window screens in europe ??

I read that about the flex screen too. That must be a joy to get thru security! Windows are so many shapes and sizes that taking a screen with you is not something that I think would be worthwhile and would probably be a complete waste of effort. But, I digress away from your question. Yes, it is common NOT to have screens over here. Basically, unless someone has gone to the trouble of installing them you hardly ever see them. When we travel, we look for hotels with AC just in case it gets really hot. Perhaps we do not get quite as much charecter in our hotels, but trying to sleep in a really hot room is not my cup of tea. It was super hot in Paris when we went there for Bastille Day and we were sooo happy that we were at an Ibis with AC. That said, after 22 years in Germany though, I am pretty used to just sleeping with the windows and balcony doors wide open.

Screens do not appear to be common , we have seen them, but rarely indeed. Even the screened windows we have seen were rather pathetic, we had to roll towels to block a good inch and a half that screens fell short on covering in a place we stayed in Florence.
I tend to get A/C, not just because of lack of screens, but because staying in cities like Rome and Paris are hard for me noise wise, I am not used to city noise at night, so like windows closed usaully.

How else would we be able to air out our featherbeds and pillows each morning?? ;-))

I have many American friends realize this fact (no screens) with great amazement, but you'll get used to it quickly. Among all the new things you'll see and experience, this will be a minor detail, Mark.
Happy travels!

wow,amazin'.. somethings ya just take as common. like they mite not have a/c but surely there's a bug-free window to open..
like had i not a read this,, ida surely woulda went there without some quinine an some netting..

heck, why pay good money for a room,, get the same nights sleep under a shrub..

Why would you need quinne? Isn't that for to prevent or treat malaria? I do not think malaria exists in Europe.

Hmmm, interesting discussion. After all my years living in Europe, Africa and Asia without screens, I don't like them! We've taken ours down and stored them so that we have an even better view and more air circulation! (It's also easier to have the windows washed.)

Interesting issue. Now that I think about it I don't think any window on any hotel or B & B have had screens on the windows. A more modern hotel in Munich and York may have had screens. We just opened the windows and let the air flow. I don't recall a mosquito and/or flying bug problem in May, June or August. Don't worry about it!

Mark...Rick Steves has always been a proponent of meeting the locals. Well, the bugs over there are locals. Why would you want to keep them out with screens.

I never had a problem with "skeeters." It was the flies. And even then it wasn't bad.

No quinine. Just take some Off.

Nope, no screens here. I've only had bug issues when I've lived/stayed near farms. When we've been in the cities, it is no big deal. Bring OFF, or buy some buy gunk from a pharmacy once you get here.

In all my travels in Europe I've never had a window with screens. There just aren't as many bugs as we have here. We have parts of this country where bugs don't dominate--Colorado, parts of California.

There is a simple thing you need to do when you're in an area where there might be bugs--the midgies in the highlands of Scotland for example--and that is to never turn on the lights when the window is open. If you want to have the window open at night, turn off the lights, then open the window.

Pam

In Seville some members of our tour group left their windows open at night. They complained about bites the next day. That is one reason I sleep with windows closed. The other reason is that windows keep out noise. Shutters properly closed can help keep out light and bugs.

Two years ago, in Taormina, there was a mosquito (note spelling) in our hotel room one night. I killed it. Thus endeth the story.

I've only once been at a place in Europe that had screens. That was in a rental appartment in Tuscany. And even those were rather pathetic and everyone had mosquito bites. That might have been because it was a rural/farm place.

The comment about taking quinine must have been a joke. However, I do recommend to take along some OFF or equivalent.

well, i reckon it's not problem..if'n it don't bother you's,, it surely wont bother me.. ( i hope )

it's just that there's no cottonpicking way ,,anyone,, could possibly stand one nite in a screenless windowed room in summer along the eastern seaboard of the united states..

you'd be one infected festured mess..even at 100% deet..

it shares the same parralell line as europe..

but if it ain't a problem,, it ain't a problem.. it's just hard to wrap around..

That "parallel line" is called latitude, and actually most of Europe is farther north than the eastern seaboard of the US. Even if it was exactly the same, there is a big difference between bugs in different parts of the world. There's a big ocean in between us and Europe, you know.

I love Google. I just googled Mosquitos in Europe and here's the answer to why there are "no" mosquitos in Europe.

"Answer: Dear Karol - Allow me to assure you that Europe (including England) has plenty of mosquitoes wherever suitable habitat exists. In fact, England experienced cases of malaria well into the 20th century (see http://www.dur.ac.uk/~dbl0www4/malaria.htm). However, I would guess that in most West European urban areas, environmental conditions favoring large mosquito populations have been eliminated, and they likely do a better job than we do of keeping urban areas clear of the type of water-holding rubbish accumulations (old tires, etc.) that encourage pest populations.
Hope this helps, Saugy" Here's the actual link: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Entomology-Study-Bugs-665/mosquitos-Europe.htm

Hey Mark, Europe is a continent and as such shares the same latitude with the US about as much as Florida sharing the same latitude as Vancouver. Germany is actually on the same latitude line as Nova Scotia. Guess where Sweden might be, or Greece?

