Vacation in Europe

[Traysmum]

Has anybody been to Europe for a vacation> If so, which countries are IC friendly. Example, restrooms clean and easy available.

I haven't been to Europe since being diagnosed with IC and wondered what Europe was like for restrooms.

I have been living in the USA for 5 years.

[twinkie]

I found rome to be quite ic friendly...there are mcdonalds everywhere...which is what we used. My husband and i ....we also booked a very moderate priced hotel which was very close to everything. so If we needed the bathroom we just went back to hotel...also there are taxis everywhere so you can call a cab and go back if you need to. If you want more info ...let me know. twinkie. :)

[Traysmum]

Thanks Twinkie for your quick reply. I was told Italy was terrible for restrooms, but you say Rome was okay? I might look into that more closely now.

Thanks again

[Christa]

Hello Traysmum-

I'm American and I've travelled all over Europe. Granted that was pre-IC, but I had to use the toilet back then too. So generally Europe with it's many countries is well-equipped 'toiletly'. But in many countries, public places such as restaurants are not required by law to provide toilet facilities. So I wouldn't expect the large, clean, accessible to disabled restrooms like you can find in practically every establishment in the States.

I hope you have found my toilet discourse helpful. Germany was the best place as far as toilets go. But with the dollar down to the euro, Europe could be a pricey trip this summer.

Take care-
Christa

[MelanieJ]

Hi Traysmum,
I've only traveled to the British Isles, but my inlaws were telling me that the old eastern European countries are well known for their horrible bathroom facilities. Definitely take some toilet paper or maybe one of those small tissue packets with you when out of your hotel. My mother in law was telling me a story about only being able to get 2 squares of tissue - like there was a woman on duty at the toilets who rationed it out! She also told us about squatters. Geez! I have a hard enough time relaxing the pelvic muscles sometimes during a flare when I am sitting on a seat, let alone trying that while squatting over a hole in the floor!

Hope more others will post helpful for you. Have fun!

Melanie J.

[Christa]

Melanie's right. I forgot about the pay toilets. It was weird for me when I first travelled in Europe. I esp dislike it when I have to pay in a restaurant where I just dropped a lot of cash. Come prepared with lots of change and your own fluffy paper, not to mention so antibacterial wipes!

[MeganAnne]

I'll be visiting Reykjavik, Iceland this summer. :) I was an exchange student there many years back... pre IC and have no recollection of facilities. Has anyone been there recently?

[blue]

I hope you have a wonderful vacation!

[MeganAnne]

Thank you! I hope to!!! :) My biggest concern is riding the bus. I remember riding the bus to get around and I can just see myself getting off the bus in some random place so I can track down a bathroom then get back on the bus. I actually did that in the Grand Canyon this fall on a shuttle and had to wait about 45 minutes for the next bus to come by!

[Ben]

Dear

I live in Europe (Belgium, Brussels). To which country are you planning to go to?

Ben (my wife has IC)


Has anybody been to Europe for a vacation> If so, which countries are IC friendly. Example, restrooms clean and easy available.

I haven't been to Europe since being diagnosed with IC and wondered what Europe was like for restrooms.

I have been living in the USA for 5 years.

[Traysmum]

Hi Ben

Well, I first posted my message earlier in the year. I eventually decided to go back to the US for my vacations. I went to Dallas in June and just got back from Florida now.

Next year I have promised my husband we will try somewhere in Europe. He has been all over Europe on business and likes most of it. I think I would start with maybe France or Spain, but not sure yet. My husband loves Belgium though

[XoChelsey03Xo]

I have never been out of the States. I'm sure I will never go to another country either. My Mom doesn't believe any of them are safe. She did let my sister got on a church trip to the Bahamas though. Maybe someday I'll get to go somwhere fun besides being in the states. Chelsey

[Traysmum]

Chelsey

Why does your mother think other countries are not safe?

Anne

[MeganAnne]

Hi! It has taken me forever to write back to this message board! I was supposed to be in Iceland for two weeks, but I had such a fantastic time I extended my stay to be there for one month. I had actually lived there for a year as an exchange student about 7 years back, but that was before IC and I couldn't remember a darned thing about available bathrooms. It ends up there were plenty (and very clean!) and even in places where one might not expect (a bookstore in downtown REykjavik), when asked nicely, an employee kindly pointed me in the direction of their private bathroom.

I wholeheartedly encourage people to travel even with their IC. With some preplanning, it can go okay. I made sure ahead of time to request an aisle seat by calling the airlines and they always sat me near the bathroom.

Happy trails!
PS Ben... I actually met an old friend of mine in Iceland... he is also from Belgium and lived in Iceland too when I was there. He lives in between Brussels and Antwerp.

[kadi]

How did you deal with the food issues while travelling? I am quite diet-limited but would love to go back to Spain this summer. (I studied there for a summer in 2000). Any ideas?

Also since my meds affect my ability to sweat & my IC affects my ability to drink water, any suggestions on dealing with the high temperatures in the summer in southern Spain?

[MeganAnne]

Hey Kadi! :)
I think if you already have an understanding of what you can and can't eat that will be helpful. Then you know your limits and can politely decline foods if you need to. I had to do that a few times, and just said I had a medical problem and was on a special diet. People understand. Plus, occasionally abroad you can find health stores... I was amazed to find some of the same acid free products in Iceland as we have here in America. And, even more so, the great majority of the foods there were a bit... what should I say... more pure than they are in America. Less preservatives and chemicals. I've heard on National Public Radio that there are much stricter food safety and organic purity laws established by the European Union...
And plus.... when traveling on europe, you can often survive on great bread and cheese, two things that don't upset my IC! :)

Thank goodness... doesn't Spain also have the siesta? If not, that still might be a good way to deal with heat... in other words... get out and do what you want in the morning, then take a break in the afternoon (rest indoors) then head back out in the evening. I know this is tradition in some european countries and latin america.

Anyhoo, I hope you get to go. I had such a fun, stress free time I think it really helped me out. Now that I'm back, I am a bit more stressed and thus my symptoms have escalated.