Just saw on the news that 14 radicals were arrested for series of bombs on european tourists over past few months. How safe is it for Americans to visit Europe during these crazy times?

How many people do you imagine were killed in US past few months due to traffic accidents?

As a military family living in Europe now and before 9-11, we feel (generally) safer here than in most large American cities. We travel all over Europe whenever we have the opportunity and have never felt threatened by ANYONE ANYWHERE. It's all in where you go and how you carry yourselves...there are places in european cities that the natives wouldn't be caught in after night fall...just stay aware. Terrorism is the least of our worries when we travel, we just try to keep our camera bag and wallet safe!

2 sensible responses already. How refreshing. How ... Heineken!<BR><BR><BR><BR>

Agree with above responses except for response taking about americans dying in traffic accidents. That's not a very good analogy. Tourists go on vacation for leisure and unfortunately due to cowards have had various unfortunate incidents. I do think these are rare events, but it is ashame a few thugs can't behave themselves.

"series of bombs on european tourists"<BR><BR>Where? Why nobody has told me somebody has bombed European tourists...

No, Rick - tourists are dangerous!<BR><BR>Stop trolling please!<BR><BR>Andre

Every time something like this is mentioned, someone uses car accidents as their perspective!<BR>I wish they would think up something new,it is really getting old.<BR>In todays times, I think that no matter where you go, you are going to have to be a little more careful.<BR>Even in the USA.So just for your own sake,don't go to the Middle East or a country that is having unrest.<BR>Otherwise, you are as safe in Europe as you are at home.<BR>"Put" could also think about this, you could be in Italy and be in a car accident!<BR>

I just read that a a 12-year-old girl got kidnapped in Utah. How safe is it for 12-year-old girls who visit Utah?

puhleeeze,Exactly!! LOL

My neighbor was bitten by another neighbors dog.<BR>Better not visit NYC.

"14 radicals were arrested for series of bombs on european tourists over past few months..."<BR><BR>What does this mean, please? How can bombs be "on" tourists? Do you mean that they were somehow attached to the tourists' bodies, presumably without their being aware of the situation? Where exactly did this happen?<BR><BR>(I'm not nitpicking; I truly don't understand what you mean by this.)

Monsoon knocked over trees onto cars and carports in Phoenix. Don't bring your cars here, and sure as heck don't build carports.<BR><BR>Connecticut/Massachusetts had a tornado and an earthquake during the last half of the 20th century. Don't go there unless you're prepared to spend most of your time curled up in a cast iron bathtub.<BR><BR>I once lost $40 at the craps table at the Mirage in Vegas...need I say more.<BR><BR>I searched the BBC and NYTimes websites for this story: closest I found was THREE radicals arrested in Greece for killings of British and American OFFICIALS (attaches, diplomats, etc.) over the last 30 years. The whole group called November 17 has less than a dozen members. <BR><BR>Did I ever tell you about the woman who washed her poodle then put it in the microwave to dry?<BR>

oh, of course you are nitpicking, you know what he means -- bomb attacks which affected European tourists. I don't know what Rick is reading, but there have certainly been such attacks in Pakistan within the last few months and tourists were targeted. I don't think it was a specific nationality, but just the targeting of tourists for effect (perhaps I'm wrong, I know there were Germans in the group). When there were terrorist attacks in Egypt several years ago, they deliberately targeted tourists and announced that to the press (that was really bad, a lot of people were killed then).<BR><BR>I don't know what Rick is referring to in terms of bombs and American tourists in Europe, though, as I haven't heard anything about that on the news. I have read that Greece arrested some Nov. 17th terrorists, I think, but they mainly bombed or killed officials and diplomats, although they did put off a bomb in Piraeus, from what I read.<BR><BR>I don't know why people ask questions like this on this board, people have to decide for themselves. Assessing this risk does not mean comparing terrorists killing tourists with traffic accidents, I agree, these two have nothing to do with each other. Even when the 60-75 tourists were killed in Egypt during those attacks, the risk for any individual being killed in Egypt was certainly small but I wouldn't have traveled there at that time.

I agree with what most of you have written; my above statement was a "minimalist" attempt to point out that we all take risks everyday and only a person him/herself knows that amount of risk with which he/she is comfortable. It certainly does help to know some facts in making these decisions. I am probably still reacting to some family members who withdrew from planned (ticketed, reserved,etc.) family trip to Europe after 9/11 and who still deem it very unsafe to leave the USA.

elvira!!<BR>that is horrible !! that poor poodle!<BR>just goes to show,some women should never have pups!

Elvira - Shouldn't your post be in the "Things I lost on vacation" post?

I did see this topic mentioned on Bloomberg television this morning. Clearly France has never been known as a tourist friendly place, but the terrorist organizations have taken the fear tactic to another level. I don't think this is an everyday problem, and as the US and Israel continue to get rid of these losers day by day Americans can feel that much safer.

Puh-leeze, France was VERY tourist friendly to this little traveler when I spent a month their last year!!!

rick stay home, your crazy.