That said, yes, we do get a few mosquito bites every year, but it isnt anything worse than going to a picnic or a walk in the woods. What I would worry about, is that if you are going out in the woods, are the ticks. They can be quite bad in some places. Make sure you check that out if anyone will be camping, hiking in a lot of forested areas, etc. Lyme disease is present over here.

This string cracked me up!
Rule of thumb: No screens in Europe.
Quinine!!!! I'm still laughing.
However, Jo makes a good point about the ticks. So much so that, when I first moved here, my job insisted on vaccinations and regular booster shots. Doesn't seem to be a problem of giant proportions. However, I have had friends come back from long hikes in the Alpine foothills and have to remove ticks. So it does happen.
Happy new year!

Hallo Thomas,
I am still giggling too :-)))
It conjured up images of travelers armed to the teeth with screens, mosquito nets, quinine, OFF and oh, I don't know . . . protein powder ????
It's NOT your fault, Mark! Please take no offense, it is this mischievous nature of mine . . .
just couldn't help it! ;-)))))))

Great, another thing to scare people who have never been to Europe. I can just see it now...Rick's new mantra: "Wear your moneybelt...and insect repellant." Soon, he'll sell little 2 oz bottles of raid in the Travel Store. Portable mosquito netting that attach to his sleep sacks.

And you know, at some point, someone will get on this board and claim they were pickpocketed by a tick.

Tickpocketed.

Seriously, there's a reason most of us in the US & Canada have screens on our windows-we have more mosquitos here. You may have some in Europe, but those of you who have lived there for years are forgetting life here. And I'm not buying the bit about us having more old tires and mucky ponds. Europe has plenty of ponds, canals, fountains, birdbaths. The skeeters here will drive you indoors at night.

So on my next trip, I'll bring my deet, my quinine, my head netting. Then I can sit outside at a cafe, covered head to toe in mosquito netting. How's that for an Ugly American?

Hey, I take quinine all the time... in the form of cold tonic water mixed with some gin and a lime slice... nice way to begin the weekend.

For the medical record- quinine was used for the prevention of certain strains of malaria (which was eradicated from Europe generations ago). Hence, the popularity of gin and tonic to British colonials in India. Most strains of malaria are now completely resistant.

Screens in Europe are very rare. I've noticed many times when they weren't there and have yet to notice any in the windows.

We bought our house from an English family, they had taken all the screens out of the windows (not uncommon to run the AC full time during DC Summers). She called them "grills" instead of screens.

If your touring England, they might know what you're asking if you refer to them as grills rather than screens (even though England isn't the place you will be wishing you had them).

We travel Spring and Fall so it's not so bad (other than a couple of incidents). It's best to carry a bug repellent. Carrying a mosquito net may be easier than a screen (or that may be what the flex screen is, a net that covers the window opening with something to seal it).

well,i'm glad i made you's laugh ..i did my job then..
been some good stuff here.. like KAREN's "ugly americans" that's funny,, i don't care who you are..

americans carrying all this stuff.. screens,tents, gezzeboos..dangrite,americans like are stuff..

i can see the infomercial now ..YEA,,BILLY MAYS here ,,introducing the EURO flex screen..buy one at $19.95 an get the second one ABSOLUTELY FREE..

ain't it great..

My old house here in Seattle doesn't have screens. That's pretty common here. My midwestern relatives were aghast that we had wide open windows. Then they realized they didn't see any mosquitos, either. Maybe the occasional fly. That's it. In my many trips to Europe it's been the same way--I can't remember any bites, and I get HUGE welts from mosquito bites, so I'd notice!

This thread surely did give me the chuckles...I say again, I just love to check out this helpline as often as I can...so uplifting and delightful...nope, don't remember any screens on the myriad hotels we visited...wonderful. Mark, you will love it.

When we were in Amsterdam this summer we stayed at a B & B that had a garden in back. There were screens on the window though they had tears in them. My wife had numerous mosquito bites the first night that turned into big welts, so we slept with the window closed at night, which was a bit hot. Not sure if there was standing water in the garden (it was very beautiful!), or where they came from. I guess if we go back to Amsterdam we'll have to get the mosquito net suits for sitting outside at the cafes! :-)

Ron, I think Mark has been joking about the Quinine. The amount that is in Bitter Lemon is minuscule and would do nothing against Malaria, which of course is non-existent in Europe.

