Europe Personal Safety

To avoid unwanted attention, try to blend in. Respecting local customs (in many cases, dressing more conservatively than you would at home) may ward off would-be hecklers. Familiarize yourself with your surroundings before setting out, and carry yourself with confidence. Avoid checking maps on the street. If you are traveling alone, be sure someone at home knows your itinerary, and never tell anyone you meet that you’re by yourself. When walking at night, stick to busy, well-lit streets and avoid dark alleyways. If you ever feel uncomfortable, leave the area as quickly and directly as you can.

There is no sure-fire way to avoid all the threatening situations you might encounter while traveling, but a good self defense course will give you concrete ways to react to unwanted advances. Impact, Prepare, and Model Mugging can refer you to local self defense courses in Australia, Canada, Switzerland and the US. Visit the website at www.modelmugging.org for more info.

If you are using a car, familiarize yourself with local driving signals and wear a seatbelt. Children under 40 lbs. should ride only in specially designed carseats, available for a small fee from most car rental agencies. Study route maps before you hit the road and, if you plan on spending a lot of time driving, consider bringing spare parts. For long drives in desolate areas, invest in a mobile phone and a roadside assistance program. Park your vehicle in a garage or well-traveled area and use a steering wheel locking device in larger cities. Sleeping in your car is very dangerous, and it’s also illegal in many countries. For info on the perils of hitchhiking, see.

Possessions And Valuables

Never leave your belongings unattended; crime occurs in even the most safe-looking hostels and hotels. Bring your own padlock for hostel lockers, and don’t store valuables in a locker. Be particularly careful on buses and trains; horror stories abound about determined thieves who wait for travelers to fall asleep. Carry your bag or purse in front of you. When traveling with others, sleep in alternate shifts. When alone, use good judgment in selecting a train compartment: never stay in an empty one, and use a lock to secure your pack to the luggage rack. Use extra caution if traveling at night or on overnight trains. Try to sleep on top bunks with your luggage stored above you, and keep important documents and other valuables on you at all times.

There are a few steps you can take to minimize the financial risk associated with traveling. First, bring as little with you as possible. Second, buy a few combination padlocks to secure your belongings either in your pack or in a hostel or train station locker. Third, carry as little cash as possible. Keep your traveler’s checks and ATM/credit cards in a money belt —not a “fanny pack”—along with your passport and ID cards. Fourth, keep a small cash reserve separate from your primary stash. This should be about US$50 (US$ or euro are best) sewn into or stored in the depths of your pack, along with your traveler’s check numbers and photocopies of your passport and other important documents.

In large cities con artists often work in groups and may involve children. Beware of certain classics: sob stories that require money, rolls of bills “found” on the street, mustard spilled (or saliva spit) onto your shoulder to distract you while they snatch your bag. Never let your passport and your bags out of your sight. Hostel workers will sometimes stand at bus and train station arrival points to try to recruit tired and disoriented travelers to their hostel; never believe strangers who tell you that theirs is the only hostel open. Beware of pickpockets in city crowds, especially on public transportation. Also, be alert in public telephone booths: if you must say your calling card number, do so very quietly; if you punch it in, make sure no one can look over your shoulder.

If you will be traveling with electronic devices, check whether your homeowner’s insurance covers loss, theft, or damage when you travel. If not, you might consider purchasing a low-cost separate insurance policy. Safeware (☎+1-800-800-1492; www.safeware.com) specializes in covering computers. State rates vary, but average US$200 for global coverage up to $4000.

Pre-Departure Health

In your passport, write the names of any people you wish to be contacted in case of a medical emergency, and list any allergies or medical conditions. Matching a prescription to a foreign equivalent is not always easy, safe, or possible, so if you take prescription drugs, carry up-to-date prescriptions or a statement from your doctor stating the medication’s trade name, manufacturer, chemical name, and dosage. While traveling, be sure to keep all medication in your carry-on luggage. For tips on packing a first-aid kit, see.

Insurance

Travel insurance covers four basic areas: medical/health problems, property loss, trip cancellation/interruption, and emergency evacuation. Though regular insurance policies may well extend to travel-related accidents, you may consider purchasing separate travel insurance if the cost of potential trip cancellation, interruption, or emergency medical evacuation is greater than you can absorb. Prices for independent travel insurance generally run about US$50 per week for full coverage, while trip cancellation/interruption may be purchased separately at a rate of US$3-5 per day, depending on length of stay.

Medical insurance (especially university policies) often covers costs incurred abroad; check with your provider. Australians traveling in Finland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, or the UK are entitled to many of the services that they would receive at home as part of the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement. Homeowners’ insurance often covers theft during travel and loss of travel documents (passport, plane ticket, rail pass, etc.) up to US$500.

