Current travel conditions in Europe

Just go! Buy a mask at CVS,, stick in your handbag and you'll have it if you need it. I bet you won't.

Just remember that there currently are more than 4x the number of infected individuals in the United States than there are in all of Europe. Quite frankly, Europe is much further away from Mexico than is California.

The only thing to be concerned with is the flight as you are in a tight space with a lot of other people, but currently there are no travel restrictions anywhere due to the swine flu outbreak.

I'm with Steven on this one. You're currently safer in Europe than at home. So if you're really concerned about the swine flu leave today and don't wait 3 weeks - just kidding of course.

In earnest: just use common sense, wash your hands, enjoy your trip.

Don't let the media scare you. That's what they do best. Get your information directly from the source at the CDC (http://www.cdc.gov).

Echoing the others, just use common sense standard precautions. Wash your hands frequently- go to the store to get a travel sized bottle of hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes. And about surgical masks... don't bother, they are designed to protect patients from the surgical staff, not the other way around. For complete protection, you'd have to wear a professionally fitted N95 respirator... and trust me, you would NOT want to wear one of these for the duration of your flight.

From January to April 36,000 Americans alone died from the "normal" flu. But since there was no reporting there was no concern.

160 or so have died from Swine flu....

So when you were planning your trip you were at just as big a risk IMHO.

I leave next Saturday for Madrid. No concerns.

Amen, Carol!

Thank you all :-)

150 children die from malaria every single day, just to put things in perspective.

I leave for Europe in ten days, a coworker asked me if I was afraid of being stuck across the pond if the borders are closed because of a full-scale pandemic. I told her, while I don't wish a full-scale pandemic upon anyone on this planet, I wouldn't mind being "forced" to stay in Europe an extra few days, week or months;)

First get rid of your TV. The American media is absolutley ridiculous! I am in Nuremberg now and it is fine. There were a few people at the Toronto airport wearing masks but that was it.

So has a lot of other things but you still have to go about your daily life.

Actually very pleased to see most posts are sensible and balance,, the sky is not falling.

I'm leaving for Italy next Wednesday (May 6), and was more worried about the flight being canceled or getting a cold or something before the flight & getting stopped. After seeing that the Swine Flu is already in Europe (UK, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, etc.), I feel better.

Here's a link posted in a separate topic:
http://www.ricksteves.com/news/travelnews/0904/swine_flu.htm

I suspect that the real issue is the confined space of the airplane. The governor of Wisconsin was just pointing out that the 5 probable cases here are all related to travel. So, yes, it's not that you'll run into the Flu necessarily in Europe, but that the odds of catching anything increase in confined spaces. If you have a healthy immune system, wash your hands and follow other logical health precautions you should be fine. On the other hand my 83-year-old father who's immune system is not up to snuff has cancelled his trip to the east coast. He hopes to go later in the summer. Pam

I am going to Europe (France and UK) in four days...Due to this new outbreak of swine flu, my luggage is a little bit heavier, because I stuffed it with more hand sanitizers, antibacterial towellets, masks and ...airbornes packages. A little concerned, but not afraid. I buy trip/travel insurance everytime I travel overseas. I agree with other posters, it is not safer here than there in Europe. I just hope the weather in France and London will be sunny and dry...

I have a question...I'll spend a few days in Paris, and would like to see a Moulin Rouge show. Do we have to buy the ticket in advance, or can we just buy it at the door? I've bought all day- tours and other sight seeing trips in advance but Moulin Rouge. What do you think about Lido? Which one would be a better choice?

Thanks

Folks, you do realize the masks don't really do anything don't you?

Medical personnel wear masks NOT to keep from getting sick but to keep from putting germs in "places they aren't suppose to go" (i.e, inside you when they have you cut open!) Back in the day when AIDS was an "unknown" they wore "space suits" not masks LOL!

Your big risk is "contact" so don't kiss the flight attendant, wash your hands and have a good trip!

I just got back from Paris. There was plenty of public coughing going on. I think most of us are more likely to be killed in traffic than by flu--seriously, watch those bicycles, cars, taxis, buses, and motorcycles. I use the sanitizing gel a lot and wash my hands whenever I have a chance. I advise avoiding public transportation during rush hours when people are packed in like sardines.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24583771/

The study shows the air on the airplane...safer then the air at the airport!

One of the great myths of airtravel is that the air is going to give you something.

I think that the real problems in flying is not the air quality per se but the dryness of the air. Once your mucus membranes are dried out, you are more susceptible to infection. My primary care physician swears by using a bit of vaseline in the nose to keep the area moister and to serve as a physical barrier when he is traveling. I haven't tried it myself, but it does make some sense.

Also, consider that in a plane you are in enforced close proximity to a few folks for hours. If it turns out that any of them are infectious, your odds of infectious exposure are higher than if you encountered them more briefly and from a greater distance.