Crazy Travel Stories, reflections

Crazy Travel Stories #13: That One Time I Got Bed Bugs in Switzerland…

I haven’t written a “Crazy Travel Story” post in a while, and I wanted to share this one with you. This is a follow-up (of sorts) to the last story I published, as this one occurred just a few months after the first. Plus, it’s actually been six years around this time of year that it happened, so what a timing, am I right?

Yes, this is another story about getting bed bugs while traveling. Among all of the years I’ve been traveling, I guess I’m fortunate that I’ve only gotten them twice (although I wish that that number was zero…) and they had happened early on during my early days of travel. Knock on wood that I haven’t gotten them since, but they still continue to traumatize and make me irrationally paranoid whenever I go anywhere. Getting bed bugs really messes with you– whether you get them once or dozens of times in your life, experiencing them mentally damages you, long after the bites go away.

Call me dramatic, but really, they are the devil. Bed bugs are pure Satan, and I don’t understand how or why they came to exist on Earth. Unlike ants or spiders, they aren’t meant to be useful or serve as food for a particular species, and it’s truly remarkable that they’ve survived through evolution for so long.

After getting them for the first time in Belgium in 2015, I vowed never to get them again– and I tried hard to make sure it was that way. So to experience them just three months later was a major slap in the face, and man, was I extremely angry. But before I ramble any further, let me tell you my woeful tale…

Crazy Travel Story #13: That One Time I Got Bed Bugs in Switzerland…

T’was the middle of the night, January 2016. It was my last day in Switzerland, and I was in Zurich trying to sleep at my Couchsurfing host’s flat. I had spent the past week traveling all over the country, starting from the French-speaking side in Geneva to the Germanophone Zurich. I had spent the week exploring as much as I could and Couchsurfing my way through. I had great hosts all throughout, some whom I continue to stay in touch with today. Besides meeting some cool people, I was also fortunate to save money on accommodation (yes, Switzerland is ridiculously expensive…).

I was only in Zurich for one night; I Couchsurfed with a young, Russian man (“A”) who was trying his luck with a start-up in the city (Zurich is the financial/start-up hub for the country). “A” was a bit cold at first, but he was kind and we had good conversation and time spent while taking a walk around the city in the late afternoon and early evening, as well as cooking dinner together and hanging out with his flat-mate (and another Couchsurfer) at night. Over a simple meal of pasta and plenty of wine, all four of us had a blast– the homemade vodka offered was a wonderful touch, too!

Belly full from food and drink, it was time to go to bed. “A” provided me with a twin-size bed inside one of the spare bedrooms of his flat. It was nice, as I’d been sleeping on couches at my previous hosts’ apartments. I was utterly exhausted, and I fell asleep almost instantly when my head hit the pillow. It was a very restful sleep, until…

I woke up with a start at 4h00. I woke up at first, because I was sobering up from the alcohol. But then, my forearms started to itch– perhaps it was because the air indoors was kind of dry, due to the cold winter. Then the itch intensified. Soon, it spread to my chest, neck, even my stomach. What is going on? I thought.

Wait.

Shit.

Oh, fuck. Are you fucking kidding me??

Flashbacks to three months ago in Belgium. Indescribable itchiness. Large, red welts. Feeling dirty and violated. Over two weeks to recover from the bites, but never fully recovered from the trauma. Never will.

I sprang out of the bed and scurried to the opposite corner of the room, as far away from the bed as possible. Who knew if I’d gotten the bed bugs there, or if I had picked them up from my week-long trip throughout Switzerland? Maybe I’d picked them up even before that? Regardless, I knew that I could not just go back to sleep and pretend it was fine. I also knew that I might’ve spread it to “A’s” flat, and that was the worst thing I could possibly do (so so sorry, “A!“).

I stayed awake for the next couple of hours, until the rest of the flat woke up, sometime around 8h00. I alerted “A” regarding that there might be bed bugs in the flat, and it looked like something had also bitten the side of his face. Although I still had four hours before I had to leave for the train station, I decided to pack up and leave early to avoid spreading more (or getting more bites) in the flat. I felt so bad that I may have caused it, but we actually left each other Positive reviews on Couchsurfing afterwards.

Despite having unbearably-itchy bites all over me, I sucked it up and went sightseeing around Zurich, as I didn’t see that much the previous day. Somehow, I managed to get through the itinerary and take my photos without going absolutely crazy on itching– just an occasional scratch here and there. Luckily, I went in the winter, so the jacket and scarf I wore helped concealed the visual nightmare underneath, i.e. nickel-size welts.

Soon enough, I headed to the Zurich Hbf to catch my 13h00 train back to Paris before taking another train into Normandy and catching the local bus back to my flat. I was completely drained and beyond stressed about bed bugs that may have potentially hitched themselves onto my belongings. Although some Internet sources advise you get rid of your bags and clothes that may have been contaminated, I knew that I could not afford to throw them out due to 1) being broke, and 2) having limited clothes and bags to get myself through the remainder of that teaching year.

I ended up not throwing anything away, but I did wash all of my clothes in hot water and inspected my bag to make sure no bed bugs (or eggs) were present, and I took my chances with wearing the same clothes and using the same bags for my future trips. Fortunately, I did not encounter any more bed bugs afterwards, and nothing else to this day. KNOCK. ON. WOOD.

Again, just like with my bed bug fiasco in Belgium, I have no idea where I got the bed bugs in Switzerland. Maybe it was from “A’s” flat, maybe it was from a previous host, or maybe it was from a trip way before that. I guess I’ll never know, but to this day, I’m still mad that I got bed bugs. I don’t blame myself, as it was just unfortunate timing, but I’m furious that bed bugs targeted me AGAIN. I was already upset over the first time, but to get it a second time, well, that is truly unbelievable.

