Travelling as a plus-size traveller can be problematic at times. However, that shouldn’t stop you from travelling. I regularly travel with my plus-size daughter and know how a simple thing like sitting in a chair can be a challenge. By making a few smart decisions beforehand, you can make life easier and have a wonderful holiday.
Which countries are better suited to your needs?
Countries where the locals are larger.
If you are a plus-size person, you might want to consider the size of the people in the country. In places like Japan, the population is generally thinner, so seats are typically smaller, especially those with armrests. This could mean that you don’t fit into the seats at the breakfast table. In Mexico, I even struggled to close a toilet door because I was much taller than the locals, and I am small in height and of average weight compared to other Europeans.
It shouldn’t stop you from visiting these countries if you wish to, but be aware that your weight may be more of an issue. If you feel self-conscious and your weight is a big concern for you, then you could go somewhere like the USA and Western Caribbean where the people are larger, better catered for and less judgemental.
Is the terrain suitable?
Although many plus-size people are probably fitter than me, if you aren’t very physically active, be sure to avoid a hilly town. Lisbon, for instance, is situated on seven hills or San Francisco, which has steep streets.
Will you get unwanted attention?
In some countries, being a plus-size individual can make you more attractive to others. This is usually the case in countries that have experienced a food shortage in the past, and the locals are often skinny.
In parts of Russia and Turkey, my daughter had problems with unwanted male attention. Maybe you will enjoy being seen as desirable and will find love, but if you are a plus-size woman on your own, you need to be able to cope with open stares and strange men approaching you on the street. My daughter was 14 years old and had several men approach her; in the end, she just wanted to hide in her hotel room.
The heat
Generally, plus-size people don’t cope too well in hot countries, but they do have an advantage in colder climates. You can still visit hot countries, but consider going during the shoulder seasons when it’s a little cooler, as it will also be cheaper.
Take a neck fan with you; these are fans that you can hang around your neck, allowing air to be blown onto you. Last year, when we were in Qatar, the temperature was about 42 °C (108 F), and people in Mecca, in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, were dying from heat-related problems. The locals told us that this wasn’t the hottest time of year, but it was already outside our comfort level. We avoided going out during the daytime and used cooling neck towels in the evenings.
These are towels you soak in cold water, ring out and put in a plastic bag. When you are very hot, you can put towels around your neck to cool down. Also, take a bottle of icy water.
Is the hotel suitable for your needs?
When determining whether a hotel is suitable for a larger person, you need to be a bit of a detective.
Baths
Often, the baths can be quite narrow and difficult to use. Baths made of plastic move and bend, which can feel like you might break them as you stand in them. It might be best to book a room with a shower or shower and bath.
Bed
Generally, the widths of beds do not vary significantly in other countries; a single bed in the UK is typically 36 inches; although some are even narrower, they aren’t generally found in hotels. In Indonesia, beds are typically 35 inches, but most other countries have beds that are the same size as those in the UK or are wider.
Big enough bathroom
You may want to consider upgrading your room to get a larger bathroom. In cities where space is scarce, bathrooms can be tiny, and you may find yourself having to sit on the toilet with your knees pressed against a sink or hip squished against a wall or loo roll holder. Check the reviews to see if there might be a problem.
You could consider a disabled room, but there is no guarantee it will have a larger bathroom, even though it should be wheelchair accessible.
Chairs
As mentioned before, chairs can be too narrow, so take a look at photos of your hotel rooms and any restaurants you plan to go to on the website or on TripAdvisor to see if you can spot the restaurant. Ideally, you want a restaurant which has booth seats or at least seats with no armrests.
Hill or steps
Check if your hotel is located on a hill or if it has an elevator. After all, you are on holiday to enjoy yourself, not train for a marathon. We rejected one hotel because the restaurant was at the top of a hill and the accommodation was on the lower slopes; walking up a hundred steps in the morning for breakfast is hard work.
Packing
Pack the right clothes
Packing can be an issue, as plus-size clothes tend to take up more space. However, if you go to a cold country, you won’t need as many clothes as your thinner friends.
Plus-size individuals tend to overheat quickly, so opt for clothes that are lightweight and breathable. Clothes that you wear in a UK summer can be too warm in tropical climates.
