the front desk about another safe way to store your medication.

That is a small question that can prevent a very big problem.

One of the biggest lessons we took away from this experience is not to assume the rules will be the same from one country to another. Before traveling, check the medication requirements for every country on your itinerary, including countries where you may only be connecting.

Find out whether your particular medication requires special paperwork, and check the rules for needles, syringes, liquids, cooling packs, medical devices, and batteries. Keep your medication in its original packaging and carry it in your hand luggage whenever possible. Dutch travel guidance specifically recommends carrying medication in your hand luggage so you can easily show it during an inspection if necessary.

I would also carry a current medication list from your pharmacy and a typed doctor’s letter, especially when traveling with medical equipment or supplies that may raise questions during security screening. Most importantly, take care of these details before you leave home, not while standing in an airport trying to explain what you are carrying.

We learned that lesson in Rotterdam. Traveling with medication does not have to be stressful, but a little preparation can make a big difference. Check the rules, bring your documentation, and make sure you have a plan for keeping your medication safe throughout your trip. Then you can get back to what you traveled all that way to do, enjoy the adventure.

Once we made it through the airport, we were ready to put the stress behind us and begin our time in Rotterdam. Next in Our European Summer Adventure, we are sharing our time in the city and three unforgettable days at the North Sea Jazz Festival.

Check out Our European Summer Adventure: Rotterdam and the North Sea Jazz Festival: Click link HERE.