Is France Safe for Tourists Following Attacks and Riots?

Which attacks and riots are you referring to? The taxi protests in Paris seem to be over because Uber has suspended UberPop so that will quiet things down.

The trouble at Calais is trouble at Calais, so don't go there. Where else might you be concerned about?

I'd get out of New Jersey as fast as you can. It's a very dangerous place (at least from a European viewpoint).

Norma, I'm referring to this article specifically
https://www.yahoo.com/travel/is-france-safe-for-tourists-following-attacks-and-122519566572.html

I'm here with the kids now and it is a lovely place. Lots of friendly people who always share a smile and a bonjour with my kids.

I feel safer in France than I do in America, violent crime is rare in Europe. I live in Kansas and I take a trip to Europe at least once a year (for the last 8 years) and I'm always surprised when people ask me "aren't you afraid to go over there?" The truth is I have found Europeans to be just as kind and considerate as anyone in Kansas, I hear travelers say that the French are rude but in my experience if you learn just a little of the language and address people with respect that the French are a very gracious people and have helped me every time I was in need. I think there are thousands of Americans who would like to see Europe but don't due to fear of the unknown.

My grandfather only had a 8th grade education and fought in WW1 in France and he taught me that life should be an adventure otw it's just existing, I force myself to go to different places in Europe each time I go because that is part of the adventure, "going into the unknown".

As FDR said in 1941, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself"

I'd be freaked if I had only that for info too. Good that you came to this forum. So much for google "news".

No, there isn't rioting everywhere, but a few taxi drivers makes for an exaggerated article.
Yes, there was a lone wolf attack by an employee on his employer. The attacker has been arrested. He was a follower of ISIS. Any of these nuts could surface anywhere at any time, even New Jersey--particularly along that industrial corridor outside NY.

The areas you are going are lovely; I wouldn't change a thing.

On the other hand, I caught a few minutes of CNN the other day where the speaker was warning us of a July 4th attack using the breathless, alarmist tone of voice TV uses to keep us on edge.

Furthermore, over the years I've noticed a perverse pleasure by the US and French presses to write absurd, exaggerated articles about events in each others' countries.

Kerry, terrorism is a fact of life all over the world these days, even in your and my country. You can stay home and pull the bedclothes over your head or you can keep calm and carry on. The article you link to, dated June 20, says that "chaos and riots have broken out all over France". Really? I must have missed the news that day.

I adore France and travel abroad every other year for over a month at a time. I agree with all your comments. I was just responding to the article and thought I would inquire. I actaully hoped you would all respond as you did. I would be devastated to have to change my plans as I'm dying to get back to Europe and France, a country I adore, in particular. If it weren't that I was traveling with my kids, I wouldn't have even questioned it. My 13 year old daughter hears the news about terrorist attacks and airplane crashes and it makes her very fearful; I guess her fear gets to me too!

I didn't mean to rile anyone; I'm going, okay?

Kerry, Good, go and I hope you enjoy yourself.

The "chaos and riots have broken out all over France" quote is pure journalistic invention.

Europeans thinking of travelling to the USA are worried about muggings, shootings, racism and gun violence in general.
But I imagine that also sounds a lot worse from a distance.
The British attituded to guns is best summed by this old clip from a sit-com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBNd24-0VRQ

I don't want to seem to minimize your daughter's fears and worries at all, but maybe you can use this as a good teaching point for her and the others regarding critical review of news presentations, using facts for basis of opinions, gathering info from several sources etc.

I've just read that yahoo thing.

OMG!!! It is way worse than it is. I mean I was just there and didn't see any of the riots. They weren't even on the French TV news!!! How can they hide all that stuff from us????? That just isn't fair!!!!

WE MUST BE ALLOWED TO HAVE THE REAL FACTS.... it shouldn't be swept under the rug!!!!!! We might be attacked and not expect it....

Thank goodness that yahoo is able to get the truth out!!!!!

Go Marissa Go

We have been traveling to France nearly ever year for the last 30 and have spent as much as two months at a time in Paris. We have traveled with our kids and grandkid and will be spending a month there this fall. I also traveled to London at the height of the IRA bombings with my 12 year old. My nephew is in Paris at the moment with his wife and 3 school age kids.

Look at it this way, you live in the most violent and dangerous country in the western world. Thousands of people, some of them school kids in their classrooms or parishioners in their churches or average folks at the theater or shopping mall are gunned down every year. These events are extraordinarily rare in Europe as is violent street crime; they are commonplace in the US. Gunshot deaths in the US run about 30,000 a year.

In Paris, I often travel on the metro at midnight or walk alone in neighborhoods after dark. Americans in most US cities and certainly in New Jersey rarely feel very safe in cities at night unless they are very familiar with the neighborhood. And thus I am always amused when people ask us if we are 'nervous' about traveling in Europe.

with that said, I think the sooner we leave the states, the better! In reality, living so close to NYC (1 hour), I was literally terrified for months after September 11th - It really shattered my perception of my safety here in America. I also am aware and agree that we have way more violent crime here than in Europe.

I also agree that the media blows everything out of proportion. I was also visiting outside London during the 2013 summer riots, and it didn't affect us in the slightest, even when touring the city.

I'm so glad I can go on this trip and know I will be much safer than I would be if I stayed home!

You're probably safer in France than in a church in South Carolina.

Have a wonderful trip. Kerry.

A tourist was randomly murdered on the San Francisco waterfront in the middle of the afternoon by a total stranger with a gun a couple of days ago; she was 32 years old and strolling with her father. When was the last time something like this happened in France?

