Travelling to Paris this festival season? 6 tips to ensure a bedbug-free vacation

While the French government is battling to contain the critters, no concrete solution has emerged yet. (Image credit: @jumaf3/X)

France has been gripped with a nationwide panic over bedbug infestation across all public buildings and modes of transportation including hotels, schools, trains, and buses.

While the French government is battling to contain the critters, no concrete solution has emerged yet. But with the festival season around the corner, Paris -- a popular holiday destination -- is likely to see a rise in the number of tourists. The city, however, is also the heart of the infestation. So, if you can't postpone your trip to Paris, here are a few tips that can ensure that you enjoy your vacation and not worry about bringing bedbugs home.

1.) When you reach your hotel or other preferred mode of accommodation, check the room for any visible signs of bedbugs, particularly around the seams of the mattress, particularly at the head area. Check behind the headboard as well.

2.) Don’t keep your luggage on the floor in the corner. That’s one of the best chances of bringing bedbugs home. Keep it on an elevated surface instead such as the top of a dresser or a luggage rack.

3.) If you see any signs of bedbugs, inform the management immediately. Ask for another room, preferably far away from the current one, or move to a new hotel, if possible.

4.) If you spot bedbugs and moving rooms or hotels is not an option, consider putting a plastic trash bag or protective cover around your luggage.

5.) After returning home, experts recommend you take everything out of your luggage and seal it in plastic bags until you can wash them. Use hot water while cleaning them and leave clothes to dry in the sun for an extended period. Alternatively, you can also use a dryer as the heat from it supposedly kills the bugs.

6.) If you're worried about carrying the bedbugs home in your luggage as these blood-sucking critters are known to hitch rides on suitcases, consider disposing of the luggage bag. It'll be far less expensive than eradicating bedbugs from your home.

Read more: Bedbug infestation plagues Paris amid Olympic preps: they are in cinemas, hospitals