How To Place An Emergency Call In Europe

It's probably not something you think about when your planning a vacation and hopefully it is something you never have to put into use. However, knowing how to get in touch with local police or firefighters is important, maybe even more so when your not very familiar with your surroundings.

It wasn't until we witnessed a motorcyclist get flung from his bike in a small town in the Loire valley did I think to myself "Hmm...if no one else was around...how would I get this guy help?" luckily there was no shortage of good samaritans and the man appeared to be ok. His motorcycle looked nearly to be the same weight as the hatchback that hit him so that probably helped.

In the U.S. it is one of the most recognizable set of numbers out there.  In fact, 911 works anywhere in North America even if you have no cell phone service. Similarly, Europe has an emergency response system in place however you might be surprised to learn that the number is different. In order to get in touch with emergency responders throughout Europe, simply dial 112 and help is on the way. You can dial this from any landline or mobile phone even if it is a U.S based mobile phone that you are using while traveling abroad.