Archive: Drinking the Water
While most drink the water in western Europe and have no problems, there comes a time as you travel east and south, when tap water should be avoided. Where do you avoid the tap water?
We drank the tap water everywhere in France,Ireland and England. I carried
a water bottle with me which I refilled at water taps. I had no problems
at all. The waters all tasted fine( I drink tap water at home). Learn how
to say tap water in the language of the country. Once I asked for a glass
of water at an English pub and was given a bottle of sparkling water! After
that I learned to ask for tap water.
Pam C <callahan@airmail.net>
Lewisville, TX USA 07/07/01
The water in rome is fresh out of the mountains. While most European waters
test okay, the issue for me is also the pipes. The guesthouse you are staying
in maybe 100 years old or more. I always wonder if the deep plumbing is
lead pipes. I always order bottle water and make sure you see them break
the seal on the bottle.
Julia
Ger 06/26/01
Bottled water in Western Europe is OPTIONAL, for those staying over
a week. The tap water is safe, BUT your body will require an adjustment
period. If your trip is short stick to bottled, longer stays just take the
plunge. After a day your system will be use to it. In Italy there are fountains
(spigots) all over. I use them to refill my bottle. Always pay attention
to the rare sign that says do not drink, in the local languange. I would
not drink the water in developing countries, or after a flood (even at home).
Kevin M
Dallas, TX USA 06/16/01
Don't EVER drink the water in Russia.Even brushing the teeth is OUT.
We usually but water"with gas" as it's less likely to have been filled at
the tap. Also peel all fruit!!
Eleanor Scheiner
Haddonfield, NJ USA 06/13/01
Tap water in the UK is very safe; the laws are among the strictest
in the world to keep contaminants out. I don't like the taste of water in
London though - as water works abstract from the River Thames, where sewage
treatment works discharge, a glass of London water has passed through around
5 people by the time it reaches the coast.
Ian
Hull, UK 05/30/01
Correct me If I'm wrong but isn't most water supposed to be soft?
05/24/01
In Vienna the bottled water tasted soft--yech! Stick to the tap water-delicious...and
free.
T
USA 05/24/01
My wife and I have made five trips to Europe. After the first trip we learned
to drink only bottled water. We travel light and usually rent a car. One
of the first things we do is look for a supermarket where the bottled water
can be purchased for a fraction of what it costs on the street. We buy a
shrink-wrapped carton of bottles, about a week's worth, and keep it in the
trunk of the car.
Neil
Victoria, bc CanadaUSA 04/20/01
I traveled a lot to Europe and have always drunk tapwater with no problems. However, I just returned from Russia, where, upon noticing that my bathwater was BROWN I decided to stick to bottled refreshment!
By the way, some brands of bottled water sold in Russia are clearly no
good, but I did find one that was safe: "Acqua Minerale." It's cheap too,
and even if it weren't, it would be worth it. Buy it from a 'prodiukti'
or a supermarket (not from a streetside kiosk).
Phyllis
Seattle, WA USA 04/18/01
I have been to Europe many times. The water is great! But please make
sure you give your children pasteurized milk. You need to look for it because
unpasteurized is still very common.
Dana
USA 03/14/01
Just returned from Italy. I read on this board about Italy's good water before we left but still was very careful to have my children (ages 1 and 3) drink only bottled water with seals intact. We took water purification liquids and Pedialyte with us just in case.
The adults in our party drank tap water and fountain water and had no problems, but my three-year-old became desperately ill, vomiting (for the first time in her life) with diarrhea but no fever. I've never seen her so sick. She was better the next day, and none of the rest of us got her symptoms at all, not even the baby. But the next day she began the vomiting and diarrhea again, though it was not so severe this time. Then I caught her drinking out of the hotel bidet faucet; the water was not contaminated with fecal matter from the bidet, just tap water at a convenient level for her.
I am a teacher, and my students who go to foreign countries for the summer say they get sick from the water when they go and also when they come back to the U.S. It's not a matter of clean or unclean water, just different bacteria in it.
