Flying to Europe - is it safe?

[StressyMcStressFace]

This may be the stupidest question but I'm going to ask it anyway because I would really welcome opinions (not on how stupid I am thanks!).

Do you think it is wise to fly to Europe on holiday in light if the current situation in Ukraine? Genuine question as I am not very clued up on the ins and outs of the invasion (apart from the big headlines) and was just wondering how safe it is likely to be albeit at the end of June. I started thinking about it due to a comment made on another thread about the fact that a passenger flight could be shot down even if accidentally.

Do we need to reconsider flying to Europe or are we safe enough?

Obviously nobody can see into the future and maybe this is a non-question but I thought it might be a question worth asking. Thanks

I swear some people are never happier than when they've got something to catastrophise about

If the cruise ships don’t go because of the war people won’t get money back unless they cancel quickly according to local report. They will get to rebook but people can’t always be flexible with dates .

And it’s all very well laughing and mocking people but it was a tourist flight that was shot down in the last Ukraine Moscow conflict in 2014 .

I was thinking of flying into Edinburgh, Europe for a weekend. Should I reconsider. I’m avoiding London Europe as there were terrorist attacks on 7/7 a couple of years ago. Currently at an airport arrivals collecting a visitor from Madrid who will be flying back next week. Madrid had bombs too. Maybe my visitor stay permanently. I plan on the Med in June, maybe I shoukd reconsider as Nice had an attack as well. Luckily I’m actually never going to Ukraine. Or Russian airspace in the East of Europe.

@Seeingadistance

I had been thinking of going to Poland this year - plans to visit over past two years have come to nothing due to Covid - but not now. But it’s a close neighbour of Ukraine’s.

Other, more distant parts of Europe - likely to be fine unless situation escalates significantly. Currently, nothing is flying over Ukraine.

My son is currently working in France, coming home in a week for a short while and then is off to Poland. I was wondering about it and I generally don't worry. At the moment it appears a lot of Ukrainians are decamping to Poland and who can blame them. However Poland should be all right, we are probably being concerned about nothing. I mean, the Russians are hardly going to invade Poland - are they?

DS off to Rome next month I'm trying not to worry about Russian jamming signals whilst he's flying.

Putin's threatened Facebook Twitter banks hospitals with cyber attacks. Well let's hope we can scramble his cyber technology in return

@cyclamenqueen exactly- spot on. I’m not thick, I know it’s extremely unlikely I will be caught up in war going on a med cruise. But it’s all the uncertainty on top of existing uncertainty regarding Covid restrictions. We’re visiting multiple countries, so not as simple as flying to Spain.

The final payment was this week and so we cancelled rather than risk it. Everyone I know has done the same (about 25 of us). We’re all pretty well educated, abreast of the situation and not panicking. Our thoughts are with the Ukrainian people, but it’s not worth it to us PERSONALLY to risk losing thousands of pounds. Others will have different risk thresholds.

Poland are Hungary are expecting lots of refugees so that’s going to change what they offer to tourists, regardless of whether it’s going to be possible.
I’d avoid Turkey. Not sure Putin is over the Crimean war either.

Cyclamenqueen That isn't correct. If the cruise is cancelled the money will be refunded. If people choose not to go it is likely that the companies will be flexible in allowing people to change dates or have future credit

@Juno22 they could go bust, some already did under covid. There are also lots of ts&cs so not cut and dry. I purchased Surestay insurance but it’s still not watertight

I have young kids and it feels like an almighty hassle so would rather just holiday in U.K./ Ireland / France. Not sure what yet!

@Juno22

Cyclamenqueen That isn't correct. If the cruise is cancelled the money will be refunded. If people choose not to go it is likely that the companies will be flexible in allowing people to change dates or have future credit

Well that’s not what a very large cruise company is telling people and travel insurers have been warning people to check policies. I reckon most people who cancel will just rebook elsewhere , they aren’t panicking about war they are panicking and losing money. We are going to Greece in June I’m not remotely worried but there’s only two of us, we can be flexible dates wise .

I really don't see why so many posters have to be so nasty about people who are genuinely concerned and anxious.
Could you not just have answered pleasantly without piling on?

