it would help if you told us where you’re going. Some countries may have it, some not.

You can get contact solution at an optometrist’s in any country, though not necessarily CIBA. The most common brands are Alcon and Bausch and Lomb. I usually just pack a small bottle and stop in at an optometrist’s when I am running low, they’re fairly common in most cities.

You may not be able to find the exact same brand/type, but if you write down the ‘ingredients’ then an optometrist will probably be able to sell you something similar.

yeah, where im goin prob wouldve helped

U.K., Ireland, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Prague, Germany, Amsterdam and maybe Paris. I dont have a set itinerary just a general idea.

I checked and CIBA is made in Canada so it may not be available. I’ll give my eye dr a call and ask him. Writing down the ingredients is a good idea.

Last night I checked and figured out that I def dont need 3 bottles so im thinking of starting one now, bringing whats left and one new bottle. Plus since its about 2 weeks til I go i’ll have a general idea of how much ill need for 6 weeks.

thx for the ideas

You really think you’ll use THREE bottles in 6 weeks? I don’t think I go through one full bottle in 6 weeks…maybe more like 8 or 10 weeks per bottle. All you need is enough to just cover the lenses, not to fill the entire case. I actually read on one of the packing sites linked here that they recommend just one small-sized bottle for 3 months. Do you take out your lenses extremely often?

quote:
Do you take out your lenses extremely often?

I hope at least once a day…

yeah it was a little overkill. i opened up one of them and im gonna see how much i use in the next 2 weeks before my trip and take it from there. I’m thinking one full and the other one like a 1/3. I found a tiny bottle of saline too (4 oz) and i cleaned out an old face cleanser bottle and put my shampoo in there to save more space and weight.

Packing efficiently is almost an art…

The ultimate lightweight tip: Saw off the unneccesary end of your toothbrush

My vast experience with contact lens travel is this: bring 1 or two of the smaller bottles if you can find them. You will have one or more bottles leak, all over your stuff. Keep in a plastic bag. You can find solution in Europe, but it will cost more than at home. You might not find your particular brand. If you must have a particular brand (and I understand that some people have sensitive eyes) bring it from home. Even though they cost more, I’ve had much better luck bringing smaller bottles rather than big ones.

The countries you are going to should all have contact lens solution available. You’ll likely be amazed by the quality and variety of optical goods in Europe. On my first big trip in 1993, I bought a really cool pair of glasses unlike anything I could get here at home in the mighty Midwest at the time.

quote:
My vast experience with contact lens travel is this: bring 1 or two of the smaller bottles if you can find them. You will have one or more bottles leak, all over your stuff. Keep in a plastic bag. You can find solution in Europe, but it will cost more than at home. You might not find your particular brand. If you must have a particular brand (and I understand that some people have sensitive eyes) bring it from home. Even though they cost more, I’ve had much better luck bringing smaller bottles rather than big ones.

The countries you are going to should all have contact lens solution available. You’ll likely be amazed by the quality and variety of optical goods in Europe. On my first big trip in 1993, I bought a really cool pair of glasses unlike anything I could get here at home in the mighty Midwest at the time.

hey sailor-

yeah i have anything that can leak in ziploc freezer bags. Also, i do have sensitive eyes and my eye doctor said there are allergens so i kinda have to use certain ones, but im sure there is a comparable product in europe if i really need one.