Going to new countries can be exciting, but being sick or injured during the trip isn't. Here are some helpful health and safety tips to travelling in Western Europe:
- Carry your passport (or other form of identification) for checkpoints. Checkpoints may be more frequent in countries with a higher threat (France, Belgium, etc.)
- Check with local media for news updates and danger threats. If in France, download the free news alert app that signals for security threats. Know environmental and weather threats in the area. Colder places with snow (ex. Austria and Switzerland) have a higher threat of avalanches.
- Know laws, especially driving rule, as they may be different and more complicated than your home country.
- Follow the instructions of police and other local authority. Danger may be high and having an orderly crowd helps everyone’s safety.
- Be alert to suspicious activity. Some countries such as the Netherlands and Switzerland have an abundance of street gangs and underlying terrorism threats.
- One should be careful when eating foreign foods. Although they may be exotic and delicious, the way the food is prepared may be different or not as sanitary as one would be used to. This could lead to germ infection or stomach aches as well as vomiting. One should also only drink bottled water instead of tap water. The water may not be as clean or filtered as one is used to and contain some bodies the body isn't used to
- A traveler's' medical kit is recommended. The medical kit contains a broad spectrum antibiotic for treatments of common illnesses/infections and other medications for ailments as well as few first aid items. Having an International Health Guide would also be helpful
- In cold countries (Luxembourg, Switzerland, etc.), use winter tires to prevent accidents on the road.
- Be familiar with emergency numbers for each country to get help in emergencies.
- One should get all the recommended vaccinations for the trip because the body isn't prepared to fight of foreign bodies that one would encounter in Western Europe
Pull Factors
The amount of people flooding into the European nations has been increasing in the past few years, especially into Western European countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Immigration number of these countries approached five hundred thousand within the first nine months of 2015. The reason why so many refugees choose to go into Western European countries is that richer countries such as Germany, Switzerland, and Austria are more willing to accommodate for large numbers of refugees and provide opportunities for them. Success stories of such refugees inspires hope in other migrants and sways them to also go into these same countries. The first wave of refugees is also 70% male, meaning that family members are likely to also come to be reunited and increase immigration. The large influx of immigrants is straining social safety-net programs such as the World Food Organization, a program that supplies refugees with rations. The WFO has had to halve the ration amount given to refugees. Economies are actually expected to grow over time, even up to a surplus of 22 billion euros (23.4 billion USD), due to the contribution of the immigrants. |
Push Factors
Although Western Europe has many educational opportunities for the younger generation, many have decided to leave the region. Large companies outsource their jobs globally in order to reduce costs and increase profits. As a graduating college student in France, you won’t be competing with other French citizens for jobs, but rather graduates in Bangladesh or India who are willing to work for lower pay. This has lead to brain drain that attracts people from Europe to move to smaller, developing nations. More than one million people have left Germany for better opportunities. Countries in Europe are also starting to reach a stage with an aging population (such as in Germany, Austria, France, and Switzerland), meaning younger generations have the burden of paying taxes. The influx of immigrants and refugees has also encourage emigration as locals are discouraged by overcrowding and the new culture. Over one hundred thousand Germans have left due to the incoming refugees. These emigrants try to escape the bankrupt welfare programs, raised taxes, and limited jobs. The increasing number of people leaving Europe leads to a sense of insecurity within the region which causes more people to leave. The culture is increasingly “Islamized” as more local Europeans leave. Crimes and rape have even been seen to be on the rise as less “native” Europeans are present. |