I am reluctant to travel with my children so young again. It was a real
scare. If I do, we will get our doctor's advice about what to do if they
do get sick from the water again.
L Moore
San Jose, CA USA 02/26/01
I never buy bottled water anymore nor fear drinking water from any available
source, including tap water, since I found a portable water filtration bottle
that is easily carried in my knapsack. It can be used anytime, anywhere,
to make sure that the water I drink is safe from dangerous contamination
levels. I don't leave home without it!
Larry Rennick
Sherman, TX USA 02/14/01
Some people down the list said that the water in Spain was not good...
NOT TRUE! I have a sensitive stomach, but drank the tap water in Spain for
2-1/2 months with no problems whatsoever. (Incidentally, the only problem
I have ever had with tap water has been in Ohio).
Candida
Minneapolis, MN USA 02/02/01
The best tap water I ever tasted is in Iceland. I figured it out after
searching (in vain) two supermarkets in Reykjavik in an attempt to get some
non-carbonated bottled water. They don't sell any. After having tasted the
tap water, I know why.
Helene
USA 01/04/01
Don't forget the beer/wine tastings in lieu of the water! What would
Ireland be without Guiness?
Margaret Rogers
Honolulu, HI USA 01/03/01
On a 1999 Rick Steves' Best of Europe Tour, the BEST water was at Walter's hotel in Gimmelwald. It was so good out of the tap that I filled up a bottle to take with me! It was delicious!
When I traveled to Moscow and St. Petersburg in 1998 I followed the standard
travel advice and did not drink any tap water, not even to brush my teeth.
I had no problems.
Beth C.
Lusby, MD USA 12/22/00
In Rome I drank from every water "fountain" I came across and never had
any trouble. The trick to drinking out of the fountains is to put your finger
in the end so the water shoots out of the hole on top, like a regular drinking
fountain. Delicious, safe, and cool. The fountains are everywhere. After
buying water all over England and Ireland, this was refreshing.
john martin
madison, wi USA 12/14/00
I will never buy beverages from those "roach coaches" which keep them
in an open bin of crushed ice on the side of the truck. I have seen kids
pick up crap on the ground or play on the ground as parents order, then
grab bottles and containers from the ice. They return them at parents' orderrs.
Or they stand there mouthing the tops of the containers until parents are
finished and they leave. They don't buy the ones they contaminate. Even
adults contaminate and mishandle these exposed items and put them back.
Carol
CA USA 12/07/00
When in Albania, don't drink tap water. You'll get Hoxha's Revenge (he's twice as vengeful as Montezuma). Try to drink GLINA at all times, or make sure tap water has been boiled. Or, drink Coca-Cola.
I've been to Albania twice, and it's as rough-and-tumble as the American
West once was. It's fun, but dangerous at times.
Todd
Cutlerville, MI USA 11/10/00
The only time we got sick during 2 months in Europe was from bottled water which we bought in Prague from a British chain supermarket. It had this cheesy label that said "Good Water" in English and a Czech translation. I guess we should have known. It made us throw up almost immediately.
Best water? Spain. The tall glasses of tap water in Spanish cafes were refreshing on many occasions.
We were advised to skip the water in France and guzzle it out of the
fountains of Rome. Took the advice with no problems.
Jennifer
USA 10/23/00
Buy your water at a local corner store as you wander toward your next
special spot, to avoid the huge markups from vendors at tourist sights.
OPEN IT YOURSELF to be sure it is sealed. At the vendors, many bottles have
been opened, then returned for carbonated or uncarbonated water and the
vendor will happily open the bottle for you, making the sound of a new bottle
being opened or refilled at a tap the night before.
Peter K. MacLeod
Aylmer, QC, Canada, Canada 10/09/00
I have had tap water in Italy, France, Austria, Germany, Belgium, England,
Ireland, Holland...and have never been sick from it! After a while, bottles
of Evian become expensive. Ignorance is bliss!
