Travelling with Amgevita: how I took my medication across Europe

written by Danielle Thornton

I figured out how to travel across the world with Amgevita. It started with a dream of backpacking across Europe, but the dream had a very real logistical challenge of travelling with Amgevita. This medication needs to be stored between 2 and 8°C at all times. 

After years of working through autoimmune diagnoses and managing my health, my partner and I finally booked a one-way ticket to Europe! For a long time, we’d been saving for a house, like so many others during COVID. After lots of conversations about what we wanted, we swapped house keys for backpacks and made travel our priority. 

The improvement in my health since starting Amgevita is what made this trip possible. For years, international travel felt like something “other people” could do. Between flares, fatigue, and medication routines, the thought of being on the road seemed out of reach. Everything changed once I settled into treatment on Amgevita. I felt stronger, stable, and I had hope that my body could keep up with the life I wanted.

I spoke to my rheumatologist first. They helped me develop a medication plan that included a customs letter and a backup script in case the cool chain was broken. But when I asked how I can keep Amgevita cold for 30+ hours of travel, they couldn’t give specific advice.

Amgevita NZ couldn’t recommend specific products either, though they did point me toward their FAQs and suggested I speak to a pharmacist. I contacted the airline to ask if they could store my medication on board, but they couldn’t guarantee access to a fridge. That was the moment I realised I’d have to take matters into my own hands.

After some extensive Googling, I found a cooler bag through a diabetes supplier called Mediray. The bag held all my injections and used ice packs that maintain a 2 to 8°C for up to 36 hours (perfect for the travel time). It wasn’t designed for Amgevita, but it was the best local solution I could find - and it worked brilliantly.

Still, I knew I needed a long-term solution for the months we’d be on the road. Budget accommodation like hostels often meant unreliable fridges, or no fridge at all! So, I started digging deeper into portable fridge options and found a compact medical-grade cooler online. It looks like a mini thermos fridge, designed to maintain the temperature range needed and run off multiple power sources, including a power bank. That fridge became one of the most important products of our entire trip.

It was a total game-changer. I had peace of mind knowing my meds were safe - whether we were staying in a remote village or a hostel with an overpacked kitchen fridge. I’d plug the fridge into mains power overnight or run it off a portable battery on long travel days. The fridge was compact enough to carry in my day pack and reliable enough that I didn’t stress about it failing me.

There was only one small hiccup. On a Greek island, we accidentally cut the power to the fridge when we removed our hotel keycard from the energy switch (lesson learned!). We lost two injections, but thanks to the planning and backup meds I’d brought, it wasn’t a disaster.

Airport security did flag the cooler a few times, but as soon as I showed my documents and explained the contents, staff were always understanding. One agent even said, “this is the most organised medication setup I’ve ever seen.” I’ll take that as a win!

This trip reminded me how far I’ve come. I used to be nervous about planning a night away, but now that I’ve spent months on the road, climbing mountains, catching overnight buses, and yes, hiking the iconic Cinque Terre track in Italy, I've become more confident. I’ll never forget stopping halfway along the cliffside path, looking out at the water, and feeling this huge wave of pride. My body was keeping up. I was no longer sitting on the sidelines of my own life, and I remember feeling completely overcome with emotion, feeling proud, grateful, and a bit teary. 

If you’re living with a chronic illness and dreaming of travel, I’m here to tell you: it is possible. Yes, it takes planning. Yes, there are risks. But with the right tools, research, and mindset, the world can reopen.

My biggest lessons? Be prepared, be flexible, and don’t be afraid to ask questions, even if the answer is “we don’t know.” Sometimes you’ll need to build your own system. But once you do, it’s incredibly empowering.

And now that I know it’s possible, I’m already thinking about where we’ll go next.