net

I drink a ton of water and want to know how good the tap water is in Venice, Florence, Rome, and Paris. Do the locals drink it? I live in Hong Kong where I boil all my water, have lived in San Francisco where the water tastes great and everyone drinks tap, but I also know that LA tap water is supposed to be drinkable but tastes disgusting and the locals don't touch it. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

joelle

YES, you can drink the water... I am a "local" and I drink it in France and in Italy, just like in the rest of Europe. The taste is not always great, that's for sure. If you are used to drinking water from the tap in your own country, you should not experience any problem.

Lee

"Net": You will hear various accounts, but when in doubt, don't do it. I lived in Frankfurt for nearly three years and I only drank the tap water in Germany, Holland, Switzerland and Austria. NOWHERE else. I drank it once in Paris and thought that I was going to die (I had nothing else to eat nearly all of that day). In Paris and in Rome, the water treatment facilities are not what you would expect. It's true, that some people can tolerate that amount of bacteria in their system, I cannot, even though I have no problem in the US. My suggestion is drink bottled water in large cities in France and Italy. Why chance it? Bottled water is cheap and easy to find. Good luck.

Anja

We drank the tap water in Paris for a week and were just fine. The locals drink the water there as well. I also did not find that it tasted any worse than any place in the United States. A note, if you want tap water in a restaurant you have to ask for it, and then be prepared for them to roll their eyes and make some sarcastic comment under their breath. Everyone we met in Paris was friendly, except for a couple of surly waiters, but for some reason the request for tap water really ticks them off.

Leslie

I have to disagree with Anja. France (Paris) is the *only* country in Europe that will serve ordinary, free tap water with a meal. In any other country, if you ask for water, the waiter will bring you bottled water which you have to pay for.

Ann

Bottled, bottled, bottled! I had no problem with tap water (or waiters) north of Lyon in France, but will never forget the digestive distress further south (a friend on the same trip should have been hospitalized). Viewing photos of the Ponte du Garde still makes my innards lurch! Definitely not worth it on a too-short holiday. Regardless of what the locals can handle (this includes wherever you live), there may be nasties in the tap water that a foreigner's system just can't handle.
Bottled water in Italy is cheap and well worth it for the peace of mind. The fizzy variety is tame and refreshing... highly recommended.

Donna

When you land in Europe, go straight to the store and buy several bottles of bottled water.Do not drink the tap water. Don't drink anything with ice cubes in it. Don't take any chances with your vacation and with your health. Here's my awful story: A few years ago I was on a 3 week European dumb bus trip. By the last 4 days, I was so desperate for the taste of tap water with ice in it, I ordered it. I ordered TWO glasses. I drank them, and less than 24 hours later, at a lovely restaurant along the Rhine, I spent the entire meal in the toilet, curled up in the dying fetal position, cramped worse than anything ever before. It was a dumb bus tour,we were with people we didn't know, so I was stuck on the bus the rest of the afternoon, and while everyone else had their evening meal, I stayed on the bus, dying with cramps. We got to the hotel. I was up and down every 15 minutes (so bored I timed it) through the night. I went to a local doctor after studying my German dictionary for the phrase "I have diahrrea" and after pleading that I didn't want a blood test, a urine test, a stool test,and I would not hold her liable for the drug, she prescribed Immodium. It is over the counter here, it is prescription there. Many German marks later, at least I had something to slow down the cramps and diahrrea. I lost 10 pounds over three days, then had to endure a plane ride home, half the time in the airplane bathroom. Try that for 10 hours. Sorry to gross you out, but sometimes you need that real experience to drive it home. Why take the chance? Moral of the story: don't drink the water, take your own supply of immodium, and don't depend on bus tours. All I wanted to do was get to my room and lay down, and I was on someone else's schedule. There was one funny part. As my husband and I waited in the waiting room of the German doctor's office, we wondered if we would know when our name was called. We decided that when they called a name and no one else stood up, we would know it was us. It worked. Have a great trip, learn from other travelers' mistakes.Don't miss a minute of it due to being sick.

Arizona

Not to be too scientific about it, but you (and everybody else) have lots and lots of tiny microorganisms in your gut. They live in peaceful harmony with one another and all the customary microorganisms that pass by, either in food, in water, and from other objects placed in your mouth (including one's dirty fingers). Only once in a while, strangers come along. And all hell breaks loose. These need not necessarily be French or Italian strangers (or strangers from the next county here in the U.S.A.) -- just strangers. So my advice to you is this: keep only customary microorganisms passing through (i.e. settle on bottled water), enjoy your trip, spend the few extra bucks on bottled water, and thus avoid a trip to a doctor...or many trips to various strange loos, both on the ground and in the air. Oh, and one more thing; brush your teeth with bottled water...and keep your fingers away from your mouth (we all do it unconsciously). Have a nice day.

kam

Have always drunk the tap water in Italy, although Fuigi is better tasting. I always take a supply of Lomotil (prescription--ask your M.D. but very safe) with me when traveliing anywhere. It is very important to keep drinking water when on a trip and if you have to pay for it, you are more likely not to drink. So, it's your choice, but water is important. PS. Beware of the sparkling waters in Europe--you might like them, but with the sodium content, do you wonder why your ankles swell??

Monica

I was in Paris last October and also (like Anja) had to ask for tap water at restaurants and every once in a while would also get the rolling eyes (but no scarcastic comments). It tasted fine! I also drank tap water in Spain, also good. We also bought bottled water for the day when sight seeing. It is inexpensive.

Joe Lomax

The water in Rome is the best in the world. Most is from the mountains, and I have never had a problem. Spigots on the street are constantly on and are great for drinking. They will have a hole on top, if you hold your finger over the opening on the bottom, you get an instant fountain out of the top. The water in Venice is at best tasteless. It is not a problem, but you will enjoy bottled water more. Florence and Milan are somewhere in between. Smaller towns are probably alright north of Rome.

Lidia

Well Joelle there is nothing wrong with the water over in France. However if you are a person who gets sicks easily I would drink bottled water. I have been drinking the water there for over 25years and my husband for 11 years. although he does get people on his return flights that claim to have gotten sick from the water. When he is working he drinks bottled water when we are on vacation he drinks tap water and has never been sick. But he can't afford to get sick when he is working. He is a pilot for Continental Airlines and flys the Newark-Paris flight once a week.

kam

I have been sick twice in over 30 years of traveling--my husband is with an international firm. Once I was in Venice--but got very adventurous with a fritto misto which contained all kinds of sea creatures--think it was these guys rather than the water, although I was drinking the water. It was a long time ago and an Italian told me that some of the old pipes let canal water into the water system. They've probably fixed that by now. The worst sickness I had was in Dublin of all places---and I was really, really sick. I think it does depend on whether you tend to get stomach upsets easily, but do take some kind of medication with you from home. ( I also take a pain medication and an antibiotic)

bob brown

There are two easy, practical solutions to the water problem. I say why chance it. You may not be able to tolerate the chlorine even if you can tolerate the bacteria. (1) Buy an immersion heater and a small pot and boil your water. (2) go to a backpacker store and get a small filter kit.
Hikers use them in the USA because of giardia.
The filters will take out bacteria and kill the taste of noxious treatment agents.