GillsinEurope

My husband and are I traveling throughout Europe this month and are taking a weekend trip to Venice. Unfortunately, he gets quite sea sick on boats of any kind and is really nervous about this weekend. Do any of you know of any good medication that we can purchase in Florence to alleviate his ailment? I'm going to take a trip to the Farmacia tomorrow so any help would be appreciated!

nytraveler

Well - any pharmacy should have dramimine.

But you should know that the canals in Venice are essentially completely calm. There are no waves- and any motion in the water is from other boats passing by. (Canals are only a few feet deep in many places - and even the bacino is not that deep.)

I have violent motion sickness and never had any problems at all in Venice. It's essentially like being on a small lake - not any sort of sea.

GillsinEurope

Thanks nytraveler. It's a comfort to hear that you do fine while in Venice. I'm still a bit concerned since he doesn't do ANY types of boats...even on calm lakes. I think dramimine will help though. I hope I can find it tomorrow.

capxxx

It is possible to see all of Venice and never step on a boat (although you can't get to the other islands like Murano and Lido).

Gondola rides are luxuries (for tourists), not necessities, and even the Vaporetto can be avoided. Hubby is doesn't have to be on any boat if he is willing to walk to his destination.

Dukey

Depending on exactly WHERE in Venice you might be staying it could be somewhat &quot;adventurous&quot; to reach it without stepping aboard <b>any</b> boat whatsoever.

suze

You don't have to go on a gondola just because you're in Venice. Why would you?

I've been twice and it just always seemed too touristy for me, I never thought about motion sickness.

You likely WILL need to get on a vaporetto (large bus/boat) though.

FainaAgain

May I suggest, if you had not left for your trip yet, to see a doctor?

Speaking of myself - with my severe sea sickness I asked the doc about Dramamine, and he said NO! Not with my other meds and conditions. Only Bonine.

Usually I take ginger pills, but on small boats it would be Bonine.

BoniseA

I'm with Faina. Bonine is much better than Dramamine. Dramamine makes me so sleepy, it's hard to function.

I have pretty bad motion sickness, but didn't have a problem in Venice. The vaparettos within Venice are smooth. But if you are planning on going to one of the outer islands like Burano or Murano your husband might have a problem.

I didn't take anything and went to Burano or Murano. I think maybe I was so excited over where I was I forgot to get sick.

KayF

I think travelling on a gondola could be much rougher than being on a vaporetto (like a big water bus). The vaporettos are very stable but we were in a gondola that crossed into the Grand Canal and it was quite choppy. I get quite ill with motion sickness, basically almost anything that moves can make me ill but I've never felt sick at all in Venice. (Maybe I'm too busy oohing and aahing...)
Kay

jkdraper

Gill - I asked my daughter-in-law, who gets motion sickness any time she is in anything that moves, and she said she did not get the least bit of motion sickness when she and my soon took their romantic gondola ride nor on the vaporeti. I think your husband will be find on the canals of Venice. Enjoy my favorite city. Take Care Jackie

SuzieCII

Absolutely Bonine. Lets put it this way, I found out when a friend back in the 60's thought he'd avoid Vietnam by joining the Coast Guard. When his captain found out he let my friend &quot;have an outragiously upset tummy&quot; for several weeks out at sea. That was BEFORE the captain clued my friend in to Bonine. For me, it works with car-sickness as well and leaves no icky feeling or drowsiness.

ira

&gt;..a friend back in the 60's thought he'd avoid Vietnam by joining the Coast Guard.

Was he over 6 feet tall?

rkkwan

I heard that as long as you wear your li...



Okay, just kidding. Not going there this time.

tuscanlifeedit

Xamamina

Available in all Italian pharmacies without a prescription. Get the caplets which work, IMO, better than the chewing gum.

Take it from someone who get sea sick in the bathtub.

I am getting a scopolamine patch for my upcoming trip to Venice. Standing on the platforms waiting for the vaporetti makes me sea sick. Ditto gondola; ditto traghetto.

Must take something, always.

FainaAgain

RK, life jackets only work if you fill them with the salami you want to smuggle back into the US

GillsinEurope

Oh my goodness....thank you all so much for the tips. I'll try to find some of the meds advised on this thread. Too late to see a doctor, we are leaving in two days. Going to pharmacy tomorrow. We are staying on an the island of S'Erasmo so we will have to step on a boat a few times to get back and forth from our hotel. I'll let you know how it goes! Cross your fingers...

nytraveler

tuscanlifeedit -

If you haven;t used the scopalomine patch before you should know that it works for only about 85% of people - and not at all for about 15%. (I found out the hard way I'm one of the 15%. And, after being violently ill I had to go back to dramamine.)

J62

Gongola will be nothing compared to the ride to and from San Erasmo.

I'm curious why you chose to stay there? It's a long way from Venice proper, so you'll basically be taking once a day trips to Venice. It's too far to come/go more than once a day.

It'll take you about an hour to get from S. Erasmo to Piazza San Marco - 30 min water bus ride over open water to Fondament Nove, then either a 30+ min walk across land/bridges or connect to another bus that will take you around Venice.

Getting to your hotel in the first place will be an ordeal as well. If you arriving by train you'll have to take 2 different vaporetti, total ~60min ride.

I realize it's too late to change, and I'm not trying to scare you - but rather help make sure you know what to expect upon arrival.

Heres the water bus schedule
http://www.hellovenezia.com/jspvenez...one_est_07.pdf

tuscanlifeedit

nytraveler

I had the patch once before and it worked well for me. I have 3 Xamamina caplets left from a previous trip, which are my backups. And I'll buy more in Italy. Of course, my US dollars won't get me very many; I used to buy three or four boxes on every trip. Maybe only one or two this time.

gforaker

There are several components of seasickness, the physical movement and the psychological part. As others have answered, the physical movement in calm waters should be minimal. The drugs mentioned would handle that. The psychological part &quot;OH MY GAWD, I'M IN A BOAT!&quot; is real to the people who feel it and only your husband can decide if it is worth a try. The part that concerns me is the &quot;boats of any kind&quot; quote.

I had a good friend who suffered claustrophobia so I understand.

Perhaps you should not push him and just go with another group.