quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:Take the pepto, immodium (probably the most important to carry), and other products that you'll need, instead of guessing,

That brings up a good point, Europe (EU) has banned bismuth (heavy metal), ergo Peptol Bismol is not available. If you've been eating too much rich food or, body is slow to adjust, you'll need something to settle things down. Bring the tablets, as it's easier to pack/carry than the liquid and you won't have to explain at security. Immodium, Tums, Gaviscon all are available at a pharmacy...look for the green cross.

quote:

Originally posted by tacfoley:

quote:

take over the counter medications such as immodium,

Strange as it seems, we have places over here, called pharmacies, where you can buy stuff like immodium, and believe it or not, just about any other kind of medications you can think of.

What's with you guys? Europe is NOT a bunch of third world nations full of mud roads and goatherds. You sure do make I laff.

tac

I thought Pharmacies were called Chemists in the UK

quote:

Originally posted by tacfoley:

What's with you guys? Europe is NOT a bunch of third world nations full of mud roads and goatherds. You sure do make I laff.

tac

In Great Britain, it is more shepherds, isn't it?

No shots needed. I recently returned from a trip to Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic and before that we explored Venice, Florence and Rome, Italy. Great food, great people, always felt safe and no issues with language barriers. Go and enjoy yourself!

quote:

Originally posted by tacfoley:

I've yet to find ANY 24-hour pharmacy in the PNW, outside of maybe Portland or Washington.

True, however there are some medications in the US that are available over the counter that may not be in France. My wife was surprised when she first moved here what we can buy without a prescription.

And if all you want is a bottle of tylenol or bayer at 2am, almost anywhere that is open at that time will have it, even a late night gas station. Not so in France.

Quick funny story. On one of my first visits to France when I was only still dating my future wife, we were in Paris at a Brasserie waiting for our drinks. She asked me to run down the street and pick her up a pack of smokes. I started walking and couldn't find the little shop that she said was around the corner that sold cigarettes. Then I saw the "Pharmacie" sign and thought to myself, "well, Walgreens and CVS sell cigarettes." You should've seen the look on the French woman's face when I mentioned the word "cigarette" in her "pharmacie." When I told my wife what I had done, she was incredulous that I would ever think that a pharmacy would sell cigarettes. The words "stupid" and "American" I believe were uttered.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:In Great Britain, it is more shepherds, isn't it?

Very droll.

Tell their families that they are sheep -

Private Darren John George, from the Royal Anglian Regiment (silhouette), Corporal John Gregory of the Royal Logistic Corps, Sergeant Robert Busuttil of the Royal Logistic Corps, Private Jonathan Kitulagoda, the Rifle Volunteers, Lance Corporal Steven Sherwood, 1st Battalion, The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry, Corporal Mark Cridge, 7 Signal Regiment, Lance Corporal Peter Edward Craddock, 1st Battalion The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment, Captain Jim Philippson, 7 Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, Sergeant Paul Bartlett, Royal Marines, Captain David Patten, of the Parachute Regiment; Lance Corporal Jabron Hashmi, Intelligence Corps, Corporal Peter Thorpe, Royal Signals, Private Damien Jackson, 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment, Lance Corporal Ross Nicholls, Blues and Royals, Second Lieutenant Ralph Johnson, Household Cavalry Regiment, Captain Alex Eida, Royal Horse Artillery, Private Andrew Barrie Cutts, Air Assault Support Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps, Private Leigh Reeves, Royal Logistic Corps, Lance Corporal Sean Tansey, The Life Guards, Corporal Bryan James Budd, 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment, 29; Lance Corporal Jonathan Peter Hetherington, 14 Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare), Ranger Anare Draiva, 1 Royal Irish Regiment, Mne Joseph David Windall, Royal Marines, Corporal Oliver Simon Dicketts, the Parachute Regiment, Sergeant Gary Paul Quilliam, Sergeant John Joseph Langton, Sergeant Benjamin James Knight, Flight Sergeant Adrian Davies, Flight Sergeant Gerard Martin Bell, Flight Sergeant Stephen Beattie;Flight Sergeant Gary Wayne Andrews, Flight Lieutenant Steven Swarbrick, Flight Lieutenant Allan James Squires, Flight Lieutenant Gareth Rodney Nicholas, Flight Lieutenant Leigh Anthony Mitchelmore, Flight Lieutenant Steven Johnson, Private Craig O’Donnell, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland, Corporal Mark William Wright, 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, Lance Corporal Luke McCulloch, 1 Royal Irish Regiment, Lance Corporal Paul Muirhead, 1 Royal Irish Regiment; Marine Gary Wright, 45 Commando Royal Marines, Marine Jonathan Wigley, 45 Commando Royal Marines, Marine Richard J Watson, 42 Commando Royal Marines, Lance Bombardier James Dwyer, 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, Marine Thomas Curry, 42 Commando Royal Marines, Lance Corporal Mathew Ford, 45 Commando Royal Marines, Marine Jonathan Holland, 45 Commando Royal Marines, Marine Scott Summers, 42 Commando Royal Marines, Lance Bombardier Ross Clark Lance Bombardier Liam McLaughlin; Marine Benjamin Reddy, 42 Commando Royal Marines, WO2 Michael ‘Mick’ Smith, 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, Private Chris Gray, A Company, 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, Guardsman Simon Davison, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, Lance Corporal George Russell Davey, 1st Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment, Guardsman Daniel Probyn, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, Corporal Darren Bonner, 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, Corporal Mike Gilyeat, Royal Military Police, Lance Corporal Paul “Sandy” Sandford, 1st Battalion The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters, Guardsman Neil ‘Tony’ Downes, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards;Drummer Thomas Wright, 1st Battalion The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters, Captain Sean Dolan, of 1st Battalion The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters, Sergeant Dave Wilkinson, from 19 Regiment Royal Artillery, Guardsman Daryl Hickey 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, Lance Corporal Alex Hawkins, of 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, Guardsman David Atherton, from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, Sergeant Barry Keen of 14 Signal Regiment, Lance Corporal Michael Jones, Private Tony Rawson, 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, Captain David Hicks of 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment;Private Aaron James McClure, Private Robert Graham Foster, and Private John Thrumble, all from the 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian, Senior Aircraftman Christopher Bridge from C flight, 51 Squadron RAF, Private Damian Wright, of 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment, Private Ben Ford, of 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment, Private Johan Botha from The 2nd Battalion of The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters), Sergeant Craig Brelsford from The 2nd Battalion of the The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters), Lance Corporal Ivano Violino from 20 Field Squadron, 36 Engineer Regiment, Colour Sergeant Phillip Newman of 4th Battalion The Mercian Regiment,Private Brian Tunnicliffe of 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment, Major Alexis Roberts, 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles, Lance Corporal Jake Alderton of 36 Engineer Regiment, Captain John McDermid of The Royal Highland Fusiliers, Trooper Jack Sadler of The Honourable Artillery Company, Sergeant Lee Johnson of 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, Corporal Darryl Gardiner of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Corporal Damian Stephen Lawrence of the 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, Royal Marine Corporal Damian Mulvihill, Marine David ‘Dave’ Marsh of 40 Commando Royal Marines,Lieutenant John ‘JT’ Thornton of 40 Commando Royal Marines, Senior Aircraftman Graham Livingston of the Royal Air Force Regiment, Senior Aircraftman Gary Thompson of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, Trooper Robert Pearson of the Queen’s Royal Lancers, Trooper Ratu Babakobau of the Household Cavalry Regiment, James Thompson (no more details given), Dale Gostick, of 3 Troop Armoured Support Company, Royal Marines, Private Charles Murray of 2nd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment (2PARA), Private Daniel Gamble of 2nd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment (2PARA), Private Nathan Cuthbertson of 2nd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment (2PARA);

