Travelling can lead to some wonderful adventures. It’ll expose you to sights and sounds that you’ve never experienced before. You’ll make some of the most vivid and exciting memories in your life while travelling, but it doesn’t come without some problems. Travelling means you’ll be far away from home and that can make some people uncomfortable. It’s not so much about being homesick, but rather being in a place where you don’t have access to everything you would at home. That’s why it’s extremely important to pack for the full duration of your trip.
A great example of this is with people that wear glasses. If you wear glasses, you may have encountered situations like a lens popping out or your glasses needed some adjustments. Perhaps you’ve even lost your glasses before and needed a replacement pair to wear for a while. Whatever the case is, you know how to deal with problems related to your glasses since you’re in a home environment that you are used to. But if you travel to a foreign country, do you know how to fix those problems? Do you know where to get replacement lenses or where to fix your glasses?
This wouldn’t be a problem if you went to another country that uses a language you know. For example, someone travelling from the UK to America would have little trouble finding a store to fix their specs. However, if you went from the UK to Indonesia, you’re going to have a bit more trouble. Of course, that doesn’t mean you need to do a lot of research into how to speak to Indonesian and ask for someone to repair your glasses.
In this post, we’re going to show you how to make travelling easier if you need to wear glasses.
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If you’re going somewhere sunny, consider prescription sunglasses
Wearing sunglasses on top of your glasses can look incredibly weird. That’s why we’d recommend that you get a pair of prescription sunglasses if you’re going to go somewhere sunny. If you’ve recently had an eye examination then you’ve probably got your prescription handy. If you don’t, you can always ask your optometrist for the information. Once they give it to you, you can purchase a pair of prescription sunglasses online. These are fitted with custom lenses that react to sunlight and offer 100% UV protection. This makes them the perfect addition to any holiday where you’ll be somewhere sunny. It can also look stylish if you pick a fitting pair of sunglasses.
Keeping your eyes safe is important, so you always want to carry a pair of sunglasses when you visit a sunny destination. However, we understand it’s strange wearing sunglasses over your regular glasses or even omitting your glasses entirely. It’s inconvenient and can make things difficult on your holiday. As a result, it’s a good idea to get prescription sunglasses to help you enjoy your sunny holiday without sacrificing your vision or stylish looks!
Always carry a spare pair of glasses in your luggage
If you take care of your glasses, you probably won’t experience a situation where you need to replace them while on holiday. Regardless, you should always plan for the worst situation, even if you think you take good care of your glasses. For example, maybe a night of partying gets a little too crazy and you end up losing or even breaking your glasses. Maybe one of your lenses falls out while you’re travelling and you can’t find it, or maybe you lose one of the screws which makes them impossible to wear.
There are countless different situations where it can be beneficial to have a second pair of glasses. It can sound expensive to own another pair, but you could always bring an older pair of glasses to use in emergency situations. Alternatively, if you know your prescription you could visit a website that sells glasses. This bypasses the need to speak with your optometrist which can save you a lot of money. There’s also a wider range of styles available for people who want to find a fashionable pair of glasses, and you can often buy accessories and other items to go with them.
It’s unlikely that you’ll need to use your spare pair of glasses, but it can never hurt to have a backup in your luggage. There’s always a small chance that you’ll need to use them, so it’s better to be safe than sorry!
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Invest in a good carry case for your glasses
Whether it’s for your primary pair of glasses or your backup, always have a hard case for them to keep them safe. When you’re sleeping on the plane, there’s a good chance you might want to take off your glasses to get more comfortable. In this case, it’s a good idea to have a case to keep them safe so you don’t accidentally drop them or crush them in your bag. It’s also never a bad idea to have them in a case when you sleep at a hotel or Airbnb in case you accidentally knock them over while sleeping.
For your spare pair, having a hard case makes it easy to throw them into a bag or luggage and not worry about them scratching or being crushed by the other items in your bag. For a bit of personalization, you can also get a unique glasses case to help cherish your favorite pair of glasses.
Know what your eye prescription is
Knowing your prescription gives you a better understanding of your eyes and what kind of lenses you need. It’s useful to know since it allows you to buy contact lenses and glasses without needing to pay extra fees or costs that your optometrist charges, and you’ll have a wider range of products to pick from. After taking an eye examination, you can ask your optometrist what your eye prescription is. They might be reluctant to give you the information (since it probably means you won’t be buying glasses from them) but they should give in eventually if you insist on knowing the information.
The great thing about your eye prescription is that the information is universal. If you wanted to purchase a pair of glasses overseas, you can simply give them your prescription and they’ll find the right lenses for you. If you need to repair your glasses, you can use your prescription to ensure you find the right lenses for your eyes. Having the information on a digital format such as an email or PDF file on your smartphone can be a good idea. However, you might find it’s more convenient to have a physical copy with you so you can show it to someone even without an internet connection or your phone present.
While the likelihood of you needing to repair your glasses overseas is low, it’s never a bad idea to be cautious. In addition, you might find a really cool pair of glasses in a store that you want to buy. In that case, you’ll want to have your prescription available so you can actually purchase them with the right lenses and wear them right out of the shop.
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Bring a small glasses repair tool or kit
Your glasses will eventually suffer some kind of wear and tear–there’s no getting around it. One of the weakest parts of any pair of glasses is the small screw that holds the frames together and secures the lenses in place. If you’re not careful with your glasses (or if they’ve been badly designed) your lenses could actually pop out if you’re not careful. In this case, you’ll need to loosen the screw to open up the frames so you can place it back in. Unfortunately, these screws are really small and you’ll need a specialized glasses repair kit or tool to open them up. These tools are really small and can easily be placed in your wallet or bag. If you opt for a full kit, you’ll often get an assortment of different screw heads and screws as well in case you lose it. They also usually throw in a cleaning cloth or two so you can polish up the glasses and remove smudges.
People can go for months without needing to tighten the screws on their glasses. However, there’s always the off chance that something happens and your lens pops out as you’re adjusting your glasses. If this happens, you’re better off repairing your glasses by yourself instead of needing to contact a local optometrist to help you out. These tools are small and won’t take up much space in your bag, making them an excellent addition to any travel kit.
We hope that this article has shown you a couple of great tips on how to better enjoy your vacation if you wear glasses. While most people don’t really experience issues when they wear glasses on a holiday or family adventure, it’s never a bad idea to be prepared for a bad situation. Glasses are incredibly important if you rely on them to correct your vision and it’s better to be safe than sorry!
