I am planning a next year 2 weeks trip to Peru in august. We are from Europe, have 2 children aged 12 and 6 (next year) and they are very used to travel around the world since they were born! I usually arrange everything by myself with the help of the web and travel forums like this.
This time my bit concern on this country is for safety/robbery/thefts, being a family a bit more vulnerable than just adults ??!!
Just related to this issue can I consider this destination more or less similar to Mexico, Brasil or Nepal ?

Any advice or suggestions would be higly appreciate, except for the one not to go there with children (ha ha ha)!! thank you

Safety issues a factor on where you plan on going. Spend no more than a day in Lima, and then just in the immediate colonial area. Cuzco not a problem nor Machu Pichu. Carry documents etc in money belts.

thank you !!!

you are right: Lima is also outside our priorities ! we will try to avoid it ! any inoculation for august recommended ? malaria should not be a problem on altitudes !!

My wife and I just spent 2 weeks in Peru. We saw many families with children, particularly European families. We concluded that, with the reasonable precautions you would expect to take, Peru was perfectly safe. We met some students whose bags had been gone through while they took an overnight bus trip and I would not recommend this for that reason. I felt that Mexico was more developped but, with the current political situation there, I would sooner go to Peru at this moent than go to many parts of Mexico. We stayed in Miraflores, the tourist area of Lima, and walked around at night. It is a great country to visit.

thank you all !

I am quite more encouraged now not to give up !!

hi, we are travelling for 16 days in Peru this December. Our kids are 12 &15, will let you know our impressions upon return.

Last month my husband and I spent 3 weeks in Peru. I would have no hesitation in recommending it for a family. We never felt unsafe at any point during our trip. As long as you are cautious, as you would be anywhere else, there is no need to be more scared in Peru than elsewhere.

And I think Lima is worth a day or two if you have the time. Stay in a nice area like Miraflores or Barranco - these are perfectly safe to walk around - even at night. You can get taxi's to the centre and see the sights. So long as you're not flaunting your wallet / cameras, etc, you will be fine.

Thank you !! I agree with you all.
I still have to convince my wife, who would be surprisingly be not concerned at all going again to Rio or Salvador de Bahia, Brasil !!
sometimes I do not understand.....

I've not ben to peru but anecdotal evidence is that family groups are safer than couples or solo travellers - something to do with the culture

sashh

this is another good point !!
It seems that presence of children do not encourage attacks.
Once in Rio we used local public buses to almost anywhere and if we did not speak we could be easily confused among locals