Angel Castellanos
CA USA 08/24/00
It is my opinion that Germans don't drink tap water simply because it was
unsafe in the medieval past and they've never been able to change their
habits. Children learn from their parents to acquire a taste for room-temperature
mineral water and the tradition is carried on. They also seem to have unchangeable
attitudes about the "unhealthy" ice cube. I was with a 30-year-old German
who refused to drink a Coke from a cooler. He went to the storage room and
asked for a room-temperature bottle! Told me it was unhealthy. This same
guy stared at me in fascination as I drank a glass of tap water, as though
he expected me to fall over dead!
Suzanne Enz
Rothenburg, Bavaria Germany 07/12/00
I can't believe that people are still afraid to drink the water in
Europe. The water in the public drinking fountains in Rome, for example,
is among the purest of any city in the world. The only reason that there
is a tradition of drinking bottled water is that supplies were contaminated
after the second world war. There is no reason to buy bottled water, other
than to follow the tradition in restaurants. Water in Naples is also quite
good as is that in Sicily and Sardinia.
K. Rinne
los angeles, CA USA 07/07/00
I recently returned from Paris and Zurich. We drank Evian the whole
time as we weren't interested in learning the hard way. It's really cheap
there anyway.
Kevin Kossowan
Edmonton, CAN 06/30/00
Enjoy Vienna's pure Alpine water. It's wonderful!
Jeannie
Nashville, TN USA 06/11/00
Never bought a single bottle of water during a four-week trip through
England, France and Italy. The public fountains do indeed have wonderful
cold water, the tap water in Paris and London is great, and there's no beating
the water in Venice. Rick says it comes from the Alps and I believe him.
We also stayed in some very tiny, out-of-the-way "backdoor" spots and never
had any trouble with good old tap water. I bought a handy strap for my water
bottle and wore it over my shoulder, filling it whenever I found running
water.
Gary
Hanford, CA USA 05/09/00
We had no problems drinking the tap water in France. In fact, I had
absolutely no digestive problems at all for two weeks! My heartburn, etc.,
returned as soon as I was back home!
Heidi Pool
Morgan Hill, CA USA 05/09/00
The best water in Europe is from the drinking fountains around Rome.
They are all over the city and still use the ancient aqueducts through the
city direct from the mountains. Fill your bottles there instead of paying
$2 for a liter at local shops.
Kevin
Boulder, CO USA 05/04/00
You can get bottled water everywhere in Europe. Drink it. Be safe.
You could get sick drinking the water only 500 miles away from home. Why
let it ruin your trip?
Paula Carlisle
Flower Mound, TX USA 03/13/00
Are you, or have you recently been on antibiotics? If so, don't be adventurous with tap water. Antibiotics kill off your natural gut microbes which would normally help prevent other microbes from taking over and making you sick.
I have travelled through Israel, Jordan, Turkey and most of Western Europe,
including Italy and Spain, and have never been sick from drinking tapwater.
The only place I drank bottled water was Istanbul, but the rest of Turkey
was fine. I never take antibiotics! I was surprised at how many tourists
spend vast amounts of money on bottled water even in places where the
water is among the best and safest in the world.
Erik
Townsville, Qld. Australia 03/04/00
don't expect ice in anything!
duke masterson
USA 02/21/00
I studied in Madrid last year and the water was PERFECT. It was like
bottled water. Much better than the water at my university! There were parts
of Barcelona where the restaurant owner told us "Agua...uh...no." And in
Galicia the water was fine too. I never had any problems due to the water
in my 4 months in Spain.
Brian Riordan
Albion, MI USA 02/18/00
Tap water IS safe everywhere in Germany. Actually, the quality standards for tap water ("Leitungswasser") are higher than those for bottled water ("Mineralwasser"). Some brands of "Mineralwasser" have contents of sodium, nitrite, or even arsenic that would be unacceptable for tap water. Furthermore, the quality of tap water is checked at least daily by the authorities. This is not true for bottled water.
However, it is true that virtually nobody drinks tap water in Germany. Why? Maybe because many Germans do not know how good their "Leitungswasser" is. Others drink bottled water because they prefer carbonated water. Finally, in some places tap water can contain chlorine or iron. This doesn't affect the safety, but it can cause an unpleasant taste.
