Enjoying the sunshine is a big part of many holidays, but too much sun can cause sunburn, heat illness and longer-term harm, so a few simple precautions matter. Staying sun-safe lets you enjoy the warmth without spoiling your trip. This guide explains how to stay sun-safe on holiday. It is general information, not medical advice, so use your judgement, protect children carefully, and seek medical help for severe sunburn or signs of heat illness.
Why sun safety matters
Sun safety matters because too much sun causes sunburn, which is painful and can ruin a holiday, contributes to longer-term skin damage, and strong heat can lead to heat exhaustion or heatstroke. The sun abroad is often stronger than at home, catching people out. Understanding that the sun poses real, sometimes serious risks, especially in hot or sunny destinations, encourages you to take simple precautions rather than overdoing it, so you can enjoy the warmth safely and avoid the discomfort and harm that excess sun can cause.
Use sunscreen properly
Use a sunscreen with a high sun protection factor, apply it generously to all exposed skin, and reapply regularly, especially after swimming, sweating or towelling. Many people apply too little, too infrequently, and are caught out. Choosing a good sunscreen and using it correctly, generously and often, is one of the most effective ways to protect your skin. Following the product guidance on application and reapplication, rather than applying once and forgetting, ensures the protection actually works through a day in the sun.
Seek shade in the middle of the day
The sun is strongest in the middle of the day, so seek shade during those hours, taking a break from direct sun when it is most intense. Planning indoor or shaded activities for the hottest part of the day helps. Avoiding prolonged direct sun when it is at its peak, and resting in the shade during those hours, significantly reduces your exposure. Structuring your day so you are not out in the fiercest sun for long stretches is a simple, effective way to stay safe and comfortable.
Cover up
Covering up provides excellent protection: wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and light, loose clothing to shield your skin, particularly when the sun is strong or you will be out for a while. Clothing and shade protect where sunscreen can be missed. Using hats, sunglasses and suitable clothing alongside sunscreen, rather than relying on cream alone, gives more complete protection. Covering exposed skin, shading your face and protecting your eyes is a sensible habit, especially for long periods outdoors in strong sun.
Protect children carefully
Children's skin is especially vulnerable, so protect them carefully with high-factor sunscreen, hats, clothing and shade, and keep babies out of direct sun. Children can burn quickly and may not notice or complain until too late. Our guide on packing a travel first aid kit covers after-sun care. Being particularly vigilant about sun protection for children, applying and reapplying their sunscreen and keeping them shaded and covered, is important, as their skin is more sensitive and they rely on adults to keep them safe in the sun.
Stay hydrated
Heat and sun cause you to lose fluids, so drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, particularly in hot climates and when active. Dehydration contributes to feeling unwell and to heat illness. Our guide on food and water safety abroad covers safe drinking water. Keeping up your fluid intake throughout the day, especially in the heat, helps you avoid dehydration and feel better. Drinking regularly rather than waiting until you are thirsty is a simple but important part of staying well in a hot, sunny destination.
Watch for heat illness
Be aware of heat exhaustion and heatstroke, which can develop in hot conditions, and know the warning signs so you can act, cooling down and rehydrating, and seeking medical help for severe symptoms. Heatstroke in particular can be serious. Our guide on what to do if you get ill or injured abroad covers seeking help. Recognising that excessive heat can cause illness, taking steps to cool down and rest if you feel unwell, and getting medical help when symptoms are severe, helps you respond appropriately to heat-related problems.
Do not fall asleep in the sun
A common way people get badly burnt is falling asleep in the sun, perhaps on a sunlounger or beach, and waking up burnt after hours of exposure. Avoid this by being mindful, using shade, and setting a reminder if relaxing. Staying aware of how long you have been in the sun, and not dozing off unprotected in direct sunlight, prevents the severe sunburn that can result from prolonged unintended exposure. A relaxing nap in the sun is an easy and painful mistake to make on holiday.
Be careful near water and sand
Be extra careful near water, sand and reflective surfaces, which bounce the sun back and increase your exposure, so you can burn faster even when it feels cooler with a breeze. Water and sand also wash off or wear away sunscreen. Being aware that reflective surroundings intensify the sun, and that a cooling breeze can mask how much you are burning, helps you stay protected at the beach or pool. Reapplying sunscreen often in these settings, and not being lulled by the breeze, is important.
Build up exposure gradually
If you are not used to strong sun, build up your exposure gradually rather than spending all day in it from the start, giving your skin time and reducing the risk of severe burning early in the trip. Easing into the sun is gentler on unaccustomed skin. Starting with shorter, protected periods in strong sun and increasing gradually, rather than overdoing it on the first day, helps you avoid the painful sunburn that often catches out newly arrived holidaymakers eager to enjoy the sunshine.
Look after sunburn
If you do get sunburnt, treat it by cooling the skin, staying out of further sun, keeping hydrated, and using after-sun or soothing products, while seeking medical advice for severe burns, blistering or if you feel unwell. Our guide on packing a first aid kit covers after-sun items. Knowing how to soothe mild sunburn and when to seek help for serious cases means you can manage the common problem of mild burning while recognising when professional advice is needed for more severe sun damage.
Do not be fooled by cloud or breeze
You can still burn on cloudy or breezy days, as a cooling wind or cloud cover can mask how much sun you are getting, and a fair amount still reaches your skin. Do not drop your guard just because it does not feel intensely hot. Keeping up your sun protection even when conditions feel mild, rather than only on obviously hot, sunny days, prevents the surprise sunburn that catches people out when the sun does not feel as strong as it really is.
In short
To stay sun-safe on holiday, use high-factor sunscreen generously and reapply it, seek shade in the middle of the day, and cover up with a hat, sunglasses and clothing. Protect children carefully, stay hydrated, and watch for heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Do not fall asleep in the sun, take extra care near water and sand, build up exposure gradually, and treat sunburn properly. This is general information, not medical advice, so seek medical help for severe sunburn or heat illness.
Explore more in our Health & Safety Abroad guides.