luna

Hi, I have two questions relating to our upcoming (54 days to go!) trip to Italy. We'll (three adults) be taking the Eurostar, First Class, between Rome and Florence, and between Florence and Naples. My boyfriend will have a rolling Pullman suitcase, 27" x 16" x 10". Will this fit on the luggage rack above the seats, or is it too big?

Second question - both of us have had problems in the past with GI problems, ususally bacterial, when traveling. BF has already had a prescription for Cipro filled, but I was thinking I would just have my doctor write me one for Trimeth/Sulfa (Bactrim, because I'm allergic to Cipro), and have it filled there if I need it. Does anyine have an idea what the cost of the antibiotic would run?

Thanks in advance.

nocinonut

No it won't fit overhead but you can store it at the end of each car.

I would get the prescription filled here, it is inexpensive over there but they may not have the exact ingredients. If you are allergic why take the chance?

panucci

Why don't you have it filled here? They might want an Italian prescription. Most any antibiotics are available without a prescription and there are usually doctors in the Pharmacies for help. I am not sure what they cost.

Anton

My wife was able to get an antibiotic at a pharmacy in Rome. No problem, we didn't have a prescription. It seems like it was around $10 five years ago.

PalQ

After the Madrid Atocha train bombings i read that French Railways, SNCF, had closed off the luggage racks at each ends of TGV cars that were used to store large items. I don't know if this is the case still but it seems with Italy being under more threat than France it could be the case there. Anyone with current knowledge of this policy in France or Italy? I know that most train lockers in France have been closed for several years under the Vigipirate anti-terrorist order.

GAC

You can always wedge the suitcase in between the seat rows. Should not be a problem, particularly in first class, where there's much more room for luggage.

SeaUrchin

Last year I was feeling a little ill in Sorrento, so my friend had me memorize what to say in the pharmacy. I repeated it over and over like a mantra and it got me a very nice antibiotic which was very inexpensive.

But if I were allergic I would want it filled at home where I could communicate with the pharmacist.

TopMan

Nobody has yet to communicate what the advantage is to having those luggage racks at the ends of the cars closed off, especially when one is free to place luggage just about anywhere else to include between and under seats and, if small enough, on the overhead rack.

When I was in Europe about a month ago (in both Germany and Italy) the racks at the ends of the high-speed train cars were not "closed off" but in your particular case I think the options will be storing that suitcase at the end of the car or behind seats.
Have a great trip.

BigRuss

Considering the governmental rationing of health care in Europe, your belief that you can have an AMERICAN (presumed) prescription filled in Italy is likely mistaken. Even in the US, there is a vast amount of paperwork that pharmacists have to coordinate when filling a scrip -- that's why it takes 15 minutes to get 30 pills out of the big bottle.

Get the meds before you go.

GAC

The advantage of using the luggage racks at the ends of the railcars is to avoid having to drag heavy suitcases down the narrow railcar corridor, hitting people's knees, thighs, and ankles, and/or rolling over or crushing people's feet in the process. It can be quite a hazardous endeavor!

The disadvantage of using these racks is constantly worrying weather someone might snatch the luggage from the rack during an intermediate train stop, and rush out of the train with the stolen goods.

flanneruk

I'd really be interested in hearing from Big Russ how the Italian government "rations" healthcare.

But he does have a point. I very much doubt that an Italian prescription would be accepted in the US, although the standard of public health is rather higher in Italy than in the US.

What makes you think Italian pharmacies will accept a US script?

GAC

I have purchased prescription drugs in Italy using Px from U.S. physicians. The pharmacies are usually quite eager to make the sale, at least in my experience.

sandi

Especially if you are allergic, most definitely get your script filled here. Don't take chance that your US script will be filled in Italy; don't chance that this med will be available at any given pharmacy, when you need it.

marcy_

Panucci is right, most antibiotics are available in Italy without a prescription. If you write down the name and dosage of the antibiotic you need, you shouldn't have any trouble getting it at an Italian pharmacy.

Trimethoprim/Sulfa (Bactrim or Septra) is pretty standard and should be widely available and inexpensive in Italy.

travelbunny

..if you think you need an antibiotic, take it with you. There is very little indication though for their use. A quinilone is often RXed for Travellers diarrhea but this is rarely a problem in industrialized Europe. I would suggest (for a modern industrialized Europe..not Russia or eastern Europe) that you take peptpbismol or if diarrhea bothersome (and no blood or fever) immodium.

Kay2

On recent trip to Italy I did purchase some antibiotics for my niece for a swollen gum. We first stopped at a pharmacy in Orvieto, but my Italian didn't include the words I needed and the pharmacists did not speak English. A customer tried to do some translating and we agreed just to purchase a mouth rinse there similar to something she had used before.

I think it was in Florence we went to the pharmacy in the train station. It was larger and a pharmacist spoke English. We agreed on an antibiotic she had taken before, answered questions about allergies, and bought the week's supply of pills. I don't remember the price--around 20 Euros, I think, but I could be wrong.

So, yes you can get antibiotics over the counter in Italy, but if you are travelling in smaller towns you must consider language barriers about your allergy and opening hours. So if this is a recurring problem for you, I would get the pills in advance. If you've just gotten sick sometime on some trip in the past, then know you can obtain antibiotics there in the rare case you do get sick.

The pullman suitcase will go at the end of the car where there is room on the floor and a shelf. If concerned about theft, take a bicyle cable and lock or similar to attach suitcase to rail.

luna

Thanks to everyone who responded! As I mentioned in my original post, this is a just-in-case measure for us, as we have doen a fair bit of traveling and both have kind of "iffy" GI tracts. To clarify a couple of things, I'm in Canada, and I'm allergic to Cipro and its family of antibiotics, not to Bactrim. Also, I'm an RN myself.

Good to know that the 'suitcase from hell' BF is bringing will probably fit on the overhead rack.

SeaUrchin

No, it won't fit in the overhead rack unless they have really remodeled the cars since my last trip. You will have to put it at the end of the car or in the seat next to you.

Someone can correct me if I am wrong.

travelbunny

..if you are an rn, you should know better than to use antibiotics in this way, Luna.

Janeyre

It's not always easy to store your luggage by your side or on the seat next to you in a full train. We stored our three big pieces of luggage at the end of the car. Just before we came to a stop, I usually walked to the end of the car to make sure our luggage remained on the train during the stop!
Sometimes the train toilet was out of toilet paper and/or clearly the roll had been on the ground. Other times the soap dispenser was empty/not working. Have your Kleenex pack handy as well as those anti-bacterial hand wipes as a precaution. Train time is a great time for reading about your next stop and writing postcards!