Is it safe to travel to Europe especially France and UK

Ltravelbuddy on 05/06/2017 - 14:03
Last edited 05/06/2017 - 14:28 by 1 other user

Hi All,

I'm planning to travel to Europe and recent attacks in London, Manchester and France (Paris & Nice) are giving me concern. Terrorists can easily access to motor vehicles and knives as guns are harder for them to get, innocent people are being ram into and getting stabbed or case where terrorist spraying bullets in a packed concert in Paris.

Question is what precautions do you take as the world we live in is pretty mess up with the rise of ISIS and Muslims being radicalized by social media.

Travel

Comments

  • CyberMurning on 05/06/2017 - 14:10

    Another do you have crystal ball question. There are news. I don't think any ozb will know better than fbi mi5 kgb triad bikkie or newspaper.

  • [Deactivated] on 05/06/2017 - 14:21
    -1

    There is an increased risk compared with a decade ago, but ultimately, if youre a victim of terrorism it was just your turn in life.

    In saying that, I'm planning to visit soon, before the fantastic European culture is completely ruined. Then i'll travel there for a safer islamic experience, compared to the middle east.

    • airal3rt on 05/06/2017 - 14:34

      Not sure why you'd want the "islamic experience"

      • dtc on 05/06/2017 - 14:48

        Have you been to Rome or the Vatican for your 'Christian experience'?

  • Pharos5 on 05/06/2017 - 14:23
    +11

    Terrorism favors big, flashy, headline attacks. The death toll, while tragic, is far lower than many mundane things like falling out of bed and car crashes.

    Nobody can tell you what risks to take, and whether it is safe. Perhaps look upon the statistics and decide for yourself.

  • Halo375 on 05/06/2017 - 14:25
    +10

    Yes it is still safe to travel, the statistical odds of you being involved in a terrorist action in this places is incredibly small. There's not really much you can do other than keeping your eyes open to what is happening around you, maybe you see something, maybe you don't.

    Just get out there and enjoy the worlds and F*** the terrorists that try to stop us enjoying ourselves in peace.

  • airal3rt on 05/06/2017 - 14:33
    +5

    Define "safe". Safer than driving a car for 30 minutes? Yep, definitely. Safer than staying wrapped in cotton wool never leaving the house? Nope.

  • Gronk on 05/06/2017 - 14:58
    +4

    If you modify your behaviour just one bit in favour of perceived safety in light of these attacks, then the people that carry out these attacks are achieving their goal.

    So to answer your question I'm taking absolutely no precautions, because there is no set of precautions which a reasonable person can take which will gaurantee immunity from terror attacks in future.

    Just get on with it mate.

  • mskeggs on 05/06/2017 - 14:58
    +4

    Are you OK in Sydney? There was a terrorist there too?

  • dasher86 on 05/06/2017 - 15:05
    +1

    these incidents can happen any where at any time and in most cases any major city in the world.
    This should not stop you from enjoying travelling…

    Avoid large congregations of people with be my cautionary advice

  • Pigey on 05/06/2017 - 15:05

    Smart Traveller website says the UK is on the lowest warning level (green), same level as Japan.
    http://smartraveller.gov.au/Countries/europe/northern/Pages/…

    According to the government, many SE Asian countries like Indonesia are at a caution level (yellow) which is considered more risky!

  • boomramada on 05/06/2017 - 15:11
    +2

    well if you don't want to travel, send me the tickets, I even pay for the transfer fee :)

  • aussieprepper on 05/06/2017 - 15:14

    Stay away from real busy places and you will be fine. Its hard to identify a threat in a crowded area.

    I see a lot of people have no situational awareness now days. A threat can come at any time any where so you always have to be on guard and be prepared.

    You can not really defend your self from a car driving into a crowd unless you have a gun but you may be able to move out of the way if you see the car coming.

    I see it every day people taking risk while driving by not paying attention. People fishing in dangerous conditions. Things like that!

    Carry a basic EDC with the legal minimum of what you need. Torch, first aid kit, multi-tool if possible.

  • nubzy on 05/06/2017 - 15:19
    +1

    Travelling there is certainly less appealing in the current climate. I want to visit also, but don't really feel that comfortable going at this time.

  • holdenmg on 05/06/2017 - 15:24

    Travel Insurance
    Smart Traveller
    Eneloops
    Bikies.

  • Duram on 05/06/2017 - 15:26
    +1

    I would do the UK but not London, same for France would go France but forget about Paris.

  • Strahany on 05/06/2017 - 15:38

    It will never be as safe as Australia, given that our geographical isolation allows us to have greater control over who crosses the border. Due to physical connections to the nefarious hotspot countries, if you will, Europe will always be more dangerous - especially whilst countries like Germany are extremely lax with respect to their border policies, and once you're in one European country, travelling into another isn't that difficult (thus countries with stricter immigration laws are somewhat at the mercy of the weaker countries).