In partnership with WorldNomads, Let's Go is happy to bring you Travel Insurance for all your coverage needs. Click here to get a quote based on your home country and trip duration.

Useful Organizations And Publications

The American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC; ☎+1-800-311-3435; www.cdc.gov/travel) maintains an international travelers’ hotline and an informative website. Consult the appropriate government agency of your home country for consular information sheets on health, entry requirements, and other issues for various countries (see Travel Advisories, ). For quick information on health and other travel warnings, call the Overseas Citizens Services (M-F 8am-8pm from US ☎+1-888-407-4747, from overseas ☎+1-202-501-4444), or contact a passport agency, embassy, or consulate abroad. For information on medical evacuation services and travel insurance firms, see the US government’s website http://travel.state.gov/travel/abroad_health.html or the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (www.fco.gov.uk). For general health information, contact the American Red Cross (☎+1-202-303-4498; www.redcross.org).

Staying Healthy

Common sense is the simplest prescription for good health while you travel. Drink plenty of hydrating fluids to prevent dehydration and constipation, and wear sturdy, broken-in shoes and clean socks.

Comes In Handy. A small bottle of liquid hand cleanser, a stash of moist towelettes, or even a package of baby wipes can keep your hands and face germ-free and refreshed on the road. The hand cleanser should have an alcohol content of at least 70% to be effective.

Once In Western Europe

Environmental Hazards

Heat exhaustion and dehydration: Heat exhaustion leads to nausea, excessive thirst, headaches, and dizziness. Avoid it by drinking plenty of fluids, eating salty foods (e.g., crackers), abstaining from dehydrating beverages (e.g., alcohol and caffeinated beverages), and wearing sunscreen. Continuous heat stress can eventually lead to heatstroke, characterized by a rising temperature, severe headache, delirium, and cessation of sweating. Victims should be cooled off with wet towels and taken to a doctor.
Sunburn: Always wear sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) when spending time outdoors. If you get sunburned, drink more fluids than usual and apply an aloe-based lotion. Severe sunburns can lead to sun poisoning, a condition that can cause fever, chills, nausea, and vomiting. Sun poisoning should always be treated by a doctor.
Hypothermia and frostbite: A rapid drop in body temperature is the clearest sign of overexposure to cold. Victims may also shiver, feel exhausted, have poor coordination or slurred speech, hallucinate, or suffer amnesia. Do not let hypothermia victims fall asleep. To avoid hypothermia, keep dry, wear layers, and stay out of the wind. When the temperature is below freezing, watch out for frostbite. If skin turns white or blue, waxy, and cold, do not rub the area. Drink warm beverages, stay dry, and slowly warm the area with dry fabric or steady body contact until a doctor can be found.
High Altitude: Allow your body a couple of days to adjust to less oxygen before exerting yourself. Note that alcohol is more potent and UV rays are stronger at high elevations.

Insect-Borne Diseases

Many diseases are transmitted by insects—mainly mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, and lice. Be aware of insects in wet or forested areas, especially while hiking and camping. Wear long pants and long sleeves, tuck your pants into your socks, and use a mosquito net. Use insect repellents such as DEET and soak or spray your gear with permethrin (licensed in the US only for use on clothing). Ticks —which can carry Lyme and other diseases—can be particularly dangerous in rural and forested regions.

Tick-borne encephalitis: A viral infection of the central nervous system transmitted during the summer by tick bites (primarily in wooded areas) or by consumption of unpasteurized dairy products. The risk of contracting the disease is relatively low, especially if precautions are taken against tick bites.
Lyme disease: A bacterial infection carried by ticks and marked by a circular bull’s-eye rash of 2 in. or more. Later symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and aches and pains. Antibiotics are effective if administered early. Left untreated, Lyme disease can cause problems in joints, the heart, and the nervous system. If you find a tick attached to your skin, grasp the head with tweezers as close to your skin as possible and apply slow, steady traction. Removing a tick within 24hr. greatly reduces the risk of infection. Do not try to remove ticks with petroleum jelly, nail polish remover, or a hot match. Ticks usually inhabit moist, shaded environments and heavily wooded areas. If you are going to be hiking in these areas, wear long clothes and DEET.
Other insect-borne diseases: Lymphatic filariasis is a roundworm infestation transmitted by mosquitoes. Infection causes enlargement of extremities and has no vaccine. Leishmaniasis, a parasite transmitted by sand flies, can occur in rural areas of Western Europe. Common symptoms are fever, weakness, and swelling of the spleen, as well as skin sores. There is a treatment, but no vaccine.

