I am having problems with my back and I know with all the walking that it is going to be bothering me and at home I usually ice it up. I have been to Europe before and know that they do not put ice in their drinks like we do in the USA. I was wondering if anyone knows what my chances are that my hotel would have an ice machine. It is a fairly large 4* hotel. Any suggestions on how to get enough ice cubes to put in a ziplock bag for my back or any other suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you

nomadwoman,

My husband loves a martini on the rocks at the end of the day...almost impossible to find in Paris. Even at the several hotels where we have stayed one or maybe two cubes of ice are all that is served.

We have found that having a drink at the d'Aubusson piano bar usually serves a very "on the rocks Martini".

However, I don't think that will help you out. Well, maybe it would.

Have you thought about taking one of those gel packs that you put in the freezer? If you have a mini bar in your room that might work. Might not freeze solid but I bet it would get close.

loveyblue

There likely won't be an ice machine - but if you tell us which hotel maybe someone will have specific information . . . .

Why don't you just ask the hotel if they have ice machines? Surely they would know!

SusanP: That is an even better idea (Sometimes the obvious is just too obvious )

BTW - even if there are no ice machines - I'm sure rome service can bring you a tub of ice since there will be ice in the kitchen.

janis, you're right. I've been on Fodors a long time (over 8 years) and am happy to share information on any subject I happen to know something about. But I just don't understand the questions about what amenities a particular hotel has. Certainly they are the best ones to answer that question!

I like the idea of "rome service," janisj

And yes, can't fathom why anyone would make this into a general question instead of just asking the actual hotel, but ....

A few years ago we were traveling when I had problems with my knees. I brought along those chemical ice packs and discard them as I used them. There weren't very expensive (I got them in a pharmacy which does a lot of medical supply work for senior citizens), easy to pack and stayed cold for 23 minutes. Also the great thing about them is that you can use them anywhere.

St Cirq, oh yes, I'd like to get rome service no matter where I am!

I stayed at Le Meridien Etoile at Porte Maillot last week, and there was an ice machine on my floor. I didn't use it, but did notice in passing that there were large plastic cups there to use for getting the ice, which was a very sensible alternative to the typical ice bucket in U.S. hotels, as you have to remember to take the ice bucket with you each time you want ice.

A large 4+ may well have ice machines, so just ask them. Or the information may be on the hotel web sit if you look closely.

When in Rome, . . . .

(and room service too)

This is where those baggies mentioned on another thread come in handy...if all else fails a fish monger at the local supermarket was willing to part with some extra ice for our needs...the hotel should be able to direct you or make some calls for you.

Thanks for all your advice. I did look on the hotels web site but could not find the information that I needed. Did not think about contacting the hotel because I did not think that they would have a way to e-mail them questions and was not going to call France to find out.I will probably go to the drugstore and try to get the chemical cold packs that was suggested to me. Thanks again

Mc Donalds and Burger King have ice, maybe you could ask. Other than that, nobody would buy (need) it, so it isn't offered.

&quot;<i>and was not going to call France to find out</i>&quot; It always amazes me when someone says this when a quick phone call would solve the whole thing.

A call to Paris costs pennies if you use a 1010 number . . . . .

We needed a few buckets of ice last year to cool drinks for a party we were hosting at the office (in Paris). Of course, back home, this would have been easy; you can buy ice at convenience stores, gas stations, supermarkets, etc. Not so in Paris. When my husband asked someone in the supermarket what to do, the fellow directed him to a restaurant across the street that had an oyster/shellfish bar outside. The oyster guy quite willingly filled up my husband's ice bucket with fresh (not fishy) ice. Oyster bars outside restaurants are relatively easy to find in Paris, so you shouldn't have any difficulty, if it turns out that your hotel doesn't have an ice machine.

Even if your hotel does not have an ice machine for guests, it will have an ice machine in the kitchen. Just ask the staff for some ice!

1. You can often use the ice machine in cafeterias such as Flunch. (Bring a plastic bag from Monoprix!)

2. If you have a minibar with an ice compartment, supermarkets sell ice cube freezer bags for people who need ice cubes for a special occasion and don't have enough ice cube trays.

A bag of frozen peas works just as well as an ice pack and can be found in almost every supermarket. The small size of the peas actually make them more flexible than a bag of larger ice cubes.
You can refreeze the bags about twice before they start to go &quot;off&quot;. A bag should cost you less than 1&euro;.

I'm not suggesting that you stock up on them, but if the ice is for an ailing back, consider one of those chemical pouches sold at Walgreens that create cold when crushed. They're used primarily for sports injuries to prevent swelling, but might come in handy when ice is not available.