Travel concerns.

It doesn't seem to matter what's going on in the news cycle, year to year, this question gets repeated. The only thing that would keep me from traveling to Europe (or returning to live there again) would be a continent-wide conflict on the scale of the world wars.

Statistically, the most unsafe thing any of us will do on a daily basis is get in our cars and drive.

I live in Austria and just spent the holidays in the US. I feel much safer over here in Europe.

To answer you question directly "With the recent news and in light of what's going on in the Middle East is anyone concerned about traveling around Europe."

No, I'm not concerned about traveling in Europe in the least bit, solo or with my family. I was in Munich in Sept, Belgium in October and will be in France later this month with no concerns what so ever.

DJ

Going to Germany in April. Looking forward to a great time as it has been the last eleven years. Hope others will continue to enjoy it as well. Gary

With the recent armed terrorist occupation going on in Oregon, should I be concerned about travelling to the US?

I don't think it's helpful to say "I'm not worried - don't you worry either." I'm not going to tell you to go or to stay home, or what precautions you might take if you do go. It's your decision. I'll only suggest that as you assess the situation, it's wise to check in with the Department of State announcements and to inform yourself on recent events in Germany and Austria. Deutsche Welle is an English-language source from Germany that addresses your concerns.

We traveled to Germany the Friday after the terror attacks in Paris. I was so afraid that my hubby would want to cancel the trip. He looked at me and said "We are not going to let them win. We are going."

There were four areas I was concerned about, Flying, a concert (we had already purchased tickets), Munich, and Nuremburg. (Munich and Nuremburg were during the Christmas Markets so lots of people.)

Flying: security was elevated. People were alert. For some reason that made me feel better. Leaving, we flew back from Frankfurt and in through Toronto (an amazing experience).

Munich and Nurmeburg, there were a lot of people, but I never felt threatened. I felt really safe. There was an elevated police presence, but it helped.

The concert again more security and the security people were alert and focused on the job at hand. So that went off with out a hitch too.

So I can't tell you to go, or not to go.

If you do decide to go, register you trip with the State Dept STEP program and follow them on Facebook. They will email you alerts specific to your destination. They will also have your ware abouts, so if there is an emergency they can get in touch with you.
Also have a back up plan or 3.
Be smart.
Know where the exits are.
I would have a paper map on hand just in case.
Travel light - too much stuff weighs you down
Have emergency numbers.
Don't be scared - be alert
Enjoy your time.

Unfortunately, for a topic so germane to international travel, it's not a desired topic here. Probably best that we carry on discussing Vernazza, back doors, and car rental tips.

I don't think that this subject in and of itself is the reason the threads get deleted. Yes, this topic is germane to travel and the OP's travel concerns definitely should be addressed, at least as much as we can from our own experiences and our own feelings about the issue. The problem is that some responders (and we all know who they are) can not or will not suppress their urge to turn the travel related opinions into political rhetoric that has no place on this travel forum. As long as those responding keep their answers on topic the thread will not be deleted.

Regarding this particular question I can only answer from my own point of view and that is that, barring any full-fledged war involving all of Europe (as the other poster said), none of these isolated incidents will keep me from traveling. I always check official gov't websites to see if there are any specific warnings or alerts regarding the places I'm planning to travel to, and I take any normal and necessary precautions when I'm there to ensure my own safety (as much as possible). I go and enjoy and assume that all will be well. It would take a lot more than a few radical terrorists to stop me from traveling to wherever I want to go.

Hi,

I make up my mind based on listening the news from various sources...CNN, BBC, MSNBC, Fox, Bloomberg, the French news TV5 Monde, Deutsche Welle, etc aside from looking at various newspapers. The next trip to Germany and Austria solo is on, ie, departing the end of May. I don't consult the State Dept travel advisory to see what it has to say, never have.

Of course I'm concerned. This is the new reality and we haven't seen the end of it, but it doesn't change any of my travel plans.

Yes, there definitely needs to be a whole different forum area for people to discuss their fears...it's getting rather old here.

If you are not afraid in the States you certainly don't have to be afraid in Europe. Statistically you are much safer there despite recent terrorist attacks. If you want to feel even safer go to the countries formerly behind Iron Curtain. There has been no terrorist attack there (with the exception of Russia and Bulgaria). You can visit such beautiful cities like Prague, Budapest, Krakow, Gdansk etc. Middle East does not have to bother you. It's far away from there. Migrants don't have to bother you either. ( Yes, I know what happened in Cologne but that was very rare event). By summer 2016 I think that illegal migration through Europe will be stopped and will become much more organized. The only consequence of that could be more border checks.

I think Susan's reply is wonderful! To me it is more helpful to see what practical suggestions people use to manage their anxieties or travel-related fears than to be told it is safer to travel to XXX in Europe than to travel to YYY in the US.

I have not traveled since the November terrorist attacks in Paris. However, I always have my passport with me and generally carry my money, phone, iPad Mini with me during the day so if there was a catastrophe I could leave my clothes behind and be on a train/plane out.

