bed bugs

tripadvisor.com

A traveler can always bring along a "bed sack" to sleep in if worried about the bed itself. That and keep your suitcase off of the floor and don't use the chest of drawers or closet. I had bad bed bugs in my bed here in Hawaii but after several "bombings" and intermittent sprayings, they have gone elsewhere.

Thanks for the advice, I will check tripadvisor. The whole idea of bedbugs kind of creeps me out.

Good question. I read an article about a month ago regarding an increase in bed bug reports in Paris...article indicated the govt. is trying to keep it out of the news because of the impact it could have on tourism. They also blamed the problem on American tourists...bringing them over from here (who knows). Curious...how would a "sleep sack" prevent bed bugs from detecting your CO2 and heat emissions and, thus, crawling around and in the bag. I'm assuming one takes their "sleep sack" with them when they leave said infested bed. Agree with Michael...use tripadvisor...it's about the best you can do.

Hi Lauri, I've been living in Europe for almost two years and travel around all the time and I've never had a problem with bed bugs anywhere. Just check tripadvisor. Other than that, I say just don't worry about them and enjoy your trip!

We own a hotel here in the states and have had a scare or two. They only come out at night but, leave traces (tiny droplets of blood) behind. They live near the headboard for the most part and can be extremely hard to detect if newly infested. Definitely keep all items off the floor. Not sure a bed sack will be helpful...
We hear they've been brought over from Europe but, they are everywhere and getting immuned to usual methods of treatment. Of course, they're nasty but, wouldn't worry about it enough to let it ruin my trip. Shower before leaving each place you stay and again, keep items off floor or near bed frame. You'll be fine!

Where are you supposed to keep your suitcases and tote bags if you can;t put them on the floor? There is not always space on the furniture for all of our family's stuff.

Too much stuff then,, most hotel rooms only hold two people , getting triples and quads is a little harder,, so if you are a family of 4 or more, perhaps an apartment is a better choice then two rooms.

we are a family of 4 all in a quad. room. I have read elsewhere to put trash bags in your luggage to wrap your bags in while in your room. Upon leaving throw the bags away. I don't want to make a lot of extra work for ourselves but was wondering how big and widespread the problem may be.

The problem is big and widespread, but you just have to draw the line somewhere with respect to how much trouble you're going to put yourself through (or never leave home again). You could pick them up on the plane, train, or other public building. Then, your best plans for securing yourself/stuff in the room are shot. I say, use tripadvisor, keep your bags off the floor/bed/fabric-covered furniture & hope for the best. There are no guarantees, and we all have to accept a little risk. I can handle bites while travelling...it's bringing them back home that sort of freaks me out a bit. I'm willing to take the risk, however. We're not bringing back DDT, so the bugs will win in the end anyway. :)

If the hotel has an ironing board I use that to put of bags on. We travel very lightly (I can't deal with waiting for checked bags) so that does make things easier.

I share you concerns. Had thought about a sleep sack, but figured (as other posters mentioned) they would just inhabit the sack. Then I found some REst Easy bed bug spray that is "cinnamon scented with natural oils" and is labeled as an environmentally friendly way to repel bed bugs. I will have a chance to try it in France in April. Bare in mind I can't watch hospital shows on tv because I always have the worst case they are talking about.... so I am convinced any bed I get in will be infested. Mentally speaking, the juice will help me sleep. Either that or wine.

Another tip,, always check the bed when you check in, I went online, found photos of what to look for, and even when staying in a nice hotel, one I have stayed in before etc,, I still take a good look before I settle in.

If you're packing very light with a smaller backpack or messenger bag, you can also try hanging your bag strap(s) from a hanger in the closet (if they're sturdy enough...wire hangers might not work). Don't forget to keep your clothes off the floor, chair, bed, etc. You can only do so much. Pat: Checking the mattress is a good idea, but it's pretty nasty...I really don't want to get that close to a foreign (i.e. not my own) mattress in a hotel room. Maybe rubber gloves are in order. :) Terry: Just stick with the wine. That repellant spray won't work, but it might make you feel better for trying something. Happy travels!

Thanks for all the replies. Terry I hear you and share your same reactions. I will also get some spray just for peace of mind, and the wine is a given. We will be there in April as well. Happy travels.

