sensitive to smoke
 

hi,

I have a lot of sensitivities and allergies, unfortunately, and wondered where would be the least smoky places to travel.

thanks!
beebs

USA - hands down!

Specifically, California.

http://www.virgingalactic.com/en/

100% smoke-free.

Well, unless you blow up or something...

(With full apologies to the families and friends of those brave souls who have perished in space travel)...

Best wishes,

Rex

Since you posted on the Europe board, I would say Ireland and Italy. Both have passed laws against smoking in public venues, etc. I want to say that Spain recently did the same, but I'm not positive about this. There might be other countries that have passed similar laws; this is all I can think of at this time.

I have the same allergy problem, and I had no troubles in Ireland. I have not been to Italy since they passed this rule.

I am also extremely smoke sensitive and was just in Italy. I loved the new smoking restrictions that had been passed since my last trip with one exception - I think they have encouraged even more smoking outside. It seriously seemed like most people felt that if they were in a place where they could smoke that they had to light up. This problem was especially bad in Rome, maybe just because it was the most crowded. Also, my husband and I couldn't take advantage of outdoor eating at all because almost every person at every table was smoking (except for the tourists).

I've enjoyed 3 trips to Italy over a period of 10 years and the huge decline in the number of people smoking is absolutely WONDERFUL! I had no problem at all with smoking on my last trip in Sept. No smoking in the restaurants, what a blessing.

Just back from Italy for the first time since the new no-smoking laws in restaurants became effective, and it makes all the difference in the world! Last trip, we sat outside to avoid the smoke...now you sit inside! It does pretty much eliminate being able to sit outside to eat on nice days, but it is well worth it in my opinion to be able to enjoy dinner.

Vienna is okay...seemed that many places had non-smoking area. Prague...never heard of the concept! We did a lot of dinners in to avoid the smoke in Prague (but the city is still fantastic!)

Anne

I have found that going to dinner early before crowds accummulate is helpful. Also, shop for a "smoke free" hotel or b&b. They do exist but you must specifically ask for the entire building to be smoke free. I had a horrible experience in Gouda. We had be assurred via email correspondence that the rooms were non-smoking rooms. That may have been true but it really didn't matter because the b&b owners and their friends were smoking like chimneys in the rooms below. I was MISERABLE for two nights!

thanks to those who have replied so far...this is the first time i posted a question and was gratified by the response; i know what you mean about eating outside...if you're very sensitive to smoke, it can be hard and smokers don't understand. does anyone know about the scandinavian countries?

Last time I was in Stockholm, it was forbidden to smoke inside bars. But as it's forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages outside as well, I saw quite some people standing in the doorpost, one hand with cigarette outside, and the other hand with the drink inside. Quite a funny sight I must say :-)

And YES, I adore smoke-free Italy !

As for Spain: what I did notice in Madrid last month is that now every restaurant/bar/... has a sign in the window saying if it is a smoking or non-smoking place... usually it's a smoking place...

Bring allergy meds & nasal sprays, and a few boxes of tissues, just in case. I'm slightly allergic to smoke, but have had some horrific attacks because of cellar restaurants with poor ventilation in Europe. Just one smoker did me in & I was sneezing for an hour non-stop. I thought I'd have to go to the hospital, but my roommate gave me her nasal spray, which calmed me down. Scary! She has asthma & even in non-smoking areas was having attacks from car pollution, etc.

No smoking in restaurants in Sweden. Don't know about bars, didn't go to any. Copenhagen will soon follow: they are still wrangling over restaurants only or to included bars and pubs, but it's coming very soon. I think that pretty soon France will be the last hold out.

italy has become, to my surprise, a non-smoker's haven.
the fines must have been high and hefty for a mediterranean culture to adhere to the law so precisely.

you see how spain "personalized" the non-smoking laws.. any bar of a certain size can DECIDE if it is smoking or non-smoking.

so.. guess what? most are smoking. otherwise they would lose too much business.

It's a shame France will be the last holdout. Last year, while in Paris, I had lunch at Laduree on the Champs Elysse. I ordered their club sandwich, which they are famous for. The place is beautiful yet I couldn't enjoy my lunch because of the smoke-filled room. I ate half the sandwich then had to leave because it was making me sick.

Scotland is also smoke-free now.