You can of course order tap water in a restaurant, but unless the waiter
is familiar with American habits he might think you are just too cheap
to buy a "real" drink.
Jochen
Hannover, Germany 01/31/00
Friends who have been to Germany have told me that Germans do not consider
their "Leistungswasser" safe, do not drink it, and you will be thought of
as very strange if you order tap water in a restaurant there.
Brett
Washington, DC USA 01/29/00
I haven't had any negative health effects from drinking European tap
water. I often buy bottled water anyway, but I'll often replenish the supply
with tap water. One city in particular has outstanding tap water: Vienna.
Cool, clean, and refreshing. No faint chemical tastes. Does the supply come
directly from the Alps, perhaps?
Tom T.
Los Angeles, CA USA 12/20/99
Thanks to Rick Steves we knew to arrive early at Neuschwanstein Castle.
It was a warm hike on the way back down and there was a rock with a spigot
delivering cold water from a spring. All manner of people were cupping their
hands and drinking the refreshing water, so we also took a drink. After
a very full day, we ended up in Dinkelsbuhl around sunset. In the middle
of the lovely, medieval town was a fountain with a very similar spigot and
a sign: Keine Trinkswasser. Once again I cupped my hands and took a refreshing
drink. Later, as we were drifting off to sleep, I remarked to my husband
how easy it was to read German--the words were so close to English! For
example, "keine trinkswasser"--"clean drinking water" and I told him about
my drink at the fountain. He replied, "Keine doesn't mean clean! Keine means
NOT!" Of course, I immediately felt sick to my stomach and was sure I would
find out that "spital" means hospital. Luckily I suffered no ill effects.
And I was less likely to trust my ability to "read German" after that.
Marcia Scurfield
Derby, KS USA 11/11/99
Anywhere the tap water may be dubious, carry along a small plastic bottle
(a bicyclist's squeeze bottle is perfect) and a bottle of water-purifying
tablets. Ordinary tincture of iodine will work too--just a few drops added
to a bottle of water. When you check into your room, fill the bottle and
add the purifying chemicals and let it stand. Then you can use this to brush
your teeth, wash down aspirins or whatever. This has worked for me in places
like tropical Mexico and the Middle East.
William Sanders
Tahlequah, OK USA 10/15/99
Regarding the suggestion below as to how to determine whether or not
bottled water has bubbles: At the risk of sounding incredibly naive, why
not just read the label? There are not that many different words in Europe
for 'contains gas.' And if you're going to take a carbonated drink off the
shelf and shake it up, you really ought to purchase it, rather than leaving
a surprise for someone else.
Bob L
Derby, UK 10/11/99
Re: water and UK. I do not share Ellie's views. Tap water is good,
sometimes to the point of delicious, over here, especially in the north
of England. Chill it or pass it through a purifier and it is even better.
Nigel Doran
UK 10/09/99
I was travelling and hiking in Central Europe this summer (Slovakia,
Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary) and drank tap water everywhere, including
mountain huts and pipes from mountain springs. Neither I, nor my travelling
companions, had any problems.
Mary
Silverton, Or USA 10/04/99
Ellie, what are you on about? The water up here in Derby is wonderful, much
better than anywhere in London. Even Brits (not from Derbyshire!) have told
me that Derby is known for having good water. And one can really taste the
difference in tea. I've tried bottled water and filters, but here neither
tastes as good as right out of the tap. I think I'm going to go have some
right now...
Bob L.
Derby, UK 09/16/99
If you decide you might need to buy bottled water, here's how to tell
whether the water has gas in it or is plain. You can practice this at your
grocery store before you leave. Get a plastic bottle of Coke and the same
sized plastic bottle of water which you know does not have gas in it. Then
squeeze the bottles in the middle. The plastic Coke bottle will feel very
solid and the ungassified water bottle will cave in easily. If you're unsure,
shake the bottles and squeeze again. The gas water bottle will get even
more solid and the plain water bottle will still be soft.
