right decision about canceling italy trip?
 

my husband & i were looking forward to our trip to italy for months. after what has happened here, however, we have decided to cancel our trip. we live in nyc & are still in a state of shock after what has happened. our flight is leaving this sat.& is a delta flight - our main concern was being stuck in italy. i didn't want to be so far away from our family if something happened. also, we were told to be concerned flying on an american plane. i am very disappointed that we cannot go at this time & i wonder if we made the right decision. have others canceled their trips or decided to go?

We are going to France next month. Everyone has to make their own decisions. We were in China at the time of the Tiananmen massacre and had to shorten our trip, although we did do parts of it. We were evacuated by Continental airlines with the embassy personnel.

Rachel, it's a difficult individual decision. We have decided (at this point) to proceed with our trip to Italy. We leave Oct. 1 and return Nov. 6. However, my heart is far from light. We will light candles in churches wherever we go in memory of those who lost their lives in NY, DC and PA.

Deciding to cancel or to go is such an individual decision; you listed very logical reasons to cancel your trip. On the other hand, my best friend and her husband left for Italy today. They were looking forward to the trip, felt that they'd be safe and decided to go.

Rachel: As a New Yorker myself, I can fully understand your cancelling your plans. If you do not have it in your heart to go on vacation and enjoy yourself, what's the point. Your decision is right for you and believe me you are not alone in your belief. See what happens, and in a couple of months re-schedule your trip for the Spring it's a beautiful time of year to be in Italy, we were there the past two Springs. <BR> <BR>I know it's a disappointment, but don't beat yourself up. Spend the money locally in the tri-state area, it will be better spent and is much needed.

Arabella, Could you post about your friends' trip when they return. I will be leaving for Italy in about 2 weeks and am still evaluating.

We, too are leaving for Italy Oct. 15-26 thru delta. I think we are cancelling, we are also from LI, NY and it has hit home. <BR>My fears are also leaving my kids here(3,8,and 12) and being detained(or hurt) while in a foriegn country. <BR> <BR>Even though, I'm Italian descent, I am still an American. <BR> <BR>Also, we are going to the World Armwrestling Champs and my husband would be wearing USA outfits. We are proud of our country, but with all the terrorist type countries attending, I feel it would be like wearing a bulls-eye!! <BR>Any input on cancelling, and getting refunds would be appreciated!! <BR>God Bless America <BR>Thanks

Vita, <BR> <BR>I'll be happy, too, but they'll be gone for two weeks -- getting back when you go! <BR> <BR>

We cancelled our trip to Spain. We were supposed to go end of Sept. to beginning of October but decided to cancel because we didn't want to get stuck there if anything happened.

We're also on the fence about our Oct. trip to Italy. The fear is getting "stuck" there. Does anyone have any idea what airlines do when their nationals are out of the country and trying to get back in during a crisis. I don't even know if this is an answearable question. When was the last time this happened? Gulf War?

We canceled our trip since we were scheduled to leave the Tuesday of the attack and couldn't get a flight out of Boston for several weeks. Every hotel in Italy we booked at returned our deposites except for Hotel Porta Faenza (recommended by Fodor's) in Florence...they refused to refund one night's deposit even with 7 days notice.

Rachel, we cancelled out trip to Italy that was to begin tomorrow. It was a very personal decision based on a number of factors: <BR>1. The uncertainty (and possible fear) of the unknown and what tomorrow might bring. <BR>2. The fact that the joy of anticipation had been eliminated. Our hearts weren't into the trip any more. (For us, the trip, which would have been our third in three years, was to have been something very special.) <BR>3. Our daughter asked us not to go. <BR>4. A delay overseas could have been disastrous business-wise for me. <BR>My point: No one can advise whether you did the right or wrong thing in cancelling. If you feel better/more comfortable in cancelling, then you certainly did the right thing! <BR>One thing for sure: We'll go back again!