As the world is opening up to travel again, I’m slowly planning to get back into it (safely, of course). Returning to travel means returning to accommodations, and I know that I’ll continue to remain constantly vigilant at every place I stay. Even if I’ll look mental tearing the entire room for bed bug inspection, it’s a whole lot better to be safe than sorry.

Have you gotten bed bugs on your travels? Let me know!

— Rebecca

Unknown's avatar

Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

40 thoughts on “Crazy Travel Stories #13: That One Time I Got Bed Bugs in Switzerland…”

  3. Awful! I’ve never had them but a couple we travelled through Tibet with got them. They either got them from our hotel in Tibet or brought them from Nepal. We were traveling in a small van with a group but this couple was very good to not contaminate any of the rest of our bags on the trip. They sound horrible and you had then twice, yuck.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I remember you mentioned this from my post last year, on my bedbug experience in Belgium. What a frightening time: I don’t know if it’s worse not to have gotten them (but went through the paranoia) or to actually have gotten them. Personally, the latter is worse!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  4. I found bed bugs once in Panama, luckily in time before I went to bed and spread my stuff around. It was the last night before returning to Toronto, I spent it sitting in a chair with the light on, and for a year I was afraid to find them in my bed at home, but I didn’t. It’s become a routine when I get to a new place, I open the bed and check for anything moving.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Yes, I recall you mentioned this in my last bed bug post. You’re really fortunate in that, while you did encounter them, you got away unscathed! Hope you never encounter them on your future travels!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Exactly! Even to this day, I get paranoid if I start getting an incessant itch on my neck or chest (as bed bugs tend to target the torso). Usually, it’s just allergies, but after going through the bed bug experience twice, I never want them again!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Even if you have to literally tear down the entire hotel room for inspection, it’s a lot safer than sorry! I learned the hard way (twice), and I’ve since done my due diligence to check– and check again– whenever I set foot in accommodation.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Yikes! Front line workers have a LOT to deal with. Encountering bed bugs or lice would be a nightmare for me! I greatly admire your perseverance for having dealt with so much there; your services were much appreciated!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  9. I’ve only had bedbugs once, in what was then Yugoslavia. They were annoying, but didn’t affect me (or my then-girlfriend) as badly as they affected you.
    This reminds me of a song they used to play on the “Good old one-and-only WLS National Barn Dance” from the 9th Street hayloft in Chicago: “Well, the junebug comes in the month of June, and the lightning bug in May. The bedbug comes most any old time, and he usually comes to stay. (Chorus:) Oh, there ain’t no bugs on me, there ain’t no bugs on me. There may be bugs on some of you mugs but there ain’t no bugs on me. (Second chorus:) Oh, there ain’t no flies on me, there ain’t no flies on me. There may be flies on some of you guys but there ain’t no flies on me.”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. So unfortunate, especially to get them twice. Fortunately I’ve never had them, but I do feel itchy from reading your story 😟

        Liked by 1 person

    2. I think the severity depends on how your body reacts to bites, i.e. how bad the allergic reaction is. I’ve discovered that I’m especially allergic to mosquito bites (and, of course, bed bug bites), as the bites swell up to the size of a golf ball! That’s why I take all of the precautions whenever I travel…or even step out of my house!

      Like

      Reply

  11. What a nightmare, Rebecca, I am sorry to hear you had to go through it! I would most certainly panic! There’s nothing worse than disgusting, biting, bloodsucking bedbugs and that’s why I never set the suitcases on the bed as they can crawl into them!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Oh, I was absolutely panicking when I found out. Thankfully, I’d put my belongings far from the bed (and other parts of the room where bed bugs could hide in, e.g. curtains, closets…), so I don’t think I tracked them home with me. The only horrible thing I had to deal with were the bites!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. I remember you mentioned this in my last bed bug story! I don’t think there’s a quick relief from the bites, and unfortunately, you just have to give them time to go away…Crazy how bed bugs can be anywhere, even in restaurants!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  14. I’ve run into them many times. I had to have my flat in Guatemala City exterminated about every 6 months, then they would come back from surrounding apartments. Many people are not bothered by them, but I seem to be sensitive. I had a horrendous case in Poland years ago. 😦 It’s unlikely you brought them to that place because they don’t spread and multiply that quickly to detect. Usually you can’t even see them. I travel with plastic trash bags so I can separate my clothes if I find them.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Wow, you had it rough! Bed bugs are ubiquitous just about everywhere in the world. Your idea of plastic trash bags sound ingenious; I’ll have to bring a few of them on my next trip!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Scabies sounds scary! I don’t think I’ve ever encountered them before, but the thought of mites burrowing into your skin sounds super gross (and disturbing)! I hope you’d treated it quickly!

      Like

      Reply

  16. That does not sound nice at all to be waking up and itching in the middle of the night. Lucky you were only itching and some swelling and no major allergic reaction. I don’t recall encountering bed bugs but they are definitely something I am wary off when I spend a night in a bed other than my own.

    One of my pet peeves is sleeping on bedding that has not been washed properly or not washed in a while by the host. That not only brings about bed bugs but also dust mites, and dust mites make me swell up real bad. I’m one of those neat freaks when traveling, preferring not to spread my belongings out everywhere in case they get contaminated with something 😄

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I had crazy swelling from the bed bug bites; it was almost as if it was an allergic reaction, honestly! I also am paranoid when it comes to sleeping in uncleaned sheets (that haven’t been slept in myself), so we’re one in the same!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a reply to Mabel Kwong Cancel reply