maitaitom

Not to worry kerouac, Tracy and I will be tin Paris this autumn. I think we owe you a bottle of wine.

iris1745

I thought it was a little bit of sarcasm by Kerouac.

box of wine, you did what's in the best interest of your family.

Didn't need a smart alec remark.

brubenow

Finecheapboxofwine, I totally understand where you're coming from. I'm traveling to Paris, Switzerland and Germany in July, with my family, including my two young children.

After the Paris attacks, two people I know canceled their trips to Paris. Many people questioned me and advised against going. I talked to my husband and we decided to still go, but no mass transit.

Now after Brussells, I'm torn once again. My family and friends are asking me if I'm still going. It makes a huge difference for me because I don't want to endanger my kids. At the same time, I've been planning this trip for over a year, and have been beyond excited about it, as are my kids. So I hate to cancel.

I know everyone says that statistically, the chances of being involved in an act of terrorism are small. But when you watch the news, and everyone is talking about how there are 7000 radical Islamists who have returned to Europe after training in Syria, as opposed to 200 in the U.S., then the statistics seem irrelevant somehow.

I guess for now my plan is to watch and see what happens. I really don't want to cancel. I applaud those of you who go without second guessing yourself. But I'm worried.

tomboy

"Every tourist that cancels a trip to Europe means ISIS wins even more" -Palenque

Using that logic, westerners should throng to northern Syria, to show ISIS "we aren't afraid of your hideous behavior".

yestravel

Brubenow-I think putting children in the equation changes things.

letsgeaux

Our April trip to Paris and Barcelona has been planned for several months. We are still on go.

RajatMakar

we will leave for Paris in a month's time. No plans to cancel but will watch the developments and be careful. Also, expecting more time and delays in security checks, but that's for good.

pirouette

No sarcasm intended, but there will be some great deals on air fare to Eurpoe in the coming weeks and for those who travel on points, there will be new availability. It happens every time.

We were scheduled for a family trip to Egypt just before the Arab Spring erupted. We did not cancel but altered our plans and went to Jordan and Israel instead. It was a great trip but travel is always unpredictable. There was a bomb in Jerusalem when we were there- we were very close by.

We went to Egypt years ago within 6 months of the tourist massacre at Luxor. Our travel agent insisted that it would be a relatively safe time to go because of the enhanced security measures. She was right. We had the pyramids to ourselves and no crowds in Luxor.

We try to stay low key, do not take large organized tours and where possible, opt for locally owned hotels. It is not a guarantee that there will not be an incident but it works for us. It beats not travelling!

Treesa

We're going to Belgium in May. My SO wants to cancel but I told him I'll go without him. But I must admit I'll be looking around and asking myself: "Does this person look like a terrorist"? I have a runaway imagination.

zoobiechick

Glad to see this thread. I also have a trip to France coming up in a month. The threat of terrorism is real. The world is a dangerous place. For a fleeting moment I wondered if we should still go. But it really is true that the most dangerous thing anyone ever does is get in a car every day and drive. I will be alert, and I might be nervous at times, but fromage, saucisson, baguettes, mini quiches and torsades au chocolat are calling my name. Vive la France!

crefloors

I think people's personal travel decisions and comfort levels, or lack of comfort, should be respected and there is no reason for snark from some.

I too was thinking of possible price reductions. I am working on a Paris, London trip and will continue to plan.

I am not as carefree about traveling as I was some years ago and that's too bad. I am glad I could travel when times were somewhat less troubling. These events won't stop me, but I am in no way every critical of anyone who feels uneasy.

I agree, a parent will often have more concern when children are involved.

nukesafe

Hey, I'm in my 80's, so I'm going to die pretty soon anyway. I can't think of a better place to do it than in Paris. Actually, we will be going to Estonia and the Czech Republic in May, so I can't think of better places to check out than in Tallinn or Prague with a glass of wine or beer in my hand.

Lois2

Must say given some of media coverage is showing about Brussels and their attempts to deal with terrorism I would be far more comfortable going to Paris these days than Brussels.

KateIP

I'm going to Paris for a week next month. Yesterday I did reconsider my safety and travel plans. But I grew up in Englamd during the IRA bombings, I was in Moscow in '93 during the Yeltsin crisis. I'm not gonna let some terrorists disrupt my trip. I will be a lot more careful of my surroundings, probably walk more, Metro less. But I'm gonna have a great time regardless, and I'm excited to return!

jars50

We're going to France for 6 weeks in early April. I thought about canceling for a few minutes, but it would break my heart to live in fear. It's not who I am.

Safe travels everyone.

Robert2533

I have more concern walking safely down the street in some neighborhoods in America then being the victim of a terrorist attack in Europe.

NewbE

Robert, I have read that comment here many times, and it never makes any sense to me! I'd be afraid in a scary neighborhood anywhere, be it in Paris or some city in the US. I don't think the US has more or fewer scary neighborhoods than France or Belgium, allowing for size, does it?

And the point of terrorism is, it's going to happen when and where you don't expect it. So what do you mean?

I may be overthinking it, and I know I'm picking on you unreasonably, but honestly, it seems like the kind of thing people say, a cliche without meaning.

IMDonehere

As someone who worked three blocks from the Trade Center, saw the second plane hit, and whose building was twice engulfed with ash and human remains, I am totally resolved not being cowered by terrorists.

There have been incidences before, during, after us during our travels in Europe, the States and Central America. Here is the irony, we do not want to visit friends in Egypt because of the turmoil, but have visited Spain many times where the estimates of killings by the ETA are upwards of 800 people, stopping in 2011.

NewbE

I said this on the State Department warning thread, but I think there is a natural difference between the reactions of a resident of a city and a tourist. I have lots of friends in NYC and DC and one in Paris and none of them considered moving away. I live in a state with crazy Stand Your Ground laws and over a million concealed carry permits, and I'm not moving.

But if a tourist were to say, I'm a bit worried about bringing my kids to Florida because of all the shootings, I'd understand even if I don't agree with their risk assessment.

sassy27

A few weeks after the Paris attacks, I was sitting in a Paris cafe, when the TV displayed the attack in the US. We live in a scary world where we have to decide for ourselves what is safe or not. If someone doesn't feel uncomfortable, I would not expect them to still go.

I am leaving for London later this week and have been asked if I am still going. It didn't cross my mind to cancel. I will decide later whether to go to main land Europe later in the year. At this time if I decide not to, it will be for other reasons.