David Hall
San Antonio, TX USA 09/13/99
Lynne from Union WA is definitely right about the tap water in Madrid.
Please please, don't drink the water anywhere in Spain or Portugal, you'll
have some nasty memories if you do!
Sophie
Bath, UK 09/13/99
For anyone going to London, the tap water in and around London is fine
to drink, but anywhere in England outside London isn't. We don't put fluoride
in our water either so for the sake of your teeth, bring along fluoride
tablets.
Ellie
London, UK 09/13/99
Actually I avoid the tap water everywhere! Even when it is "clean"
it is different than what your body is used to and can contribute to an
ishy-stomach. There are plenty of times in travel when risk is fun &/or
necessary, but to me tap water isn't worth the gamble. Besides any place
I have visited in Europe is into bottled water themselves so it's very easy
to find.
seattle, wa USA 09/09/99
Beware of "Water Joe." This is a German product sold throughout Europe which
is water with caffeine added. It looks like ordinary bottled water, but
I happened to notice the listing of ingredients just as I was about to chug
a bottle down before I went to bed.
Eric Cotton
Cleveland, OH USA 08/18/99
In our 5 weeks across Europe, we had found that the water was fine
everywhere. Then we hit Sicily. The waiter in our Palermo hotel restaurant
brought us a bottle when we asked for water. We asked, Don't you have water
from the tap (acqua rubinetta)? He said it was "non-potabile." We thought,
"Oh, another scam to get us to buy water." So we thought we were so smart
by saying, "If it's non potabile, why are there no warnings in our hotel
room?" He shrugged and brought us the tap water. It smelled and tasted like
disinfected sewage. It was quite embarrassing then to have to order bottled
water, but worth it.
NB
Seattle, WA USA 08/17/99
In Madrid, I made the inane assumption that they must have improved
the water supply in the last 20 years, and took a sip from the hotel tap.
I can report that nothing has changed in that department and Franco's Revenge
struck.
Lynne
Union, WA USA 08/09/99
Drinking the tap water in Moscow is definitely out. Finding affordable bottled water is the challenge. In our hotel, a small bottle of water cost seven "monetary units" ($7). We found a kiosk around the corner that sold me a bottle for nine rubles (36 cents). My well-dressed friend in line behind me paid twelve. Some people are more equal than others.
See my Moscow Travelogue at http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Cabin/4353/moscow/moscowhome.html
Doug Alberg
Long Beach, CA USA 08/05/99
If you buy bottled water make SURE the cap is factory-sealed, especially
if you are buying in other than a reputable store. Refilling a bottle with
tap water is a common scam. Never buy from kids hawking water on the street.
Les
Washington, DC USA 08/04/99
I've only had two problems in Europe; the first, many years (25?) ago,
drinking the tap water in an old hotel in Venice. The other, interestingly,
in Dublin! I was really sick with that one. So, east and south doesn't work
for me.
kathleen
palo alto, CA USA 07/15/99
Watch out for bottled water in Germany, Budapest, Austria, and Luxumberg.
Often it says Still water, which actually means lightly carbonated. (I think
it still tastes horrid.)
Kris
Cincinnati, OH USA 07/05/99
Yes, tap water in western Europe is generally safe to drink, but what
about the taste? We discovered a neat trick while travelling throughout
Europe for the first time this summer. When you come across some foul tasting
water, head for the nearest produce stand and buy a fresh lemon. Fill your
water bottle, squeeze some juice in, and voila! Not only does that funky
Parisian tap water flavor vanish, but you get to meet some nice people at
the produce market you might not have otherwise spoken to. Keep the lemon
halves in ziplock bags, and when you need to fill your bottle again, cut
off the dry ends and you're ready to squeeze away. The taste is MUCH more
refreshing, and we found ourselves drinking much more water (good for us!)
because of this.
