Situation in Mali

When are you planning trip? No one can predict what may happen. We went to Europe just after 9/11 and were nervous but determined not to stop travel. If you are that worried about France, perhaps another destination?

I was in Paris a couple of years ago when the State department issued warnings about traveling there. I think the warnings were more dire than they are right now but my feeling has always been bad guys don't announce when they are going to do bad stuff. So far, that seems to be about right. It also scares off your fellow tourists so you have the place (almost) to yourself. We didn't stand in line for anything. It was an odd feeling seeing tanks and troops everywhere, but if you have never been before, it won't seem uncomfortable. I think it's very understandable how you feel though, but if it were me, I wouldn't consider changing plans. I have even been on a flight from Milan diverted to JFK with a terror suspect on board, so I'm probably a little more paranoid than the usual person. That's a whole different story :) Hope you enjoy Paris!

James delights in taking the opposite view. You changes of being involved in terrorists activity or attach in Paris is about the same being hit by lighting on the beach at St. Augustine. The most dangerous part of your trip will be the trip to and from the airport. You have a far greater chance of being injured in a subway accident or bus. Yet, that will not stop you from going. Your travel insurance will cover cancellation for a threat IF, BIG IF, that is a started reason in the policy -- most likely not.

Cici, I understand being a fearful flier, I don't like it either, but I love to get to other places, so frankly , I pop an ativan( ask your doctor, lol) and get on the damm plane. I am not saying thats for you,, I am just saying I get the fear thing, but I won't it let me stop me, I have been flying since I was about 7 or 8 yrs old and I am well into the middle aged years, and I fly at least once or twice a year so the fear never completely subsides,, but I will tell you this, as a child I was completely unafraid, no the fear came with the years of reading about bad things happening on planes,,, so my best advice is STOP reading the news and watching the TV news. It would never occur to me to be afraid to go to Paris, its safer then LA and I bet you would go there , I have been to LA about 6 or 7 times and even though intellectually I know I am pretty safe at Disneyland/Long Beach etc all those stories on the news about drive by shootings and east La and gangs etc etc, well they do freak me out a bit, but I go anyways.. Conquer the fears, its no more dangerous to travel to France right now then it is to Miami ( which like murder capital or something, or is that Detroit still?) . Things CAN happen anywhere and anytime, but you can not let that control you . You wouldn't go into a war zone, but these places are not war zones.
I alway feel sad when I think of 9/11, those people were at work, it was the morning of a nice day,, there was no way to predict that would be some of theirs last day.. they weren't in Afganistan, or Pakistan, or Beirut or even Cairo,, they were at home. Don't let fear control you, take normal precautions , be sensible . A trip to France is sensible. White water rafting after a monsoon in the moutains of Tibet is not sensible..

As the U.S. was kicking Sadaam Hussein's ass in the First Gulf War, we were sitting in a beer hall on Bayerstrasse in Munich drinking beer with the real Bavarians. And not another American in sight. We loved it. Please go ahead and plan your trip. Rick Steves and many world travelers pop an Ambien with their meal an hour after takeoff, and they fly without a worry in the world. Europe has been there for 2800 years, and it will certainly be there a year from now. Have a great trip!

I respectfully disagree. Stating that RS and many world travelers "pop" an Ambien to fly "worry-free" is either medical advice (a suggestion that she do the same thing) or an advertisement for Ambien. In either case the statement is wrong, because who said they are using it to calm anxiety? Ambien is a sleeping pill, not anti-anxiety medication. It is powerful and has side effects, and should not be taken lightly, expecially by women. Hopefully if Cici wants help dealing with flight anxiety she will consult her doctor about it.

France is a former imperial power with large immigrant populations from those colonies and an active foreign policy. As such, it will always be under threat for terrorism. Just like the US, Great Britain, Spain and Germany. On occasions, those threat levels are increased and that might happen with France acting in Mali. But terrorism will always be a real risk in France and as noted above, terrorists rarely announce their plans ahead of time. By comparison, your chances of being a victim of gun violence or gun crime in the US is far higher than being a victim of terrorism in Europe.

Your chances of being involved in a fatal car accident on the way to work are much higher than those of being involved in a violent crime in the US, which itself is more likely than being the victim of a terrorist attack anywhere in the US or Europe.

"Rick Steve's and many world travelers pop an Ambien an hour after takeoff and fly without a worry.". David, before you give broad sweeping medical advice you should consider something. It may not be good for everyone. Ambien is metabolized differently by women and the FDA has recommended cutting way back on the dosage for them. Maybe women shouldn't take it at all. For those who say that terrorist don't announce their plans, are you aware there has been a specific threat against France? The alert level in France is very high, so they are taking it seriously. Airport security will be so high you should actually feel reassured, not fearful. And you can minimize your exposure to risk while in Paris if you want to, by avoiding the metro, the Eiffel Tower, and other likely targets. It is unfortunate that this has come up just before your long-planned trip. But don't let it stop you from going. The risk of flying is no different than it was yesterday or the day before, in other words, very very low. Less than driving to the airport as someone said above. Have you considered one of those classes where they help you overcome fear of flying?

So, David, Europe just appeared 2800 years ago? What an odd thing to say. What was here before that? As to no Americans being around in Munich in 1989-1990 during the Gulf War, there were tons of Americans in Germany. There were bases everywhere. Munich was popular with tourists as well as with the military. David makes it sound like visiting here is a new phenomenon. There were probably more here at that time period, then there is now. As to travel in France, check the American consulate website and see what they say. I just checked their website and they don't have anything to say at all about dangers to tourists. It isn't something that I would probably worry about though.

