Peter Greenberg: Ankle Swelling While Traveling

By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 2008-04-17

Hi, six couples would like to go to Hawaii for a vacation probably in the next year or so. One of the ladies our group has terrible swelling in feet and ankles. What would be the easiest to do?  Fly to the west coast, stay over a night, then fly to Hawaii? Would it be then best to take a cruise if we would like to see a lot of the different islands? What is your recommendation?
-Nancy, Langhorne, Pa.

It would probably be best to consult a doctor as to your specific situation, but if you're worried about swelling in your feet and ankles, then taking a day-long layover in Los Angeles or San Francisco is probably the way to go so that you don't have an extremely long day of flying.  

There are cruises that go to the Hawaiian islands from ports like Los Angeles and San Francisco, so that's an option to consider as well. However, if you want to visit a lot of different islands, it may be easier to start your cruise from Honolulu. Another option is a cruise from Honolulu that ends in the United States or in Vancouver, Canada.

Unfortunately for one of the ladies in your group, the easiest and cheapest way to get between islands is by plane. Of course, these flights are all less than an hour, so in theory, swelling shouldn't be too much of a problem.