Ladies, if you’re packing a dress, don’t forget to pack under shorts as well to prevent chaffing.
It is, however, crucial for plus-size individuals to ensure they pack the right clothes for the climate, as it may be challenging to find new clothes locally that fit them.
In Japan, when my husband’s shoe got a hole in it, he couldn’t buy new shoes for his size 12 feet; he had to make do with a plastic bag inside his broken shoe.
If you’re travelling to a hot country, remember that it might get cold in the evening. It can also get chilly in planes, so bring something light to cover your arms.
Clothes in hand luggage and maybe a spare
When packing your clothes, include at least one extra set in your hand luggage in case your suitcase goes missing. If it does disappear, at least you will have some other clothes to wear while you wash the set you travelled in.
It is tempting when you don’t have much space in your suitcase to take only one pair of swimming trunks or only one bra, but if the swimming trunks get ripped or the bra breaks, you will probably not be able to replace them. So also include a spare for essential clothes.
You might want to consider using compression packing cubes. The cubes squash your clothes, so they take up less space. These are particularly useful for any clothes you take as hand luggage.
Airlines
Economy or business seats
Plane seats can be a problem. The airlines haven’t helped the matter by making the seat width smaller, and then you get blamed for taking up more room.
You might think it would be better to get a seat in business class, but unfortunately, this isn’t always a good idea, as business class usually have fixed armrests.
If you’re travelling with a group of friends or family, you can raise your armrest in economy and sit next to your thinnest friend, then overflow into their seat. You can’t normally do this in business class.
Note, however, that some seats in economy may have fixed armrests. These are typically found in the front seats, the seats behind the bulkhead, and the seats by the emergency exits. These seats usually offer more legroom, so please check with the airline before selecting them.
You need to put armrests down when the plane is landing or ascending. However, you can have them up later. Unfortunately, some armrests don’t go up very far. Aisle seats often have a button under the armrest that allows it to go up all the way.
If you are only slightly overweight, business class seats are wider and may be just what you need.
If anyone grumbles about your size as you sit next to them on a plane, just look them in the eye and tell them to complain to the airline as they are the people who made the seat size smaller.
Choose your airline carefully
Conduct your research and select a plane with the widest seats. The average seat width is 17 to 18 inches.
Virgin Atlantic seats are 17-17.4 inches wide in economy, 18-21 in premium, 20-22 in upper class
British Airways seats are 17.5-18.1 inches in economy, 18.5-18.7 in premium, 17- 20 in business class and 22-27 in first class.
EasyJet seats are 17.5 inches.
Generally, short-haul flights have narrower seats. Even if you conduct research and determine which plane you will be flying on and its seat width, there is no guarantee, as airlines often substitute planes for technical reasons.
Considering the seat widths above, one might assume that a British Airways seat would be more comfortable than a Virgin Atlantic seat. Unfortunately, we found this wasn’t the case this year. The British Airways armrest didn’t move back very far, so my daughter had to travel across the Atlantic with an armrest sticking in her shoulder. British Airways, like most airlines, offers various seat designs, and it’s only when you’re on a plane that you can determine how comfortable they are.
Airline plus size policy
Check up with the airline about their policy for plus-size people. Some airlines will require you to purchase a second seat. It’s not uncommon to find that the second seat you buy is nowhere near your original seat. It needs to be brought using the correct name to ensure it is next to you.
Check with your airline to find out how to reserve a second seat if needed. Sometimes, the airlines require you to put an X after your middle name. Ryanair suggests booking the seat with your first name as “extra” and your surname as “Comfort Seat”. On EasyJet, your first name should be “extra” and your surname “seat”. For WizzAir, your first name should be “EXST”, followed by your surname. Additionally, you will need to contact customer service to register it as an extra seat.
You will need to check in both seats; otherwise, they will think your spare seat is a no-show and might give it to someone else.
You may be able to get your second seat at a reduced rate as you don’t need to pay tax on that seat. Speak to the airline before booking.