John Dulger-Sheikin and Brenda Infalt
Citrus Heights, CA USA 07/04/99
I had a bad experience in Dublin; I don't know if this is typical of
Dublin in general. I filled my empty water bottle from the sink and let
it sit on the counter while I finished packing my clothes. When I came back
I found all these curious little particles floating around in there. I then
took a whiff, and it smelled pretty bad. Needless to say, I threw the water
and the bottle out.
USA 07/03/99
My wife and I have never had problems with the tap water in France, Italy,
Ireland or the UK. In Ireland, the water along the coast from Galway flows
through peat bogs and picks up a brown color. They cal it "Galway tea."
It actually tastes very good even though it looks strange.
Bob
Santa Cruz, ca USA 06/28/99
We were told in Bacharach that no one in Germany drinks the water.
Every resturant we ate at served carbonated water. We started making sure
we had our own bottled water, and took it with us when we went out to eat.
Eddie Noble
Coos Bay, Or USA 06/24/99
Just got back! With coca-cola costing about $3.50 each in Paris cafes,
we ordered "un carafe d'eau" with no problems from the waiters, or from
the taste. Drink the water!
tampa, fl USA 06/21/99
Brian is right. In Italy, they will ask if you want "acqua con gas"
or "acqua naturale." My husband and I were in Trattoria Sabatino (in the
Oltrarno neighborhood of Florence) and observed locals filling their glasses
with both the wine and water. We did this the whole trip.
Maria
USA 06/10/99
I've travelled thru Western Europe and the UK several times and had
no trouble with the water, except that, for the most part, it tastes bad.
Paris has probably the worst tasting water. I buy bottled there.
Kurt
Boston, MA USA 06/09/99
After spending one week in Southern China I decided that it would be
ok to drink the water...I was very mistaken. I spent two days in the bathroom.
Another week passed and I again thought it couldn't hurt to try...again
I was very mistaken and payed my two days. I continued this pattern for
four weeks. I did learn something for all of that...you can't drink the
water in Southern China (Hong Kong not included).
Try-try-again
Piscataway, NJ USA 06/05/99
The tap water throughout France was better than the drinking water
in Texas. Don't mess with bottled water, just fill up at the tap.
glenn
dallas, tx USA 05/17/99
In Rome, drinking the water from the public water-fountains is delicious and safe. When I first was in Rome a couple weeks ago, I wondered why there were many spigots around the city with water running out of them.
On a walking tour of the Ancient City, the tour guide, a local, said that the fountains are very safe and refreshing. Then she filled up her Evian water bottle. The rest of the small group did the same. I enjoyed the water and kept refilling my bottle for the rest of my visit. Not once was I sick from this. Also, I felt good knowing that I wasn't coughing up 3000-4000 lire for a new bottle.
You can tell a tourist from a local in Rome: tourists will either fill their bottles up or drink directly from the spout. But, a local will cover the spout up with his finger and create enough pressure to cause the water to stream out of a hole in the top of the pipe as if it were a regular drinking fountain!
In Florence and Tuscany, I drank bottled water. Tap water may have been
o.k. there, but I didn't have a local to verify it for me. Once by mistake
I bought water with gas. Unless you want fizzy mineral water, you need
to remember to ask for water WITHOUT gas.
Brian G. Holsclaw
Champaign, IL USA 05/10/99
In Latvia (like any of you are going there), don't drink the tap water,
as all the locals will tell you. But the bottled water is fine...especially
the fizzy malt and hop-tasting variety.
Layne Bukovskis
Garden Grove, ca USA 05/02/99
I always carry a large bottle of water with me when I fly to a country
where I can't drink their water, so that when I first arrive, I don't have
to go out looking for it.
Todd E.
DE USA 04/27/99
Tips I learned in Turkey & Mexico: To be sure that the water you're
getting is not just tap water in a bottle, ask for it "with gas" (bubbles).
Also, carry drinking straws for bottled water, soda etc. The top of the
bottle may be contaminated and putting your lips against it could be enough
to make you sick.
Lulu
USA 04/23/99
On my last trip I found the tap water fine in France, Belgium, the
Netherlands Ireland, Germany and the U.K. The only problem was in Luxembourg.