We were going to leave last week also on Delta, but postponed until Sept. 26th with a "wait and see" attitude. My husband and I have planned this trip for over a year and couldn't bear the thought of not going. We have decided that we are "for sure" going now. We will be leaving my 4 and 2 yr old with grandparents in Oklahoma as planned. We have a 10 day trip to Venice, Tuscany and Cinque Terre planned. I feel that this "crisis" will not end soon and that it in fact could get worse if we were to wait until, say, next spring to go. I have no fears of being hijacked. I know that after what happened in NY and DC and PA, if hijackers were to try it again they'd be mobbed and ripped apart by passengers before the plane could go down. I am a little apprehensive about being an ocean away from my little ones, but even during the Persian Gulf War commercial flights still continued their schedules with no problems. I don't really feel that I would get detained in Italy for any length of time and we allowed an extra three days at the end of our trip in case we were delayed for some reason. My heart is still heavy from the tragedies that occurred--I will never forget what happened--but at the same time I'm not going to sit at home and wonder about my trip and how nice it would have been "if" I had gone. I'd rather have a heavy heart in the hills of Tuscany than Boise, Idaho! The important thing is that you feel good about your decision--whatever it may be. I feel good about mine. I hope you feel good about whatever you decide.

I'd been looking forward to a hiking trip to Tuscany for almost year...I'm now going hiking in Virginia. Nice but hardly the same. The deciding factors were that I'd be too anxious to enjoy and, more compelling, my status as a single mother with two young children. I simply couldn't put my kids (and myself) through the anxiety if something else happened and I got stuck in Europe. This is the right decision for me, and in fact, once I made, a weight lifted. I hope you make a decision that feels right for you.

AP reports today that TGV travel between Paris, Brussels and London was suspended due to bomb threats.

To touch on someone's previous question--what evidence is there that people overseas would get stuck during a war? Is that everyone's ASSUMPTION or is there real proof that has happened before? Didn't happen during the Gulf War. Can anyone offer facts for this? <BR>Thanks!

I have a very close friend who also cancelled his Italy trip scheduled 9/18 because, among other things, he didn't want to get "stuck" there if something happened. I think he based this decision not on past experience, but on what happened now with the WTC bombing; many travelers had their flights cancelled and so they were "stuck." He figures cancellations may occur if "something" happens while he's away. That "something" could be any type of terrorist threat and could occur anywhere where people are allied with the U.S. Therefore, this isn't an assumption that it might happen, it already has and may again.

My mother is in Firenze right now and she is having a ball. I don't think she realizes the sentiment in the US right now. I really didn't want to ruin her trip by saying what a difficult time the US is going through.....I was out of the country during the Pesian Gulf War and I never was stuck anywhere......I, personally, would travel tomorrow if I could. But, I think if you are going to be a nervous wreck and not enjoy your vacation then it is best to stay home. JG.

Hi everyone: <BR> <BR>I just cancelled my trip to Italy. Oh boy. I had planned this thing for months. Hotels were booked, days were planned - the whole nine yards. I agree that it is a personal decision and I respect the decision of people who do go. I literally can't imagine myself stepping on a plane to fly to Europe right now. It's not the fear of hijacking. It's not the fear of getting stuck over there. I'm afraid to say it's just plain fear. Right now, for me, I feel I need to stay here. I'm not American (I live in Canada) but feel that now is not the time for me to be exploring the world. My head says Toronto-Italy, what could happen. But then again, did anyone think of terrorism when they boarded those flights last week. We are moving into a state of war and I don't want to take any unnecessary risks. I will feel regret if by the end of October there were no incidents but at this point I'm not up to playing Russian roulette...

I have to agree 100% with the prior post. The thing that scares me the most is that my daughter is living in Germany for this year, teaching English for Berlitz in Muenster and getting fluent in German at the same time. <BR> <BR>Sooner or later she will have to get on a plane to come home (perhaps two of them). Am I going to be scared? I'm going to be terrified. <BR> <BR>I am looking for a home exchange in Canada (Toronto or Montreal--where I could drive from Washington, DC) look very nice. <BR> <BR>At this time of uncertainty, overseas travel just doesn't seem that important.