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What to pack in your travel first-aid kit: basic medicines, wound care, adaptations by destination, and the rules for carrying medication on a plane.
A travel first-aid kit fits in a pouch the size of a large wash bag. Its job isn't to replace a doctor, but to handle the small everyday problems that ruin a day far from anywhere: a headache, a cut, traveller's diarrhoea, a mosquito bite.
This article lists a basic kit, then what to adapt by destination and trip type. For anything to do with your own situation (ongoing treatment, allergy, pregnancy, malaria prevention), the only good source is your doctor or a travel health clinic before you leave.
In short: a basic travel kit holds a painkiller (paracetamol), an anti-diarrhoea medication, an antiseptic, plasters, mosquito repellent and sunscreen, plus your personal medicines in their original box. The contents adapt to the destination (malaria, altitude, travellerโs diarrhoea). For any personal prescription, see a doctor before you go.
After twelve years travelling in Southeast Asia, the same kit follows me everywhere, with a few tweaks by country. What follows is common sense, not a prescription. The general recommendations draw on the lists published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Red Cross.
A standard kit covers the most common travel incidents: pain, small wounds, digestive trouble, bites. Here are the categories to gather.
Common over-the-counter medicines:
Wound care:
Protection and comfort:
Your personal medicines:
A tip from experience: keep the kit in your carry-on, not the hold. The day my bag arrived in Hanoi 24 hours late, having the essentials on me changed the night.
Should you change your kit by country? Yes, on three main points: malaria risk, altitude, and how common travellerโs diarrhoea is. Each destination has its own profile.
To find your countryโs precise health profile (recommended vaccines, seasonal risks), check the country page in our destinations section and, above all, a travel health clinic four to six weeks before departure.
Can you take your medication on a plane? Yes, personal medicines are allowed in the cabin, including medical liquids over 100 ml and equipment such as syringes, as long as you declare them at the security check.
A few markers, confirmed by aviation security authorities such as the US TSA:
Watch a point thatโs often overlooked: a medicine thatโs routine at home can be strictly regulated, or even banned, elsewhere. Some countries tightly control substances containing opioids, psychotropics, or even common cold molecules.
Before travelling with a treatment that contains a controlled substance:
The rules vary enormously from one country to another. The only reliable reference stays the official source of the country concerned and your own governmentโs travel advice, such as the UK governmentโs foreign travel advice.
Letโs be clear: a travel kit handles the minor, not the serious. A high fever that lasts, a deep wound, diarrhoea with blood, breathing difficulty, a suspicious bite in a risk zone: in all these cases, see a doctor or an emergency service on the spot. Your travel insurance should have a 24/7 medical assistance number you can reach, keep it with your documents.
This article deliberately gives no dosage or prescription advice. What suits you depends on your age, weight, medical history and possible interactions. Thatโs the job of your doctor or pharmacist, not a travel guide.
A basic kit holds a painkiller (paracetamol), an anti-diarrhoea medication and rehydration salts, an antiseptic, plasters in several sizes, an antihistamine, mosquito repellent and sunscreen. Add your personal medicines in their original box, with the prescription.
Yes. Personal medicines are allowed in the cabin, including medical liquids over 100 ml and equipment such as syringes. Declare them at security, which inspects them separately. Keep them in the cabin, never in the unheated hold.
Itโs strongly recommended, especially for a regular treatment or a controlled substance. Keep the original box and the prescription, ideally translated into English. Some countries require medical justification at customs for molecules that are routine elsewhere.
It varies a lot by country. Substances containing opioids, psychotropics or certain cold molecules are regulated, or even banned, in several countries. Always check with the destination countryโs embassy and your governmentโs travel advice before you leave.
Three main points: malaria (prescribed treatment + reinforced mosquito protection), altitude (preparation with a doctor), and travellerโs diarrhoea (stronger anti-diarrhoea medication and rehydration). See a travel health clinic four to six weeks before departure.
Written by Marie L., editor-in-chief of LโHeure du Voyage. This article is informational and does not replace medical advice: see a doctor or a travel health clinic before any departure. Last updated: 11 July 2026.
Marie L. โ
ยทSoutheast Asia specialist
Southeast Asia specialist.