Thanks everyone!

Kerry, Regarding your daughter's fears, I understand. Here's a story that might put your daughter's fears in perspective. I was taking my 15 year old daughter on her first trip to Europe/Italy. She had picked where we would go (Think Room with a View and volcanic eruptions)…. Just before we left, the Egypt Air crash occurred. Unfortunately, one of the kids in her class was affected by this as he lost a close cousin. He spent days telling her she was going to die if she got on our plane. Needless to say, we had numerous emotional discussions. I insisted we go because only when she was there would she realize why it was important that we go. The entire time I was insisting we go, there was a voice in my head saying I'd have a lot of explaining to do to her if our plane went down! But we likely wouldn't care that much at that point. Longer story short, we went to Italy, no reservations, but the first night, and all was well. On arrival we saw the Vatican, she was not impressed, but on the regional train the next day to Florence, she turned to me and said with as much enthusiasm as can be expected from a 15 year old, "This is different" after seeing an old woman in a black dress on a ladder picking fruit in an ancient orchard. Subsequently, she spent 7 years in Europe, and lived just down the street from the London riots in Ealing. They were fine. She finally moved back to the USA with her British husband and they miss a lot of what they left behind. So, go. It will all work out. We all have fears we must face. They are not always rational fears. And my perspective is that if it is my time to go, I might as well be doing something I want to do. You and your kids will have a great trip! Wray

Kerry,

I definitely agree with the others. Go to France and in all likelihood you'll all have a wonderful time! From what I've seen on the news this morning, it may be more dangerous for those at home. A massive security response has been implemented (including rooftop snipers) in preparation for 4th of July celebrations tomorrow (which was also the case on the 1st of July here).

I heard on New York 1 today that there will be 7,000 police out and about watching for terrorists in NYC, so New Jersey is probably where any terrorist is probably planning to go--that is if there one. Maybe you had better come to NYC for the Fourth. :) I am glad that they take these things seriously, but when there are no specifics, it's hard to know what anyone can do other than be alert to things that look out of place. I am still thinking about going to the George Washington Bridge to watch fireworks! Just getting to the East side let alone facing the crowds that are expected for the Macy's extravaganza is too much for me.

I hope you have a wonderful time in France!

In answer to janettravels44, 3 members of a British family, as well as a French man, were killed in an attack near Chevaline on 5 Sep 2012. The motive remains unknown and the case still unsolved.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/sep/05/annecy-shootings-british-car

The police were/are looking at family motives in that case but have never made an arrest. The victims were originally from a near eastern country but lived in England. It was a hit job. The bicyclist happened upon the scene--wrong place at the wrong time. This wasn't a random murder, the intended victims weren't French but were there on vacation, and is so rare in France that it made the headlines for weeks. You are comparing apples and oranges if you are comparing this to Janet's example.

Pretty random for the cyclist it seems. It does appear the evidence raises suspicion and a possible motive. I was just giving a fair answer to Janet's question.

" I was just pointing to a violent act against travellers in France."

And if this was supposed to allay the OP's fears, someone needs a refresher course.

I would be a little more diligent in Paris on July 14 but not stress out about terrorism. More than likely, however, the heat will be a bigger danger to you than terrorists or irate taxi drivers.

I would encourage you to travel freely Kerry, paying heed to your own governments advice, as well as that of your host country. The current Australian government advice is the same for France as the USA - "Exercise normal safety precautions".

On the positive side, no shark attacks reported in France...yet.

And Yahoo news? Half the time their news stories are full of typos and "Duchess Kate has post-partum depression" headlines. Wouldn't count on them as a reliable outlet. Go and enjoy. Good travels!

No one has ever said that nothing bad ever happens in France -- but random violence against tourists is incredibly rare and the kind of casual gun violence common in the US is almost unheard of. The incident where British tourists were killed when they stumbled on what looks like a family conflict incident is incredibly rare. Yes -- bad stuff can happen anywhere. I am also not going to avoid flying because a German pilot murdered a planeload of people. Again -- the risk of lethal violence is higher in the US and in New Jersey certainly than in any western European country.

First of all, why do you even bother reading such literature? Or, even be concerned if the French (or any other nationality in Europe) are rude to Americans. Irrelevant. If you're going to France this summer, I wouldn't change the plans at all. I was there in Paris in late May...didn't sense/see anything our of the ordinary, except for some soldiers patrolling at Gare du Nord and paris Est. Only in Germany with the coming G-7 summit on 7-8 June did I see a marked presence of police in the South German area going through trains along with additional train security personnel (DB Sicherheit) at stations in north Germany.

Fear works like a magnet. The most danger is the fear itself, just switch it off.

As well as the murder of the British family in the Alps being a hit job and almost certainly personally motivated in some way, the "Islamist terror attack" in France was total amateur hour to the point that according to the British press it's now uncertain about whether it even had a political motivation - possibly just some guy who was fed up with his boss and flipped out.

I doubt you are in any more danger in France than at home. My family and I were in France in June and loved it. A lot of pickpockets on the metro( some more skilled than others) but if you use common sense they are easily avoided. Journalists always make things sound worse than they probably are. For example as an outsider (I'm Australian ) America appears very violent - everyone shoots each other, but I assume that its more about sensational journalism than an accurate assessment of a country and its people. We found Paris to be friendly and easy to navigate. Like anywhere with a lot of tourists there is some tourist targeting crime, same as any tourist places anywhere. Use normal precautions such as safely stowing money, be aware of your bags, be aware of your surroundings and most importantly relax and enjoy yourself.