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Is Europe safe given the new travel alert?


TXCruiser10
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Issuing a travel warning for the whole of Europe is just scaremongering. [EDIT: just noticed later posts: It's an alert]

 

FWIW, we're off to Southern Portugal on Monday, for a land-based holiday, and it never crossed our minds to reconsider. Actually, should I go into my local big British city on Saturday?

 

Of course, Turkish cities are likely targets. So are some of the biggest cities in Europe. But there are huge swathes where the risk is minimal.

 

And, to be brutal, while perhaps 40 people in Europe were killed by terrorists last week, probably ten times that number died in road accidents, and 750 million people either survived the week or died of natural causes.

 

Caution is necessary; scaremongering isn't. I detect officials trying to protect their own backs so that if something happens, they can say, "we warned you."

 

Please don't boycott Europe.

 

Stuart

 

Agreed Stuart. We have no plans to make any changes to our June cruise around the Eastern Med/Greek Isles either. Europe has always been a relatively safe place to be in. I'd be much more concerned if I was planning on a visit to the USA. According to statistics:

 

"As of December 23, a total of 12,942 people had been killed in the United States in 2015 in a gun homicide, unintentional shooting, or murder/suicide."

 

Europe still has a long way to go to even compare with those figures. Happy cruising everyone!

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We are on a 7 day cruise out of Barcelona and back to the US from Rome at the end of May. We are having the same debate of should we go or stay home. We can try to be careful in crowds but one has to check in at the airport. Has anyone on this thread been in either of those airports recently? what is security like?

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We are on a 7 day cruise out of Barcelona and back to the US from Rome at the end of May. We are having the same debate of should we go or stay home. We can try to be careful in crowds but one has to check in at the airport. Has anyone on this thread been in either of those airports recently? what is security like?

 

 

We are using those same airports in May. I would certainly hope they beef up security after the Brussels attack. It's too late for us to change plans...final payment and flights paid for and travel ins. Won't cover anything for only an alert. We are always very vigilant but things happen in a flash and that's a fact of life. At this point, I'm debating on canceling our August cruise. For us, this has somehow taken some of the fun of traveling away. I'm also one that does not subscribe to "if you cancel, they've won".

I place blame on the U.S. and Europe for letting this get out of control.

I also will not register with the state department, although I did download the app. I have little faith that my information will be secure. No flames please. I'm merely stating MY opinion.

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We leave for Rome in 3 weeks for 11 day cruise on Reflection.

 

I am hoping that the 2 Turkish stops of Kudadasi and Bodrum are not cancelled. Whilst I would rather the area was more settled, there are problems the world over.

 

I read that in the 3 months of Jan to March there have been 135 gun killings in Chicago alone, that is a staggering figure.

 

Apparently you have more chance of drowning in your own bath than being killed by a terrorist.

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We are on a 7 day cruise out of Barcelona and back to the US from Rome at the end of May. We are having the same debate of should we go or stay home. We can try to be careful in crowds but one has to check in at the airport. Has anyone on this thread been in either of those airports recently? what is security like?

 

I will be in and out of Rome airport in the next two weeks, will try to report back if I remember.

 

In Rome, the security for flights back to the US (and to Israel) is already done in a different area and involves several steps.

 

You can reduce the amount of time in unsecured areas of the airport by doing your check-in online and printing out your boarding passes. Also, if you can do carry-on only, you do not have to wait in the luggage area but can proceed to the security area.

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We are going in September, I'm really hoping our day in Turkey is not cancelled. Personally I'd be more more worried travelling to the US than Europe. I think it depends on where you travel in certain countries, some regions are going to be more risky than others but in general there is risk everywhere, can't let it stop us living our lives. I do agree with the 'if you don't go you let them win' idea, terrorism is about creating fear and destroying some of those countries economies by attacking tourist areas.

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We just canceled our 12 day Med. cruise which leaves from Barcelona in about 6 weeks. Great, unique itinerary on HAL Oosterdam visiting ports in southern Spain, Gibraltar, France and ending in Civitavecchia (Rome). This would have been our 3rd Med. cruise - which up to now was my favorite vacation.

 

The U.S. State department recommends Americans be "vigilant" and constantly aware of your surroundings. I don't want to be constantly looking over my shoulder while on vacation for over two weeks (counting pre and post cruise stays). I don't want that extra level of anxiety. So we canceled.

