Health Care in Europe
EU citizens resident in the UK or Ireland are covered by reciprocal health agreements for free or reduced-cost emergency treatment in many European countries (main exceptions are the Baltic states, Switzerland, Slovenia, Morocco and Turkey). To claim this, you will often need only your passport, but you may also be asked for your NHS card or proof of residence. In EU countries and Norway, far from it being simpler, you'll also need form ¬111, available from post offices, DSS offices and travel agents, which you must get before you leave. Without an ¬111 you won't be turned away from hospitals but you will almost certainly have to pay for any treatment or medicines. Also, in practice, some countries doctors and hospitals charge anyway and it is up to you to claim reimbursement when you return home. Make sure you are insured for potential medical expenses, and keep copies of receipts and prescriptions.
There are not many particular health problems you will encounter travelling in most parts of Europe. You do not need to have any inoculations for any of the European countries, although for Morocco and Turkey typhoid jabs are advised, and for some parts of Turkey, even malaria pills are a good idea for much of the year. When travelling, remember to be up to date with your polio and tetanus boosters.
Tap water in most countries is drinkable, though you may prefer bottled mineral water, either for the taste (mains supply in some places can be very hard or heavily chlorinated), or to be on the safe side, though you only need to avoid tap water altogether in southern Morocco and parts of Turkey. Diarrhea and sickness from tap water or - in southern Europe - food, are reasonably likely, if only in a mild form. The best thing to do is carry anti-diarrhoea tablets with you at all times. One of the biggest problems you may face if travelling in southern Europe is the sun: do not spend too much time in direct sunlight if you are not used to it, and certainly not without any kind of sun block cream; just half an hour on your first day's sunbathing is probably the limit - more than this can leave you beetroot-red and nauseated.
Mosquitoes, too, are a problem Europe-wide, especially in the south and places where there is a lot of water around; the Netherlands, for example, harbours particularly virulent species. It is hard to know what to do about them: most people develop an immunity to bites after a few days exposure; until then an antihistamine cream like Phenergan can ease the itching. As for repellants, citronella oil is excellent, though not long-lasting, and some people swear by Avon Skin So Soft bath oil too. Finally, AIDS is as much of a problem in Europe as it is in the rest of the world, and it hardly needs saying that unprotected casual sex is highly inadvisable.
For minor health problems it's easiest to go to the local pharmacy. You'll find these pretty much everywhere and we've detailed out-of-hours ones in the text. In more serious cases your nearest consulate will have a list of English-speaking doctors, as will the local tourist office.