I traveled to the UK several times back in the day when "the troubles" in Northern Ireland were in full flare-up. One day there was a bomb scare in the bank where I was cashing a check (yes, it was a LOOONG time ago!) and everyone was evacuated. Another day, I descended into the tube only to be hurriedly shooed out again as, yes, the tube was evacuated because of a bomb scare! It was hair raising, but I lived to tell the tale. Years later, I talked to a professor of statistics about how close to death I had thrillingly come, and he peered at me over his glasses and said, "No, not particularly." He then went on to explain the math. Since I am an idiot about math, I do not remember the calculations, but I do remember that I calmed me WAY down, and to this day I do not worry. Not even about flying, and I was actually at Ground Zero in NYC during 9/11. We have no way to predict what will be happening by the time you fly. Things may have calmed way down. If there's a travel advisory, as someone sanguinely noted, you might want to think again. By that time, if you have purchased your tickets, you will have recourse through the travel insurance which you should indeed buy - and READ the policy! And talk to your primary care doctor about your anxiety. S/he may be able to prescribe you a little something to help you with the flight itself. Don't take anything that a doctor hasn't prescribed, though. The last place you want to have a bad reaction is on an international flight! Please don't worry so much. It will be fine. And Paris is such a wonderful, magical city that it will be worth a little trepidation. Happy travels!

I didn't see David giving any medical advice, only making a statement about what some people do when they fly. I would agree with those who say try not to worry too much about it. I figure if it's my turn to go, it's my turn. And if it's not my turn, I get to enjoy my trip. Enjoy yours!

For the record, it's false to say that 5.7% of the French population is Muslim. The truth is that French law forbids the collection of data on residents' religion (a little hangover from how nicely the Vichy government facilitated and aided occupying Nazi Germany). Any estimations of the number of Muslims in France are just that guesses. Some are better guesses than others, but anyone citing a ridiculously precise figure like "5.7%" is probably intentionally trying to sway the debate. A more honest statement would be along the lines of "Estimates of France's Muslim population range from xx% to x%, but the real percentage is unknowable."

Ativan, works for me, and doesn't put you right out, can and does make you drowsy but mostly it just calms your nerves. Obviously talk to doctor( its not like you can get it without a prescription so its a moot point to tell people to talk to their doctor re any of those meds, they HAVE to ). Also always try any med BEFORE you go, at home, so that you know how you react to it before you are up in the air. Even a non prescription "natural" sleep aid like meletonin can give some people side effects.

Currently, there is no State Advisories for anywhere in France. After debating and discussing it with DH (and even looking at other possible vacation ideas), I really want to stay on course with our plans for Paris this summer. I have invested a lot of time researching the trip and I guess, as Nancy said, if it's My turn, then it's my turn. Percentages don't really matter I guess even if they are small; if it happens to me, then it's 100%.... I will definitely talk to my physician about something to relax me and try out whatever she might suggest before traveling. I will also read the fine print when I buy our travel policy..... You all were great and I feel much better about the decision to forge on....Cici

Good for you. I have the idea that "they" will not stop me from doing what I want to do. Please enjoy your trip.

Cici, check out todays Paris Daily Photo. Would this make me change my plans for visiting Paris ...Never!!!

Good to see they are out and take threats serious...great website...loved the photos...thanks!

I would go, and I'm glad to see that you decided to continue on. The risk is minimal and you are far, far more likely to be run down by a car in France than you are to be a victim of any type of violence.

"you are far, far more likely to be run down by a car in France " What?? No more so in France than here.

Susan, that's sort of my point. :) Getting hit by a car here is probably more likely in the US than in Paris, and both of those are more likely than coming down with fatal illness, and that's more likely than being victim of terrorism. :)

If you wait for all the threats to go away, you'll never get beyond your front door. You'll have to decide your own comfort level, but it sounds like you have already done some critical thinking on the subject. On the topic of insurance, there are some policies that will let you cancel for any reason and receive a portion of your money back. Travel Guard offers such a policy. My advice, keep your eyes open, keep a low profile and have a fantastic time.

Re insurance, read the exclusions very carefully; there are a few carriers that will cover cancellation for acts of terrorism, under VERY specific and often narrow conditions. The website, Insure my trip, does a nice job of allowing side by side comparisons of a range of policies. I've also found their phone staff to be well informed when I've needed further clarification. And then read the actual policy carefully. And I echo the others... go. The best trips I ever took to the Middle East were towards the end of the second Gulf War (travel in Egypt) and during a time of significant cross-border shelling (travel in Israel and Palestinian Territories). In both cases, there were relatively few tourists, which only made for a more pleasant travel experience. And I figure my chances of getting injured/killed are higher on my daily commute to and from work, than while traveling. Any risk in France would be dramatically lower than the Middle East during hostilities. And as an aside, I find the quality of my life is better when I avoid spending too much time with news outlets... they have an awful lot of air time and page space to fill, and the focus is usually on the worst possible case.

Re: "not an American in sight." I was in Munich in August 1989, spent a couple of nights there as a tourist, saw plenty of Americans at the Marienplatz, and on my last evening, at the Hofbräuhaus.