 

I feel terrible for the small businesses, hotels, restaurants, tour guides, etc. whose livelihoods depend on tourism.

 

There are no easy solutions to a VERY complex issue.

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I read that in the 3 months of Jan to March there have been 135 gun killings in Chicago alone, that is a staggering figure.

 

This, exactly. I'm planning a trip to Europe over July 4 and fully anticipate that I will be much safer there than in Chicago. My family was discussing the travel alert and later that day a 19-year-old boy was fatally shot during rush hour in front of my apartment. I live in a "good" neighborhood in Chicago and I learned from the news that was the third shooting this month within a mile of my home. I love Chicago but that was a brutal reminder that parts of the city are essentially a war zone.

 

The recent attacks in Europe and Turkey are horrific and I pray for those families that lost loved ones. But at the same time, I can't live my life constantly looking over my shoulder. I'll take reasonable precautions but I don't plan on moving out of a large city or changing my travel plans because of the actions of a few individuals.

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I, too, am debating about our October cruise from Rome to Barcelona. We also plan on stopping in Dublin post cruise. We still have time to decide but I don't want to wait until the last minute to book our air since we'll be using F2F miles. We are not safe anywhere and bad things happen in your own home town. The travel alert is on until June, and then what?

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We just canceled our 12 day Med. cruise which leaves from Barcelona in about 6 weeks. Great, unique itinerary on HAL Oosterdam visiting ports in southern Spain, Gibraltar, France and ending in Civitavecchia (Rome). This would have been our 3rd Med. cruise - which up to now was my favorite vacation.

 

The U.S. State department recommends Americans be "vigilant" and constantly aware of your surroundings. I don't want to be constantly looking over my shoulder while on vacation for over two weeks (counting pre and post cruise stays). I don't want that extra level of anxiety. So we canceled.

 

I feel terrible for the small businesses, hotels, restaurants, tour guides, etc. whose livelihoods depend on tourism.

 

There are no easy solutions to a VERY complex issue.

 

What a shame you have cancelled - and totally unnecessary. There is no more 'looking over the shoulder' required here in Europe than in the US - life for us living here goes on just as normal and with extra security at airports etc. it is probably safer to visit now than it has ever been! You won't find any Europeans cancelling travel plans across the Continent - the same as when we didn't stop visiting the US after 9/11 as we all felt that you needed our support and solidarity then.

Edited by campolady
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Has not even crossed our minds to cancel our trip to Europe starting later this month.

The only recent events that have made me change my behaviour a little are the recent shark attacks here at home. I will not surf on unpatrolled beaches.

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  • 3 weeks later...
I will be in and out of Rome airport in the next two weeks, will try to report back if I remember.

 

 

Just back from my Rome/Tuscany trip. I flew in and out of FCO airport. FCO already has a different terminal (T5) for flights bound for the US and Israel with increased security. There was only one thing I noticed on this trip that was different -- we were all given a clear plastic bag upon check-in and asked to put ALL of our electronic gear (camera, tablet, e-reader, cell phone, etc.) plus any chargers into the bag for security screening. This was for items in your carry-on luggage only. Laptops still went in a separate bin.

 

I did not notice any additional security presence -- but then again, they may have been there and perhaps the point is that you don't notice them.

 

I never felt unsafe either flying or on my trip. I was in Rome on the weekend of their marathon, no one seemed unusually anxious about it.

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We cancelled our Mediterranean cruise as well. We have vacationed every summer in Europe for the past 8 years and although there is much more for us to see and we love it there , I didn't feel safe enough to go. Don't go into Chicago or a major city so I still feel safer where I am. We booked a different cruise for next year in Europe so maybe things will be calmer then,

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Just back from my Rome/Tuscany trip. I flew in and out of FCO airport. FCO already has a different terminal (T5) for flights bound for the US and Israel with increased security. There was only one thing I noticed on this trip that was different -- we were all given a clear plastic bag upon check-in and asked to put ALL of our electronic gear (camera, tablet, e-reader, cell phone, etc.) plus any chargers into the bag for security screening. This was for items in your carry-on luggage only. Laptops still went in a separate bin.

 

I did not notice any additional security presence -- but then again, they may have been there and perhaps the point is that you don't notice them.

