If you are getting sick, admit it to yourself and take a break. Don’t catch that twelve-hour night train to Budapest. By taking a break, I mean spend a bit more money, get a single or double room, down a liter or so of orange juice and a couple of packages of yoghurt, get twelve hours’ sleep, and then take it easy the next day. Your body will thank you. Don’t feel as if you have to keep going to get the most out of your trip. Visiting a museum while sick as a dog is not going to be a very worthwhile experience. Relax for a day or so, then continue the death march through the museums of Europe. If you are really sick or injured, your embassy, which should be listed in your guidebook, will be able to recommend an English-speaking doctor. Also, remember that the United States is the home of horrendously expensive health care. In Europe it’s cheap by comparison, and may be free, even to travelers, in some countries.

An insurance policy bought specifically for your trip is usually expensive in relation to the coverage provided, and may or may not be worth it to you. Travelers who are a bit older may wish to consider it more thoroughly. The policies that pay for you to be flown home are in my mind a dubious value. As long as you are in Western Europe, you will get fine medical care should disaster strike. Americans returning to the States may boost their hospital bill by a factor often. Before you buy a new policy, check to see if your old policy, if any, has something about evacuation already in it, or if an add-on can be bought for something less than a new policy. The prices on all these policies vary widely, and the coverage is often no better than what the buyers of ISIC cards receive. If you are eligible for any of the cards mentioned previously, buy one first and then see how much more coverage a separate policy will get you. Wade through the pages of fine print to see what you are really buying. For those with something that makes an injury more likely, such as a bad back or a knee that’s been operated on, and for those interested in mountain climbing, kayaking, or other more dangerous sports, a policy to get you home may be a good idea.

- No vaccinations are compulsory for traveling in Europe that aren’t compulsory in the States or Canada, though you might want to consider tick encephalitis (see below) or hepatitis if traveling in Turkey, Morocco, or the former Soviet Union.