Tour of the Alps

I don't and I'm from Florida.

Most of the "high mountain" villages in the Alps, Zermatt, Muerren, Wengen, Chamonix, St Anton, are right around 5000 feet elevation, same as Denver, CO. So if you need altitude sickness pills to go to Denver, then the answer is yes.

I don't and I live at about 240 feet elevation which is pretty close to sea-level.

I am from San Francisco and did not have problems in general. The only time I had any trouble was when I went on the cable car in Chamonix. I went straight to the top had some dizziness and numbness in my lips. I came halfway down and was fine. I should have gone up more slowly.

Just pay attention to how you feel and you will be fine.

Barbara last line is great advice; give your body a chance to adjust. I live at 6300' so I advise folks coming here to visit to stay well hydrated, which is probably what you do traveling anyway!

Compared to the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Rockies, the Alps are really not all that high. I live at sea level and have never had a problem.

That I believe is on an individual basis. Chicago is about 600 feet but I had no problem this summer on top of the Shilthorn 9800 feet.

It isn't so much where you go briefly, but where you sleep. Jungfraujoch, Aiguille du Midi, Klein Matterhorn are all above 11,000 feet, but you will only be there for a few hours at most, then come down. While at that elevation, you will definitely feel it, try running up a flight of steps! But you will be going back down to the 5000 feet elevation where you may be staying, and as I said, same as Denver. My experience with skiing in Colorado, many resorts, Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper Mountain, Crested Butte, Telluride, are at 9000 feet or higher. Some people do get altitude sickness after spending a few days at that elevation. So I'd be more worried about a holiday in Aspen than a brief visit to the top of an Alpine peak.

I'm a sea-level dwelling New Yorker who skis in the Austrian Alps and went hiking a few years ago in the month of May in Mürren in the Swiss Alps. Never needed altitude pills.

Like jet-lag, altitude sickness (any adverse reactions to high altitudes) affects people differently. You won't know how it will affect you until you have experienced higher altitudes. As another poster noted, I wouldn't worry about a couple of hours spent on an alpine mountain top if you're coming back down to sleep. Keep well hydrated and bring some Tylenol or other pain reliever in case you have a headache after coming down from altitude (common in a lot of people). When I first visited Colorado (before moving to the Denver area) I wasn't prepared for how I felt when my friend took me up to the top of Pikes Peak and Mt Evans (both around 14,000 ft). I had no problem however in Denver (5200 ft) or Colorado Springs (6100 ft).

Altitude sickness pills: This medication can decrease headache, tiredness, nausea, dizziness, and shortness of breath that can occur when you climb quickly to high altitudes (generally above 10,000 feet/3,048 meters).

Are you going above 10,000 feet?

I also had a reaction like Nancy's when I visited Colorado Springs the first time. I went trudging up Pikes Peak the first day and it laid me low. I acclimated a couple days on subsequent trips. I live in NH and our peaks are fairly small. Thanks for all the advice. Cheers to all and happy travels.

You won't need altitude sickness pills! You'll only be at higher elevations for short periods. I'm assuming you're referring to the My Way tour, so if that's the case you'll be in charge of which sites you visit.

A few thoughts......

• You shouldn't have any trouble at the Schilthorn (10,000 ft.) as you'll only be there a few hours.
• you may notice some minor effects at the Jungfraujoch (12,000 ft.) if you decide to visit there, such as getting more winded climbing stairs, etc.
• the place where you may have some difficulty is the Aguille Midi (12,000 ft.+). You should be able to visit but will have to limit your time at the top. I don't think pills will help.

As with most medications, Acetazolamide can have side effects and may interact with other medications. I'm not sure it's appropriate for use for such short duration use.

Good luck!