What To Do if You get Sick in Paris

My recent trip to Paris brought a lot of learning curves for me. I went into this trip not physically up to par with a back and hip injury. This trip already required me to take it at a slower pace. However, I did end up requiring medical intervention during my trip for another matter. This post is about what to do if you get sick in Paris.

One of the most visited stores on this trip for me was the local Pharmacy in the Republique plaza near the Crowne Plaza hotel where I was staying. I was in and out looking for some relief for my muscular injuries after my 8 hour plane ride. Thankfully the pharmacy staff was very helpful and happy to assist me. Three days into my trip I got a UTI. I was so upset and thought my trip was ruined. Here I was in one of the most beautiful cities in the world and I was spending it in the bathroom urinating one drop at a time every 30 seconds it seemed. I had resigned myself to the fact that I was going to have to go wait hours in some clinic just like the states and ruin an entire day of my trip. My mind was racing with what this was going to cost me.

I picked up the phone in my hotel room and called my concierge to assist me with find the best and closest urgent care. He informed me that he could have a doctor come to my room in the next 60-90 minutes. I was stunned and my mind started to brace itself for what it was going to cost. To my surprise, the cost was only 120 Euros for the visit.

The hour passed very quickly and a bilingual doctor showed up to my hotel room. He reviewed my symptoms and asked a few questions. I showed him the over the counter remedy I tried from the pharmacy (Cystiflash https://bit.ly/2PBZokH) and he said that I could take that in conjunction with the antibiotics he was going to prescribe. He prescribed an antibiotic and a pain reliever. The visit in total was about 10 minutes. The doctor was kind enough to give me receipts and copies of the prescription to turn into my travel insurance when I got home. I was given the option to pay in cash or by credit card.

I went to the pharmacy right after he left to get my antibiotics. The pharmacy has the medication ready to go immediately. The total cost of my antibiotic and pain med was 15 Euros. I was so surprised by how inexpensive this was for someone who wasn’t a French citizen. I called my travel agent and verified that all these receipts would be reimbursed to me for this issue. This was a huge relief. Needless to say this is how I came up with this list of what to do if you get sick in Paris!

Here are my tips for medical assistance in Paris:

1. Buy Travel Insurance. My travel insurance cost me $80 for two people total. Between my stolen phone and this medical issues, I am 100% covered.
2. Check out your local Pharmacy. I recommend going to this first. Europe has more over the counter options that do not require a prescription which is how I purchased the cystiflash first.
3. Get a Doctor to come to You. This is a website that you can use if you are in a hotel without a concierge or an airbnb: https://www.sosmedecins.fr/en/

I hope that these tips help you and put your mind to rest if you have some upcoming travel. Never be afraid to ask for help. This is what to do if you get sick in Paris.

Check out my latest post: https://haleewithaflair.com/2020/02/coronavirus-how-to-avoid-getting-sick-while-traveling/

Hotel: https://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/us/en/paris/pardl/hoteldetail

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