Agree Prague, Kraków and the new Central Europe are the best value and possibly fewer safety concerns. Security and travel go together, in the US or abroad. The most concern during our 2015 travels was on local trains from Lucca to Florence. Immigrants with nothing to do but pickpocket were the concern.

cl,

As long as you're not travelling to the middle east, you'll most likely have a wonderful time in Europe. As the others have pointed out, it's probably more dangerous in your home area. That's not to say that you shouldn't be vigilant and take reasonable precautions, especially regarding pickpocketing and other scams. I was in Switzerland and Austria in September and didn't have any problems at all (even with large migrant groups in Salzburg and Vienna).

Of course, the situation can change between now and summer, so I'd suggest looking at the risks just prior to booking your trip. Where are you planning to visit in the three countries you mentioned?

Edited Down to Simple Substance

So how about a more germane question? “Given the types of incidents that have been taking place and those that have been historically typical in Europe, what can I do to minimize my exposure?” First, when you build lists like this it sort overwhelms the senses. I am not encouraging anything, or anything to one degree or another, but things you yourself might want to take into consideration and weigh vs your own thresholds of comfort are:

Generally, the areas most tourists visit are as safe as the suburban neighborhoods those with the disposal income to travel live and work in.

While the mass shootings in Paris have resulted in 6 times the number of per capita causalities than have resulted from mass shootings in the US, by definition it only takes one MASS shooting to flip that comparison, so when it comes to things of this magnitude it’s not always relevant to play the number games.

Jews are targets of right wing and Islamic extremists. Being in the proximity of Jews or Jewish monuments is going to be more dangerous than being in the proximity of Baptists.

The immigrants are targets of right wing extremists. Being in the proximity of immigrants is going to be more dangerous than being in the proximity of Baptists.

The immigrants generally speaking were not raised in the presence of traditional Western values and some among the immigrants may act out on the differences in culture. In the presence of immigrants, people may want to consider how they are being perceived by the immigrants; this is apparently especially women.

In many crowded tourist zones pickpocketing and petty theft is fairly prevalent.
“Wandering neighborhoods” may best done in day time to avoid ending up in the “wrong” neighborhood; especially after dark. Demographics are changing and what may have been okay when your 1997 RS Guide was written may no longer be true.

Breaking laws, no matter how small, may bring you into a legal system that does not provide the same protections as the US legal system.

As the crime rate in most of the EU is fairly uniform, you might look for places where the terrorism risk is lower. As mentioned that would be Eastern and Central Europe.

Read the US State Department advisories and I like the ones the UK publishes too. What harm could it do? Also you might want to register with the State Department STEP program.

The population in some countries is less tolerant of U.S. foreign policy and responds through protest and violence in the streets or rudeness to tourists. Be aware of how the U.S. is being perceived during your visit. I’ve never heard of a violent outbreak because of Russia’s aggression against Georgia or the Ukraine so I assume that this is very U.S. biased.

The population of some countries might be more prone to respond to dissatisfaction with their own government’s policies through protest and violence. Have an awareness of any local topics of discord.

James How do I find the Baptists?

Baptist clothing appears as though it were purchased in Walmart (kidding, don't rake me over the coals). Of course you cant really identify Jews either if they don't want to be identified. But you can identify synagogues, traditional Jewish neighborhoods, Klezmer Concerts, observant Jews. Then there are the things no tourist could ever expect to know. Like that the venue in Paris where most of the murders occurred had been Jewish owned, had be a venue for a number of Jewish events, had been threatened repeatedly with violence and had only been sold very recently (the Jewish owners immigrated to Israel as is now the trend among French Jews).

I don't mean to emphasize that connection too much. I'm just looking for common threads that people can judge on their own in an attempt to answer the question at hand. Personally I am no more nervous about visiting most places in Europe than I am visiting Baltimore. Hmmmm, maybe I am more nervous than I thought.....

I live in South Florida. My daughter teaches in Chicago, public school system. Both of these areas are far more dangerous than anything I have encountered in Europe.

I would keep away from Middle East, but I think that is common sense.

@ Charlotte...ditto on your comments.

Charlotte, very possibly true. I can't remember ever being very nervous in Europe. Can't say the same for parts of D.C. I posted my list just for thought, and I hope people have an open mind like you and no one over reacts to it.

"My list is just for thought, not for over reaction."

Where is the over reaction?

Norma, you misinterpreted my statement. I edited it for clarity. I think this has been a very sane and rational discussion about travel.

clhs65125 I think it unanimous. You will need to change your plans and skip Germany and go to Hungary instead. We are looking forward to receiving you.

You can count on Americans overreacting to what happened in Germany on NYE , (don't put that passed them, ) and decide to ditch their plans for Germany and Austria and will travel to Hungary instead....lol. Don't be surprised if BP witnesses an increase in numbers of tourists and tourist spending not only in BP but also Balaton (Plattensee) where it's swamped with Germans...lol

Those countries so welcoming of the migrants in Sept have been told by the Hungarians...I told you so. Of course, those countries on the receiving end of this wagging finger don't want to hear it.

