To be worried about a school trip to Belguim?

[Mummyme1987]

It's not Brussels but after this week, I'm worried. Am I being silly?

You're not being silly - it's natural to worry. But I think the risk outside Brussels is probably pretty low. How are they travelling?

No I don't think you're being silly, it's a natural reaction to have this sort of fear especially around your kids and especially if they're in the care of others.

Theoretically though of course London is at severe threat levels and that doesn't stop anyone going on school trips in the rest of the UK which is the same as what you're saying.

By coach to Bruges. I feel I'm maybe over worrying but I'm not going to relax until she is home.

Yes London is also threatened and I would worry about that too but not as much as I am now. And my dd is at high school so not little.

Yanbu to be worried, but you would be silly if you stopped it from happening. I'd be just as worried about any school trip to anywhere tbh and not just because of terrorism. It's the fact that you believe they're safe only when they're under your care. As a parent you think you could turn superhuman to save your child if only you're with them. The trick is to not let on about your worries to your child.

I wouldn't have a problem with that personally, but I think it's natural that recent events would make parents more anxious about trips. How soon is the trip?

I don't know if the UK government gives guidance to schools in this situation, but here (France) there was a ban on school trips into city centres for a short period after the Paris attacks.

I don't usually worry so much. im much more laid back usually. Maybe I'll "chill out" like my dd says!

I heard a discussion about this on the radio today. There was a mother on whose son was about 14-15, he still wanted to go and it was to visit war graves so not in built up areas so they made the call still to go, I would probably have done the same.

But given what's been coming out about how useless the Belgian police and security services are and their apparent total inability to catch terrorists on the run I don't think I would be happy about a trip to a main tourist site like Bruges.

The government advice for Belgium currently is to 'remain vigilant and stay away from crowded places'. I would think most things to do in Bruges would fly in the face of that advice. I wouldn't chance it.

It's July so not even soon. But the second I saw the news, I was worried. The other dd is flying to Italy the same day, i was always uneasy about her flying but I'm not going to let my worries stop them going.

i dont know anything about Bruges, is it a huge tourist place?

If it's July sit tight and see how things pan out. If it all calms down then go for it. Unfortunately I fear that come July there may have been more attacks on the continent though TBH.

Bruges is really, really touristy. But I wouldn't describe it as huge, quite the opposite. From a tourist point of view everything to go to see is in quite a compact city centre. It is largely medieval so very thin windy streets, often pedestrianised. It's quite claustrophobic in some ways.

And yes, lots of crowded areas.

Would Pompeii be a considered a target area?

I'm wondering if the school are also looking at this too?

I'm just going to have to hold my worries inside and count the days until they are home safe. I'm not going to stop them going, they are looking forward to it so very much.

I haven't been to Pompeii. From what I've heard of it though it's quite a large site, open and spread out over a pretty big area in quite a rural location.

I seriously doubt Pompeii would be attacked. It's touristy but because of the nature of the site not that crowded and easy to get out of. So it would be very, very hard to do much damage and as these people want to do as much damage as possible not really attractive to them.

They tend to go for small places with lots of people crowded in and exit difficult. So theatres, tube stations, train stations. So crowded, cramped touristy city areas yes. Large, rural, well spaced attractions, no. I wouldn't worry about Pompeii.

I wouldn't be concerned about Bruges personally. It in the pretty, rich bit of Belgium, not the bit with ghettos. It's basically the Home Counties.

Italy doesn't have the same issues. There is probably a higher risk of being caught up in an organised crime related incident in Naples than a terrorist incident! (But neither is very likely at all). Pompeii and herculaneum are touristy, but not large.

Thank you.

Bruges is only an hours drive from Molenbeek.

Sure, but Belgium is a pretty small country. If visiting Brussels is like going to London, then going to Bruges is maybe the equivalent of going to Cambridge.

July is a long time away... I went to Brussels last November just after the Paris attacks and Brussels lock down. Everything was fine, despite my initial apprehension.

FWIW I have also been to Pompeii, as prev said, it's a huge area, hundreds probably visit in a day but it's never hectic or very crowded.

Hope your girls have a great time

That doesn't really matter though does it? If you're a terrorist planning an attack you're not going to be put off an area a short drive away packed with tourists because the equivalent drive in England would take 3 hours would you?

Plus that mistake was made in Tunisia. Sousse was supposed to be safe because it was a few hours drive from the previous areas of attacks. Obviously it wasn't safe, because terrorists won't ignore an area full of targets with no security just because they might have to drive for a few hours to get there. And Bruges/Molenbeek is closer in distance than Sousse/Tunis.

Being a naice area doesn't matter. You don't have to live locally to attack somewhere.

It's probably one of the safest places to go right now tbh - they have attacked it.