    For all intents and purposes, it's safe. But relative to Australia, it's far less so.

  • Baebs on 05/06/2017 - 15:50

    Honestly, you're at risk anywhere in the world; chances are just higher in certain countries. You're just taking a gamble visiting those countries considering how you'll be visiting "hot-spots" such as the night markets and other tourist destinations.

    Pretty much visited most countries in Europe except the UK during 2016 Xmas; the Berlin night market attack occurred a few days after we were in that exact same spot. A day after we left Milan, the Berlin suspect was killed there as well. Didn't really come as that much of a shock considering how I was already desensitized by Isis though my parents were the opposite.

    Paris was pretty much in lock down; military with rifles guarding train stations, even shopping centres though that was in the main districts. The city is overall pretty shitty; petty crime rates are extremely high regardless of terrorism with all the refugeees.

    tl;dr: You can't predict these events. With the increasing frequency in the recent years, it'll be decades before things go back to normal - that's a long time to wait for an amazing trip. Perhaps consider countries that haven't frequented the headlines: Hungary, Budapest, Vienna, Czech rep (Prague) -all beautiful places.

    • Donaldhump on 05/06/2017 - 18:12
      +2

      id dare say kiribati will never have a terrorist attack

      • Baebs on 05/06/2017 - 20:06
        +1

        Had a good laugh +1

        • Donaldhump on 06/06/2017 - 09:32

          well if the world goes to complete h3ll, weather is nuclear war etc. this is where i am going to hide

        • Cliche Guevara on 06/06/2017 - 11:46
          +1

          @unclesnake: Global warming will thwart your plans I'm afraid. Make sure your remote island has plenty of highlands.

  • Ryanek on 05/06/2017 - 16:00
    +1

    You have a greater risk of dying on the car ride to the airport than a terrorist attack overseas. Case in point, Indonesia have had 9 terrorist attacks since 2011 but people still travel there in droves.

  • stargalaxy on 05/06/2017 - 18:10
    +1

    Train yourself in running a fast 100m and get a good runners shoe and prepare to run for your life if you see a potential attackers coming after you, keep both eyes wide open and make sure you don't play with your phone or look at ozbargain website when in public areas.

  • Aniseed Steed on 05/06/2017 - 19:26
    +2

    I've just returned from a 21-day holiday in the UK, 11 of which were spent in London and I never felt unsafe. Given half a chance, I'd go back again in a heartbeat to cover the other wonderful places I couldn't fit in.

    As an aside, we drove from Edinburgh to Keswick, and also from Keswick to York, and I have to say I felt safer on UK roads than I do here. UK drivers are patient, civic-minded and always keep left unless overtaking. There was none of the unsafe lane switching, tailgating, intimidation and road rage that I often encounter here.

    • try2bhelpful on 06/06/2017 - 15:26

      What are your recommendations for UK. We are going in September and just looking for something for a few of days out of London. We were thinking about Cambridge, or the Lakes District, etc.

  • try2bhelpful on 05/06/2017 - 22:53
    +1

    We were in America when 911 happened - Atlanta - but it was a crazy time to be over there. The other half was working there so we arrived in August and left in December. Some people have asked why we didn't get on the first plane home after the attacks and my view was "why would we?". You can't let terrorists rule your life. Keep your eyes open for things suspicious, maybe pay attention to emergency exits and potential escape routes, but don't let the ugliness of these morons stop you seeing the beauty of the world. We were lucky enough to get onto the business class virgin tickets. I'm off in September/October and ISIS can kiss my shiny ass.

    • Donaldhump on 06/06/2017 - 11:42

      it's ironic, people telling you to get on the first flight home, yet that's what was blown up

      • try2bhelpful on 06/06/2017 - 15:18

        Yeah, I know. Then again Atlanta did have the anthrax scare whilst we were there; the postal employees were wearing gloves. Given the statistics I'm much more concerned about plain old American's with guns than I am of the terrorists.

  • clloyd on 06/06/2017 - 08:23

    I have just returned from 10 weeks in Europe.
    Courtesy of a good flight deal on oz bargain.
    1st week in Paris, last in Nice The rest mainly Eastern Europe
    Never felt uncomfortable or threatened.
    I am not planning on going again for 6 months but a part of me says go and show the people who are doing this that they can't stop us from travelling. If you are worried don't go. Simple as that .

  • Geoff-bargain on 06/06/2017 - 09:27

    More chance of being pick pocketed, especially in Nice. If you're male and something does happen, make sure you help trying to stop them. Like the American guy on the train to Paris a year or so ago. If he hadn't done anything lots of people might have died.