My Hungarian friends sing praises of the wisdom of Orbán, then quickly go and take hot showers to try and wash it off them. Its sort of a love / hate relationship. I don't know how many times I have heard people say how ashamed they were to think well of him. He did what needed to e done for a very poor country with no resources to care for the migrants even if they were let in. Budapest is beautiful but few realize that the per capita income in Hungary is about one fourth that of Austria or Germany and the population is less than 1/10 that of Germany.

To put this in the context of the topic. Despite the fact that they closed their borders to the migrants they are very hospitable hosts to tourists. I have never heard of any account of the rudeness towards Americans that appears to be prevalent in other parts of Europe (according to the posts here). In 12 years of travel to Budapest totaling about a year in the country there has rarely been a visit when someone didn't approach and offer unsolicited help of one type or another. And while not for everyone, the social norms are very similar to those of my childhood in the US. As such I feel familiar and comfortable there. This message brought to you by the Hungarian State Tourism Institute. Naaaaa, not really.

We just came back from Budapest, Vienna, Passau, Nuremburg (flew Nuremburg, Berlin, London) London in December and while I did see some security and a refugee camp in Germany, I felt safe as you can be in this world of ours. We were always aware and alert and tried to "fit in" as best we could. Saw the Nutcracker at the Hungary State Opera house and had to open our bags as we entered for inspection, soldiers at the Christmas Market in Vienna City Hall area, and Nuremburg Market but London seemed like always just crowded on the tube and in tourist areas. I say just go and keep your wits about you, try not to look like a tourist and I think the countries you are going to are the safest. Love all of them and just enjoy!

James, your passing remark about "rudeness to Americans in other parts of Europe" (other than Hungary, that is) mentioned on these boards, needs to be addressed. If you do a search you will find almost all of the posts mentioning rudeness to Americans are from people who were pleasantly surprised to find there was no rudeness. There are those, of course, who think it is very rude to hand out a speeding ticket to an American driver.

Norma, thank you for stating the obvious; I mean that sincerely. There was something in this thread that was absurd or overblown about treatment of Americans, can’t find it now, maybe it was deleted. Norma, like you I think the comments regarding manners in all parts of the world are over blown and out of context. I just figured if I threw it out there often enough someone would finally denounce it. Read again. It wasn’t my claim. My statement was:

I have never heard of any account of the rudeness towards Americans
that appears to be prevalent in other parts of Europe (according to
the posts here).

People are people and people are generally good by nature. My limited experience with the French was at their absolute worst they were generally “attentive” but not much more. But that’s sufficient and I love France. I mention the French because they are the ones most often noted as rude to Americans; so no complaints from me there. In what is probably just shy of 2 years out of the country in the last 20 years my experience is that in all but one episode in Rome I have never met a rude sole while traveling. Maybe I have been lucky; or maybe I see the good in people and look past their imperfections. That might be why I have met so few bad people in life in general. You get what you give. I believe that if one treats people condescendingly, or accusatory, or with preconceived notions of the character or their soul; they are likely to get the same in return and once we all start doing it to each other the world becomes a very sad place. Tolerance, understanding and an effort to improve the lot we share the earth with I believe will get us a lot further than; “he did that” or “she thinks this” sort of nonsense.

To be honest I know I have a heightened awareness of the behavior of people in Budapest but I am still amazed at how often we have been helped by strangers on each and every trip. Of course this could be like a parent who only sees the good in their kids. So, admittedly I am biased.

I think its great that you challenge what you read. It develops excellent dialogues and G-d knows we all need to talk more.

@ James.... On rudeness by the French , or shall I say perceived rudeness, I've seen it and had it happen to me too in the years of traveling there, but so what. Rudeness or not, I get along with les français just as I do in Budapest...lol On your comment about Pastor M. Niemöller and what he found out: When one goes to the Resistance Museum in Berlin (Gedenkstätte deutscher Widerstand), one will see his famous quotation of several lines on "when they came for...." on the wall...in the original, no English next to it Very striking and hard hitting....also poignant. It makes you stand there looking at it and think in terms of life and survival under totalitarianism.

Niemöller; an excellent topic to investigate as part of understanding past and current culture as well as an example the world needs to recognize. To wit, has anyone read of the recent stabbings in France and Germany?

Go and have a great time.

We just returned from a December trip to Italy and will be traveling to Switzerland, France, Germany and the Netherlands this coming July.

There was heightened security in Florence and Rome, but not oppressively so. We were walked the Via del Corso in the heart of Rome the Saturday night before Christmas. It was packed with locals out Christmas shopping. We practiced situational awareness, but I never felt uncomfortable.

I have absolutely no qualms about our upcoming trip. I did not let worrying spoil my December trip and I won't let it spoil this one either.