bluesphee

My wife and I have blocked off June 10th through June 17th of this year (2012) to take a week trip somewhere. It's coming up fast and we have nothing plannet yet. She will be just over 5 months pregnant. We'd prefer to go to Europe versus somewhere in America (where we live). Obviously being pregnant limits where we would want to go because we don't want to go to a country where we don't feel comfortable with the quality of medical care. Two of the countries we were excited to go to next were Prague and Turkey but I haven't the slightest idea if that is a bad idea or not (in that you would want to avoid going to a hospital there while pregnant). We have traveled extensively so I really don't mean to be offensive when I pose that question. I just want to err on the side of caution and not put ourselves in a bad position if she required medical help.

We have pretty much ruled out France or Italy simply because we've hit the main cities and, while the more relaxed side regions sound amazing, I think my wife would go nuts not being able to drink any of the delicious wine!

I'm keeping this very open ended on purpose just to hear a variety of suggestions on where to go and what to do.

Lastly, I know a week is just not enough time, but that is all we have available to us vacation wise.

Gretchen

Health care in France is outstanding. I think wine is ubiquitous in all countries so that is a "wash". Provence? Normandy--has great cider, some probably non-alchoholic.

bluesphee

I should call out that we enjoy cultural activities, like a few museums or monuments, we love to try food and any opportunities to interact more locally (such as a cooking class).

Christina

I don't know about Turkey, there are lots of issues about travel to that country for me, but Prague is a modern, advanced city, I don't see any reason to worry about the medical care there. They have a top European university medical school right in Prague, for example (Charles U.).

why not look at the detailed information on this at the US Embassy's website in Prague http://prague.usembassy.gov/medical_services.html

Bedar

In 2003 on a trip to Eastern Europe, I came down with a bad case of pneumonia and wound up in hospital in Prague for 16 days. My care was top flight according to my US doctor on examination of my transcipt of care which I brought back to the States. That said, I must note that medical personnel spoke very little English. Happily I was able to use French, Spanish, and Russian which was then translated into Czech.

tedgale

I enjoy Prague, love Italy and France, just returned 6 days ago from Turkey. But how about Britain?

There are about a million cottages for rent. You can do as much or as little driving as you please. Loads of stately homes, gardens, great villages. No dearth of sophisticated restaurants and great food. Very easy, too, to play things by ear when you arrive -- you can change your agenda to suit weather, mood, etc.

In the past, we have rented 1. outside Oxford, 2. just S of London in Surrey, 3. near Cheltenham, 4. in Frome, Somerset.

Always picked up a car at LHR -- we could be at the cottage in 2 hrs or less.

Limiting consideration: Driving on the wrong side

(Not a problem for us since my partner learned to drive in England, c. 1961; it's like riding a bicycle, you never forget how)

Bedar

My 16 days in hospital cost $4,000 which I was able to pay by credit card. My medical insurance here reimbursed me the cost since it was an emergency situation. My US doctor was astounded, natch.

BKP

We visited England, Paris, Rome and Sicily when I was 8 weeks pregnant. In London, I ended up at the A&E in the middle of the night and made a trip to the hospital the following day. We were very inexperienced travelers and were grateful my medical problems came up in an English speaking country.