As to purchasing Bitter Lemon. You can buy this everywhere, as I drink it all the time when I go out to eat. You can even get it in big liter bottles. It is my favorite drink. Also, we do not have Liquor stores like in the states. You can buy liquor everywhere, like in the grocery stores. They do have drink stores, but they sell all kinds of drinks, especially in bulk. But seriously, as much as I like Bitter Lemon, I think that would taste awful in a glass of water.

As to the water, I have been drinking the tap water here since a very long time, and there is nothing wrong with it, taste wise or health wise. Germans do like to drink fizzy mineral water, but they also like to drink still water, like Evian or Vittel. The water can be quite hard though and will leave lime scale on your pans if you are cooking. It can also wreak havoc with your hair if you have long hair.

Now if someone could tell me where I can buy Bitter Lemon in the states I would be happy. I miss it when I am there.

Ron,
most of Europe has perfectly fine tap water, and Europeans drink enormous amounts of it.
Austria is famous for its delicious, clean water, we are one of the water-richest countries on Earth. Here you can order Leitungswasser (tap water) in every restaurant (without cost), and Germany is following suit.
Yes, we love our Mineralwasser (the bubbly, gassy kind, like Perrier), as it is supposed to have many health benefits, and Europeans swear by it.
Until recently it just wasn't very accepted to order tap water when eating out, it simply wasn't done unless you fell ill at the table.
It was a societal thing, not based on that the water isn't fit to drink!
It's something you only drank at home.
At best, you'd get a glass of water with your coffee, but attitudes have, and are changing.

We don't have malaria, trust me!!!
So save the quinine for travels to the tropics ;-))
And, having lived in the US Northeast for many yearrs, I can tell you this: we do NOT have as many bugs!!!!

In addition to my mosquito net hat, should I bring a portable water filtration unit so I can filter my coffee and water at a cafe? Is there room on the tables for my Pepto Bismol and Immodium? How does the Bitter Lemon taste with the protein powder?

With all the fretting and worrying that some people seem to do when contemplating a trip to western Europe, a safari to Kenya would certainly bring on a case of the hives, if not a nervous breakdown.

some neet stuff here.. seems like europe could use some screens .. even one skeeter in a room 'buggin ya'',, would ruin my nite..

wake-up in the morning,, face & ears all slapp'd up.an the blood suckers still alive ,on your nose,,fat bloated an can't fly..then ya hafta go sightseeing all beat-up..

never knew what quinine really was.. but since it's a drink mixer,, heck,, malaria would bounce off me like bullets off superman.. i try to tell people that gin & tonic was health food.. nobody ever listens to me..

didn't know that lyme decease is oversea.. gonna start a new post on that..

sorry to hear about brother ,RON..very unfortunate.. i'll keep it a secret..

Here's my suggestion: drink plenty of Gin and quinine (tonic water). After a few of those, you won't really care about the mosquitoes. And think of the state of the mosquito after drinking your blood? They'll leave you and head straight for A.A.

Now, if you're going to pack quinine, you might also pack some limes. Not only do they add to the flavor of a G & T, but they're also medicinal. They will help prevent scurvy.

I have NEVER seen any type of screen in Europe. Not in any city, hotel, pension, or hostel. I would suggest taking some fine netting like brides use. Never assume that any hotel, no matter how expensive, has any type of air conditioning. I love the idea of a flex screen. IMO, there are four types of things you have to take with you to be happy: two pairs of shoes that are incredibly comfortable, 200 euros hidden in one of the shoes or in your money belt, any medicine (including tylenol for those feet, cold medicine and a few sleeping pills -- trust me), and insect repellant. Just my humble opinion. If you'd like to know my reasons, just email! :^)

I lived in Germany and traveled to other countries in Europe for 4 1/2 years and can't remember ever getting bit by a mosquito, ever. I may have, but I sure don't remember if I did.

It also only ever got so hot one summer, that I even thought about air conditioning. I just opened the windows.

Hi Mark,

I wouldn't worry about the screens. We were in Europe May of 07 and it was very hot. We slept with the windows open (no screen) and had the curtain over the open window and had no bugs.

I've been to Europe many times and rarely remember even seeing bugs so don't worry.

You will be fine...plus you are barely ever in a hotel to really notice the screen. I would definetly not bring a flexible screen...in Europe you want to pack light.

Have fun on your trip!

I've been in Crete, Greece for 2 days. There are most definitely mosquitoes here but not very aggressive, they mostly attack at night.

For instance last night, sleeping with the windows closed (there were some mosquitoes hiding in our bathroom apparently) I got 5 mosquito bites, and girlfriend got 4. I woke up itching at about 3 am, put on some 10% DEET repellent spray and didn't get bit again the rest of the night.

Screens really won't matter, after opening a cupboard in our room I saw a mosquito fly out that had somehow been surviving in there for a few days. I'm actually considering getting a head net for sleeping because I would rather save the DEET.