Food- And Water-Borne Diseases

Prevention is the best cure: be sure that your food is properly cooked and the water you drink is clean. Watch out for food from markets or street vendors that may have been cooked in unhygienic conditions. Other culprits are raw shellfish, unpasteurized milk, and sauces containing raw eggs. If the region’s tap water is known to be unsanitary, peel fruits and vegetables before eating them and avoid tap water (including ice cubes and anything washed in tap water). Buy bottled water, or purify your own water by bringing it to a rolling boil or treating it with iodine tablets; note that some parasites have exteriors that resist iodine treatment, so boiling is more reliable. Always wash your hands.

Giardiasis: Transmitted through parasites and acquired by drinking untreated water from streams or lakes. Symptoms include diarrhea, cramps, bloating, fatigue, weight loss, and nausea. If untreated, it can lead to severe dehydration. Giardiasis occurs worldwide.
Hepatitis A: A viral infection of the liver acquired through contaminated water or shellfish from contaminated water. Symptoms include fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, nausea, dark urine, jaundice, vomiting, aches and pains, and light stools. The risk is highest in rural areas and the countryside, but it is also present in urban areas. Ask your doctor about the Hepatitis A vaccine or an injection of immune globulin.
Traveler’s diarrhea: Results from drinking fecally contaminated water or eating uncooked and contaminated foods. Symptoms include nausea, bloating, and urgency. Try quick-energy, non-sugary foods with protein and carbohydrates to keep your strength up. Over-the-counter anti-diarrheals (e.g., Imodium®) may counteract the problem. The most dangerous side effect is dehydration; drink 8 oz. of water with tsp. of sugar or honey and a pinch of salt, try uncaffeinated soft drinks, or eat salted crackers. If you develop a fever or your symptoms don’t go away after 4-5 days, consult a doctor. Consult a doctor immediately for treatment of diarrhea in children.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs): Gonorrhea, chlamydia, genital warts, syphilis, herpes, HPV, and other STIs are easier to catch than HIV and can be just as serious. Though condoms may protect you from some STIs, oral or even tactile contact can lead to transmission. If you think you may have contracted an STI, see a doctor immediately.

Other Health Concerns

Medical Care On The Road

While healthcare systems in Western Europe tend to be quite accessible and of high quality, medical care varies greatly across Eastern and Southern Europe. Major cities such as Prague have English-speaking medical centers or hospitals for foreigners. In general, medical service in these regions is not up to Western standards; though basic supplies are usually there, specialized treatment is not. Tourist offices may have names of local doctors who speak English. In the event of a medical emergency, contact your embassy for aid and recommendations. All EU citizens can receive free or reduced-cost first aid and emergency services by presenting a European Health Insurance Card.

If you are concerned about obtaining medical assistance while traveling, you may wish to employ special support services. The MedPass from GlobalCare, Inc., 6875 Shiloh Rd. East, Alpharetta, GA 30005, USA (☎800-860-1111; www.globalcare.net), provides 24hr. international medical assistance, support, and medical evacuation resources. The International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers ( IAMAT; US ☎+1-716-754-4883, Canada 519-836-0102; www.iamat.org) has free membership, lists English-speaking doctors worldwide, and offers detailed info on immunization requirements and sanitation. If your regular insurance policy does not cover travel abroad, you may wish to purchase additional coverage in case of emergency (see).

Those with medical conditions may want to obtain a MedicAlert membership (US$40 per year), which includes among other things a stainless steel ID tag and a 24hr. collect-call number. Contact the MedicAlert Foundation International, 2323 Colorado Ave., Turlock, CA 95382, USA (☎+1-888-633-4298, outside US ☎+1-209-668-3333; www.medicalert.org).

Women’S Health

Women traveling in unsanitary conditions are vulnerable to urinary tract infections. Over-the-counter medicines can sometimes alleviate symptoms, but if they persist, see a doctor. Vaginal yeast infections may flare up in hot and humid climates. Wearing loose-fitting trousers or a skirt and cotton underwear will help, as will over-the-counter remedies. Bring supplies if you are prone to infection, as it may be difficult to find the brands you prefer on the road. Tampons, pads, and contraceptive devices are widely available in most of Western Europe, but can be hard to find in areas of Eastern Europe. Abortion laws also vary from country to country. In much of Western Europe, abortion is legal during at least the first 10-12 weeks of pregnancy, but remains illegal in Ireland, Monaco, and Spain, except in extreme circumstances.