12Mermaids

Everyone plans differently, up to those who don't plan, at all. I'm a planner, but I like to have options. I check out at least three guidebooks for any city I plan to visit (Lonely Planet gives different advice from Frommer's, et cetera). Then I take photos with my phone of the pages with things that interest me, including transit options, opening hours, contact information. If I wind up spending more time at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam than anticipated, I have options lined up when there's no time for the Van Gogh museum.

One looks less like a tourist if one is just checking the phone rather than rifling through papers, a book, or (heaven forbid!) a map.

My favorite cash-stashing tip, ever, is to buy a travel bottle of Advil that's roughly the size of a tube of lip balm. Take out most of the pills and insert a couple of folded bills (hundreds or twenties). Never touch this cash cache in public. It's nice to have.

I've also used a Travelon anti-theft handbag, but only the kind that looks like a normal purse. It's possibly overkill, but I don't mind paying for peace of mind.

stut

With a bit of common sense, she'll be fine.

I first travelled alone around Europe when I was 17, in the 90s as Central and Eastern Europe had just opened up. Went on an inter-rail ticket, slept in all sorts of awful and surprisingly good places arranged on the spur of the moment, with a very loose schedule and no advance reservations. It was wonderful. And I survived just fine

KLouis

You make Amsterdam, Paris and the rest of Europe sound like the the most dangerous place in the third world, especially with respect to hygiene. The most extreme thing you write is food poisoning. Simply amazing...

MSPeconomist

Situational awareness: Don't be so involved looking at maps or other information on your cell phone and don't let yourself be distracted. Watch out for common scams (spills on clothing, something found in the street, people asking you to be helpful, etc.) and don't be afraid to scream if your safety is threatened.

Forrest Bump

Europe is not safe as it used to be, but nobody will tell you clearly this, since it involves touching some 'sensitive' topics, and in this continent we will be extinct rather than dare to challenge the mighty god of political correctness.

And the caution applies equally to those countries historically renowned for the high quality of life and general sense of safety and places where you've been touching regularly your pocket to check if it's still there.

Sadly now we got more alarming concerns to face, although following the common sense tips exposed back in the thread will definitely put your daughter on a safer position.

Central and Eastern Europe though, are a different basket and little to no reason to be worried about.

Safe trips.

CDTraveler

This is dangerous advice. "Antibiotic" as such doesn't exist; there is a wide variety of drugs in the category of antibiotics, and they are not interchangeable. The right drug for strep throat would likely be useless for traveler's diarrhea or bronchitis, and "a few capsules" would be a dangerous way of undertreating an infection.

If somebody is sick enough to need antibiotics, they should see a doctor. Most of Europe has first world medicine, not witch doctors, so there should be no concern about finding quality care.

C W

I agree. Misuse of antibiotics is very dangerous as it can cause antibiotic resistant infections. Anywhere in Europe has easy access to good, cheap healthcare, even for travelers without insurance who only speak English.

Fundamentally I don't think that any preparation needs to be done to visit the cities mentioned by OP that one would not do to prepare to travel to another city within the US, aside from ensuring one has a working cell phone and a good debit card with which to withdraw foreign currency.

There's a big difference between being reasonably prepared for a trip and being so afraid of the unknown that you pack Pedialyte because you think that you'll get poisoning in one of these first world cities. It honestly borders on xenophobia for me.

Although I would suggest that OP's daughter packs Pedialyte packets. They will be very useful in recovering from all the partying that she will be doing.

Worcester

Don't be worried about racist people who don't fact check either, just look at the actual facts...

http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statist..._100)_YB14.png

Like the US, there was for the last decade been a downward trend in most types of crime in the EU.

Cargojon

Ironically as I read this I'm watching CNN about yet another attack in Paris.

Analise

Yet more terrorism in Paris….one police officer murdered by these 2 cowards. One of these attackers is at least dead.

Bogwoppit

One day after an American man shot an old man in the head for no good reason.

Shootings happen on a daily basis in the US. We may not call it terrorism, but it sure terrifies people.

Still Europe has way less shootings per capita, and far less dead per capita, including any terrorist activity.

WorldLux

112

While most nations have specific emergency numbers, 112 always gets you help with the European Union.

WorldLux

I wonder where the 135 headlines were for the US cops killed in 2016. I don't want to downplay the seriousness of that attack, but in the grand scheme Europe is still safer than the US and considerably safer than less developed nations. Let's just leave it at that. Otherwise we end up in the bad OMNI.

Tizzette

Did you read what I actually said: that all the meds are available to buy but when you are sick, you don't feel like going out to get them. Re food poisoning, dehydration salts (Pedialyte) in water will stay down when nothing else will.

To the others who have misconstrued me as afraid of the unknown and xenophobic, that isn't why I carry my little kit of meds. It is for convenience. I take the same little kit everywhere, whether it is the US, India, Europe, Mexico, Russia, Eastern Europe, everywhere.

CDTraveler

If you absolutely must carry REhydration salts, consider individual tubes of Gatorade powder. While less effective for extreme dehydration (which should be treated by a doctor anyway), they help with moderate problems (like the hangover mentioned in a post up thread ), cost a lot less and don't taste vile. There is a low calorie version for those who prefer to avoid the sugar rush. You can buy them individually from minimus.biz or in boxes from WalMart and other stores.