I've used incense coil in the past in Asia for sleeping (with great success) but I can't seem to find it here I guess its not a problem for the locals, but getting 5 bites a night is rather uncomfortable.

I live in the middle of the redwood forest...trees are the only big things here. The mosquitos get big, but I swear by Avon's Skin So Soft...if you can get past the smell, it works well. I can't imagine Europe being any worse!

3 Things North America Does Better Than Europe:

-Garbage Disposals
-Clothes Dryers
-Window Screens

Screens are not only for bugs. A few years back while staying in a b&b in Ireland,we left our ground floor window open, only to be awakened in the middle of the night by a large scabby cat in bed with us. As we had a cat that did the same thing it was to us, no big deal , to our host however it was quite the opposite. She was quite horrified that the barn cat was even in the house.

It has been quite fun to read this old thread.

I can't tell you how many times birds have flown into my apt. That is just how it is with open windows. Part of the fun of being in a different country.

"Now if someone could tell me where I can buy Bitter Lemon in the states I would be happy."

Parthenon Foods in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

I am surprised that no one has yet pointed out the fact that all over Europe, pre WWII windows tend to be casement-style that open out with a latch (not a mechanical hand crank) and so having a fixed screen would be impossible.

hi everone,,
got an e-mail that someone tack on this old post..

since the last time i posted BILLY MAYS is dead (rip billy)..

maybe we can get the sham-wow guy to come up with the FLEXO EURO screen.. he says the sham-wow's are made in germany.. buy 2 and a compass /whistle ring for free..

It kills me how people just shrug this off. I'm from the Chicago area, and mosquitoes are quite prevalent in the summer. I can remember moving stuff in and out of my back door and getting a dozen or more inside in the space of as many minutes with the door open and light on. This was probably a wetter than usual summer, though.

I'm not that squeamish about being bitten, however I don't like A/C and I only sleep about 5 hours a night. I like that to be well-ventilated, quality sleep, even if I sweat on a hot night. I don't like the idea of being feasted upon, but it's not that big of a deal if one or two of the bastards go to it on my arm or back while I'm out. What I can't stand is that they always seem to find my ear in the mid R.E.M. stage. And as I know this won't be the last time, I levitate out of bed, bouncing off the ceiling to turn on the lights and go on a search and destroy mission, shaking curtains and stirring up the air with a towel to force them to flight. I can't sleep with them buzzing my ears.

I'm writing this from Shenzhen China, on the 10th floor of a walkup that has no screens whatsoever. My friend says they don't get many mosquitoes here and besides everyone uses A/C. It's still a little cool, but I've seen several mosquitoes already, so I'm already working on finding a screen supplier before it gets warm. People here burn mosquito coils. I doubt their efficacy, and I like fresh air, but I know that screens are a sure thing if you keep the door closed.

It's worth pointing out one other solution I've learned of recently. My neighbor talked of sitting out on the patio at night with a fan - a follow-on revelation to his wife mentioning a couple years ago that on a breezy night (10 mph or so) they can't bite because they're clinging to the trees for dear life. In the Midwest I sleep in my garage office quite a bit, and as it's open during the day there's always a chance of a stray inside at night. I blow a box fan right over my bed (not on me, although I get occasional eddies and wisps keeping me cool) and this has prevented me from getting any bites. Here in SZ I tried the same with one of those oscillating fans because I suspected a mosquito or two in the room, and I still woke up and found a blood-filled bugger that got me in a turbulence-free corner of the bed.

So screens are the way to go. We visited India a few years ago and went to see some distant family member that lived near the river. The mosquitoes indoors with the lights on at night were so oppressive I couldn't imagine how they lived there, but they just seemed to ignore it or bat them away when they flew into their faces. My kids and my niece/nephew took to killing them for entertainment, and my nephew's face was covered with welts. I just don't get it.

There's a better way, folks. Screens keep them out and the discussion is over. I ran out this week to the local Wal-Mart, which I avoid like the plague in the states, to get a foot-activated closing garbage can and a big plastic sealing box to keep food in. Lots of households here have open trash cans with food in them, and cockroaches are common. I'm not going to deal with that. I'll see a stray now and then, but things are clean and dry and I don't have a problem. I got a garment bag for my wool suit. Simple. A barrier to keep insects out.

Windows here all have decorative security bars on them, so I don't think I'll be leaning out the window to call Anthony home for some al dente pasta anytime soon. But I'll get lots of fresh air and a better night's sleep. And days free of all sorts of nasty little pests.

Best wishes.
-mz

The last time the thread was shrugged off was four years ago.

It's never too late for a good rant, Ed. Besides, there's new information (this just in), and there are lives at stake, apparently.
-mz

'That could have a big impact on human health since mosquitoes and other flying insects kill millions of people each year.'
http://science.slashdot.org/story/14/03/19/150255/first-automatic-identification-of-flying-insects-allows-hi-tech-bug-zapping