Nice Montreal writeup! too bad about the hospital. With regards to your Going Nomad post, one reason why some people suggested a place like montreal or berlin to start is so that when stuff come up you can deal with it without excessive drama. Here there was a minor language barrier, but in Romania or something what do yo do? the only time I got really sick from food poisoning I flew home (it was like 2 hours)! Then the base city helps out, because it's close, and there you might have health insurance and a kindly babe who will come make soup and for you while you convalesce.
I usually don't get travel insurance, but it's only like $35 for 90 days I think. Also I always travel with my personal first aid kit of Tylenol, aspirin, B-Complex vitamins (strongest I can find), Band Aids and a few other things here and there. B-Complex helps you avoid this sickness you get after many days of non-stop drinking, partying and not sleeping enough. I just take those every day as a preventative.
Otherwise, in Europe at least, when you hit the doctor without insurance, I've never seen it cost more than 150EUR and that's for a private English speaking clinic. In most countries you can just walk in the pharmacy, tell them the symptoms and they will give you something that will get you through (they have to study for a couple of years to work in there, so they do know something). The stuff the doctor prescribes will be stronger, but unless it's antibiotics it might not make too much difference.
I usually don't get travel insurance, but it's only like $35 for 90 days I think. Also I always travel with my personal first aid kit of Tylenol, aspirin, B-Complex vitamins (strongest I can find), Band Aids and a few other things here and there. B-Complex helps you avoid this sickness you get after many days of non-stop drinking, partying and not sleeping enough. I just take those every day as a preventative.
Otherwise, in Europe at least, when you hit the doctor without insurance, I've never seen it cost more than 150EUR and that's for a private English speaking clinic. In most countries you can just walk in the pharmacy, tell them the symptoms and they will give you something that will get you through (they have to study for a couple of years to work in there, so they do know something). The stuff the doctor prescribes will be stronger, but unless it's antibiotics it might not make too much difference.