And please can we leave the poster alone who said the whole of Russia is between Poland and Ukraine? Stop linking to her in replies at least - the poster is going to get loads of e-mails saying he/she has been mentioned in a post and they are all making fun of him/her.
It's obvious the poster confused Ukraine with somewhere like Uzbekistan or just thought that Ukraine was in that area anyway. FFS.... those of us who do know where Ukraine is don't need to be so snotty and superior about it.

Here here @shssandhr calling people ignorant and stupid is wholly unpleasant and unnecessary. Travel is expensive and everyone has different needs/ risk levels. It’s really rude to call people ignorant.

I have a degree in International relations as it happens from RG uni. I’m definitely not ignorant, but that is irrelevant. The comments are still rude!

If you want travel companies to go bust then pulling your money out now when there are no warnings about travel from FCDO is a sure fire way to make it happen.

@cyclamenqueen

If the cruise ships don’t go because of the war people won’t get money back unless they cancel quickly according to local report. They will get to rebook but people can’t always be flexible with dates .

And it’s all very well laughing and mocking people but it was a tourist flight that was shot down in the last Ukraine Moscow conflict in 2014 .

That was because it flew over a war zone where many airlines had already detoured over the Black Sea.

My friend at work is going to Finland in 2 weeks, she thinks it will be safe but I would be worried.

And please can we leave the poster alone who said the whole of Russia is between Poland and Ukraine? Stop linking to her in replies at least - the poster is going to get loads of e-mails saying he/she has been mentioned in a post and they are all making fun of him/her.
It's obvious the poster confused Ukraine with somewhere like Uzbekistan or just thought that Ukraine was in that area anyway. FFS.... those of us who do know where Ukraine is don't need to be so snotty and superior about it.

Oh come on, the poster in question very superiorly posted their comment about Russia being wholly between Poland and Ukraine with the smug air of educating us ignorant plebs.

I'm slightly depressed by all the 'well you're hardly going to be going on holiday anyway near Ukraine' comments. What a very narrow outlook. Not everyone from the UK just jets off to Spain every year - there's lots of tourism to the Baltic States, Poland, and indeed Russia (esp St Petersburg) - in fact, that's a very popular cruise route. If I had a Baltic cruise booked I would be thinking quite hard about cancelling (it's particularly unlikely they'll be landing in St Petersburg!). We had been considering booking a holiday in Eastern Poland and have decided to save it for another year. Mainly because of the likely refugee situation, and possible FCO advice, but also because I don't think it's totally impossible that Putin will start harassing the former Soviet Union states, even if he doesn't actually invade them due to NATO membership. But no, I wouldn't be cancelling a trip to Majorca.

The greatest danger you face is the journey on the road to the airport.

@greatwave

I'm slightly depressed by all the 'well you're hardly going to be going on holiday anyway near Ukraine' comments. What a very narrow outlook. Not everyone from the UK just jets off to Spain every year - there's lots of tourism to the Baltic States, Poland, and indeed Russia (esp St Petersburg) - in fact, that's a very popular cruise route. If I had a Baltic cruise booked I would be thinking quite hard about cancelling (it's particularly unlikely they'll be landing in St Petersburg!). We had been considering booking a holiday in Eastern Poland and have decided to save it for another year. Mainly because of the likely refugee situation, and possible FCO advice, but also because I don't think it's totally impossible that Putin will start harassing the former Soviet Union states, even if he doesn't actually invade them due to NATO membership. But no, I wouldn't be cancelling a trip to Majorca.

I agree, my friend has relatives in Finland (well her DH does) that she hasnt seen since 2019 and is looking forward to seeing them in the next fortnight. We had a chat today and she said Finland is safe, I did check the travel advice section and the only caution was relating to COVID

Well, it's not as if Russian forces can't do what they want in the UK:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisoning_of_Sergei_and_Yulia_Skripal

Greatwave the OP said she was going to Spain which is why it's been mentioned so often on this thread.

Definitely unsafe.

Not to forget Covid and the risk of a potential new variant come the spring, flying to one of the Costas or Canaries just feels like a suicide mission at this point.

I guess it depends on how this unfolds. If Russia do get kicked out of Swift (the nuclear financial sanction), then tit for tat sabotage to international banking, energy or air traffic control systems could follow.

Personally I wouldn’t be travelling to a neighbouring country and particularly to those countries who are not part of NATO either right now or in the coming months.

I would imagine if there becomes a real danger then there will be foreign office advice not to travel and people will get refunds as they did at the beginning of the Covid situation .