Go figure!
Carter Ford
Ellicott City, md USA 04/08/99
I traveled to Poland in 1997 and all that you heard from the locals was
Do Not under any circumstances drink the water. I did drink hot tea (with
boiled water) and had no problems. Bottled water is easy to get because
even the Polish people don't drink the water.
B. Marszalek
Oak park, IL USA 03/26/99
Don't drink tap water in Ukraine. Bottled water is readily available.
However, watch out for some local brands, as the local taste favours water
(called "live" water) which tastes sulphuric and salty to those not used
to it.
Helen
Kiev, UA 03/20/99
My wife and I rode bicycles from Ireland to Vienna in 1991, through Wales,
England, Holland, Belgium, France, and Germany. When you're pushing a fully
loaded (80 lb) touring bike for 6 hours a day you've got to drink a lot
of water. We resigned ourselves to drinking tap water and came through fine.
We were mostly camping and would fill our bottles at the campground each
morning, and then wherever we could during the day. The funny thing was
that when we came back to the States it took a few days for our systems
to readjust to American water!
John Gearing
Clifton Park, NY USA 01/23/99
Best water I have ever tasted: from the tap at Frau Graf's hostel in Lauterbrunnen,
Switzerland. Worst water: bottled water purchased in Budapest, Hungary.
USA 12/03/98
I've travelled all over Western Europe and a bit into Central and Eastern Europe. My rule of thumb? Buy a couple of small plastic bottles of water. When you finish the first one, fill it up with tap water and let it sit overnight. If the bottle looks OK in the morning, the tap water's OK...If the water has dissolved the inside the bottle, just think what it will do to the inside of you and stick to the bottled stuff!
In larger cities the tap water in one area might come from a different
source than in another area, so if you change hotels/hostels, test again!
Christine
CA USA 11/25/98
We stayed at a dormitory in Moscow and thought we would be OK with our bottled
water, but I made the mistake of using tap water to wet my toothbrush and
got diarrhea for a month. Even a thimbleful of tainted water can make you
just as ill as a cupful! However, I've traveled in western Europe and the
majority of the tap water is fine, despite being a little chloriney.
Andrew
Plover, WI USA 11/08/98
My rule of thumb about drinking tap water requires a some knowledge of WW II: If a city was fairly well devastated by bombing during that war, I figure that the infrastructure was destroyed, including old water mains. Generally the new mains deliver safe water. The water in Paris is supposed to be safe, but I still drink bottled water there.
In some countries there are towns, and even cities, which had no public
water supply until the last 50-60 years, and in them the water is usually
safe. Spain is a good example of that theory. (Well, the war devastation
theory may apply to some cities there, too.)
Jerry Mitchell Okey
Indianapolis, IN USA 11/07/98
My husband and I have been to Cairo twice and Luxor once. Both times
he got sick and I did not. Our first trip we thought we were both careful.I
drank no water-only bottled sodas. He drank water at The Hilton thinking
it was safe. However, as his last gulp was sliding down-I noticed something
like gelatenous frog eggs in the last few inches of water. Whether there
was a connection or not- will never be known however, he lost 11 pounds
on that first adventure. Our last trip in 1996 I would definitely say he
got sick from the airline food-the flight was Egypt Air. Eight of us went
on that trip and everyone who ate the tuna was ill. I knew I was safe because
I don't eat tuna in the states!!
jan honaker
Chesapeake, VA USA 11/05/98
Morocco. (Just a ferry ride away from Spain.) We loved our trip their
but were told repeatedly "don't even open your mouth in the shower." So...
bottled water all the way down there. (We noticed it was bottled water on
most restaurant tables in Spain, too, but we drank tap water there.) Tip:
There's a discrete little 8 oz bottle of Polar Pur in our gear. Quickly
makes up enough iodine solution to kill nasties in 3 qts of water. Sprinkle
a little Crystal Light in and its not bad. Cheers.
Doug Duncan, Apprentice World Traveler
Redmond, WA USA 11/04/98