iowaLacey

I need some advice and reassurance. This will be my first time traveling out of North America. I am taking myself and my 11 year old son to London, England, late March 2018. I really want to go and I am excited to see all of the area. My problem is that I am nervous a bit for the long flight, the safety of the flight and then the safety of landing at Heathrow. I know there are thousands of people that do this daily and all is good. I also know that things can happen in the USA (and do) just as often. Any advice from parents traveling abroad with their child? Do I just need to "chill out" about it? I am going for sure, I just would like to hear about different recent experiences to calm me down. These terrorists scare the heck out of me, which is just want they want probably! UGH!!!

Kathie

You are more likely to be injured or killed in an auto accident on your way to the airport than be injured or killed in an airplane accident or a terrorist incident. Chill out.

xcountry

It’s okay to be nervous. I don’t like flying, especially over water. It has always made me feel better to see the kids are thrilled to be on approach to a major airport. With an exciting trip ahead of them.

Kid(s) thrilled. Parent nervous. Call it a draw.

iowaLacey

Thank you! I do need to calm down about it. My son is beyond excited so it helps.

marvelousmouse

London is not going to feel different than US cities except cleaner with better transit.

Stand up and stretch, walk down the aisle, as often as you need to on the flight. Take headphones or earplugs for your sanity. Or both. Really, don’t forget those. Know how to get to your hotel before you leave, have it written down in case you have issues with your cell phone. Being prepared makes being jetlagged much easier. Have a carry on bag packed with necessities if you check a bag. Don’t overpack- you don’t need as much as you think. The less you have, the easier it is to leave the airport and navigate to your lodging.

xcountry

I always tell people to quit throwing safety stats at me. They don’t work. Except ...

When I read that Heathrow has about 1300 takeoffs and landings a day I thought even if those damn terrorists pick my travel day they still won’t get me. I almost want to fly. But not quite.

bilboburgler

Take lots of exercise on the plane and drink lots of water (if your legs swell up you may want restriction socks),

If you want the usual inedible pap go with that or maybe become a fruitarian for the trip... Up to you.

Terrorists, well no one can promise you anything. I've lived in the UK all my life and have gone from German/Libyan/Irish/Fundamentalist terrorists all the way through. We don't worry about it and generally the police are people you go to for help if you get mixed up in a situation.

You'll find armed police at the airport (mainly to make people feel comfortable), at major railway stations (same) and at the houses of parliament/No 10. The last are the serious ones, but before you see them there will be friendly (unarmed) bobby ahead of them.

What you will notice is London has people from over 198 countries living in it and they get along fine, you'll do fine "mind th gap".

NewbE

xcountry, I have a friend whose favorite saying is "Big Earth, small me," meaning just what you said: you are a small moving target, so the chances of calamity befalling you are always slim.

iowaLacey, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly the flight passes. It's normal to be nervous when doing something big for the first time. Bring entertainment and snack options for yourself and the kiddo, try to nap, take some of the very good advice above and in other threads regarding what to bring on a plane to maximize comfort, and all will be well.

Heimdall

For what it's worth, I was born and raised in the US, but have lived most of my adult life in England. The stories we read over here about violence in US cities would make me nervous to go there if I didn't know better. Here in the UK are very strict gun laws, so we don't have the mass shootings you hear about in the US.

For advice about safety: remember to look to the right before stepping into the street. ;-)

NewbE

<For advice about safety: remember to look to the right before stepping into the street.>

SO TRUE! The closest I ever came to being hit by a car was one jet-lagged morning in Dublin, when I looked the wrong way.

PatrickLondon

Yes, I was just about to mention crossing the road. You might want to get practising looking the other way with your son. Be prepared, incidentally, for native pedestrians NOT waiting for traffic signals, but taking their chances jaywalking. This doesn't mean you have to do the same - play it safe by all means, a lot of our visitors do; just don't be surprised.

You might also like to get yourselves familiar with how the public transport system works:

https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/visiting-london/

(And my experience of terrorism is the same as Bilbo's. I've been here 69 years and never heard a bang. You will hear reminders about making sure you keep your baggage with you and alerting officials if you see an unattended bag, and you will find bag searches at a lot of places, more or less perfunctory depending on the official threat estimate, and somewhat obtrusive devices to block rogue cars in a few places, but that's about as tense as is usually perceptible. Just focus on the interesting and enjoyable things).

LancasterLad

You're more likely to get run over by some zombie with his smart phone glued to his face.....be careful of female zombies pushing buggies too.

Then there's the mobility scooters....easy to avoid if they're coming towards you, not so easy if they creep up from behind.

Heimdall

Never heard a bang in the 50 years I've lived in England, either. Last month there was a security scare on one of the American air bases near where I live. A man broke through the check point at the main gate and drove onto the flight line. When security forces finally caught up with him, he was found to have a teddy bear strapped to his chest. The man has been detained under the Mental Health Act.

ziggypop

iowa, the flight to London is easy peasy.
Board at MSP in the late afternoon/early evening, fly for 8 hours, sleep 1/2 of that time or watch 3 movies, get off of plane about noon London time, just in time for lunch.
My anxiety maxes out while landing. I hate the brakes being applied. Otherwise I know I am powerless, so why worry.
Do try to relax so your son does not pick up on your anxiety and nervousness.

Micheline

My London daughter is visiting us in Florida and last night someone asked her if living in London did not frighten her after the terrorist attacks. She replied that she is much more frightened in the USA as statistics show that chances of being shot or killed are much higher here than in London. "I'm very nervous one of your guns might go off".
I hate flying but that will not keep me from travel and I know it's much safer than the traffic here.
I hope you do chill out and you and your son have a wonderful time. I love
London.

Southam

The statistics on air safety for 2017 have been widely published. No deaths in a jet passenger plane accident, anywhere.
If that statistic isn't reassuring, the problem isn't with travelling.

NewbE

Flying feels unnatural to a lot of people, probably because it is! And that first long flight can play with your mind, or at least the thought of it can. I was slightly nervous about a recent flight to Brazil, my personal longest, not because of safety fears but just worries about not sleeping, arriving a wreck, etc.

I ended up watching a movie, eating a lot, and napping a lot, and arrived too excited to feel tired.

I do think worries in advance are pretty normal.

NewbE

Btw, as an American who hates our gun culture, I've never heard a bang, either. Not defending the insanity, just sayin'.

latedaytraveler

iowaLacey, you will have a wonderful time with your son in London

NewbE, hear, hear! I live in a suburb outside of Boston and don't even know anyone who owns a gun!

BigRuss

<<Btw, as an American who hates our gun culture, I've never heard a bang, either. Not defending the insanity, just sayin'.>>

As an American who lives IN TEXAS, I've heard guns at specific places called "firing ranges." The notion that this country is populated by a bunch of Yosemite Sams running around firing off their six-shooters is an idiotic European fantasy, kind of like the claims that American beer is bad or that American cuisine is typified by McDonald's.