tac

Shepherds as opposed to goatherds - given the British reputation as keepers of sheep more than goats. Relax a little, Tacfoley. Don't be so quick to get your dander up.

I don't even know what your list is about.

Only shots you'll need is Grand Marnier and Sambuca.

I don't think you need them. If you do decide you want them get them soon, they are a series of shots given over a few weeks.

No for shots.
Taxi strike and waitstaff strike will be the only problem if it's still ongoing.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:

True, however there are some medications in the US that are available over the counter that may not be in France. My wife was surprised when she first moved here what we can buy without a prescription.

And if all you want is a bottle of tylenol or bayer at 2am, almost anywhere that is open at that time will have it, even a late night gas station. Not so in France.

[/QUOTE]

this is very true- for example Allegra (the over the counter allergy med (fexofenadine) is prescription only in France and as Alan mentioned, many others are the same. Additionally you can only buy things like advil in a pharmacy or parapharmacie (which sells everything that doesn't require a prescription) but you cannot buy things like OTC meds in a supermarket or convenience type store. Even the new Costco in France (there is only one) does not have a pharmacy, or sell things like advil.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim1970:
Hello!

Wife & I are celebrating 30 years together. Trip will happen in October. Already called our local public health nurse. They recommended Hep A, Hep B, and tetanus. Writing to ask those who may have traveled to France or Northern Italy - are the shots necessary?

Thank you,

Jim

Hep A, Hep B, and tetanus sounds like stuff they’d probably recommend here.

Got a few extra shots (probably unnecessary) when we went to South America, but never got any extra shots for Europe or Great Britain.

Those have nothing to do with travel. You should be current on those no
Matter what!

Hello!

Some very helpful responses, and a few that were a bit unusual! I’ll get the tetanus; Ive had the Hep B series; will likely pass on the Hep A. Will bring general tummy meds.

Thank you!

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by Jim1970:
...will likely pass on the Hep A. Will bring general tummy meds.

Thank you!

Jim

Just saw this on the news

quote:

Originally posted by Jim1970:
Hello!

Some very helpful responses, and a few that were a bit unusual! I’ll get the tetanus; Ive had the Hep B series; will likely pass on the Hep A. Will bring general tummy meds.

Thank you!

Jim

Makes sense. Seems likely the nurse was giving general recommendations rather than pivoting around your travel plans.

Thanks, sns3guppy, I appreciate your input.

Even when road-tripping a few thousand miles over three-to-five weeks, I take everything I'm used to having in my general OTC drawer (admittedly not much, mostly skin stuff). That's just in the USA

And have found the Pepto Tablets to be some of the most handy items, as my bland mostly unprepared diet is usually lacking on the road - after the third day.