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Often in Europe when you
sit down in a restaurant, you will be asked for
your water preference. Traveling from the
US, you may not be used to this as most places
simply place a glass of tap water on the table
for you without even asking. You may be
asked if you prefer Still, Sparking or Tap.
If fact, you may only be asked if you prefer
Still or Sparkling as there is an additional
cost for these, but you can always request Tap
water for free.
Know Your Water
Types
-
Still - Bottled
water with no gas (noncarbonated, no
bubbles)
-
Sparkling -
Bottled water with gas (carbonated, with
bubbles)
-
Tap - Water
directly from the tab or faucet
Water Bottles (Eco Friendly)
Be sure to read our page on Water Bottles and working towards becoming more Eco Friendly: Water Bottles (Eco Friendly)
Water in Western
Europe
Most places in Western
Europe have potable tap water; meaning you can
drink it directly from the tap. In fact,
at some loctions such as Rome Italy, you may
drink water directly form city fountains.
So when in a restaurant, it should be safe to
order tap water and save the additional expense
of having to pay for bottled water.
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Fountains
Around Rome Italy |
Bottled Water
If you are unsure about
the quality of the water, don't take any
chances. Only drink bottled water.
Coming from the US, water
may contain bacteria that our systems are not
used to. It may be fine for the locals to
drink the water such as in India or Mexico, but
the same water would make us sick.
Some of the most common
side effects of drinking unsafe tap water
include diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid, and even
cholera.
If you will be ordering bottled water in a
location where you know it is unsafe to
drink the tap water, do not accept a bottle
where the cap seal has already been broken.
Indicate that you want to open the bottle
yourself to be sure it is still factory
sealed. In some locations (we
experienced this in India), they will reuse
bottles, refilling them with water from the
tap and then put the cap back on.
Don't take a chance, do not drink water from
a bottle unless you are the one who has
broken the seal.
Other things to
consider
If water is unsafe to
drink, it means all water. You should use
caution and avoid getting any water in your
mouth from the tap or faucet.
You cannot order soft drinks or other drinks
containing ice
You cannot brush your teeth with tap water
Avoid eating fruit that was been rinsed with
tap water
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