Seat allocation
Which seat you choose is a personal choice, but the middle seat is not a great idea. If you choose a window seat, you will have no one on one side, allowing for more room for your arm. However, the armrest will not allow your body to utilise any extra space. Like everyone else, you will have to ask the others in your row to get up if you need the toilet.
The aisle seat has the advantage of easy access to the toilet, but you will get hit by everybody, plus the trolley coming down the aisle.
Some planes have seating for two people at the back, and if you can choose a seat behind a row of three, you are less likely to be hit by passengers passing by.
It might be a good idea to have a row not too far from the toilets. This is because it can be difficult to pass people or cabin crew with trolleys in the aisle.
Seatbelts
Try your seatbelt as soon as you board the plane to ensure it fits properly. If it doesn’t fit, you can request a seatbelt extension.
You can purchase your own seat belt extension if you don’t feel comfortable asking for one; however, there are many different types, and it’s not easy to determine which one is right for the plane you travel with. Airlines don’t want you to bring your own extension in case it’s not safe, and if they spot it, they will likely ask you to remove it.
If you are taking a small plane, such as the type used for island hopping or a safari, they may not have seatbelt extensions. Check the other seats; once on an island-hopping plane, we found that the seat belt lengths varied, so we changed seats.
On very small planes, you are more likely to be allowed to use your own seatbelt extension. There is a good chance that your seatbelt extension will have the wrong fittings, but if you take a strong carabiner clip with you, it is often possible to use the clip, along with your extension belt, to create a makeshift seatbelt around you. It won’t meet legal or safety requirements, but it is better than nothing.
Enough room in the seat or toilet
As a plus-size person, you might not be able to pull the tray in front of you down. This all depends on your body shape and the seat pitch.
Not being able to use the tray is a problem when you are served meals. You can bring your own sandwiches or request just a plate of food and cutlery without the tray that it is usually served on. It can be helpful to have a bag on the floor so you can put your feet on, keeping your lap from sloping downwards. It is easier if you are with others as you can use their tray space to put your drink and dessert on.
If you are taking a short flight, you might want to consider using the toilet just before boarding, as aeroplane toilets can be a bit of a tight squeeze for larger individuals. If one toilet room is tiny, try a different one next time. On my last flight, the toilet in the middle of the plane was significantly smaller than the one opposite, next to the outside wall.
Activities
Weight restrictions
Activities on holiday, such as white-water rafting, can have weight restrictions. Often, this is due to their insurance policy, so the company cannot take any action. Check the small print before booking.
Even if they don’t have weight restrictions, you may encounter issues with wearing specialised clothing, such as a wetsuit or life jacket. If you want to hire a canoe, you might not be allowed if you can’t wear a life jacket. Bringing your own wetsuit or life jacket might be your only solution.
Weight supplements
For certain activities, you may be required to pay an additional supplement if you weigh more than a specified limit. This is typically seen in activities such as helicopter and air balloon flights, which have weight limits.
Theme Parks
Theme Park rides can be very frustrating; you might queue up for hours only to discover that you can’t fit into the ride, and then it’s not very pleasant if you have to walk away. There isn’t much you can do about this. You could try and see from any photos what the seats look like. Any seat with a harness which goes across the body is unlikely to fit a plus-size person. If you are lucky, you might find a member of the staff and have a quiet word with them, asking if you would fit in the seat before joining a long queue.
Boat rides
It may not be immediately apparent, but even a day trip on a boat can cause issues. Toilets on some boats or ships can be extremely small, and you may not be able to close the door or fit comfortably.
The best thing you can do is use the toilet before boarding and try to limit your drinking. If you find you can’t close the door, then ask a friend to hold it slightly ajar for you. People passing will probably think there is a child in the toilet.
Restaurants and cafes
Many restaurants and cafes offer a variety of seating options, including benches, booths, stools and chairs with or without arms. If you want to have a seat that fits you, it is best to go outside of their peak times. Look up the typical eating time for the country and, if possible, visit a little earlier or later.
Enjoy yourself
Although some things might not be available to you as a plus-size person, you can still enjoy wonderful beaches or fascinating cities. In the winter holidays, when your friends are shivering in the cold, you can walk about with just a jumper and no coat.
Wherever you go, have a fantastic holiday and relax.
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