Do many people suffer from traveler's GI problems in Italy? When I go to Mexico, it's a given.

nope...the food in italy is amazing and even my friend with a weak stomach had no problems at all

When we were in Italy 2 yrs ago, our guide, as well as the guide books, told us that tap water was safe throughout Rome, Florence, Venice. We used it not only to brush our teeth but also to refill our water bottles with no problem. It was the same in Spain last year. No one in either group had problems.

My husband only has to look at bad food to have problems, but never had any problems at all on our recent trip to Italy. The food was WONDERFUL.

The food in Italy is the best! I've never had any problems with food or water - except the McDonald's in Venice - where I got CATASTROPHIC food poisoning. Seems I should've known better...

Leslie, in 8 trips abroad we've never had a single problem* Knock on wood, except, we ate at the McDonalds (in Vienna though) where I got food poisoning so bad I nearly went to the hospital! Janice I feel you pain!

I have only been to Spain and Italy, but had no problems with food or water in either country, which is more than I can say about Mexico. I got sick there and it lasted a full 3 weeks, and my husband ended up in the hospital with kidney failure due to dehydration. And we had tried to be very careful!

The local people in Pompei and Naples prefer not to drink the water from their faucets. Although all water in Italy is good, the weekend the I did drink water from the faucets in that area, I did get a bit of diaherra. So heed the locals. Bottled water is very cheap in Italy. 50 cents for a large bottle (except at tourists sites-especially the Colisseum).

Iffy guts (medical term) can often result from the stress and tension of planning the trip, getting to the airport, delayed flights, lost luggage, etc. Add to that 'strange' water (it's not that the water is bad; it may have a different mineral content than the homegrown stuff, which upsets the already unnerved digestive tract) and...here's the biggie.... overindulging. You probably don't have dessert every night (or maybe it's just fruit) at home and suddenly you're snarfing down tiramisu by the bucket. Or you never eat breakfast, but find those breakfast pastries waaaay too good to pass up. So don't panic; we find a supply of rolaids and immodium-ad settle down everything within a day, our nerves relax, and no more problems. <BR> <BR>Then we ask for second helpings of the tiramisu....

I am a healthy youngish (28) person and got very sick in Italy one night presumed to be a mild case of food poisoning (had it once before here a few years back and it was similar in symptoms) I also came back with a UTI and an unexplained rash on my arms and lower back which 3 doctors couldn't explain. Coincidence? Maybe but I'm staying out of Italy for a little while which leaves me time to go back to my favorite country...Wales.

Leslie, <BR>Individuals can have bad luck, but in "my" Italy stomach upset was not a "given." <BR> <BR>On the other hand, if you have any particular food sensitivities or allergies, I hope you already know about them. <BR>I went away for a weekend a short time ago to a charming town in Massachusetts, and got very sick after dinner. After I wrote the restaurant to complain, their hypothesis was that the buttermilk my fish was cooked must have adversely reacted with the sulfites in the white wine I drank, and that's their explanation for why I got sick. All I can say is that neither buttermilk nor fish nor white wine have ever separately made me sick before. I remain suspicious, but I'm not a chemist,so go figure. <BR>The moral of the story is, travel with <BR>some Benadryl, Pepto, and/or Immodium <BR>just in case.

This is not related to stomach upset but someone mentioned rashes. I got the most horrid, ugly rash all over my body (luckily not my face) from eating kangaroo meat in Australia. Apparently I was alergic to something the kangaroo ate! 2 months of steroids and hundreds of dollars later it finally went away but it was hideous, and people ask me why I am a vegetarian.

My travelling problem tends to be the opposite of dia---; not so in Italy, where as everyone says, the food is superb. The egg yolks are the most amazing shade of orange, and even the green tomatoes are exquisite. I found excellent $2 bottles of wine, so enjoyed my liquid refreshment that way rather often. In Rome we especially enjoyed filling our bottles at the boat fountain at the base of the Spanish Stairs, though all the little spigots throughout Rome are fine as well.

gb: I agree with you about Naples. In '98 I stayed at the 3* Cavour Hotel on Piazza Garibaldi (train station). I arrived ~noon brushed my teeth and went exploring, later than day I was shaving after brushing my teeth again and noticed a sticker on the mirror (far upper corner) that said "aqua non-potable?". I was so *happy* the hotel staff forget to mention that at check-in! Well the next day I had to break-out the Immodium and catch-up on my reading in the reading room. In '99 I stayed at 3* Palace Hotel 50M away from the Cavour Hotel and had the *same* problem. In 10 European countries and living in Greece for 2yrs with no problems, Naples is the only place I will never again drink the water. Regards, Walter <BR>

Dear Leslie: <BR> I felt perfectly free to drink from the public fountains in Rome. When we got to Merano, I continued this habit but 1 fountain had a very metalic taste to the water. I probably swallowed only a bit of water but pretty soon was sick as a dog for several days. Fortunately, a nurse friend had some heavy duty meds to counteract was what some pretty severe poisoning. <BR> I don't drink from the beautiful fountains any more.

Thyra... I'm very sorry, but I had to have a laugh... Most Australians don't eat kangaroo meat, except perhaps our indigineous (sp?) folks! Just the thought of 'kangaroo stew' makes bumps come out all over me... I know it's around, and some of the restaurants have it on their menu, but I really don't know of many folks that have tried it and liked it... My dad did eat snake once.. He said it tasted like greasy chicken... How inviting!! Can't WAIT for that Italian cuisine!!

Debbie judging by my experience, Australians are very smart! Feel free to laugh, don't mind if I join you... ah to be young and foolish again!

ciao leslie! <BR> <BR>italy isn't mexico or africa or india......... i think you have a strange idea from the food and the conditions in italy and europe. here in florence you can drink without any problems water from the faucets. but to have the better taste take botteled water. you can eat whatever you want, i once sufferd from food what i eat in the usa, safe country???? <BR> <BR>no leslie, really, don't worry and forgett your squirreld ideas what you have from here!!