Bedbugs In Europe: What To Pack To Avoid Bedbugs On Your Travels

So you watched the news and have an upcoming trip to Europe – and now have a new thing to worry about. A bedbug plague has hit Paris and other major European cities making travellers a little more concerned and paranoid regarding health and safety issues while on holiday. 

According to Anses, the French scientific assessment agency for food and nutrition, bedbugs usually hide in mattresses and bed frames. They live on blood and bite humans during the night as the prefer the dark. When there is an infestation, bedbugs can also be found on furniture and other areas in the house, carried in clothing and luggage, when travelling or buying second-hand bedding, furniture, and clothes – ​​​​making it hard to contain or fix an outbreak.

The upsurge in bedbug infestations in recent years has been due in particular to the rise in travel and the increasing resistance of bedbugs to insecticides. However, there is no warning to suggest that travelling to Paris is currently unsafe.

So what’s a weary traveller to do when almost every top holiday destination is bedbug-infested? Prep yourself as best as you can. While you may not have the time and resources to stop an infestation, we have some tips on how you can beat the bedbugs and still enjoy your holiday. 

Hardcase suitcase

Though it’s not guaranteed that the bedbugs won’t bite through it, the plastic and rigid material and vertical edges of hardcase luggages make it harder for bedbugs to get through. Here are some to pack for the next trip. 

Plastic bags for packing

Instead of cloth packing cubes, pack your clothes in large resealable plastic bags instead. It will give you an extra layer of protection against bedbugs. 

Portable garment steamers

When all else fails, heat kills these little buggers. If you’re planning to do laundry or washing anything in your Airbnb, you might want to bring along a garment steamer to straighten out whatever creases… while killing some bugs. 

Check out this portable steamer we've reviewed that's great for travelling. 

Small flashlight

Bedbugs may prefer darkness but a lighted room won’t stop you from getting bites. Upon reaching the hotel room, it’s worth checking for bedbugs in the sheets and all around. Look for signs of bed bugs like blood stains, shedding and eggs in your sheets, mattress and pillows. It's also worth checking behind headboards and drawers. 

After the holiday

Now you're back home but feeling a little wary of bringing back some pesky bugs. Here's a couple of things you can do. 

Unpack and wash immediately

No dilly-dallying –  get to doing your dirty laundry ASAP. You should also unpack your luggage on a light-coloured surface so you can see if any bugs sneaked in a free ride from you. As mentioned before, heat kills these buggers so you should also throw your clothes in the dryer as well. 

Clean out the suitcase

Using the flashlight, examine for signs of bed bugs. Regardless if there are any, you can disinfect the luggage with a thorough wipe and vacuum. Dispose of the dirt and dirty wipes outside or far away from the house!

Mattress protector

A mattress protector may not stop a bed bug infestation but it can keep bed bugs from crawling into your current mattress. We’ve rounded up some heavy-duty, water-resistant and hypoallergenic ones. 

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