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If you are sick but it is not emergency I would suggest that you try and see a general practitioner (generalist). With general practitioners you don't always need an appointment to see one, and most will speak some English.
A Generalist will see patients on a first come first serve basis during business hours.
The cost to see a generalist is 20 euros, regardless of nationality.
To see a doctor during non-business hours or on weekends, you need to find the doctor on call (médecin de garde) in the area you are in.
You can either call, or have someone call for you, the SAMU (French emergency health services). Dial 15 and wait for an operator.... or... a local paper should have a list with the médecin de garde and the on-call pharmacy (pharmacie de garde) in your area.
After seeing the doctor, you will need to go to the on-call pharmacy to get your prescription filled.
In the countryside both might not be in the same town.
If you need non-prescription medication, French pharmacies (pharmacie) are easily located by looking for a blinking green neon cross.
French pharmacies tend to be abundant and can be found in even the smallest villages. But, they differ from their American counterparts in that most medicine is not stocked on shelves accessible to the public. To buy even the most basic medicine in France you need to ask at the counter.
It usually helps to explain your symptoms to the pharmacists and let him or her recommend a medication.
This approach also helps because of the fact that not all medication in the States or Canada is sold under the same brand name in France.
In Paris, most pharmacists should speak basic English, or have a co-worker that does.
In the countryside this might not be true.
If worst comes to worst you could look-up in a French-English dictionary what is ailing you.
Write it down and show the pharmacist. Leave a Comment
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Whether traveling alone or not I would advise women to do some reading beforehand.
The following books are recommended:
1. "Traveler's Tales Gutsy Women: Travel Tips and Wisdom for the Road" by Marybeth Bond; O'Reilly & Associates, 1996 --- A packable little book filled with many useful tips for women of all ages. Bond has traveled all over the world, much of it alone. She shares her advice and those of other female travelers.
2. "Women Travel: First Hand Accounts From More Than 60 Countries" by Jansz, Davies, Drew, & McDougall --- "A Rough Guide Special"
3. "Traveling Solo" by Eleanor Berman
4. "A Foxy Old Woman's Guide to Traveling Alone" by Jay Ben-Lesser
5. "Travel Alone & Love It: A Flight Attendant's Guide to Solo Travel" by Sharon Wingler
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ALSO, here are a few web-sites that may be useful:
1. http://www.women-traveling.com
2. Womantrip@aol.com/www.womenstravelclub.com
3. www.journeywoman.com
4. www.goingplacestours.com
5. www.savvytraveler.com
6. www.budgettravel.com/women.htm
7. www.adventureguide.com/women/main.html
8. www.hermail.net Leave a Comment
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This "condition" was named for the sick, physical feeling that afflicted French novelist Stendhal after he visited Santa Croce in Florence.
This syndrome is the feeling of being completely overwhelmed by your surroundings...i.e. seeing and doing MUCH TOO MUCH!!!
If you arrive in France with a long list of "must-sees" then you are a prime candidate for the syndrome.
To avoid this it is best to organize your days, factoring in how long it takes to get from place to place, and seeing only what you, personally, really want to see.
Don't feel guilty about missing a particular site or event...it is YOUR trip and there is no quiz at the end of it! Leave a Comment
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VISA (Carte Bleue) is the most widely accepted credit card, followed by MasterCard (Access or Eurocard).
AmEx cards are not very useful except at particularly upmarket establishments, but they do allow you to get cash at certain ATMs.
Taking along two different credit cards (stashed in different wallets) is safer than taking one, as it may be impssible to replace a lost Visa or MasterCard until you get home.
(AmEx and Diners Club International offer on-the-spot replacement.) Leave a Comment
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All important documents (passport data page and visa page, credit cards, travel insurance policy, air/bus/train tickets, driver's license, etc.) should be photocopied before you leave home.
Leave one copy with someone at home and keep another with you, separate from the originals. Leave a Comment
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One always hears about never drinking the water (tap water, to be specific) in a foreign country.
I drink bottled water almost exclusively when visiting any place not close to home.
I usually drink bottled or filtered water at home too.
I don't go as far as brushing my teeth with bottled water, but I absolutely will not drink tap water (au robinet) in any restaurants.
The French themselves consume large quantities of bottled water (as in Perrier, Evian, Volvic...my personal favourites) -- both avec (with) and sans (without) gas (carbonated) -- and it may be a good practice for you too if you are worried about any digestive aspects of your health.
Plain yogurt (and yogurt pills) are good aids in helping to prevent traveler's diarrhea.
Also, before you take a drink from one of the pretty fountains, look first for a posted sign stating "l'eau non potable" (unpotable water).
APPENDUM:
"Tap water in France is perfectly safe unless the tap is marked "eau non potable". Sometimes it can have a chlorinated taste, but research has consistently shown French tap water to have better bacterial quality than bottled water!" (This comment was contributed by VT member tradeform) He makes an excellent point. Thanks!!
When in doubt....drink WINE !!! :o) Leave a Comment
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The drivers there are like whoah!!..They beat the red lights and drive real Mad!..HAHA! But yet again, maybe I come from a very strict country and have not experienced such drivers before. Anyway, do be careful when you are about to cross the road especially at the bends. It is way too dangerous if you do not look out for speeding cars. Leave a Comment
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I wasn't sure wether to put this under, 'warnings and dangers', or under 'local customs'?, anyway, I settled for warnings and dangers.
I believe in, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," and as I am not any kind of Wallflower or shrinking Violet, I'd never let anyone get the better of me; I would always show them that they had pissed me off. In England we use the two fingered salute to tell someone up yours or to F*CK OFF!! but in France they use this ... learn it well my friends.
Hold your arm out with your hand in a fist, then smack your other hand onto your arm, just above your elbow, and swing your clenched fist up in the air.
Also known as..... Va te faire foutre and le bras d'honneur.
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While driving back from France to the UK, I was unlucky enough to break down. I had breakdown cover, so I thought everything would be OK! Firstly, the French authorities will not allow British assistance on their motorways! so a local garage had to take my car. The following day, the diagnosis was a blown cylinder head gasket, & to cut a long story short, it would cost much more to repair or try to get the car home to repair, than the car was worth! so I had to scrap it? Yes my car was getting on a bit, but I have since heard of the same thing happening to someone with a brand new car, when they had a mild front end impact, so be careful!
My breakdown cover & insurance was with Direct line, who have been more than helpful, but they will only cover you up to the market value of your car, in my case that was not enough!
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My first experience was at the Antibes train station. There was this teenager who got busted and there was a ruffle between him and the police.
The second experience was in front of my hostel in Paris. The guy was high on drugs and kept yelling at us that we were poor tourist!!Yikes! Leave a Comment
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on October 17, 2004
on October 22, 2002
on February 2, 2008
on September 1, 2005