 

I never felt unsafe either flying or on my trip. I was in Rome on the weekend of their marathon, no one seemed unusually anxious about it.

 

Thanks for taking the time to share this update, cruisemom42. Lucky you, traveling to Rome and Tuscany!

 

We're going forward with our travel plans to Amsterdam, 14-day Norwegian Fjords Cruise, 2 days in Brugge and 3 days in London.

 

I won't mind having to go through any added security measures at the airports or train stations. Sadly, it's a sign of the times.

 

Safe travels, everyone!

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I don't need an alert to keep me out of Turkey. The bombings were enough for me. Anywhere else I wouldn't worry.

 

Nowhere is completely safe, Boston, San Bernadino, Sydney Australia etc. Use your instincts and try not to look too touristy. Leave the jewellery at home, keep the camera out of sight when you can, if you feel uneasy go sone where else, fast.

I refuse to be intimidated and will contine to travel and enjoy new sights and meeting lovely people in their homelands.

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I think the point is that either side can feel the situation is scary somewhere else based on what they hear in the media -- but the reality is often something quite different. Whether in the US or Europe or elsewhere.

 

Thank you cruisemom - that is precisely what I meant. It's all about perception. If I believed the media reports and statistics regarding gun deaths in the US, I'd never visit.

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  • 11 months later...

Hi

 

Maybe have a read through the "Tips for safe travel following terrorists attacks" article on cruise critic. some very interesting figures that put things into perspective.

 

Enjoy your trip

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Arsenalboy said it all ,most US cities are far more dangerous than Europe even in the current situation. Murder stats in the US are far higher than terrorism in Europe recently, driving in South Africa is far more risky. Road accidents kill more people than terrorism , many places are much more at risk.

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We were recently in Marseille for a long weekend, a city with high terrorist activity potential. Not once did we feel uncomfortable or threatened. On the contrary, everybody was very friendly and helpful.

 

We arrive back home to central London and what happens, we have a terrorist attack in Westminster.

 

Unfortunately, there has been another attack in Paris tonight, but it won't stop us going to France.

 

These days you can just never tell where and when you are going to be in a dangerous situation. Yes, statistics prove the US is far more dangerous than Europe, so I would never cancel my holiday unless the Foreign Office banned all but essential travel, which also means it is almost impossible to get travel insurance for those areas.

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This is an important topic nowadays. Is Europe safe? Probably as safe as most other places. But the real question is less about the perception of safety as the risk tolerance of the OP (or any other traveler). There are many folks who fret about many things (including safety) which is why America leads the world in prescribing anti-anxiety meds. DW and I are avid travelers and have been traveling all over the world for the past thirty+ years. In the winter we live in Puerto Vallarta (my goodness.....how can anyone live in Mexico) where we love Puerto Vallarta, are often out late at night on dark streets, and feel safer then just about anywhere in the USA. Go figure When most travelers were avoiding Egypt (this was late in Mubarak's reign) we went to Egypt (on our own) and spent two wonderful weeks traveling all over the country (it was one of our best trips ever!). We still remember an Egyptian man (who liked like a thug) coming up to us in Cairo, asking where we were from..and then putting out his hand (to shake) and saying "thank for coming to my country." And this was during a time when few Americans were traveling to Egypt.

 

So now we get to the current world situation...which is very bad. Paris has had several major incidents in the recent two years. Paris happens to be DW's favorite city in the world. Would we go to Paris tomorrow, for 1 or 2 weeks? Absolutely! But many others would look at the news and say "there is no way I am going there." Our DD lives in NYC (where I was born) and we take frequent drives up to the city. Do we worry about NYC always being a major target of terrorists. No. We are aware of the risk, accept it as part of life, and refuse to let that risk rule our lives.

 

So to answer the OP's fears....it is about you...not the news or terrorists. If you are going to let your life be ruled by your fears...then that is certainly your choice. Or, you can learn to put those fears into proper perspective (everything has a risk and the risk of travel is very low) and live your life to its fullest. When we let terrorists dictate how we live our lives (which we have already done to some degree) then we are the losers! Personally, I do not like to lose and will not let these bad guys rule my life. When I let them dictate how I live my life...I have put myself into a self-imposed prison. And as much as I fear terrorists. I fear being in a prison (of my own making) much more.

 

Hank

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