Hospitals & Pharmacies in Europe

A traveler's guide to pharmacies and hospitals in Europo

When Europeans feel sick, they don't call their doctor; they head to the local pharmacy, where the dying art of the skilled apothecary and knowledgeable druggist still lives on. You can do the same. Just walk in bravely, put your charade skills to work, and point to whatever hurts while moaning.

I've entered Florentine apothecaries clutching my throat and left able to swallow again, stumbled in an exaggerated feverish delirium around a Toledo drug store (Spain, not Ohio), and on one memorable occasion did a Oscar-worthy pantomime of vomiting violently in a Greek pharmacy.

If you do need to visit the hospital, just find the nearest one and march right in. Doctors are an educated bunch, and most hospitals sport at least a handful who speak English. Much of Europe practices semi- or fully socialized medicine, so you may very well be taken care of swiftly, given a dose of medicine and a prescription for more, and sent on your way with a smile. At most, they'll bill you on the spot for $35 to $50. You can trust me; I've done this a lot. For added piece of mind, many big cities have private hospitals with native English speakers; any local American consulate can provide a list.

If you do end up paying for health care, especially if you have to be admitted for any reason, most health insurance plans and HMOs will cover, at least to some extent, out-of-country hospital visits and procedures. Most make you pay the bills up front at the time of care, however, and you'll get a refund after you've returned and filed all the paperwork. See the insurance page for details.