Maybe we'll run into each other...I'll be the guy walking funny due to the wine with all the red bumps all over his body. But it will still beat being in Illinois!!

If I thought a mattress was too nasty to even touch with my bare hand( which I then wash anyways) then I would not want to sleep on in,, with only a thin sheet between it and my face.. blech... I guess I have been lucky, all the mattresses I have looked at looked fine to me, and certainly no nastier then sitting on a park bench,, LOL
I would way rather wash my hand then get bed bug bites and have all my stuff infected ,, double blech!

I was bitten by bed bugs back in 2005, in a hotel just outside of NYC. Since then I have read all the literature published on bed bugs and how to avoid them. I am retired and travel a lot, mainly in north america but a couple of times a year I go overseas. Inspection of your bed and room is the most important way to avoid bed bugs. If you can't find any bugs after a complete inspection of your bed , mattress, headboard, baseboards at the head of the bed and drawers, then your room is most probably free of pests. I have found telltale signs ( dark smudges or spots ) of bed bugs in numerous hotels including a hotel in Paris last year. When I asked the hotel manager about them he assured me there were no bed bugs. He did not address the fact that there were, in the past bed bugs, but profusely assured me there was no problem. I was not bitten. I do use a travel sack where ever I stay and have owned many different brands including the rick steves silk travel sack. My favorite is the allersac because it is zippered and the cotton it is made of feels like my own sheets. I know a travel sack can't be bed bug proof because it is open at the top but i feel better using them. I also research any hotel i will stay at through bedbugregistry.com and tripadvisor.com. if you read enough reviews on a specific hotel you can get a pretty good idea of what to expect.

If there is a gd thing about bedbugs, it is they do not carry disease.
However as all have said you need to be vigilant about checking cracks and crevices in your room and bedding for their traces.

Unfortunately, after having encountered the little beasts in the Loire Valley, I learned to my dismay that they DO carry some diseases - just not terrible ones like HIV (they don't think). There's an increasingly vast academic literature on the subject. Bed sacks could help, especially if one took the time to go to a laundromat ever 3-4 days and put the thing in the drier on the highest setting for 20 minutes or more. 20 minutes is probably even overkill. At least, psychologically, this could help. However, they're going to be able to crawl right in if they are there - the bites aren't THAT bad for most people, but the agony of thinking you might be a carrier or bring them home is horrendous. We travel light, too, and use lots of ziplock bags for various things, but slept with our iPhones on the night tables - and I learned upon return that in NYC bedbugs have been known to inhabit iPhones and iTouches (nothing about iPads), but we had to quarantine everything. One New Zealander swore that tea tree oil worked and someone else says cedarwood, so we're making a combo spray (will include cinnamon) as to help to deter (won't kill). They don't want your socks or your bag - they want your body, but they're really sneaky little buggers. There are a LOT of things hotels can do to deter bugs (they can't crawl up extremely smooth surfaces, so those luggage racks are there for a reason and there are things they can put under the feet of the bed for the same reason - indeed, some hotels we stayed had them). Do away with headboards! We only checked the mattress and frame and didn't notice this piece of wood nailed to the wall below mattress level that once held a headboard - bedbugs in many stages of development there, this was a longterm infestation. I did put notice up on Tripadvisor - so that's the place to check!

I don't know about anywhere else but the Appi Hotel in Rue St Denis, Paris is infested. We just got eaten alive there last night.

For the US and UK, there's this: http://bedbugregistry.com/ but otherwise, check trip advisor.

I read that any upolstered item can be infested and that in Hawaii they have reports of several restaurants with the padded banquet seats being infested and even movie theatre seats!!! Bed bugs travel. They come with guests. They can happen at any hotel, anywhere , at anytime. If a place was bug free a month ago , it can be infested today.

Ummm...anyone notice that Lauri's post is from the beginning of 2011? So she's probably been to Paris and back, and it looks like Sam may have dredged it up to slam this particular Paris hotel (why does he need to stay in a Paris hotel if he lives in Paris?).

Good Catch!

Yes, good catch. We have been to Paris, had the most fabulous time and returned home completely bug free.

According to Sam's post on Trip Advisor, using the name Samantha, the hotel refunded their money but she was still upset. I usually stay in 2 star hotels in Paris, but the Appi, dead cheap, has terrible reviews so Sam, you get what you pay for, or in your case, what you actually did not pay for.