  • Toons on 06/06/2017 - 12:40

    i was in Europe last month been to France loads of times

    Besides taking my lil boy to Disneyland and letting him see the sights he wanted it sucked in Paris, we had a much better time on the south coast the people are much easier going and Spain has never disappointed me.

    The french used to just have a stick up their arse about the english, it's amazing to see the fluent english come back once they know you're not from across the channel, now that has widened (unfortunately). you almost need a boxing kangaroo and a corkscrew hat.

    You can't go anywhere with a multi tool besides wandering the streets, (someone mentioned it above) checkpoints at all major places of interest, and you will have them confiscated permanently.

    The one thing you need to remember is that this is all pretty raw for these people and some won't forgive and forget, add extra time to anything you plan to visit that isn't a public space, you will be generally going through an airport style security check.

    I was in New York just after 9/11 it was much worse in terms of the security hassles (3 security checkpoints to get to the statue of liberty) but everyone is getting on with life and you should too, if it's somewhere you want to go, GO!

    I was in Thailand for the coup, besides the midnight curfew and TV signals being turned off for the better part of a week nobody was any the wiser or felt any less safe.

    the increased security is a hassle but it's there to try and prevent escalation or repeats, they don't want to see it happen anymore than you. it actually made us feel safer knowing there was so many trained people there keeping you safe and looking out for the suspicious things.

  • parisienne on 06/06/2017 - 19:05

    I was living in London during the summer of 2005,in a little place called Russel Square on a little street called Tavistock Place.On the evening of the 4th of July,i flew out to Greece for Zorba dancing and Ouzo drinking.I came back to my place in Greece late that night,woke up,went out again and came back in the afternoon.I put the TV in my room on….and you all know what happened.
    Long story short,i was asked to catch another flight to Greece and go back home to Russel Square (oversold flight),but i went.If i had not,i would have been sent home in several small body bags (the tube station i would have got to take me back to Heathrow ? Kings Cross.The bus to take me to that station was blown up less than 50 mtrs from my front door.I came back after 2 weeks and it was in front of the driveway).I stayed (another place obviously),but London remained home for another 3 months and i have been back twice since.Paris…i am looking at perhaps buying a place there,so the recent trouble doesn't worry me there either (i love that city with a passion). Basically,terrorism is all around,happens at any time and anywhere…my theory,after my brush with it,is that we are going to die at some point,by some means,and if that happens doing something you love or have always dreamed of doing,then it is a tragedy..but would you rather that than not having taken a small risk ?

  • TheBilly on 07/06/2017 - 10:36

    You will statistically have a higher chance of dying from a car accident, heart disease, local murderer or rapist, suicide, domestic violence (if your female) and the like, than you would from dying in a terrorist attack in a European or Western country.

    So I would not stop having fun because of this fear.

    I have not travelled much in high risk cities (done most of south east asia) but I have been to; Lahore in Pakistan which is portrayed as a terrorist hot spot.

    As with any other city it was just common sense safety. Take reputable forms of transport (private car, uber, coaches), go to the main shopping districts and do not visit seedy areas, do not associate with unwanted or unknown people that are acting weird.

    Since the year 2004 hundreds of people have been killed in separate terrorist attacks in lahore, however when I was there about 2 years ago there was so many eastern European / Chinese tourists with not a worry in the world. I myself had a great and safe experience and their major hotels are actually protected by the military, so it can't get any safer.

    Not saying to travel there, I'm just highlighting that 100's have died there and it still feels safe and has a flourishing industry of business and tourism, travelling to a European country would not even be a question that needs asking - it is very safe in comparison.

    Terrorist deaths lahore: Approx 470 since 2004
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorist_incidents_in_Lahore_…

    Terrorist deaths in London: 66 since 2005
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terrorist_incidents_in…

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorist_incidents_in_Lahore_…

  • shrugies on 08/06/2017 - 00:06

    The whole point of terrorism and random attacks is to make everyone fearful and paranoid. The attacks are very saddening and yes, scary, but as can be seen it varies so greatly and is random. The best you can do is hope that government security agencies and police are more alert and vigilant while you yourself as a citizen just lives their life out normally. Don't go around being scared or fearful, just keep an eye out on smarttraveller/news and know that the odds of you being in a situation is incredibly small.

    Don't sweat it and just live your life - enjoy your holiday !

  • tonester on 08/06/2017 - 18:14

    Smartraveller is good - International SOS is better :)

  • getho on 13/06/2017 - 22:12

    your far far more likely to get killed crossing the road. Its a terrible thing to live in fear!

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